Thread: Ten Things Americans Don't Know About America

Originally Posted by Deborski

Just yesterday some idiot American made a "joke" to me about how "people are standing in line in Moscow to buy bread." When I corrected him and told him that actually Moscow has a higher standard of living than New York City, he got angry and called me a commie! These kinds of ignorant attitudes are really not helping our image.

Did you ask him to specify the time first? Coz it HAS happened there

Originally Posted by Eric C.

Did you ask him to specify the time first? Coz it HAS happened there

He was talking about NOW -_-

And, sure it happened, but what western media also forgets to note is that people were given rationing coupons (талёны) - which I also received when I lived there...

Originally Posted by Deborski

He was talking about NOW -_-

And, sure it happened, but what western media also forgets to note is that people were given rationing coupons (талёны) - which I also received when I lived there...

But they only made things worse coz you had to have both money and those coupons to buy anything; you couldn't buy stuff just for bills; that was truly insane!

Originally Posted by Eric C.

But they only made things worse coz you had to have both money and those coupons to buy anything; you couldn't buy stuff just for bills; that was truly insane!

Eric, huh? I don't follow your reasoning at all.
Personally I think the rationing coupons were a huge help to people who otherwise had no money and no way to eat.
Maybe the US government should give талёны to all of our unemployed people? No, that would never happen in 'Merca.

Originally Posted by Deborski

Eric, huh? I don't follow your reasoning at all.
Personally I think the rationing coupons were a huge help to people who otherwise had no money and no way to eat.
Maybe the US government should give талёны to all of our unemployed people? No, that would never happen in 'Merca.

I was told by ppl from that area that those "талоны" were issued to make sure ppl wouldn't exceed their rations; when buying anything, one had to give the seller money AND a "талон"; the reason for that was that the amount of food inside the country was very limited, and the amount of cash was much huger, and they just couldn't let ppl buy what they wanted for their cash... So, do you still think it was a good thing? Or maybe you think the person who told me that lied?

Originally Posted by Eric C.

I was told by ppl from that area that those "талоны" were issued to make sure ppl wouldn't exceed their rations; when buying anything, one had to give the seller money AND a "талон"; the reason for that was that the amount of food inside the country was very limited, and the amount of cash was much huger, and they just couldn't let ppl buy what they wanted for their cash... So, do you still think it was a good thing? Or maybe you think the person who told me that lied?

I have no idea what your friend told you, or what you understood of what your friend told you.
All I do know is my own experience. I LIVED there and received the coupons, and I don't remember having to also spend money. I thought it was cool that even those of us who were employed received them, as a sort of protection so we would not run out of food! So, yeah, I think it was a very good thing.

Originally Posted by Deborski

I have no idea what your friend told you, or what you understood of what your friend told you.
All I do know is my own experience. I LIVED there and received the coupons, and I don't remember having to also spend money. I thought it was cool that even those of us who were employed received them, as a sort of protection so we would not run out of food! So, yeah, I think it was a very good thing.

As you put it, I think it was a good thing too... It's just I heard a different story; but the commie empire was big, so who knows, maybe both stories are true