Lauren Reacts! How Communism Turned East Germany into a Prison State-The Fat Electrician

[@BlandSpagetti]

While capitalism has many faults I know that I have the freedom to at least call out the failures without the government jailing me for speaking out against them

[@realize8405]

Dictatorships still happen in capitalism fyi

[@MiguelMartinez-yh9df]

@realize8405 who is the USA's penis potato... I mean dictator?

[@KingK9]

@@realize8405 okay but give an example of communism where a dictatorship hasn’t happened lol

[@joshuamitchell5018]

@realize8405 Just as @kingK9 rightly points out the onus is on you to say why socialists *don't* have an obligate authoritarian bent. The plain act of bartering down to something as banal as doing favors is something people do naturally in their everyday lives with some exchanges necessarily ending worse or better off while equalizing outcomes is a condition that must consciously be exerted by and imposed by an arbitrating party with authority to tip outcomes into those neatly equalized rows. Communists, even the most banal 'live and let live' hippie enclave variants in practice regularly must turn to strict command and control enforced by the beatstick because bowing the weeds of kulak activity wherever it sprouts is a full time job.

[@unclebuck4er467]

Tell that to the non violent people from Jan 6th

[@jacobyullman5005]

Capitalism has many faults, but it's much better than communism, and the major problem with capitalism isn't really about capitalism itself. It's about CORPORATISM, and the ability of corporations to have enough power and influence over government policy in order to stifle competition, which goes completely against the whole concept of a free and open market, the cornerstone of captialism.

[@AmericansLearn]

I did say at the end of the video that I thought capitalism was significantly better than communism. Actually, I never said that communism was good at all. But you are right, corporatism is in fact the problem.

[@IncomitatusExcelsior]

You mean corporatocracy. Corporatism is a VERY different thing.

[@jehoiakimelidoronila5450]

Yeah, corporatocracy definitely sucks, which is one of the reasons why we can't have nice things

[@Finkele1]

market liberalism haven't really worked. It suggest that it repairs itself if it's unbalanced. As pure market liberalism, again we hit the wall. There haven't really been such. Closest is usa in early 1900. Didn't bring much good but you know rich. Great example how deeply corporatism and market economy go with hand to hand is in usa some miners went to strike. Good times when workers tried to unionize? not onion. I like onions though. Anyways mine owner called state and army came and shot couple worker so...Great. Every system has good and bad, i did my masters about market liberalism and i thought it is better than model what i and we have here in nordic. I did read neoleberalism, impact of that country...fucking disaster (only country what implemented that Chile after usa, uk, and Aussies helped to kill their elected president)

[@Finkele1]

Best by measuring economy, happiness, equality, human rights, crime rate, free press. It's always nordic model, part market liberalism and part of socialism. works obviously

[@MiguelMartinez-yh9df]

If i had a choice between living in the jungle or living in a "communist utopia", im picking the jungle

[@hardcase-69]

I'd have a better chance of surviving on a barren snowy mountainside than surviving communism.

[@MiguelMartinez-yh9df]

@hardcase-69 yup! Better chance of actually getting food lol.

[@carkawalakhatulistiwa]

​​@@MiguelMartinez-yh9dfi better like in east Berlin than homeless in California with so Many drug in the street

[@rcslyman8929]

I mean, is that really a choice? I heard somewhere that there was fun and games in the jungle.

[@diegokaqui60]

even monkeys make fairer deals than comunists.

[@trentthehehim3936]

Everything that’s blamed on Capitalism existed BEFORE capitalism and are faults in ALL systems because of CORRUPTION. Not capitalism. Capitalism is JUST the individual owning the means of production for profit instead of JUST the elite/state.

[@noodles7157]

The point of documents like that is to RECOGNIZE human rights, not give them to humans. Rights need to be enforced. If no procedures are in place to enforce the protection of said rights, it would be up to the individual to protect their own rights as there wouldn't be any deterrents to dissuade any individuals or nation states from violating your own human rights. The thing about any and all rules and mores in society is it needs an agreed upon mechanism to enforce them or they are just arbitrary statements with no actual power.

[@KeanueAnakoni-Aukai]

thats because "rights" dont exist. they're all privileges, they aren't rights if they can be taken away at any moment someone feels like it. no one has rights, no one is entitled to anything, otherwise felons wouldn't have their second "right" taken away or their right to vote in some states taken away. what use is a "right when anyone can take it

[@solonys9775]

One thing that people might not know about his "what do I need to do" comment is that he is currently attending college for a degree in history and has classmates who are actively trying to defend communism and this video, as well as his Airlift video, are an outlet about his college classes. He talks about this on the Unsubscribe podcast.

[@AmericansLearn]

I see. Yeah, I would never actually defend communism. In a perfect world, would all things be equal? Sure, but communism is never, ever gonna get us there.

[@nateiness6528]

I mean just imagine your buying a car. Would you take the car that has 800hp and gets 50 miles to the gallon but the caviot is that it can only run in if the external temparure is between 75 and 76 degrees or take the car with 300 hp get 30 miles to the gallon but can operate in any conceivable environment?

