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My mom was my age when the country she grew up and was happy in collapsed. Her new country has never lived up to the expectations. Those who demonize USSR ignore the fact that its collapse traumatized countless millions who have never managed to overcome the trauma. https://twitter.com/beschlossdc/status/1342576157594628098
To clarify because some folks busted in on their high horse: The USSR gov’t was criminal, its collapse gave freedom to millions of people, and millions of people lost their way of life and were traumatized when it dissolved. Those aren’t mutually exclusive statements.
By failing to acknowledge the whole multitude of experiences of those who lived in USSR and judging everything in binary terms, we dehumanize millions & create conditions for the rise of people like Putin who capitalize on the people’s feeling of being dehumanized and abandoned.
To those who understand my point & want to learn more/engage in a good-faith discussion I recommend Svetlana Alexievich’s books, particularly Secondhand Time. Alexievich’s works condemn the Soviet gov’t while humanizing the diverse and conflicting experiences of its citizens.
