What was that like?

I tried to make the question more precise, but I’m not quite sure what I’m asking. I guess I was hoping to hear more from you because normally I’ve only heard it from books, not from an actual person who lived under it.

pg’s trick for getting interesting answers is to ask “What surprised you the most?” That may be relevant here — if you had to pick some surprising differences, what specifically would they be?

Not the GP poster, but I have also lived in the Eastern Block before 1989. I was surprised by the lies. Everyone had to lie with a straight face, otherwise risk being arrested. We had to lie that everything was great, the party wonderful, while in reality we needed heat, food, books, general shopping items, the right to travel and study abroad (outside the Eastern Block) and the right to speak freely.

My friend from China PR said something similar. I tried to get her in touch with another friend from China PR as I thought they’d be able to assist or at least understand her immigration problem. However, she explained strangers from China PR have to play this weird dance where each pledges allegiance to the Communist Party more in case the other person is a spy or something.

But see, it was not surprising. It was just... life, and how can that be surprising?

I guess what would shock you is how normal it felt for us, back then. I mean, when that's all you know, that's just how it is.

You had to be careful with the general frame of the ideas that you expressed in public - but that was normal. You could not freely leave the country - but that was normal. Anything that had to do with the government was a bunch of lies - but that was normal.

Yet life went on. People grew up, got married, got a job, etc.

We used to tell a lot of jokes about the government - I guess as a way to cope. I miss those jokes.