Generational Dynamics Forum - New Site

Weiseth wrote:From my Ukranian colleague the average Citizen of Ukraine neither support Saakashvili or that Poroshenko character, they view them both as part of the international oligarchy using Ukraine as a cheap whore to exploit for Money. At least that is his perspective, then again he is 40 year old and might not share the awakening era generation sense of nationalism.

Guest wrote:

Weiseth wrote:From my Ukranian colleague the average Citizen of Ukraine neither support Saakashvili or that Poroshenko character, they view them both as part of the international oligarchy using Ukraine as a cheap whore to exploit for Money. At least that is his perspective, then again he is 40 year old and might not share the awakening era generation sense of nationalism.

Is he an ethnic Russian or Ukrainian? I know ethnic Russians who are "Ukrainian" when they spout off about how the Kiev government is made up of "Nazis". But they are Russians and there hometowns are all far east of the old Hapsburg Ukraine. The eastern part of Ukraine -which is a huge country-was part of the dingy Russian Empire.

Also, having lived in several countries that came out of the ex-Soviet Union, I can tell you this: virtually no one approves of their government.

Did you live there because of work? I can only imagine the economic dysfunction you have witnessed.

Guest wrote: Wed Sep 13, 2017 5:35 am

Did you live there because of work? I can only imagine the economic dysfunction you have witnessed.

I lived in different countries across Eastern Europe for a variety of reasons.

The hatred of governments in the 90s and 00s had nothing to do with socialism and everything to do with rotten to the core corruption. In those days gangsters prowled the streets openly. They wore leather jackets and parked their German luxury cars on the sidewalks. Murder in public places was (and still is to a lesser extent) common. The power was on and off; medical services were collapsing; public services were bad or non existent; governments only existed to loot, and people sold whatever possessions they had on the streets (sadly, miserably, sometimes even themselves) to survive.

And, no, I did not take advantage of anyone.

The farther east one went, the worse it was. People in the former Yugoslavia had long worked in Western Europe and many were lucky enough to survive in remittances from family members working abroad. People farther east did anything and everything they could to escape west.

Deutsche Marks were the currency everyone wanted, more so than US Dollars.

Eastern Europeans really were not that tough. Millions died of despair. I don't remember the statistics, but the population of the Ex-Soviet Union shrank by millions in the 90s, mostly from deaths, not emigration. I'm sure you've heard some of the stories. The corrupt, criminal, and connected survived. Those without family working abroad or government connections either drank themselves to death or overdosed or turned to crime to barely survive.

The situation really varied quite drastically. But, as a rule of thumb, the father east, the far worse it was (and still is).

I've written posts on some of my experiences over the years on this site. Look around, you'll find my posts.