[@nateiness6528]

In perfect conditions, the first one is better. How often are you going to be operating it in perfect conditions?

[@rayian985]

You dosent help when u a costomer give a 1 dollar the government gives them 100 dollars more. So they make the bar to any business to go aga i net those same companies isnt possible.they convince demokratiese its a tax probleme it dosent master how much you tax.them if you give them more tax dollars then they pay. For example 70% of wolmark werkers are on government aid. To keep price low .

[@LordSaric]

"The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of blessings. The inherent virtue of socialism is the equal sharing of miseries." -- Winston Churchill, 1945. What can I say. The man had a way with words.

[@majamaya4295]

Nur im realen Sozialismus - wie die DDR sich selbst gerne betitelte - gab es genauso die wenigen Oben - natürlich mit allen Freiheiten inklusive den Westen etc. zu besuchen----- und halt die vielen Unteren und ganz schlimm waren die dran die sich gegen den Repressionsapperat stellten. Nur das man sein Leben riskierte wenn man dableiben musste oder dem entfliehen wollte.

[@Brassfinz]

A couple points of clarification: 1.) Roe vs. Wade did not legalize abortion. It only gave the federal government the authority to pass laws regarding abortion. When it was overturned, that authority was returned to the states. 2.) Capitalism is not better than the way communism usually shakes out. Capitalism is better than the way communism ALWAYS shakes out.

[@SunnyDDial]

Ngl this reaction was hard to sit through because it reads like that Twitter meme of You can say one thing and people get an entirely different meaning. Saying communism is BS is not defending capitalism's shortcomings

[@CaliburovX4]

That’s a logical fallacy, isn’t it?

[@williamwest9204]

The criticism of one is not the defense of another.

[@CaliburovX4]

@@williamwest9204 Absolutely. It's really weird how people forget this.

[@justindyches5510]

Fun fact if a state in the United States passes a law. You absolutely have to be okay with it unless the supreme Court strikes it down as unconstitutional states in the United States are sovereign within their own borders. They are allowed to create laws. This is the democratic process and no one is actively dying from LGBT laws that aren't really LGBT laws. Their laws against child mutilation and propaganda in schools

[@Bart79256]

No one is mutilating children that's propaganda from the other side. You literally can't get reassignment surgery from a reputable doctor until your above 18. Puberty blockers are a pause button not a permanent change. The amount of suicides in the LGBQ community because of these laws are deaths that can be laid at the feet of lawmakers. What stops Trans suicides, gender affirming care that they are making illegal.

[@LolGamer5]

Simple as, nobody hates those people, but their BS they spout.

[@bullpup33]

Sorry dear, it's not a "Capitolism" problem, although I do agree we have issues, it's more of a CORRUPTION problem.

[@Bo-xx7qw]

What a crazy world view to think not letting a woman kill her baby for no reason or not letting you're kid mutilate themself beyond repair is a human rights violation!

[@damnitjay9681]

What a crazy world view to think a fetus has life before a heart beat. What a crazy world view to say that you can't have an abortion because it'll kill the child but if you give birth, it'll kill the mother even when the mother and father have decided to not take that option for the sake of the mother. What a crazy world view to not let people do whatever they want with their own body. What a crazy world view to believe it's right for people to control other people's way of life and tell them they can't do that even though they know nothing and will never know nothing about that person. What a crazy world view to say "idk who you are and I don't care but you can't do that even though it doesn't effect my life in any way shape or form". But hey. Keep being a boot licker to the Cristian church stealing 10% of your income every paycheck for "religious" purposes controlling folk who they have no impact on yet some how have a religious say I'm government which is exactly one of the reasons America was made NOT to do.

[@TheAgentGray]

"Why do we need a list of things everyone considers a human right?" *proceeds to list a bunch of stuff that a significant number of people don't think are human rights*

[@leesmisadventures]

We ve tried that young lady but the sad fact is they always say tax the crap out of the rich but we as consumers are the ultimate victims because that cost gets passed on to us so they started out saying they were only going to tax the rich then that wasn t enough then they were just going to tax the rich and the middle class and now everybody has to pay when you tax the rich too much they leave and no one has a job in that area anymore ... no one wins!🤦🤷‍♂️

[@Front-Toward-Enemy]

The irony of saying that repealing Roe vs wade was a human rights violation and saying it’s because “people are actively dying”.

[@hardlife3844]

Oh no! Imagine following the constitution and letting each state decide? I mean it's not like the people choose their govt locally to represent them or anything. I can't drink that much. Levels are off the chart here.

[@KageAkarui]

What "anti-lgbt" legislation? And who is actively dying? Men are men. Women are women. And abortion is not birth control. I hope we here in Illinois start protecting those differences again.

[@LolGamer5]

and a "Trans" person ONLY exists as a transitionary period... not "trans rights" bs, theres men and woman and not some in between boogaloo

[@mtdualie1039]

Capitalism does need to clean up it act regarding corporate corruption but it's still the only system that can adapt and change. So let's change it!

[@joeldykman7591]

The biggest issue is that theres no clear answer to deal with that corruption. Some people say more government intervention, yet ignore the fact that corporations have a vested interest in lobbying for regulations that work for their own benefit.

