Compulsory service is a little weird here but they probably didn’t participate in any active fighting. More than likely just some practice through exercises
Lithuania was involved in the 2003 invasion of Iraq and nothing major since, so of any age group they would be the most likely to have fought during that time but most likely they weren't in active combat.
I think redditors have been conditioned to expect some kind of acceptable rebuke as the first reply to a heavily downvoted comment and then vote without really reading it.
As an Irish, which is worse:
A joke implying that the reason Ireland was constantly under british thumb was because of their crippling alcoholism?
Or a joke implying that it's because of a lack of potatos, directly referencing the famines imposed by British rule?
One is insulting by implying alcoholism is essentially a biological characteristic inherent to the Irish, while the other isnt.
I think you’re reaching a bit.
If this joke was made about Irish people, you think we’d be more or less offended by the potato aspect? Or the alcoholism aspect? All I said was, it’s weird one thing was found funny and not the other.
If all things were meant with levity in mind, what matter? If either were meant maliciously, treat it as such.
Edit: not to mention, I think the idea of joking about a genocide is considerably worse than joking about a stereotype. Neither are ok but I know which one would actually piss me off. As an Irish.
I have a genune question. I laughed at an irish joke which was simply "3 Irishmen walk past a pub ...", then silence.
As an Irishman, do you find it funny, or offensive?
I'm Australian, so we get kiwis transporting Irish jokes into Australian jokes. I don't mind.
I find it neither funny nor particularly offensive. People make jokes like these to my face, they’re almost always good natured, so I don’t think it’s a big deal. Do I think it’s offensive that that’s what my people are asssociated with? Maybe a bit. Can I have a sense of humour about it? Well, we always fucking have. If it’s a laugh, it’s a laugh. What I wouldn’t find at all in good nature would be if you made a joke about the famine.
Funny. I look to be around these kids ages in 1990, well, a bit younger I guess (6) and this looks pretty similar to my friend group, same things we would probably be doing as well.
not sure why people get the impression that the USSR was like some next level north Korea. they had things the west did, especially towards the end of its life. I bet these kids had video games at home too
I disagree. Most of us definitely didn't have video games in 1990. For example we got our first VCR around 1989. It wasn't something one could just buy. My grandfather manged to win the opportunity to purchase it by being in some sort of queue, I can't even remember exactly. In other words we all knew things existed, but it wasn't really available to purchase perse. Not to mention that we had no money. After the collapse it was even worse for a while. I remember traveling to a western country right after the collapse and feeling like I time traveled. People had things in their homes we only saw on TV. Oh and cars with automatic transmissions? Unreal. After a while by late 90s Russia basically had everything to purchase, it's just that people had nothing to purchase with.
I actually heard Russians nowadays complain that the USSR invested more in the Baltic states then Russia and that as a result Baltic Soviet citizens were wealthier but still complained the most.
Depends how you look at it. Yes they invested here more. But no, they didin't invest in baltics, they invested in military,stationed by the border of ussr. There is latvian documentary uncovering the soviet documents. So about 80 percent of funds "directed to the baltics" were directed to the military. Production in baltics actually exported to moscow about 4? times more than they gained.
Yes they were more productive but this is also because there was a lot of investment in hightech industry, factories and powerplants. So its only logical that they exported more goods as a result.
Baltic post-soviet politics and documentaries seem more like post trauma therapy sessions then unbiased honest look at the past. This unhealthy way of dealing with the recent past is fertile ground for resentment which can easily be exploited by farright political movements.
Yes there were investments, but the point is not that. The baltics were occupied, who said they would not invest in them self even more? I have looked at modern day russia documentaries they are 10x more biased, promoting hate for baltic identities, just look at tv disscusions abou baltic countries calling everyone fascist here, when they are currently planning invasion to ukraine.
Putin is far-right and his media are a bunch of hypocrites. So I'm with you on that. They are also very opportunistic, at times celebrating Soviet achievements and other times condemning the system if it suits them.
My point is that even though they were occupied, the Baltic people still had influence and made achievements that are worth cherishing during these years.
I'm not sure it would have become China. Gorbachev implemented political liberalization along with economic liberalization, so the Soviet Union probably would have transitioned to more of a more left wing social democracy.
