u/kool-krazy

I’m interested in hearing from socialists of different tendencies about how you understand the collapse of the socialist governments of Eastern Europe around 1989–91.

I’m especially interested in perspectives that go beyond the usual Cold War narratives.

A few questions:

Do you see the collapse primarily as a failure of socialist theory, a failure of particular institutions and leadership, economic problems, external pressure, or some combination?

How do you distinguish between the ideals of socialism and the actual political/economic systems that existed in countries such as the GDR, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, and Yugoslavia?

What do you think Western socialists and communists at the time misunderstood about these societies?

Looking back from 2026, are there aspects of those systems that you think are worth defending or learning from?

Conversely, what institutional or political problems do you think contemporary socialists should avoid repeating?

Has the experience of the last few decades changed your understanding of what a viable socialist society would need to look like?

How does your particular socialist tradition interpret 1989–91?

For context, if you're comfortable sharing:

How do you identify politically?

For example: Marxist-Leninist, Trotskyist, Maoist, democratic socialist, social democrat, left communist, anarchist, market socialist, Eurocommunist, libertarian socialist, etc.

What country are you from / currently living in?

This is optional, but it would be interesting to see whether perspectives differ depending on people's national and historical backgrounds.

How old were you in 1989–91, if you were alive then?

This is also optional. I’m interested in differences between people who personally experienced the period and those who know it primarily through historical research.

I’m not looking for a debate about whether capitalism is “good” or “bad.” I’m more interested in how socialists themselves interpret the historical experience of Eastern Europe and what lessons, if any, they draw from it today.

If you’re a socialist, communist, or broadly anti-capitalist, what is your interpretation of why those systems collapsed—and what do you think the left should learn from it?

My cousin has a 4-year-old son. He's very friendly with me and always gets excited whenever I visit. I spend time playing with him every time I see him.

I'm becoming concerned about something. I suspect that when he does something naughty, his mother punishes him by burning him with lit matches. I once heard her threaten to burn him with a lit match, and he immediately said, "Don't do it, Mummy. I'll do everything you say."

I don't know whether she's actually done it before or if it was just a threat, but his reaction made me think this isn't the first time he's heard it.

I'm worried about his safety. Has anyone dealt with a situation like this? What would be the best way to handle it without making things worse for the child?

I am surprised that people are shocked by the attack on students.

The BJP and Delhi Police were always like this. They attacked Left students at JNU. Delhi Police protected the assaulters instead of the students and let those criminals roam free.

They brutally assaulted students and Muslims protesting against the CAA in 2020. They helped the BJP carry out a pogrom in East Delhi using the same playbook. They brutally assaulted students in Jamia. CCTV cameras, vehicles, and libraries were destroyed. In UP, the BJP-controlled police even shot protesters on sight. Many people, mostly Muslims, have been jailed under draconian laws without any trial for the last six years, while BJP leaders who gave violent, riot-provoking speeches on camera in the presence of Delhi Police are now ministers.

During the same pogrom Delhi Police beat one Muslim to death, and while he was dying, they forced him to sing the national anthem. The video was shared on social media, yet Delhi Police is still unable to find the officer who murdered him.

They attacked farmers in 2021.

Not to forget how Kashmiris were subjected to brutal pellet guns that blinded hundreds. Manipuris have faced extreme brutality, with the police siding with BJP-backed groups.

Tribals were shot by the police and branded as Naxalites simply for protesting against the occupation of their land by big companies.

I sympathize with the protesters. In fact, I have joined them at Jantar Mantar. What surprises me is that people are reacting to the treatment of students by Delhi Police as if it is something new.

No, it isn't. They were always like this. An injustice to one is an injustice to all. Oppressors become emboldened when they are allowed to do horrible things to one group. Eventually, they can and will turn against other groups as well.

I'll end this rant by repeating these lines from the legendary poet Rahat Indori:

Lagegi aag to aayenge kai ghar zad mein,

Yahaan sirf hamaara makaan thodi hai.

If you're in or around Delhi and care about this cause, come to Jantar Mantar today and join everyone already gathered.

The main march to Sansad is on 20 July, and every additional person makes a difference. Even if you can only spare a few hours, your presence matters.

If you're traveling from another city and need help with food, accommodation, or travel, post in the comments. People may be able to coordinate and help each other out.

Bring water, a power bank, weather-appropriate clothing, and keep an eye on official updates from the organizers.

See you at Jantar Mantar. Let's make our voices heard peacefully and in large numbers.

I've noticed some very unusual charging behavior on my Samsung Galaxy A17 5G and wanted to see if anyone else has experienced the same issue.

I didn't buy Samsung's official charger because I already own several high-quality, expensive fast chargers, so buying another one didn't make much sense.

I've tested:

- 120W Xiaomi charger (I know Samsung won't charge at 120W)

- 67W charger

- 65W charger

- 25W charger (non-Samsung)

Regardless of which charger I use, charging from 1% to 100% consistently takes around 12–15 hours while the phone is powered on.

The strange part is that if I turn the phone off and connect the same 65W charger, the phone charges to 100% in about 3 hours.

This doesn't seem like a simple compatibility issue because the exact same charger and cable perform much faster when the phone is switched off.

It makes me wonder whether Samsung is deliberately throttling charging speeds for non-Samsung chargers through software while the phone is powered on. If that's the case, it feels like an artificial limitation that pushes users toward buying Samsung's official charger, even if they already own capable USB-PD fast chargers.

Has anyone else with a Samsung Galaxy A17 5G experienced this? If you've measured the charging wattage or know whether this is expected behavior, I'd be interested in hearing your findings.

How long does Jio usually take to suspend a prepaid number after the recharge validity expires?

My last recharge expired on 12 May. Since then, I've been getting daily calls from Jio representatives saying the number will be suspended soon if I don't recharge.

The SIM is still active for incoming calls and SMS.

From actual experience, after validity expires, how many days does Jio typically keep the number active before suspending or deactivating it?

I’ve posted about the bot armies before, but it’s actually getting worse. I’ve tried every "strategy" in the book. Web, RailOne app, Laptop, FiberNet, 5G, Aadhaar verified account, synced Master Lists... everything. It doesn't matter.

The system is programmed to fail you. Exactly at 10:00:00, it forces a logout. Even if your session started at 09:59:59, you’re out. Then if somehow you manage to login, they welcome you with a connection error while selecting the class. Then you get hit with the "Client IP" error because the gateway is already choked. How is it that Jio hotstar can stream IPL to 20.6 crore people without breaking a sweat, but IRCTC can’t handle a few thousand Tatkal requests?

As someone who has worked on backend, I don't see it as a "connection issue" but as a technical incompetence. Their "anti-bot" measures are only stopping humans while the scripts bypass the UI and hit the endpoints directly. We’re being pepper-sprayed at the gate while the agents have a back door. Absolute garbage.