[@williamwest9204]

​@@joeldykman7591you ban lobbying outright and corporate donations to only the individual

[@LolGamer5]

@@joeldykman7591 Yeah the regulation part is long gone for the US, as a german I can say from what it looks like you guys can never adapt a "socail market" like over here. You guys are too big, too many states with different interests and most importantly the free market system is backed into nearly every insitution. I doubt you can just nilly willy change that over a few years, would takes a century probably.

[@dukerollo1116]

Debate time here buthow is killing a baby and allowing 6 year olds to transition a human right? Not everything is a human right

[@normanfrostjr.6912]

I was alive during this time, you have no idea. We are a Republic, not Capitalizism, nor a Democracy.

[@arnodobler1096]

GDR?

[@Leoluvesadmira]

​@@arnodobler1096it is usually Democrats in the US scream about democracy and I look at them and say we are a republic...kinda like arguing about the 2nd amendment.

[@arnodobler1096]

​@@LeoluvesadmiraRepublic and democracy are not mutually exclusive, see Federal Republic of Germany.

[@ShadowsMentor]

If you want to get that pedantic why stop half-way so that it only suits your rhetoric? We're a democratic republic with a mixed economy

[@WoosterCogburnn]

@@ShadowsMentoractually, we’re a constitutional republic

[@sirknostaw8908]

My mom and her side of the family survived nazi Germany, just to survive Communist control of East Germany. The horror stories that they told me about both, bruh😢

[@majamaya4295]

Und Sie können alles glauben . Ich bin in der DDR gross geworden und es war ein riesiges Gefängnis wenn man sich nicht unterdrücken lassen wollte- übrigens war der Gedanke schon strafbar und ein enormes Spitzelsystem auch in den Familien sorgte dafür das der Strom an Arbeitssklaven zur Zwangsarbeit nicht versiegte. Und natürlich die tgl. Repressalien zur Unterdrückung von Freiheitsgedanken und Freiheitswillen. Ein System aus Angst und Einschüchterung und Gewalt um das ideologische Dogma des "Guten "Sozialismus / Kommunismus und die Überlegenheit über den "westlichen" Kapitalismus zu rechtfertigen.

[@logan5738]

There are no human rights violations in the USA. And because the USA attaches so much importance to human rights, it tortures its political prisoners outside the USA...

[@nateiness6528]

I honestly think the only way to fix this as a conservative myself is term limits and campaign finance transparency. They should have to legitimately have to tell us who's bought them.

[@williamwest9204]

Or banning of Corpo donations to only the individual and lobbying in general

[@nateiness6528]

@@williamwest9204 I’m not even sure that would solve it. But it should be a requirement to disclose who and how much the donated to your campaign. I love the idea that I heard from a comedian. They should have to wear all their corporate sponsorships on their jackets like in NASCAR

[@LolGamer5]

@@nateiness6528 lmfao that'd be godly, all the politicians in suits full of brands hahaha

[@joemomma2517]

Believes in human rights...unless its unborn humans...

[@williamwest9204]

Go preach on a hill kid

[@LolGamer5]

It's so fucking infuriating to see this convo as a german, we can abort UP to 3 months after that, it got human rights, simple as.

[@nihilisticadventure]

Modern day feminists looking at injustices of the Soviet Union then finding a way to turn it into a pro-abortion rant, well that's just f****** perfect. Lady you got it all figured out. Don't ever stop😂

[@scroom1202]

Compelling someone to sign on the dotted line with the threat of violence, because that's how we enforce everything, is one of the slipperiest slopes I may have ever heard. I get where you're coming from, but doing that would have turned the Cold War VERY hot.

[@Stevarooni]

Crony capitalism is the problem. Government power supporting corporations. Monopoly isn't a problen with capitalism, it's a problem of crony capitalism.

[@acrab6527]

crony capitalism is a bad name. It's communism, but only for corporations.

[@AmericansLearn]

I do agree with this.

[@williamwest9204]

And a Monopoly in itself isn't a bad thing.

[@Stevarooni]

@@williamwest9204 As a permanent fixture it may be, especially when backed by government force.

[@acrab6527]

@@williamwest9204 a monopoly is inherently evil. Because once you have a monopoly there's no competition, and the service/product always becomes worse/more dangerous, because screw you, you have no choice but the monopoly. That and a monopoly is impossible without the government backing it. Or have we already forgotten amazon doubling in size in the last 4 years, because the government said you have to close, but amazon gets to stay open?

[@johnshaffer3405]

Despite my issues with abortion I would rather have people argue about it at the state level due to parts of the country dealing with the possibility of being depopulated and putting the food supply of 330 million people at risk then dealing with politicians who are 3000 miles away who want to eat popcorn as the food supply burns to the ground.

[@isaacstolte1536]

Overturning ro just means the states get to choose, not the single entity Federal Government. "Anti" lgbq-whatever laws most emphasize the fact that one's rights do not supersede another's rights and prevents Government bodies from playing favorites.

[@LolGamer5]

Yeah I have nothing against these people since I got a cousin that is now a woman, but man even she would not want "Trans" rights, since wtf even is that (or other LGBT bs). Isn't the point of a transition to, idk, TRANSITION to the other gender? (And thus get their rights????) Shit's crazy man.