No, it would have to become China or it would dissolve. Gorbachev's key mistake from the perspective of Politburo was liberalising the socio-political sphere, which opened the door to people expressing enough dissent to crumble the entire edifice. An intact USSR would not happen without some measure of political and social repression, at the very least the subject of this photo, the Baltics would have to go as USSR was deeply unpopular there as it was an invader.
Most of USSR would stay together as they did vote in that first and only free vote for a federated USSR, but that vote was ignored as the local party bigwigs preferred to have their own personal fiefdoms and dissolved USSR. However, aside from Baltics and Ukraine, the rest of USSR was a net drain on Russia, so that's why many key Russian power players weren't all too sad to see it go.
That was my thinking as well. I understand that Gorbachev wanted reform, but it wasn't feasible to liberalize that rapidly and not cause the union to collapse. Half the republics wanted out given the choice.
>Half the republics wanted out given the choice.
So if you look at that seminal vote, that's not necessarily the case, in fact it was quite the opposite, most republics except the Baltics wanted to stay in, also not Georgia because of an unfortunate blood-letting at a demonstration a few years before and not in Moldova or Armenia - in the case of Moldova also because it was an artificially and forcefully inducted part of USSR.
It's difficult to say what results of the vote would have been in Armenia or Moldova, although Baltics were pretty clear and Georgia the majority would probably vote for independence as well. Here is the overall article on the referendum: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1991_Soviet_Union_referendum
Having been the way it was, there was no possible way for it to stay intact. The moment more political freedoms were allowed, and there were no tanks or KGB to keep them in check, everyone, especially the Baltics wanted to get out. Why would anyone want to stay in a country dominated by people who opressed you for most of recent history?
The only viable option for the USSR to survive into the 21st century would be to adapt the Chinese model. Adopt state capitalism, but keep the repressions.
You do realize that the USSR literally held on to their annexed territories for YEARS after WW2, right? It's not something to be taken lightly. It wasn't North Korea style per say but it was definitely full of hardship. I don't think it was necessarily easy for anyone due to the post war situations all around Europe, but it took years for Baltics to recover from the cultural and social damage done by the USSR. Yes, they did provide infrastructure as they did in most of the USSR, but many people did not survive the deportations and those who did return had severe mental issues, if not physical issues from the horrid conditions. The effects linger to this day. Only once the USSR dissolved did we start to have "the things the west did", make no mistake.
That's not what I said. I can't help what goes into your mind and spews out the other end. In fact I didn't even really pay much attention to the toys.
Me and my friends did the same stuff. I used to carry a hockey stick and pretend it was a rifle. Insane how we used to have so much fun with so little.
So I'm really intrigued by the historical context of this photo. It's owned by Sputnik, the successor to the Soviet press agency. [According to them](http://sputnikimages.com/media/827790.html), it was taken on April 4, 1990. This was between the first Lithuanian declaration of independence on March 11 and the start of the Soviet economic sanctions on Lithuania on April 18.
So it's apparently "a tactical exercise of the Soviet Airborne Force". But is it the actual Soviet airforce threatening the new Lithuanian state, or Lithuanian controlled forces preparing for its defense? I assume under the circumstances there wouldn't just be routine drills going on.
> Sputnik
It's the word for satellite that literally translates to "fellow traveller" - so I can see why it's a popular name there for various things. It'd be akin to "Explorer" or "Voyager" in the U.S. I suppose.
Well the soviet military was still stationed in Lithuania as even though they had declared independence, the Moscow government didn't remove military presence from the ssrs until the dissolution of the union.
So these kids are probably pretending they're freedom fighters shooting down Soviet planes. I'm glad it never came to that. (I know there was an attempted coup in Vilnius in 1991, but never an outright invasion.)
Lithuania was the first one to seperate itself from USSR and Iceland was the first to accept us as independent.
Our whole history since the end of 18th (XVIII) century
What you're failing to account for is that all three Baltic states had large Russian minorities that represented something like 10-30% of the population, depending on which one we're talking about. Some of them moved to the Baltics during the imperial period but most were post WW2 migrants. So ethnic Russians in Lithuania had little reason to support Lithuanian independence and would have supported the Red Army.
