Western versus Eastern technology competition

[Redneck in training]

From Zetor tractors to Czech engineering in general (Skoda builds mega lathes, the only lathes in the world that could lathe the megasized ball joints for a storm sluice that secures the main waterway into the Rotterdam seaport) into the political and societal factors that let an area that was once the silicon valley of the 30's devaluate in a just average production country..

Renze, it was worse than that. It was not average production country. They (the commies) dropped it to level of Africa. Czechoslovakia was not much better than so called undeveloped countries.
It had the potential but was so badly mismanaged. The people who run companies were political appointees, most of them totally incompetent. They were good at lining their pockets though.

 

[ArtMech]

Today's realities of post-communism:
This is Russia: Life in the KHL -- Money - Cross Checks Blog - ESPN

 

[paulharvey]

In an only slightly related topic, 2 yr old daughter loves the cartoon Masha and the Bear in the English or Russian, doesnt care either way. She saw it on Youtube

 

[Redneck in training]

In an only slightly related topic, 2 yr old daughter loves the cartoon Masha and the Bear in the English or Russian, doesnt care either way. She saw it on Youtube

Yes there were many great cartoons made over the years in former Eastern block.

 

[ArtMech]

A couple of funny videos from Russia.

Grass-snake tries to steal a pike from a fisherman.

Greedy snake - YouTube

A fisherman feeds wild fox from his hand.

Она не дикая,она ...евшая.(На рыбалке встретили лису) - YouTube

 

[ArmyPair2]

This may come to a shock to some of you but from what I personally seen the US Forces and Russian Forces do to train together and get along very well. It is the Politicians that always get in the way. P.S. yes NSA I did type that if you are reading this thread.

 

[paulharvey]

This may come to a shock to some of you but from what I personally seen the US Forces and Russian Forces do to train together and get along very well. It is the Politicians that always get in the way. P.S. yes NSA I did type that if you are reading this thread.

Hmmm, makes me wonder how the freedoms where removed in Czechoslovakia post war? Slowly, a bit at a time, or more of a massive suden heavy hand? It was a more or less open society in 1920s and 1930s right? My understanding is also that ****** was far less destructive and heavy handed there than in Poland, Yugoslavia, ect.... did the Soviets basically roll in a shoot anyone who questioned them? Or did it come on slower; spying on citizens, state media, ect? Trying to ask without getting banned for illegal political talk.

 

[Redneck in training]

Hmmm, makes me wonder how the freedoms where removed in Czechoslovakia post war? Slowly, a bit at a time, or more of a massive suden heavy hand? It was a more or less open society in 1920s and 1930s right? My understanding is also that ****** was far less destructive and heavy handed there than in Poland, Yugoslavia, ect.... did the Soviets basically roll in a shoot anyone who questioned them? Or did it come on slower; spying on citizens, state media, ect? Trying to ask without getting banned for illegal political talk.

Bohemia (the area Czech republic is today) was industrial powerhouse of the Austrian Hungarian Empire. Czechs tried to get independence within the Empire similar way as the Hungarians. There were several bloody uprisings all suppressed by the Empire. Many opponents of the Empire were exiled either internally or externally. Czech and Slovak exiles led by Masaryk and Stefanik established a Czechoslovakian government in exile in Cleveland OH during WW1 becuase it was apparent that the Empire will break apart. So called 1st republic that existed between wars was one of the strongest democracies and strongest economies in the world. Czechoslovakia, country of about 12 million people, used to be 7th largest economy in the world (When the Empire blew up after WW1 it lost about 90% of the industrial might to Czechoslovakia). After the betrayal by England and France Czechs didn't oppose German invasion. Germans used Czechoslovakian industry for support of the war effort because it was out of reach of allied bombers that had to make a U turn somewhere over Bavaria.
When Germans left Czechoslovakia had very small war damage. All locomotives on the railroad were shot, several bridges were blown up and Skoda factory in Pilsen was bombed. Many Czechoslovakia factories designed secretly new products for post war time. In other words the country was ready to take off.
1948 Red Army overthrew the government, killed few senators to scare the rest, and established Socialist type of government. All industries and agriculture were nationalized. Most of them were managed by incompetent political appointees. About 1960 the country was pretty much bankrupt. The Czechoslovakian communists were not in love with USSR communist party they were controlled by. When Khrushchev replaced Stalin there was a time of relative softening of Russian influence. That was used by a group of so called Reformed Communists to try to separate the country from USSR. The time between about 1963 to 1968 was a time of relative freedom. I mean relative only. In example we were allowed to complain to some degree. It was called "constructive criticism" whatever it meant. Then Khrushchev was replaced by Brezhnev and the grip on the whole Eastern bloc tightened again resulting in second USSR invasion to Czechoslovakia that put so called hard line communists back in power. From that year the country went really downhill until the collapse of the communism 1989.
After the Red Army coup they mined the border, installed electrical fence and guard towers with machine guns and soldiers to shoot anybody who wanted to escape.
My grandpa told me that right after the war people from Austria used to cross the border north to Czechoslovakia and begged for potatoes. It changed very quickly though. There was a road about half kilometer from the border so while driving there we could see that the Austrians had nice houses and cars while on our side of the border we drove old beaters and everything was in disrepair and grey.