[@gregmiller-qq5on]

I believe that it was Winston Chruchill who said democracy (i.e. capitalism) is the worst form of government except for all the other forms.

[@Trash_Bin1871]

Her mistaking multiple times the Ussr leadership is cute Hahahaha

[@blockmg9425]

11:56 "anti-LGBT laws" first world country problem is really is something.

[@yashjoseph3544]

The countries that criminalize being gay are almost all third-world countries.

[@scavenger6268]

Sarcasm: "Ugh, I'm like 97 beers in and she's still going." -Bar tripper

[@pauloariente]

Technically speaking, capitalism as studied by the precursors of capitalism does not admit a State, so coercitive taxes and laws are not compatible with capitalism. Also, note that the term "capitalism" was coined by Marx, the same that created the most famous version of socialism/communism, and it encompasses the State. In other words, what we need is a free market society, not capitalism (as it exists today). Taxes don't work, the State government doesn't work. Freedom of choice and liberty to make voluntary transactions works. It has worked for centuries at this point.

[@arnodobler1096]

It works in other OECD countries, except US Inc. 💵

[@pauloariente]

@@arnodobler1096 That's because the US merged the free market system with the State, two things that are inherently incompatible, and in essence abolishing free market in favor of something called corporativism (or state-based capitalism). The US is one of the most state-regulated countries in the world, with systems like healthcare, security and governance completely barred from the free market. Specially healthcare, mind you, has so many regulations that it's more expensive to operate in the US than in most first world countries. That's why there is no free market in the US.

[@morgans7704]

There is a glaring reason you don't get taught this in a history class, aside from a passing anecdote: As world governments try again to adopt Socialism (requiring of a large measure of authoritarianism-- in some cases, absolute totalitarianism-- to work), they require rewrites of history to distance it from Communism by not even referring to it (despite the latter being a branch of the former). That's why it's taught that the Nazi-Soviet pact broke down over ideology (though they were ideologically married; the only difference being how pressure was applied to economic generators) as opposed to being a land dispute (Germany attempting to re-establish an empire, including Soviet land). And that's assuming that context-filler even gets brought up. It's also why they continue to tout Sweden and Denmark as socialist nations despite both being less regulated than we are. (Also worth it to note that, because of their abstention from being NATO nations, they've been able to afford the social programs they have, while we foot 70% of the collective bill-- most of the NATO countries are economically prosperous and capable of lightening the burden. With them being signed into NATO this year, they may see economic hardships that strain those programs, in order to pay their fair share.) In essence: Keep the people from knowing about the cliff they themselves will be guided over, and its inherent danger, and they will jump, especially when promised euphoria at the bottom. (I should add a side note here: The end goal is not Socialism or any of its more extremist brackets-- they are merely methods-- but totalitarian control over every aspect of a life.)

[@gkiferonhs]

You need to review George Carlin's routine on "Rights".

[@nathanmeece9794]

I remember hearing President Ronald Reagan saying in a speech " Mr Gorbacchev,tear down that wall" I also remember seeing on tv the wall being torn down.

[@jimreilly917]

When FE talked about the Wall being torn down in 89 you looked about to cry. I was in college then. I was watching tv in dorm commons with friends. One was from Norway. As Germans destroyed the Wall, I asked how he felt seeing this? Silence. I turned to look at him….and tears were streaming down his face. Before the end of the 80s, the USSR was not theoretical. It was large, very powerful, dominant in Europe and capable of nuclear destruction…and routinely violated the human rights of any who dared challenge Soviet authority. His ears were those of joy for the Germans and relief for Europe….including the countries behind the Iron Curtain, dominated by the same ruthless communists who ruled the USSR. FROM it’s start in 1917 to it’s demise in 1991, there was no moral equivalence between the Soviet communists and the countries of the world who respected citizens rights, even if such respect wasn’t perfectly realized. Communism is a form of barbarism that, like terrorism today, must die.

[@sirknostaw8908]

You're talking about crony capitalism (corporatocracy) vs free market capitalism.

[@LolGamer5]

Don't ever forget, for a truly free market that does not devolve into a corporatocracy you need some government regulation to keep the market fair. (obviously just the basics not too much afterall)

[@whirledpeaz5758]

I am a Cold War Navy veteran. I was standing Cold Iron Watch on a carrier the day the Berlin Wall came down. That day I believed one of my reasons for enlisting had come to be, Peace. Only for Iraq to invade Kuwait the next year.

[@joefravel7974]

I totally understand where you are coming from and I completely agree with you communism isn't the answer for our issues. Our country's system is broken and corrupt. We refuse to help our own country men and women have a liveable wage or have a way to have a voice with our fear of retaliation because we used the "rights" were granted in our countries founding document. We can do a whole lot more to be a better society as a whole but that's just a blue collar workers take on the system I see.

[@darksandman1]

How do you define a human right if not with a document defining human rights?

[@Rubicon2305]

I remember, back when I was in grade school in the 80's, we watched the 1972 movie 'Night Crossing' about the two family's and their harrowing escape from East Germany.