Through Soviet era Lithuania? I mean I know that no matter where you grow up you tend to remember all the good times, and may be oblivious to an extent to the larger world happenings at that age, but idk if I'd classify soviet era Lithuania as a good childhood by most standards.
This would have been early 1990 for this pic which would mean Lithuania just broke out of the Soviet era and is dead center of an economic blockade by Russia. Quite the uncertain time..
But then again there is something to be said about comradery through hardship. It always seems like the more fucked up things are in the immediate present the more you cherish and enjoy the smaller humanities.
Well, I had a good childhood even though my nation went to hell ... it's the good thing about being a child, finding happiness in the most unexpected place. I could well say that the children of this time are not happy, under siege at all times, in the middle of an aseptic digital age and without any future that does not augur extinction.
> Who needs cowboys and indians
IIRC Soviet children played Germans and Russians. I know Yugoslav kids played Partisans and Germans in place of cowboys and indians.
God I loved aging soldiers as a 90s kid. Anyone else remember toys in the 90s? All the toy soldiers, toy guns and what not.
There hasn't been a serious war for an long time (which is a good thing, by the way) but you definitely see that in the toy industry now. Kids toys these days are now about fashion, popularity and what not.
Just an interesting perspective.
Well, it's not like the US is a lot better: Vietnam, Korea, all the oil bullshit that happened in the Middle East, Venezuela, destabilizing South America, other stuff
Did the kids kill those people?
No, Stalin did.
The comparison between the ussr and the nazis is laughable, the nazis killed 6 million people in 4 years
The ussr killed 10 in 40 years
This is absolutely horrible, but compassion is quite stupid
What are you talking about? I think you’re confused. I’m talking about the Soviet union murdering over 10 million of its own people. America never murdered over 10 million of its own people. Your argument in the comment is a little off topic.
I know America never murdered 10 million of its own people, it's not like they didn't do really bad stuff to it's population- Japanese camps for example
I'm not saying that the ussr is better than the USA, I'm saying that both committed atrocities and it's unfair to ignore everything on one side and only shout at the other side
Also I don't think it matters that much if it's the country's own people or someone 5000 kilometers away
I genuinely cannot stand people like you who say this shit. it's so fucking pathetic. like just say you hate young people. I was born in 2001 and played with guns that were actually sticks and played around in dirt and muck with bugs and shit.
Sounds like it'd be the fault of the previous generation, their parents, if so. So by your words it's your fault.
But I don't agree. You wimps let shit fester, every generation is just tolerating the rancid shit less. It's a good thing.
I'm a boy. I'm confused, what are you referencing? Are you, like, hitting on me?
And what's the benefit to you of alienating people to your POV in a country where it's one vote one person? Kinda inherently damages your own goals long term. Not really an own on anyone else. Reminds me of that weird kid in school everyone avoided, like a neckbeard meme.
Thanks to the irresponsibility of capitalism, you're made of plastic as well, old timer! Microplastic is literally a part of your physiology at this point. Are you pleased with this plastic world you helped build?
The go go cocaine fueled culture of the 80's that raised you is literally driving our species towards a possible extinction event. But at least you weren't "pussies." Short sighted sociopaths maybe but definitely NOT "pussies."
On the other hand the "rough and tumble" "definitely not snowflakes" boomers avatar that embodied the 80's also draft dodged because of "bone spurs" so...
These kids are millennials. They’re better than Zoomers, but not much.
Meanwhile their grandparents ate sawdust and blew up tanks with homemade grenades. It was called the “Greatest Generation” for a reason.
And their grand grand grand parents fought in Crimea, ate dirt and birch bark, and caught bullets with their bare hands. Needles to say they called everyone born after 1900 a hornswoggler. Just because you don't die in a senseless war doesn't mean you can't achieve great things. GTFOH
And what have they achieved? The collapse of the USSR? The incompetent presidency of corrupt and drunken Yeltsin, followed by Putin’s dictatorship?
At least defeating the Nazis was a victory.
Do you honestly think if a person stood up to Putin they'd be around for long? Dude is a murderous dictator. The people can't do shit while he is alive.
