ARmy Rumour SErvice

Originally Posted by BugzDaMick

You ask why I never protested at all the folks being murdered on the border and at the Berlin Wall. The answer to that is: I never knew about them. Nobody in the GDR did, since the figures were never published. I only found out how many had been murdered after the Fall of the Berlin Wall. So you condemn me for not protesting about something I never even knew about. That seems a rather bizarre attitude, but I suppose it takes all sorts.

MsG

Wow! THat's an amazing case of amnesia you had their Bugsy!

Here, let us refresh your memory with this world famous picture of your hero's heroically defending your socialist paradise from 1962.

So, was I unknowingly supporting this murderous regime when I first assembled one of these? And when they say it's from sustainable sources, does that mean there were plenty of prisoners to spare?

Originally Posted by sunnoficarus

Wow! THat's an amazing case of amnesia you had their Bugsy!

Here, let us refresh your memory with this world famous picture of your hero's heroically defending your socialist paradise from 1962.

You seem very intent, almost obsessively so, on instilling a bad conscience into me because of all the deaths on the GDR borders. Still, if it keeps you from groping little boys, I suppose it's worthwhile. Anyway, I'll be sure to mention it to the priest at my next confession. See what he says about it. Thanks for sharing.

By the way, if you endorsed Gulf Wars I and II, how do you feel about the thousands killed? Can you sleep peacefully?

MsG

Originally Posted by sunnoficarus

Wow! THat's an amazing case of amnesia you had their Bugsy!

Here, let us refresh your memory with this world famous picture of your hero's heroically defending your socialist paradise from 1962.

You say World famous but I'm willing to bet it was only ever widely disseminated in the West. The East preferred to expound the myth of idealism and harmony.

Whilst I must admit to a little scepticism that Bugsy didn't know what happened in the East before he moved there, particularly as he had served as a soldier in BAOR but it may be that, to him, the benefits were of sufficient attraction to him to overlook the horrendous side. Much like moving to Hong Kong where the regime regularly shot or returned escapees from China. You don't seem to have any problem living in a country that returned thousands of Russians to a certain death.

You've made your point and you've made it well. There's little to be gained from hounding Bugsy because he's not going to fall to his knees beating his chest and begging forgiveness for following his dream. Why not, as most do, read what he has to say and take from it what you will. If nothing else he has a unique insight into what it was like to live in the DDR as a Besücher.

Originally Posted by JohnSmith

Seems that Ikea got everywere there was cheap labour. From todays Telegraph:-


Ikea 'used Cuban prisoners to make furniture'
...

If there's an MCTC connection I sense a boycott coming on.

Originally Posted by Markintime

You say World famous but I'm willing to bet it was only ever widely disseminated in the West. The East preferred to expound the myth of idealism and harmony.

Whilst I must admit to a little scepticism that Bugsy didn't know what happened in the East before he moved there, particularly as he had served as a soldier in BAOR but it may be that, to him, the benefits were of sufficient attraction to him to overlook the horrendous side. Much like moving to Hong Kong where the regime regularly shot or returned escapees from China. You don't seem to have any problem living in a country that returned thousands of Russians to a certain death.

You've made your point and you've made it well. There's little to be gained from hounding Bugsy because he's not going to fall to his knees beating his chest and begging forgiveness for following his dream. Why not, as most do, read what he has to say and take from it what you will. If nothing else he has a unique insight into what it was like to live in the DDR as a Besücher.

Indeed, it is fascinating to see such wilful blindness and historical revisionist fantasy, I'm sure a psychiatrist could write a great case study about it.. I'm sure he thinks his book will be a ripping read of jolly japes back in the good old DDR.
And this thread does give a great insight into the mind of the privileged classes behind the Iron Curtain.

As they say, denial isn't just a river, or the Oder.

Off topic and as usual from Trem' also pointless ;) Back in the day, East Berlin 1980's my nippers copped a few wooden toys and dolls' houses from the Alex' . Beautiful jobs, probably handmade. All wrapped up in brown paper and string. Those were the days.

Originally Posted by Tremaine

Off topic and as usual from Trem' also pointless ;) Back in the day, East Berlin 1980's my nippers copped a few wooden toys and dolls' houses from the Alex' . Beautiful jobs, probably handmade. All wrapped up in brown paper and string. Those were the days.

I bought loads of gear. Tools for the workshop, a trunkful of Piko model railways, porcelain. Suppose I'm guilty by association, too.





I also have this in my kitchen, though I understand this was made by a prisoner in the workshop in Armley Prison, Leeds.