[@Randall82760]

I remember when we went to Berlin and stood at Check Point Charlie, there were GDR or DDR troops manning the East Berlin side and a Russian soldier in the Gate house and Russian Officers in a building second floor window with a camera and a big lens taking pictures of everything and everyone going in and out as well as me and the NCOs I was with. The US Army guards said they take pictures of every shift change to know who was on guard.

[@Shutterbug5269]

What needs to be kept in mind is that Capitalism and Communism are economic systems, not systems of government. The US system of government is a representative republic. The USSR (especially under Stalin) was at best a Marxist dictatorship.

[@AmericansLearn]

Good point

[@Shutterbug5269]

@@AmericansLearn Actual Communism died with Lenin (not that it would have worked anyway) Josef Stalin seized power in 1920... ish and basically from then on proceded to make Hitler look like a choir boy.

[@arnodobler1096]

Marx never wanted a dictatorship

[@Katpiratefan275]

Yes, it was Stalin. He died in the 50's and then Nakita Kursh-something. Then a bunch of people before Mihael Gorbechov, who finally ended the USSR. There were other factors involved that brought down the USSR but those are leaders (I'm terrible with Russian names, I'm so sorry)

[@williamwest9204]

Mikhail didn't want to end the USSR he just wanted to change it

[@Katpiratefan275]

@@williamwest9204 right. What I meant on that, and it didn't come right was even though he didn't end the USSR, he is synonymous with the end of the USSR because of the changes that he implemented to give the people more freedom. He may not have wanted to end it but it still ended on his watch

[@iKvetch558]

"If you commit human rights violations, that should not be allowed!" By who? Who is going to enforce human rights? My guess is you rail against the USA acting as "world police"...but what else are you talking about when you say that violating human rights should not be allowed...you are talking about the US, or some other nation, invading other countries because of human rights violations. Maybe if people thought more about the consequences of demanding that "somebody has to do something about..." that...with that being the human right you think is being violated. JFC...the lack of perspective in this one is incredible...even for a live reaction with off the cuff statements being factored in.

[@viwererschoice4454]

21:00 The main problem is not the rules in place (However, I feel we have too many, but that is a different story.) The biggest problem we have is corruption and we will NEVER eliminate corruption completely. We just have to strike a balance between Security and Freedom.

[@Whitewingdevil]

There needs to be a document listing what rights the nations have agreed all humans have because different nations with different governments have different views on it, it's something that really, REALLY needs to be agreed upon and enshrined in law to actually work. (sidenote: the USA was the reason FOOD isn't a basic human right. 'Yall refused to sign unless it was removed. Thanks.)

[@cameron4562]

My grandfather served from ‘61-‘82. His first assignment was Germany. He was in the first convoy to be allowed through East Germany to head to West Berlin. He said when they arrived at the border between East Germany and West Germany, soldiers and tanks from both sides showed up at the border and the border guards of the East refused entry even though they had permission from the government of the East to head through. He said World War III looked like it was about to start there, you could cut the tension with a knife. An East German soldier placed his hands on an American Jeep and an American Sergeant hit him in the face with the butt of his rifle, the East German backed off saying “sorry sorry”. Eventually, once the border guards finally got word they could go through, one by one both sides backed off. When he got to West Berlin, they allowed yours of the East. He said it looked like the war ended yesterday there because the Soviets did nothing to rebuild unlike the West.

[@remo27]

We need to get big multinational companies and conglomerates of all sizes under more control (they need rights, yes, but also RESPONSIBILITIES ) we need to have a "Consumer bill of rights" Including "Right to repair" and we need things like a small but useful social safety net. Also, the copyright system is broken and needs repaired.

[@joeldykman7591]

Businesses are considered "living" because otherwise, when the owner of a company died the company would also die. Which you know, may be a huge problem for literally anyone working for the company at that time. You can complain about many other things corporate america does, but on this one instance, its the correct call.

[@AmericansLearn]

If they created a good company, then there is no reason it should not survive their legacy. Businesses did it before corporations were given the rights of people. They could continue to do it again.

[@Drutonious]

Gotta watch his video on destroying half of Iran's navy in 8 hours

[@axlefoxe]

Look at it this way, its the difference between trying to fly with an airplane, or trying to fly by strapping someone to a bomb. The airplane needs maintenacne and can definately be flown into things, but that doesnt make strapping people to bombs ok. That said you cant fix a plane as well or as quickly if half the people available arr drinking the booze and eating the snacks, and another chunk is trying to convince everyone else to strap themselves to a bomb, people have forgotten the concept of: " it may be a stinking junk heap, but its mine and i either cant or wont go anywhere so I'd better cowboy up and commit to applying a solution and seeing it through."

[@Faulty_Wiring_v0.85]

The ultimate problem (regardless of the economics) is still governance. Govern any place for several generations and most people won't even understand how the system works unless you go out of your way to simplify it.

[@kennyclose2157]

ive seen a part of the berlin wall in a museum in fort knox Kentucky while i was in the army.

