Special offer

A Tale of The Past. A Visitor From the Other World

By
Real Estate Broker/Owner with Daytona Condo Realty, 386-405-4408

I heard this story from my relatives, who lived in Riga, Latvia. It was in the 70s, when there was a warmer political climate between the Soviet Union and United States, when Nixon visited Moscow, and when the word American was not associated with locating the closest bomb shelter...

We felt that we were two great nations, with the only difference that American government was a disaster, but people were friendly and only needed a chance to become free... We knew that one day we would come and free them and the rest of the world, and the song about it was a very popular one...

Riga, photo courtesy of FlickrIn Riga there is a huge manufacturing enterprise, the largest of its kind in the Soviet Union, with tens of thousand employees. They were manufacturing a lot of electronic goods for other industries, and for consumers they were making those battery operated radios "Spidola", a dream of all of us.

Somehow it became known that a prominent American Union high ranking official, whose family came from Latvia, wanted to visit Latvia. At that time the arrival of American was a bigger event that arrival of ET, or somebody from Saturn. But because he was a Union guy, and Unions were everywhere in the Soviet Union, and 100% of employed (and there was not private employment in the Soviet Union at that time) were members of the Unions, the idea of arranging a meeting with a Union official from USA came to someone, and was approved by.. you know.

They were speaking the same language: labor force, workers, unions, working conditions, etc. This was a great way to show the guest how strong, tens of thousand strong the unions are in the Soviet Union. Union members could have a chance to support the struggle of Unions in the darn capitalist America, where people had to really fight for their rights.

VEF Spidola-10They had the meeting in the huge main concert hall of their Palace of Culture. It was packed. People have never seen a live American and there were way more people who wanted to be there then the hall could handle. The local Union boss has introduced the guest, explained about the constant fight for the better working conditions and better life of workers, and then gave the microphone to the guest. there was no language barrier, the guest spoke fluent Latvian, and they all listened.

Pretty soon he figured that he audience was confused, so he stopped and in usual American manner asked whether someone had a question. And they had, and one guy got to the mike and asked where the guest lived.

Surprised by the question, the guest explained that he lived in his house in New Jersey. And yes, he has a car. And the workers have cars, what's the big deal? And they also live in houses with a bit of land if they choose to, and why on earht would they want to be planting potatoes there?

- The workers have houses? They do not plant potatoes? They have cars? All of them? 

-Mister, if the workers have all that, what are they fighting for?

It was a fiasco. For Latvian worker this was a description of communism. Everyone would have what they want. What more could one even be wanting? Having a home, a piece of land where you could grow some veggies, and owning a car was more than a dream. Even party officials, they had a government car with a driver, but they did not own a car.

They were saying the same words and these words described two different worlds. The worlds that were light years apart..

How often do we hear the words, and think that we know what they mean in another world? Do we understand that freedom is the most popular word in Iran and in North Korea as opposed to American oppression of their own people, and Chavez and Castro cherish a different brand of democracy?  

Comments (12)

William J. Archambault, Jr.
The Real Estate Investment Institute - Houston, TX

Jon,

Please keep reminding us of who we are and what our differences were.

"How often do we hear the words, and think that we know what they mean in another world?"  With this my friend you exhibit extreme insight!  It's the same with the democrats and the Republicans.

Bill

Oct 25, 2009 07:20 AM
Broker Nick
South Florida Real Estate & Development, Inc. - Coconut Creek, FL
Broker Nick Relocation Broker Service

Jon - If we are not careful, those who cry freedom will be only saying the words while living in bondage to their own government which they look to to solve all of their problems.

Oct 25, 2009 08:35 AM
Broker Nick
South Florida Real Estate & Development, Inc. - Coconut Creek, FL
Broker Nick Relocation Broker Service

Jon - Congratulations, this post is now featured in the group Silent Majority of Active Rain.

Oct 25, 2009 08:36 AM
Jon Zolsky, Daytona Beach, FL
Daytona Condo Realty, 386-405-4408 - Daytona Beach, FL
Buy Daytona condos for heavenly good prices

Bill  - Yes, this is hardly on the party line. If we say that real estate is local, and what is true in California, may not be true in Florida. But this is still in the same country, and culturally we are all so close... So imagine, when it involves different cultures. It adds such a level of complexity that we misunderstand.

