Humour of the Soviet Era. Part Two.

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The jokes often turned Communist dogma on its head: "Capitalism is the exploitation of man by man. Communism is exactly the opposite."

Other anecdotes captured the climate of paranoia that reigned in Communist-bloc countries.

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A conversation between three inmates at a Soviet labour camp: "'I was five minutes late to work and was charged with sabotage,' the first man says. 'I was five minutes early and was sentenced for espionage,' the second explains.

"In turn, the third man says: 'Well, I was on time, and I was accused of contraband in Western wrist watches.'"

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Even the Soviet war in Afghanistan in the 1980s lent itself to laughs as people questioned what Moscow could gain from sending troops there.

"Why did the Soviet Union decided to invade Afghanistan? There must be a strategy for spreading the Communist paradise to the world – the USSR decided to proceed alphabetically."

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The wry jibes were heavy with a deep sense of fatalism. On the occasion of the 65th anniversary of the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917, celebrated with great fanfare in 1982, many dissidents joked the Soviet Union had finally reached retirement age.

"What's better a communist hell or a capitalist hell?" one popular joke asked.

"The communist one of course! There is always a shortage of matches and fuel, the heaters are out of order, and the devil and his creatures are busy with party meetings."

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ИСТОЧНИК: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/expat/expatnews/6485648/Gallows-humour-East-European-style.html

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to turn smth. on its head

opposite

to reign

to charge with smth.

to accuse of smth.

to gain

troops

on the occasion of

retirement age

shortage

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