[@ericflint1081]

10:20 It really is a "public accountability" thing. If you refuse to sign it, there is a public stigma (which there generally is regarding Russia and some other nations about Human Rights, in certain issues.) and if you DID, and then later violated that agreement, the other parties of that agreement can prosecute you. It is, however, only as effective as parties of the agreement are willing to make it. 🤷‍♀

[@timmuetzel2675]

I loved your reaction and your "rant". You are perfectly allowed to your opinions (which in most part I agree with). It was refreshing to hear you provide a balanced opinion that isn't "we good, they bad". I do believe a more heavily capitalistic structure works much better than pure socialism (and certainly communism). However, no one has a pure structure at all.. We are not a pure capitalist society. We would hate it if it was. And that's true of any other structure. Every country has some level of mix in their structure. Ours is strongly one of capitalism but we have socialist pieces built in as well (otherwise...it would be a nightmare for almost every citizen). I am a businessperson and entrepreneur and I love the economic and competitive freedoms our economic structure provides (although not nearly as free and competitive as we tend to chant about). So I am very pro basic capitalistic structures and know that communism and socialism have not worked as well. But, whenever I see people pounding their chests about how great capitalism is vs communism, it is simply not black and white as out whole country has seemed to become. It is a mix in every case (it has to be) and is all kinds of grey (like life). We have a more successful mix (imo and substantiated by history, so far) than other mixes. I've gone into way more detail than I should have so Ill end with restating that I think you did a great job and I was happy to see a genuine and balanced view of how awful the USSR was while also noting we have a lot we can do better at as well in truly being the land of the free. Well done.

[@AmericansLearn]

I appreciate that. Thank you! I was trying to be balanced about it, though quite a lot of people seemed to disagree with me, or only hear the worst of it. So thanks again! And I'm glad you enjoyed the video.

[@stevenlurati3691]

One of the major events that I feel makes a divide among millenials. People like to go straight from x to millenials but I feel there's a window there of about 5 years or so for a mini generation for those of us that can remember a soviet world and how it changed after the implosion that separates the two. That same group for the most part went through their entire child hood without the smartphone with them not even being invented until we were college age. Two massive watershed events in our lifetimes missed by those after us.

[@brigidtheirish]

It's been called "The Oregon Trail Generation." That's where I'm at. There were still signs for fallout shelters in my grade school. I remember when floppy disks were *actually floppy.* I spent so much time in the library studying how to be a spy and coming up with plans for if my family had to go on the run from the government. I lived in the Upper Midwest, by the way. One of those states that isn't even "flyover" because we're too far north. But I was a kid with a wild imagination watching shows featuring Russian spies as villains. You know, alongside mad scientists and genocidal AIs.

[@Zabiru-]

Great reaction, just a small nitpicking by me hehe :) Your timeline of Sovjet and Russian leaders was incorrect in one spot. It goes: Sovjet Vladimir Lenin -> Josef Stalin -> Nikita Krushchev -> Michail Gorbatjov The Russian Federation Boris Jeltsin -> Vladimir Putin -> "Dimitri Medvedev" -> Vladimir Putin (I put the quotation marks around Medvedev because anyone that doesn't think Putin was pulling the strings/hovering over Medvedev like a Chinook helicopter during his time in power is kidding themselves.)

[@majamaya4295]

Oje den Hardliner Breshnew und seine Nachfolger zu vergessen bis es zu Gorbatschow kam halte ich für sehr ignorant - Diese prägten die größte Zeit der DDR zwischen 1949- 1989 Viele Grüße 😊

[@crustybandaid183]

Under our capitalist country we were able to solve starvation. For the first time in history has it been a problem that the poor are fat. Also what we consider poor is considered rich throughout most of the world.

[@andrewfenn4534]

Nothing is perfect, it takes people talking and making fun. You just gained one, well done.

[@josephhyland8904]

Don't forget Brezhnev after Krushchev.

[@AmericansLearn]

Huh. Not gonna lie, I don't know that I ever heard of him.

[@joe_dns4625]

@@AmericansLearn he pretty famously shouted at US diplomats in the UN while pounding the table with his shoe.

[@lindadianesmith6013]

We make a mistake to believe there only 2 choices: communism or capitalism. As creative humans, we can create something else - the best ideas from all options.

[@crayonchomper1180]

Stalin died in the early 50's like '53 i think

[@scp2539]

10:42 Technically, NATO gave itself the power to go in and aggressively explain why what they're doing is going to stop ^,^ so not signing it doesn't matter if NATO is willing to uphold its oath/treaty about stopping human rights violations. of course that's assuming it's not ignored like how several genocides are being called ethnic cleansing and therefore NATO has no reason to stop it because they made up a new word for genocide and the treaty about stopping genocide doesn't mention ethnic cleansing as it was made up after signing the treaty forcing their members to take action to stop genocide.

[@crustybandaid183]

Id rather have a corporation get a tax break than to give that money to the government.

[@keithcharboneau3331]

I AM NOT mad you you Lauren, BUT you are mistaking Capitalism with Corporatism, and Corporatism is ALMOST as bad as communism, IF there was a way to get rid of the Corporatism in the United States, I would be all for it, and IF you have any ideas how to do so, MAYBE we should talk about it.

