My problem with people citing those metrics is that they are true for Russia itself while ignoring that a large reason for those improvements was colonialism done to the occupied regions. Industrialisation was another thing that improved those metrics but that was hardly unique to the USSR. Some of those regions may have had benefits but here in Estonia it was pretty much all around bad. After the occupation ended the quality of life here improved rapidly.

As far as examples for socialism I'd say the USSR was an all around failure but people still defend it and even Stalin who basically guaranteed it's failure as a socialist project. In the baltic region the word communism is basically poisoned because of the USSR.

[–] OurToothbrush@lemmy.ml 7 points 6 months ago (1 children)

You need to look at the referendum to maintain the soviet union before you say shit about imperialist Russia. Non-russian SSRs were most enthusiastic about keeping the USSR around.

[–] FluffyPotato@lemm.ee -2 points 6 months ago (1 children)

The one boycotted by 6 of the 15 territories? Or the ones that followed in each that led to them declaring independence which in turn led to the collapse of the soviet union?

The baltics were 3 of those boycotting territories and we had similar referendums for independence which, I'm pretty sure, all got over 70% support.

[–] OurToothbrush@lemmy.ml 2 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (1 children)

The one boycotted by 6 of the 15 territories?

That's the one, where Russians had less interest in the USSR than the participating territories.

Or the ones that followed in each that led to them declaring independence which in turn led to the collapse of the soviet union?

Sure, and not the presidential coup. Get real.

The baltics were 3 of those boycotting territories and we had similar referendums for independence which, I’m pretty sure, all got over 70% support.

And the Baltics are doing so much better now.

I'm reminded of a story of Lithuania charging holocaust survivors for fighting as partisans against the nazis in WW2. It happened in 2009. They've gotten more fascist since. Wonder what itd be like if the USSR was never overthrown.

[–] FluffyPotato@lemm.ee -3 points 6 months ago (1 children)

The baltics are actually doing much better now yea, by pretty much every metric.

[–] OurToothbrush@lemmy.ml 4 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (1 children)

Yes, slightly improved metrics sure compensate for the systemic nazi rehabilitation /s

And for the overall lowering of living conditions across the former USSR /s

[–] FluffyPotato@lemm.ee -2 points 6 months ago

Nope, living conditions have improved massively and way less nazies here than Russia as well.