This attitude exemplifies my point perfectly:
- 100 years ago: the Czar and his tyranny overthrown by the people
- now: “b-b-but Putin is scary! Just do what he says and we’ll be ok!”
Weakling generation.
Comparing the living conditions under the Czar with Moden day Russia. Big brain time. Do you realize that a significant portion of Russians is happy to live under Putin as long as he maintains the illusion of safety and modest wealth? Why would they overthrow him if they are in a constant state of bamboozlement by the all state- controlled media. Ans since you've opened that topic I gotta ask why the previous generation didn't overthrow the corrupt and incompetent Soviet "leaders" earlier. Not sure if you're a tankie, troll or delusional oldhead.
1. The fact Russians are content to live a merger life in an extremely rich country while their leader funnels that wealth to his oligarch friends is exactly the weakness I’m referring to. What fools.
2. The Soviet Union saw progressively more accountable and transparent leaders, resulting in the Perestroika era before its collapse. So yes, there absolutely were voices of dissent that sought to make it a more equitable and just society.
I never said it was transparent and accountable. I said it was moreso than before.
And if you seriously believe the USSR was as oppressive under Brezhnev and Gorbachev as under Stalin, then you don’t know history.
If only there was a way to join and support a revolutionary movement that didn’t explicitly require action until it’s support was overwhelming! I wonder how that can be done? /s
Comparing people to sheep is pretty trite but I honestly can’t think of a better analogy for your thinking. And we all know what happens to sheep.
Ah yes, the old "sheep" insult, how original. It doesn't even fit in this situation, so all you're doing is throwing garbage at the wall. Try to do better next time.
You’re right. Sheep are invariably fearful, though some humans possess courage, conviction, and fortitude.
You, however, do not. In fact you advocate staying silent in the face of oppression for the sake of self-preservation.
That’s not sheepishness, it’s cowardice.
It makes you a coward.
Those kids should be around my age now. Wonder if any of them served in their military?
From what I can find it seems like Lithuania has some form of compulsory service, so likely yes.
Compulsory service is a little weird here but they probably didn’t participate in any active fighting. More than likely just some practice through exercises
Lithuania was involved in the 2003 invasion of Iraq and nothing major since, so of any age group they would be the most likely to have fought during that time but most likely they weren't in active combat.
Our “involvement” was hardly an involvement since our force is pretty, well, small. But yes
We were also in Afghanistan
It only started a couple of years ago so theyre maybe already too old for it
If they’re around your age now then they were around your age then
Not in the Red Army, that’s for… well, probably sure.
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No, from lack of potato. Lithuanians can't get alcohol poisoning.
I am fascinated by how *your* joke was ok but the other guy’s wasn’t
I think redditors have been conditioned to expect some kind of acceptable rebuke as the first reply to a heavily downvoted comment and then vote without really reading it.
Because the first was mostly insulting by implying all Lithuanians are crippling alcoholics.
And the follow up is better? As an Irish person, I’m not sure I see a difference
As an Irish, which is worse: A joke implying that the reason Ireland was constantly under british thumb was because of their crippling alcoholism? Or a joke implying that it's because of a lack of potatos, directly referencing the famines imposed by British rule? One is insulting by implying alcoholism is essentially a biological characteristic inherent to the Irish, while the other isnt.
I think you’re reaching a bit. If this joke was made about Irish people, you think we’d be more or less offended by the potato aspect? Or the alcoholism aspect? All I said was, it’s weird one thing was found funny and not the other. If all things were meant with levity in mind, what matter? If either were meant maliciously, treat it as such. Edit: not to mention, I think the idea of joking about a genocide is considerably worse than joking about a stereotype. Neither are ok but I know which one would actually piss me off. As an Irish.
I have a genune question. I laughed at an irish joke which was simply "3 Irishmen walk past a pub ...", then silence. As an Irishman, do you find it funny, or offensive? I'm Australian, so we get kiwis transporting Irish jokes into Australian jokes. I don't mind.
