Unpopular opinion: The USSR was a good country

Poland actually.

I know many people from Bulgaria and not a single one of them holds this view. Great life, where free speech could land you in jail, you couldn’t access anything, whether you worked or not you were getting a wage... not being able to leave your country, being FORCED to learn Russian at school... I guess all of my relatives and other who fought and protested did it because they were bored

And read up a bit. 1989 was the fall of communism. Solidarity in Poland fought against authoritative communist government.

Nice world you live in where there were no communist countries.

Not even going to go into eg Katyn - and how USSR denies to this day a massacre of Polish intelligence.

I'm not talking necessarily about Stalin's USSR, but the USSR had free healthcare, one of the best education systems and literacy rates in the world, guaranteed jobs, whilst maintaining a massively strong army that challenged the US. Without the USSR, there is no one to hold the US to account, and means that the US is now the only dominant power in reality, meaning war is actually more likely. I think the world overall was a better place with the Soviet Union. Many countries are now much poorer after the Soviet Union, such as Moldova, Tajikistan etc. Whilst some have benefited, for every success story there is a faliure. I know the USSR is often negatively portrayed but in reality, I don't think it was as bad as it was made out to be. Also, I don't see why socialism is so often associated with Stalin's atrocities. It's just as bad as associating religions such as Islam with terror. Just because someone does something bad in the name of an ideology or religion, doesn't mean that ideology or religion is bad.

Lech Walesa was a truly great and brave man.

Still is, I believe he’s in his early 70s now...
My grandfather worked in Gdansk shipyard and was there during 1980 protests.

Completely agree OP

To any liberal that wants to play a numbers game fine - but I include

-Western sanctions against regimes
- illegal wars
- coups

Not wanting to play down the USSR's part in fighting Hitler but let's also not forget whose side they were on at the start of the war, it was only because Germany tried to screw the USSR over that they ended up fighting them.

Thoughts on Fascism?

What is your definition of good and bad?
Which USSR are you talking about?
If it was so good then why did it collapase?
If it was so good then why dont Russians revert to the USSR and communism?
What was the standard of living for the average russian?
What about all the countries it occupied?
Why is war more likely and war between who?
Which are the countries in which communism works and people are better off?
You dont have to pay reference to Stalin but its not something you should ignore either . Twenty million of your own people is a large number.
None of the above questions need or actually relate to Stalin.

etc etc.

Poland actually.

I know many people from Bulgaria and not a single one of them holds this view. Great life, where free speech could land you in jail, you couldn’t access anything, whether you worked or not you were getting a wage... not being able to leave your country, being FORCED to learn Russian at school... I guess all of my relatives and other who fought and protested did it because they were bored People were living in constant fear of being arrested. Censorship was terrible - still is in Russia to this day. I could go on and on all day...

And read up a bit. 1989 was the fall of communism. Solidarity in Poland fought against authoritative communist government.

Nice world you live in where there were no communist countries.

Not even going to go into eg Katyn - and how Soviets denied responsibility for it until 1990 and blamed Germans. Russia STILL refuses to call it what it was: a war crime and a mass murder.

Woah woah woah. They weren't "on their side". They signed a non aggression pact. That was mostly for the Germans who didn't want to fight a two front war. And of course, the Soviets did get their sphere of influence, but their ideologies were completely different.

When do people ignore the fact of the USSR contribution to defeating the Nazis? They always get due recognition in all Histories that I have read or people I have spoken to.

Your idea that people think its black and white and they are like the Nazis is rather simplistic and incorrect in any History I have ever come across or been associated with. Even the Nazis arent a simple case.

Poland actually.

I know many people from Bulgaria and not a single one of them holds this view. Great life, where free speech could land you in jail, you couldn’t access anything, whether you worked or not you were getting a wage... not being able to leave your country, being FORCED to learn Russian at school... I guess all of my relatives and other who fought and protested did it because they were bored People were living in constant fear of being arrested. Censorship was terrible - still is in Russia to this day. I could go on and on all day...

And read up a bit. 1989 was the fall of communism. Solidarity in Poland fought against authoritative communist government.

Nice world you live in where there were no communist countries.

Not even going to go into eg Katyn - and how Soviets denied responsibility for it until 1990 and blamed Germans. Russia STILL refuses to call it what it was: a war crime and a mass murder.

Ah, yes, Poland. Poland, the country that hates communism, but now is run by a borderline fascist government that along with Nazi Ukraine celebrates Nazi collaborators, and has been listed as one of the most antisemitic countries in this world, still after all these years. The Nazis are reveired there. There's a Polish joke, I'm sure you're aware of it: "What's worse than being occupied by the Nazis? Being rescued by the Soviets".

Poland is now becoming an Arthurian capitalist government which is anti immigration, (and still is anti free speech). So don't get me started on Poland. The only reason why you're against communism is because Poland's economy has become great, as has the Czech Republic. But not many other countries.

Woah woah woah. They weren't "on their side". They signed a non aggression pact. That was mostly for the Germans who didn't want to fight a two front war. And of course, the Soviets did get their sphere of influence, but their ideologies were completely different.

Bulgaria has lost 2 million people since the fall of socialism there. It was the silicon valley of the USSR. To be frank, now it is a sh*thole. I've spoken and know many Bulgarians, many are in this country. Just like nearby Russia, after the USSR it became a corrupt, obligarch state. To this day, Bulgaria and neighbouring Romania are the most corrupt countries in Europe. Romania actually legalised corruption. There's censorship in UK now. RT, the russian broadcaster, was going to be banned for presenting a pro Russian opinion. George Galloway, Talk Radio host, silenced for being anti Israel.

Sure. Completely different ideologies. Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact - rings a bell?

You know what Soviets did to prisoners who were deemed “too hardened and uncompromising” and would not conform to pro-Soviet ideologies? They were killed. Amazing ideology. Propaganda, lies and no regard for the life and well-being of people, that what can sum up Soviet Union.

Bulgaria has lost 2 million people since the fall of socialism there. It was the silicon valley of the USSR. To be frank, now it is a sh*thole. I've spoken and know many Bulgarians, many are in this country. Just like nearby Russia, after the USSR it became a corrupt, obligarch state. To this day, Bulgaria and neighbouring Romania are the most corrupt countries in Europe. Romania actually legalised corruption. There's censorship in UK now. RT, the russian broadcaster, was going to be banned for presenting a pro Russian opinion. George Galloway, Talk Radio host, silenced for being anti Israel.

And USSR was not a corrupt state at all... where it only mattered not what you knew but WHO you knew.

I’m going to leave it there as seems like we have completely opposite views.