[@andrewfenn4534]

12 minutes in and im way more hammered

[@DarthEngi]

'twas Stalin until 1953

[@johnnywells5341]

Can you please name me, and I want chapter and verse, of any anti LBGTQBHTUIMNFC LAWS? I’ll wait….

[@77marioland]

There are good points and bad points to every ideology, we can create a better future. I don't know why people still think they have to adhere to just one.

[@Sylani]

As you asked ... I am 4 drinks stupider now :D

[@melaniebowlin8266]

I would play your drinking game, but first I'm not a fan of drinking alcohol and second you can't be an idiot if you are willing to show people that your human and have the brain farts. Admitting that you don't know or remember everything just makes you more human and shows your humility that you are willing to show others your possible flaws. I commend you on your courage to lay it out for the world to criticize you. You have more courage than most of the people I've met.

[@NadaEspamo]

"Raise taxes on corporations". Corporations don't pay taxes. Never have. Never will. I like this girl, but like most people, she doesn't have a clue how the world actually works. Capitalism isn't perfect, but until someone comes up with something better, it's the best we've got. I'm talking about real free market capitalism, not the crony capitalism we live with currently.

[@rainyfriday6175]

It’s not the amount of taxes, it’s how they’re spent.

[@LyleGuydelkon]

My grandparents, during 1893 prisoners of war

[@LyleGuydelkon]

Grandfather's served during World War 1, even as Prisoners of War. Native Americans were required to fight

[@nateiness6528]

I've never heard anyone say capitalism is perfect, even hardcore proponents of it.

[@michaelmcdoesntexist8350]

23:08 I died of laughter

[@nickjohnson8502]

You lost me at roe v wade and the other garbage. Ya it’s a human rights violation to not allow people to murder their own children 🤷‍♂️

[@hardcase-69]

But now some states allow it up to the point of birth. A question dealing about human life should be a federal question.

[@ScarriorIII]

@@hardcase-69 @nickjohnson8502 At the end of the day, its a people problem. The last few years have taught us that all the laws on the planet don't make a difference if the people won't enforce them.

[@LolGamer5]

@@hardcase-69 NOW THAT is an actual arguemtn ive seen for roe v wade. (German btw, i just love US bickering)

[@hardcase-69]

@@LolGamer5 the best TV writers would struggle to come up with the shit that goes on here, especially recently 😂

[@LolGamer5]

@@hardcase-69 biggest problem (in the entire west) is the extreme polarization of politics, more in murica than in EU but yeah, you guys got that split going on frfr

[@jamessutton3461]

For the record, most western nations use modified capitalism with many socialized services and safety nets. Taxation and public spending is why we have roads, law enforcement, a military, public education, employment insurance, welfare, grants, and public healthcare (excluding USA). The early days of the industrial revolution is the picture of capitalism run amok, and it was an abusive shit show. Since then labour laws and the emergence of labour unions reined in many of those abuses and allowed the emergence of a middle class.

[@GenX1964]

9:40 Midwest three 👌

[@jimamos7984]

Stalin, Khrushchev, Brezhnev, Andropov, Chernenko, Gorbachev, Soviet Union falls, Yeltsin, Putin

[@AmericansLearn]

Thank you.

[@jimamos7984]

@@AmericansLearn You're welcome

[@willsecor9145]

I mean, you’re kind of close, Stalin didn’t learn from Lenin

[@Zabiru-]

19:50 - A mixed economy with social democracy is how you solve that. You're welcome. Regards, Western Europe

[@LolGamer5]

SAdly that will never work for the US, the free market is too much embedded into the US systems, it can never be changed to a social democracy. Not to mention, way too many people for such a governemnt type.

[@andrewfenn4534]

19:30 I have alcohol poisoning

[@andrewfenn4534]

Not mad, happy to hear a smart lady from the other side.

[@Shalltear773]

10:33 I'm just going to reply to this rant and do forgive me if I misunderstood anything because sleep deprivation's being an ass. what would you have done to those countries who didn't sign the document if negotiations failed entirely? these things are not as simple as you'd think. every other option could very, VERY EASILY make things for the oppressed people even worse. at least two reasons why the USSR was able to do what they were doing to those people is because no one at this point in time was willing to start another war yet and because no country can really enforce their will on another without some very extreme actions. but there's always a loophole because while countries can't seem to openly enforce their will on each other without some serious shit happening, I would not be surprised to hear if the American government encouraged the people of the west to help bring those from the east over to the west. it would not surprise me whatsoever if that happened in any way, shape or form. now as for how we do capitalism. I do agree but the only way it's going to change is if the people make it change. that would require thousands of people, most of whom don't even know each other, to begin a sort of society-shifting movement with all the determination and funding it would require. it's not impossible but it definitely isn't very probable right now. no system is perfect, ESPECIALLY not when corrupt, selfish people dig their greedy claws deeply into it but at least the Fat Electrician admits capitalism is flawed. I, fortunately, have not met a single fanatic in person that claims a system is perfect because I'm fairly certain I would die from an aneurysm as soon as I heard it or during the debate doomed to follow.

