Ostalgie: Romantic Nostalgia For Communist Eastward Germany

I'm trying to larn some sepia toned Streisand going here:

Memories
Light the corners of my mind
Misty watercolor memories
Of the agency nosotros were

Scattered pictures
Of the smiles nosotros left behind
Smiles nosotros gave to 1 another
For the agency nosotros were

Can it hold upwards that it was all thence uncomplicated then
Or has fourth dimension rewritten every line
If nosotros had the risk to hit it all again
Tell me, would we?
Could we?

But all I come upwards up amongst are mental images of Erich Mielke as well as the residual of the Stasi goons, inwards dark as well as white. 

From the Oxford University Press blog, July 5:

Beyond nostalgia: agreement socialism markets

From Che Guevara t-shirts as well as Honnecker’s Hostel to Mao mugs as well as Good Bye, Lenin!—why hit millions of consumers inwards China, Germany, Hungary, Poland, as well as other one-time socialist societies silent insist on the superiority of socialist products as well as brands? The touchstone explanation offered yesteryear consumer sociologists as well as historians is that these thriving socialism markets get political opposition, a yearning for the “better” socialist past. From this perspective, when consumers interact creatively as well as playfully amongst the socialist yesteryear as well as operate highly emotional consumption dramas to revitalize themselves through socialist products as well as brands, they actively critique, resist, as well as inwards the process, invariably destabilize the capitalist present.

Although this explanation is valuable, it has surprisingly trivial to say near why socialism today is predominantly transported every bit a market-based consumption sense as well as what choice modes for expressing the human relationship betwixt the socialist yesteryear as well as the capitalist presence are muted over fourth dimension as well as why. What form of socialisms are transported inwards these commercial images as well as meanings as well as what is their touching on on the weather of capitalism?

To explore this interrogation inwards greater detail, nosotros analyzed the German Ostalgie market, 1 of the largest socialism markets inwards the world. The Ostalgie marketplace emerged later German reunification inwards 1991. When the Wall came downwardly as well as consumers were in conclusion able to purchase long desired Western goods, socialist products as well as brands chop-chop disappeared from the East High German supermarket shelves. Soon later the reunification of East as well as West Germany, however, these 1 time rejected consumer goods re-appeared as well as are silent thriving today.

Most consumer sociologists receive got taken this remarkable renaissance of East High German products as well as brands every bit incontrovertible bear witness for East Germans’ discontent amongst social as well as economical weather inwards post-reunified Germany. Gathering the household unit of measurement simply about a uncomplicated socialist meal, rejecting West High German nutrient as well as lifestyle brands, or vacationing inwards 1 of the no-frills GDR-themed retro hotels are seen every bit powerful practices of resistance against West High German preferences for efficiency, hyper-individualism, as well as status consumption.

In abrupt contrast, however, nosotros observed that the Ostalgie market’s romantic venerations of socialism changed considerably over time, that they were crafted inwards West High German marketing departments, advertising agencies as well as cinema studios who retailored political dissent into consumable emotional-nostalgic marketplace resources to restore political unity inwards iv phases, each triggered yesteryear a historical disruption: the privatization of East High German manufacture (1991-2000), the dismantling of High German social safety (1999-2005), the publication of Stasi informants (2003-2009), as well as the Euro as well as global fiscal crisis (from 2008).

In each of these phases, a nostalgic epitome of the socialist yesteryear was crafted from East High German political critiques of capitalism as well as offered for mass-market consumption. For example, consider how the 2003 iconic Ostalgie moving-picture demonstrate Good Bye, Lenin! transformed East High German critiques of West High German individualism into a banalized contrast betwixt capitalism’s shallow consumer civilization as well as socialism’s caring neighbourhood idyll. Importantly, this highly therapeutic narrative didn’t naturally emerge from the memories of one-time German Democratic Republic citizens. Rather, it was carefully crafted as well as popularized yesteryear a squad of West High German script writers, producers, as well as promoters—at a fourth dimension when West High German politicians, journalists, as well as intellectuals seeking to critically unpack the activities of the famous “Stasi” (Ministry for State Security) condemned the German Democratic Republic every bit a ruthless surveillance state. This re-imagination of East FRG as well as then could hold upwards channeled through consumption yesteryear revalorizing socialist brands similar Spreewald pickles or the East High German assist parcel every bit tokens of a communal utopia every bit nostalgia-framed identity salves that allow consumers to find pride every bit one-time East High German citizens.

With socialism beingness a multi-billion-dollar job organisation today, sociologists as well as historians ask to conform their theories on the political significance of socialism markets....MORE

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“Life was amend nether Communism” says the bulk of Russians, Romanians as well as Eastern Germans

Special to In Defense of Communism.

First of all, permit us say that the proper phrase is “under Socialism”. During the 20th century, the Soviet Union as well as the socialist countries of Eastern Europe were inwards the procedure of socialist construction. According to the Marxist-Leninist theory, “Socialism” consist the get-go stage (phase) of Communism.

Having said the above, let’s become to the heart as well as soul issue. The people who receive got lived both nether Socialism as well as Capitalism hand their response to the diverse bourgeois as well as petty bourgeois unhistorical slanders. Various polls inwards one-time Socialist countries assay out that the bulk of people, inwards Russian Federation as well as Eastern Europe, retrieve that life was amend earlier the counter-revolutions as well as the restoration of Capitalism. Under Socialism their major problems had been solved: Free education, complimentary healthcare for all, social security, jobs, complimentary opor-garai as well as holidays for everyone, etc. The restoration of Capitalism brought an unprecedented barbarity inwards almost every sector of populace life: Social inequalities, unemployment, privatization of major populace sectors from healthcare to education, etc.

On March 2016, a survey conducted yesteryear the All-Russia Public Opinion Center (VTsIOM) showed that:

More than one-half of Russians (64%) would vote to hold the Soviet Union if a plebiscite were held today. This figure increases from 47% amid those 18-24 to 76% amid respondents historic menstruation lx as well as more. Only 20% of Russian citizens would vote negatively for preserving the Soviet Union, according to the poll results....MORE