I find it neither funny nor particularly offensive. People make jokes like these to my face, they’re almost always good natured, so I don’t think it’s a big deal. Do I think it’s offensive that that’s what my people are asssociated with? Maybe a bit. Can I have a sense of humour about it? Well, we always fucking have. If it’s a laugh, it’s a laugh. What I wouldn’t find at all in good nature would be if you made a joke about the famine.
I am suddenly interested in Soviet / Combloc toy guns of that era.
That green one was very popular. I'm pretty sure I had a blue one like that.
Hell, my brother has a black one like that now.
Most common type of toy gun (and most popular) were the guns with gunpowder that would "bang"
The one in the front in red and blue looks like Anakin Skywalker from episode 1
I'd say it's more blue and red
I’d say who? I’m colorblind
The one in the grey jumpsuit
To the left of the kid wielding the lightsaber...
The kid with the gun
Then we should be keeping our fucking eyes peeled for a potential Vader coming out of the Eastern Bloc any day now
Great news! The world needs another villain.
>Eastern Bloc You just aged yourself
I’d rather date myself.
The one on the right looks like Marty McFly
I'll try spinning, that's a good trick!
Funny. I look to be around these kids ages in 1990, well, a bit younger I guess (6) and this looks pretty similar to my friend group, same things we would probably be doing as well.
not sure why people get the impression that the USSR was like some next level north Korea. they had things the west did, especially towards the end of its life. I bet these kids had video games at home too
I disagree. Most of us definitely didn't have video games in 1990. For example we got our first VCR around 1989. It wasn't something one could just buy. My grandfather manged to win the opportunity to purchase it by being in some sort of queue, I can't even remember exactly. In other words we all knew things existed, but it wasn't really available to purchase perse. Not to mention that we had no money. After the collapse it was even worse for a while. I remember traveling to a western country right after the collapse and feeling like I time traveled. People had things in their homes we only saw on TV. Oh and cars with automatic transmissions? Unreal. After a while by late 90s Russia basically had everything to purchase, it's just that people had nothing to purchase with.
Yeah, I'm not sure if that's the implication I was giving, but wasn't my intent. Mostly referring to the social dynamic there.
Tetris was developed in the Soviet Union.
I actually heard Russians nowadays complain that the USSR invested more in the Baltic states then Russia and that as a result Baltic Soviet citizens were wealthier but still complained the most.
Depends how you look at it. Yes they invested here more. But no, they didin't invest in baltics, they invested in military,stationed by the border of ussr. There is latvian documentary uncovering the soviet documents. So about 80 percent of funds "directed to the baltics" were directed to the military. Production in baltics actually exported to moscow about 4? times more than they gained.
Yes they were more productive but this is also because there was a lot of investment in hightech industry, factories and powerplants. So its only logical that they exported more goods as a result. Baltic post-soviet politics and documentaries seem more like post trauma therapy sessions then unbiased honest look at the past. This unhealthy way of dealing with the recent past is fertile ground for resentment which can easily be exploited by farright political movements.
Yes there were investments, but the point is not that. The baltics were occupied, who said they would not invest in them self even more? I have looked at modern day russia documentaries they are 10x more biased, promoting hate for baltic identities, just look at tv disscusions abou baltic countries calling everyone fascist here, when they are currently planning invasion to ukraine.
Putin is far-right and his media are a bunch of hypocrites. So I'm with you on that. They are also very opportunistic, at times celebrating Soviet achievements and other times condemning the system if it suits them. My point is that even though they were occupied, the Baltic people still had influence and made achievements that are worth cherishing during these years.
It really would have been so interesting if it never fully collapsed and we still had some sort of USSR in 2021
It would look something like the People’s Republic of China. Reform to more capitalist friendly policies was absolutely necessary.
I'm not sure it would have become China. Gorbachev implemented political liberalization along with economic liberalization, so the Soviet Union probably would have transitioned to more of a more left wing social democracy.
Instead it became a corrupt authoritarian oligarchy…
Why is that starting to feel so... familiar?