[@keegs470]

If you don't like capitalism then you should watch "America's Most Iconic Delivery System - Grumman LLV" by the fat electrician

[@mikaelhansen246]

5:54 God no, I don't want to die!

[@andrewfenn4534]

6 minutes in, im hammered 😂🤣😂 ❤️

[@george217]

Stalin croaked in 1953...

[@AmericansLearn]

Yes, I know, I'm an idiot. No idea where my head was there.

[@george217]

@@AmericansLearn No, Suge. You just forgot.

[@nwj03a]

Capitalism, just like democracy (or democratic republic), has its flaws… pretty obvious ones. However, in a world of finite choices, they are the best ones. Anything that limits freedom, except in the case of safety or corruption, is basically a negative to me. Unfortunately, humans like control, power, and their safety concern is very limited to their “tribe” in most cases.

[@robwalls6057]

Let me share my 52 years of wisdom with you. Think of Capitalism like a house plant. In order for that plant to grow and to be healthy it must have certain things such as water, not too much, but not too little. The soil should be healthy and if not, fertilizer is needed. It should also be planted in a planter that allows the roots to grow unimpeded and of course the proper amount of sunlight. So if any of those things are not given or improperly given, at the very least the plant will wilt and be unhealthy. This is what is happening in America in regards to companies and corporations being smothered by tons of regulations and TAXES and therefore cannot grow or worse yet downsize and eventually having to go out of business. Next thing is you can't take anything away like for example sending millions of jobs overseas and the income lost by giving it to other countries. A prime example is the car industry in America was thriving and cities like Detroit were booming and their employees had great pay and benefits, but then during 1970s and 80s people in droves started buying Japanese made cars and the American automotive industry took a huge hit and had to drastically downsize and tens of thousands of employees lost their jobs and had to take jobs that paid well under what they were making and not only did it hurt them and their families, but also the overall economy because they had less money to spend and put into the system. The next thing is motivation and the desire and the willingness to succeed. Just like the plant that needs you to do everything it needs to survive and be healthy, YOU also need to be willing to do whatever it takes to prosper and if it means going into a field of work that's mentally challenging or physically demanding, that's what you do. For example, the medical field and the trades are absolutely hurting for people. Most nurses in America are making well over 30.00 dollars an hour and some making up to 80.00 an hour and goes the same for the trades. Point being, you can't blame Capitalism when YOU refuse to put the effort into succeeding and then bitch, complain and blame because YOU took the wrong major in college or you simply refuse to work outside of the service industry. In closing there is no perfect economic system or government system that can fix everything, but at least in capitalism you have a chance to succeed. In a communist/socialist society there is no chance.

[@dave_h_8742]

Middle ground - socialist society as in free health care at point ( NHS paid for by a small increase in monthly tax) council housing if needed etc.

[@paulpetersen879]

Love, you are not stupid. There are so many people in this country today that know absolutely nothing about this country or it's history. This old Marine loves you. Nice to see a young lady with knowledge of what has happened.

[@marloncherry1277]

Capitalism is a open market system, that has had woke Socialism intertwined into the idea of opem market, where you have competition in the open marketplace. Which made USA economies and stand strong even during hard economical times. When we've had our worst economies, it's because of our Centralized banking systems, where the Bankers along with corrupt politicians passing bank friendly agreements and Bailouts by the governments causing the fiat systems of economics, hyper inflation, and printing money 💰 like crazy. We've had to many Governments pushing Socialism into our Country beneath our noses, keeping Americans distracted while passing laws under our noses, time and again. While Americans sleep, beings distracted by a&e wars. Oh and Socialism always leads to Communism unchecked, still without competition citizens becoming dependents of the State, And eventually everything thing Socially and Economically Collapse. And A tyrannical Government fills that void and you have Anarchy. Socialism/Communism always ends the same many die because it's not Sustainable. History shows this time and time again.

[@borttorbbq2556]

Is capitalism definitely has its issues. This the way that we do it is not ideal. But it is worlds better than communism in practice. I will not lie communism on paper sounds pretty damn good, but it always falls apart

[@outlawX357]

And up to the point you go on your socialist liberal rant i was enjoying the video. Its why polotics of people who say we need to do better or rant about corporations cant come up with anything better than socialism.

[@Altragon]

for those getting upset about lgbtq rights, human rights are human rights, your strawman arguments, and dehumanizing of genuine issues will not work forever, you will not get the day where you could freely lynch someone for being gay or trans to any extent, and there will be people there to use your precious second amendment to defend ourselves if it even comes close. If it bothers you so much, then leave instead of getting upset at a passing mention of it.

[@LolGamer5]

LMFAO calls out a "strawman" then proceeds to strawman that anyone who argues against LGBT+ (the group and their agenda, NOT the people) wants to KILL any gay or trans person. Buddy you are talking about the social outcast, the people who NOBODY likes because they are such disgusting humans (I mean the people who want to harm ANYONE for ANY reason) that would do such things. Nobody wants to lynch anyone, calm down. We just don't want some BS spouted and demanded made into law, that is OBJECTIVELY wrong.

[@ImprovmanZero]

this is getting too modern politics for me I want to take a break from current events