So to answer your question: It was military coup that overthrew the government and f....d the country up for half of my adult life. Germans were much less destructive than commies because they need the Czechoslovakian industries support their war effort.

Only countries escaping from USSR grip right after the war were Austria and Yougoslavia.

 

[ArtMech]

This may come to a shock to some of you but from what I personally seen the US Forces and Russian Forces do to train together and get along very well. It is the Politicians that always get in the way. P.S. yes NSA I did type that if you are reading this thread.

I'll tell you this. Whatever the impression you've got during your common training with Russian forces (with my whole respect to the NSA), for me they are simply the killers. It doesn't mean I hate Russian nation. No, I do not. I wish them all the best in the recovering of their society. But the institutions of Russia are working hard to educate their population in the spirit of chauvinism and expansionism. They falsify the history, they use Stalin's slavery period as a propaganda to show how strong their country could or should be.
Soviet troops vs unarmed Lithuanian civilians, Vilnius 1991. - YouTube
We were living in relatively peaceful period within 1992-2000 with Russia. We could forgive them for their past crimes and genocide strictly separating new Russia's behavior from SU. But from 2000 situation has changed. Russia chose to get back to its totalitarian and even more - autocratic regime. OK, it's their own choice what kind of regime they want to live in. But now they say the countries, which got out of SU, are going to reunite with Russia including those, which became the members of EU and NATO. I must point up, this is what they wish to be, but not what reality is. And here paulharvey is right when he doubts the reliability of the new NATO members. That will depend on how we could resist against Russia's aggressive propaganda machine to assume the offensive. Meanwhile we are losing: building of a new NPP by "GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy" in Visaginas is stopped; "Chevron" is kicked off from the project of shale-gas extraction, although this company has won the contest; liquid gas sea terminal is still under attack. At the same time "Gazprom" is increasing the gas price so, that we pay the highest bills among all the European countries, although the export of food products to Russia (~20% of the total country's export rate) is smooth and correct.
You know, if the policy built within tens and hundreds of years was/is destructive and enemy oriented, how can you reload it into creative one?
All we have gained within last 24 years is the democratic system. I don't say we are perfect, but whatever political party is at power (either commies, or even pro-kremlin), the general trend doesn't change. How long will it last, the future will show.

 

[Redneck in training]

I'll tell you this. Whatever the impression you've got during your common training with Russian forces (with my whole respect to the NSA), for me they are simply the killers. It doesn't mean I hate Russian nation. No, I do not. I wish them all the best in the recovering of their society. But the institutions of Russia are working hard to educate their population in the spirit of chauvinism and expansionism. They falsify the history, they use Stalin's slavery period as a propaganda to show how strong their country could or should be.
Soviet troops vs unarmed Lithuanian civilians, Vilnius 1991. - YouTube
We were living in relatively peaceful period within 1992-2000 with Russia. We could forgive them for their past crimes and genocide strictly separating new Russia's behavior from SU. But from 2000 situation has changed. Russia chose to get back to its totalitarian and even more - autocratic regime. OK, it's their own choice what kind of regime they want to live in. But now they say the countries, which got out of SU, are going to reunite with Russia including those, which became the members of EU and NATO. I must point up, this is what they wish to be, but not what reality is. And here paulharvey is right when he doubts the reliability of the new NATO members. That will depend on how we could resist against Russia's aggressive propaganda machine to assume the offensive. Meanwhile we are losing: building of a new NPP by "GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy" in Visaginas is stopped; "Chevron" is kicked off from the project of shale-gas extraction, although this company has won the contest; liquid gas sea terminal is still under attack. At the same time "Gazprom" is increasing the gas price so, that we pay the highest bills among all the European countries, although the export of food products to Russia (~20% of the total country's export rate) is smooth and correct.
You know, if the policy built within tens and hundreds of years was/is destructive and enemy oriented, how can you reload it into creative one?
All we have gained within last 24 years is the democratic system. I don't say we are perfect, but whatever political party is at power (either commies, or even pro-kremlin), the general trend doesn't change. How long will it last, the future will show.

I agree with the assesment of Russian Federation behavior. Russian companies controlled by the government are bribing Czechoslovakian politicians right now. It is clear to me that the ultimate goal is to take over.
Now they are moving to the USA. First as minority partners, then as majority partners and then it is just a matter of time before they start bribing US politicians.
Here is an example:
Lukoil News - The New York Times
and here is the result:
Lukoil Protest: Gas Stations Charge $8 A Gallon In New Jersey, Pennsylvania

Luke Oil is privately held and you can make a guess who is the largest shareholder. My guess is Putin and his cronies.