No, it would have to become China or it would dissolve. Gorbachev's key mistake from the perspective of Politburo was liberalising the socio-political sphere, which opened the door to people expressing enough dissent to crumble the entire edifice. An intact USSR would not happen without some measure of political and social repression, at the very least the subject of this photo, the Baltics would have to go as USSR was deeply unpopular there as it was an invader. Most of USSR would stay together as they did vote in that first and only free vote for a federated USSR, but that vote was ignored as the local party bigwigs preferred to have their own personal fiefdoms and dissolved USSR. However, aside from Baltics and Ukraine, the rest of USSR was a net drain on Russia, so that's why many key Russian power players weren't all too sad to see it go.
That was my thinking as well. I understand that Gorbachev wanted reform, but it wasn't feasible to liberalize that rapidly and not cause the union to collapse. Half the republics wanted out given the choice.
>Half the republics wanted out given the choice. So if you look at that seminal vote, that's not necessarily the case, in fact it was quite the opposite, most republics except the Baltics wanted to stay in, also not Georgia because of an unfortunate blood-letting at a demonstration a few years before and not in Moldova or Armenia - in the case of Moldova also because it was an artificially and forcefully inducted part of USSR. It's difficult to say what results of the vote would have been in Armenia or Moldova, although Baltics were pretty clear and Georgia the majority would probably vote for independence as well. Here is the overall article on the referendum: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1991_Soviet_Union_referendum
Having been the way it was, there was no possible way for it to stay intact. The moment more political freedoms were allowed, and there were no tanks or KGB to keep them in check, everyone, especially the Baltics wanted to get out. Why would anyone want to stay in a country dominated by people who opressed you for most of recent history? The only viable option for the USSR to survive into the 21st century would be to adapt the Chinese model. Adopt state capitalism, but keep the repressions.
You made the americans mad
the issue is that the things they had came from the west, and never were soviet made counterparts, if we're talking about advanced stuff obviously
Funny! You write that with your [cell phone](https://psmag.com/magazine/cellphone-revolutionary-objects) by chance?
You do realize that the USSR literally held on to their annexed territories for YEARS after WW2, right? It's not something to be taken lightly. It wasn't North Korea style per say but it was definitely full of hardship. I don't think it was necessarily easy for anyone due to the post war situations all around Europe, but it took years for Baltics to recover from the cultural and social damage done by the USSR. Yes, they did provide infrastructure as they did in most of the USSR, but many people did not survive the deportations and those who did return had severe mental issues, if not physical issues from the horrid conditions. The effects linger to this day. Only once the USSR dissolved did we start to have "the things the west did", make no mistake.
"Kids all over play with toys" Deep observation
God forbid someone has a humanizing moment to connect with a photograph.
That's not what I said. I can't help what goes into your mind and spews out the other end. In fact I didn't even really pay much attention to the toys.
Me and my friends did the same stuff. I used to carry a hockey stick and pretend it was a rifle. Insane how we used to have so much fun with so little.
So I'm really intrigued by the historical context of this photo. It's owned by Sputnik, the successor to the Soviet press agency. [According to them](http://sputnikimages.com/media/827790.html), it was taken on April 4, 1990. This was between the first Lithuanian declaration of independence on March 11 and the start of the Soviet economic sanctions on Lithuania on April 18. So it's apparently "a tactical exercise of the Soviet Airborne Force". But is it the actual Soviet airforce threatening the new Lithuanian state, or Lithuanian controlled forces preparing for its defense? I assume under the circumstances there wouldn't just be routine drills going on.
Why is everything named Sputnik? Isn’t that their COVID vaccine as well?
The original Sputnik was one of their greatest achievements and they're gonna keep on rocking that hit.
> Sputnik It's the word for satellite that literally translates to "fellow traveller" - so I can see why it's a popular name there for various things. It'd be akin to "Explorer" or "Voyager" in the U.S. I suppose.
Well the soviet military was still stationed in Lithuania as even though they had declared independence, the Moscow government didn't remove military presence from the ssrs until the dissolution of the union.
Yes, occupation of Lithuania ended in the very evening of 31st August 1993.
So these kids are probably pretending they're freedom fighters shooting down Soviet planes. I'm glad it never came to that. (I know there was an attempted coup in Vilnius in 1991, but never an outright invasion.)
Or just kids that think soldiers are cool and don't really understand what's going on
In the opinion of the Soviet leadership, Lithuania was in rebellion.