Oct 25, 2009 08:57 AM
Jon Zolsky, Daytona Beach, FL
Daytona Condo Realty, 386-405-4408 - Daytona Beach, FL
Buy Daytona condos for heavenly good prices

Nicholas - this is with the same words and, basically, in the same context, and such a difference. I think we need to understand it when we deal with others. The fact that they claim they want democracy does not mean that we are talking about the same thing.

And when you change you a bit, it may be the whole different world. Take a mouse and a cat. We immediately make an association. Poor mouse. Now take an elephant and a mouse. What a difference. So, being bigger is not always an advantage, and is not always the sign of power. And I am sure cats would avoid being in the path of an elephant.

Thanks for  the feature

Oct 25, 2009 09:02 AM
Vadim Zolotarevskiy
FunCoast Realty & Management, LLC - Daytona Beach Shores, FL

Jon- interesting story. I think it is all different in Latvia now. as far as i know Latvia is struggling economically

Oct 25, 2009 04:09 PM
Jon Zolsky, Daytona Beach, FL
Daytona Condo Realty, 386-405-4408 - Daytona Beach, FL
Buy Daytona condos for heavenly good prices

Vadim - all republics of the former Soviet Union are struggling. Switching the gear from socialism is not an easy task

Oct 25, 2009 05:31 PM
Ted Baker
Carmody and Associates LLC - Winter Haven, FL
MidFloridaMediation.com

Jon - it seems we may find out that switching the gear TO socialism is all too easy. 

Giving up freedom is always easier than getting it back.  

I continue to voice my appreciation to you for showing us the way with the sharp perspective you bring to our discussions as a result of your rich cultural background.

I hope that we do not let you down by losing the freedoms that we promised you when you came to America.

Oct 25, 2009 06:11 PM
Broker Nick
South Florida Real Estate & Development, Inc. - Coconut Creek, FL
Broker Nick Relocation Broker Service

Well said Ted Baker! Losing freedoms that all Americans hold dear is the new ideal of the liberal party!

Oct 25, 2009 11:56 PM
Jon Zolsky, Daytona Beach, FL
Daytona Condo Realty, 386-405-4408 - Daytona Beach, FL
Buy Daytona condos for heavenly good prices

Ted - and this is scary. The ease of switchhing the gear, I mean.

Oct 26, 2009 01:05 AM
Katerina Gasset
The Gasset Group & Get It Done For Me Virtual Services - Provo, UT
Amplify Your Real Estate & Life Dreams!

Jon- I was looking for my own posts that I wrote about Latvia for a link to add to a post I am about to publish right now and came across this post. I am sorry I missed this great post. Especially since it is about my mother's country Latvia. I was just watching a video on Riga. We own land in Jurmala, 30 minutes outside of Riga across from the beach. Of course, over there, there is no private ownership of the beachfront- it is all across the street. 

I was going to go back there last year for court but when the economy got bad and we heard the price of life has dropped down to about $500- it was a chance we were not going to take based on the crooks we are up against there. Now they appealed our win in court and so we have an appealing case pending. 

I know what other countries believe is freedom and what is not since I have been in most places in the world. However, I do not see a ton of Americans fleeing their country to get into other countries illegally. That says something in and of itself. 

Chavez- don't even get me started! I know a lot of Venezuelans who have defected here. I know many Venezuelans who rushed to get their money out and over here. I know right now of a little 8 year old boy there who needs surgery. People are raising the money for his surgery but then they also have to have enough money for a second surgery right away in case something goes wrong. You see, over there, if you don't have the money once they get the bill to what you paid then they just stop. So I want to ask these creeps in Hollywood that worship Chavez- are they there for that little boy? How's that socialist thing working for you over there? ANd we just send down boxes of clothes and toys for the poor in a village there- where is their savior Chavez to clothe them and feed them? The ladies roll their hair with empty toilet paper rolls, that I no longer throw out- I save them for them. How is that for freedom? 

Dec 26, 2009 03:58 PM
Jon Zolsky, Daytona Beach, FL
Daytona Condo Realty, 386-405-4408 - Daytona Beach, FL
Buy Daytona condos for heavenly good prices

Katerina - a bit of surprise as it was quite some time ago and I did not expect anyone to click on old stuff, but this happens.

I do not see any difference between Chavez and Castro. The problem is that it takes a very long time to prove to the world that all they can offer is rhetoric, and even longer after they are gone, to get back some decency.

And they themselves never say "I was wrong", but rather "Damn Yankees did not let us build the ideal society"

Dec 26, 2009 04:21 PM