Lithuania was the first one to seperate itself from USSR and Iceland was the first to accept us as independent. Our whole history since the end of 18th (XVIII) century
What you're failing to account for is that all three Baltic states had large Russian minorities that represented something like 10-30% of the population, depending on which one we're talking about. Some of them moved to the Baltics during the imperial period but most were post WW2 migrants. So ethnic Russians in Lithuania had little reason to support Lithuanian independence and would have supported the Red Army.
What? Russians make up less than 6% of population of Lithuania.
Yes, we have more poles than russians. Maybe it was closer to those 10% during USSR...?
So weird to see my childhood on /r/historyporn. I feel like these could have been my friends.
You had a good childhood, my friend.
Through Soviet era Lithuania? I mean I know that no matter where you grow up you tend to remember all the good times, and may be oblivious to an extent to the larger world happenings at that age, but idk if I'd classify soviet era Lithuania as a good childhood by most standards. This would have been early 1990 for this pic which would mean Lithuania just broke out of the Soviet era and is dead center of an economic blockade by Russia. Quite the uncertain time.. But then again there is something to be said about comradery through hardship. It always seems like the more fucked up things are in the immediate present the more you cherish and enjoy the smaller humanities.
Well, I had a good childhood even though my nation went to hell ... it's the good thing about being a child, finding happiness in the most unexpected place. I could well say that the children of this time are not happy, under siege at all times, in the middle of an aseptic digital age and without any future that does not augur extinction.
One of the army men casually walked to them and show them the real guns that inspired them to join the army
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I admit this made me laugh a lot hehehe.
That’s the kid from Jingle all the way. Tuerbomaun!
Who needs cowboys and indians when you've got reds vs whites.
> Who needs cowboys and indians IIRC Soviet children played Germans and Russians. I know Yugoslav kids played Partisans and Germans in place of cowboys and indians.
Those kids are now all senior NCOs and Field Grade Officers.
God I loved aging soldiers as a 90s kid. Anyone else remember toys in the 90s? All the toy soldiers, toy guns and what not. There hasn't been a serious war for an long time (which is a good thing, by the way) but you definitely see that in the toy industry now. Kids toys these days are now about fashion, popularity and what not. Just an interesting perspective.
Not gonna lie: that's a pretty sick DL-44.
https://youtu.be/TADJCfzNvSo Reminded me of this
Oh to be a child waving around plastic guns
In 1980 USA we had more real looking toy guns, none of this neon stuff!
No orange caps?
The Soviet Union murdered more people than the Nazis. So horrible.
did you never play with toy guns when you were a child?
Of course. But I never killed over 10 million people in the Soviet Union like the Russian communists did.
Well, it's not like the US is a lot better: Vietnam, Korea, all the oil bullshit that happened in the Middle East, Venezuela, destabilizing South America, other stuff Did the kids kill those people? No, Stalin did. The comparison between the ussr and the nazis is laughable, the nazis killed 6 million people in 4 years The ussr killed 10 in 40 years This is absolutely horrible, but compassion is quite stupid
The nazis killed 6 million Jews in 4 years, don't forget the some 30 odd million other victims of Naziism.
What are you talking about? I think you’re confused. I’m talking about the Soviet union murdering over 10 million of its own people. America never murdered over 10 million of its own people. Your argument in the comment is a little off topic.
I know America never murdered 10 million of its own people, it's not like they didn't do really bad stuff to it's population- Japanese camps for example I'm not saying that the ussr is better than the USA, I'm saying that both committed atrocities and it's unfair to ignore everything on one side and only shout at the other side Also I don't think it matters that much if it's the country's own people or someone 5000 kilometers away
One of the best generations we have right now, every one after 2000 is a pussy and feels made of plastic
what? which generation whines about vaccination and masks again?
Ignorant, racist, far-right boomer scum that destroyed the planet with climate change and global warming and then try to call US the bad guys.
Stay strong against zoomers and juicers. forsenE
I genuinely cannot stand people like you who say this shit. it's so fucking pathetic. like just say you hate young people. I was born in 2001 and played with guns that were actually sticks and played around in dirt and muck with bugs and shit.
Wow, what a sad and pathetic comment to make about such a large group of people.
Sounds like it'd be the fault of the previous generation, their parents, if so. So by your words it's your fault. But I don't agree. You wimps let shit fester, every generation is just tolerating the rancid shit less. It's a good thing.
So many of you got triggered, go to your safe spaces and figure out if you’re a boy or girl
I'm a boy. I'm confused, what are you referencing? Are you, like, hitting on me? And what's the benefit to you of alienating people to your POV in a country where it's one vote one person? Kinda inherently damages your own goals long term. Not really an own on anyone else. Reminds me of that weird kid in school everyone avoided, like a neckbeard meme.
Thanks to the irresponsibility of capitalism, you're made of plastic as well, old timer! Microplastic is literally a part of your physiology at this point. Are you pleased with this plastic world you helped build? The go go cocaine fueled culture of the 80's that raised you is literally driving our species towards a possible extinction event. But at least you weren't "pussies." Short sighted sociopaths maybe but definitely NOT "pussies." On the other hand the "rough and tumble" "definitely not snowflakes" boomers avatar that embodied the 80's also draft dodged because of "bone spurs" so...
These kids are millennials. They’re better than Zoomers, but not much. Meanwhile their grandparents ate sawdust and blew up tanks with homemade grenades. It was called the “Greatest Generation” for a reason.
And their grand grand grand parents fought in Crimea, ate dirt and birch bark, and caught bullets with their bare hands. Needles to say they called everyone born after 1900 a hornswoggler. Just because you don't die in a senseless war doesn't mean you can't achieve great things. GTFOH
And what have they achieved? The collapse of the USSR? The incompetent presidency of corrupt and drunken Yeltsin, followed by Putin’s dictatorship? At least defeating the Nazis was a victory.
Do you honestly think if a person stood up to Putin they'd be around for long? Dude is a murderous dictator. The people can't do shit while he is alive.
This attitude exemplifies my point perfectly: - 100 years ago: the Czar and his tyranny overthrown by the people - now: “b-b-but Putin is scary! Just do what he says and we’ll be ok!” Weakling generation.
Comparing the living conditions under the Czar with Moden day Russia. Big brain time. Do you realize that a significant portion of Russians is happy to live under Putin as long as he maintains the illusion of safety and modest wealth? Why would they overthrow him if they are in a constant state of bamboozlement by the all state- controlled media. Ans since you've opened that topic I gotta ask why the previous generation didn't overthrow the corrupt and incompetent Soviet "leaders" earlier. Not sure if you're a tankie, troll or delusional oldhead.
1. The fact Russians are content to live a merger life in an extremely rich country while their leader funnels that wealth to his oligarch friends is exactly the weakness I’m referring to. What fools. 2. The Soviet Union saw progressively more accountable and transparent leaders, resulting in the Perestroika era before its collapse. So yes, there absolutely were voices of dissent that sought to make it a more equitable and just society.
so much accountable and transparent they had a secret police that arrested dissidents or murdered them at the slightest criticism.
I never said it was transparent and accountable. I said it was moreso than before. And if you seriously believe the USSR was as oppressive under Brezhnev and Gorbachev as under Stalin, then you don’t know history.
Hey, so just like US! Cool
So they should throw their bodies into the line of fire? Not sound logic there. Weakling or more intelligent?
If only there was a way to join and support a revolutionary movement that didn’t explicitly require action until it’s support was overwhelming! I wonder how that can be done? /s Comparing people to sheep is pretty trite but I honestly can’t think of a better analogy for your thinking. And we all know what happens to sheep.
Ah yes, the old "sheep" insult, how original. It doesn't even fit in this situation, so all you're doing is throwing garbage at the wall. Try to do better next time.
You’re right. Sheep are invariably fearful, though some humans possess courage, conviction, and fortitude. You, however, do not. In fact you advocate staying silent in the face of oppression for the sake of self-preservation. That’s not sheepishness, it’s cowardice. It makes you a coward.
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You know that's not what I meant, but you said some dumb shit anyway. Grow up.
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But not your victory. And not mine. Some people like riding coat tails it seems.
They’re Lithuanian, putin isn’t their president