Jan 29th, 2009 at 11:52 am
Explaining Communist Jokes
Paul Krugman, contemplating the prospect of TARP II: Geithner’s Revenge, remarks:
[I]t occurred to me that an updated version of an old Communist-era joke may be appropriate: under Bush, financial policy consisted of Wall Street types cutting sweet deals, at taxpayer expense, for Wall Street types. Under Obama, it’s precisely the reverse.
To clarify the original joke is: “capitalism is the exploitation of man by man, whereas socialism is precisely the reverse.”
27 Responses to “Explaining Communist Jokes”
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January 29th, 2009 at 11:56 am
Yup. Galbraith, wasn’t it?
January 29th, 2009 at 11:58 am
That’s “columnist.” Again with the typos!
January 29th, 2009 at 12:08 pm
To clarify, Matt’s title means “jokes about communism,” not “Paul Krugman is a communist and made this joke”…
January 29th, 2009 at 12:08 pm
Clark,
Galbraith was fairly sympathetic to socialism (of a sort) so it doesn’t sound like it to me.
January 29th, 2009 at 12:17 pm
I also like
TARP II: The Search for Geithner’s Gold
TARP II: Electric Boogaloo
January 29th, 2009 at 12:20 pm
Al’s head just exploded.
January 29th, 2009 at 12:22 pm
In Soviet Russia deals cut Wall Street types.
January 29th, 2009 at 12:55 pm
He should have left out the at taxpayers expense clause, it confuses the joke.
January 29th, 2009 at 1:05 pm
Paul Krugman left out the punch line:
http://www.wnem.com/news/18566890/detail.html#-
“WWII Veteran Freezes To Death In Own Home
Memorial Service Set For Wednesday
POSTED: 2:20 pm EST January 26, 2009
BAY CITY, Mich. — Officials in Mid-Michigan said the 93-year-old man who owed more than $1,000 in unpaid electric bills froze to death inside his home — where the municipal power company had restricted his use of electricity.
———
WWII vet’s last word were “Hey, is this a great country or what?”
January 29th, 2009 at 1:06 pm
(adapted from a joke about 2 Soviet era economists)
2 bank nationalizers were sitting around the Treasury lunch hall, talking about the tasks that lay before them. “Soon,” said one, ” we will have nationalized the entire financial sector! The future is bright, and it is ours!”
The second was quiet, and then suggested that one bank be left in private hands. “whyever for?” demanded the first. The second replied, “if there are no private banks remaining, how will we learn where to set prices!!??”
January 29th, 2009 at 1:32 pm
Thanks for the clarification Matt. I assumed the Communist joke was a Yakof Smirnoff joke, like An Outhouse said…”In Soviet Russia blank blanks you! Ha!”
January 29th, 2009 at 2:51 pm
I first saw that joke in Len Deighton’s Funeral in Berlin, which had a number of others, including the East German leader (Walter Ulbricht, in the original), and the classic:
If you get to work early, they arrest you for being a saboteur.
If you get to work late, they arrest you for betraying the socialist workers’ paradise.
If you get to work on time, they say “Where’d you get the watch?”
January 29th, 2009 at 4:03 pm
A friend f mine managed to get his cousin Boris from Russia a work visa. We picked him up at the airport, and on the way back Boris saw a lot of things that impressed him (this was 1993). First we passed an oil refinery and Boris said “your government builds impressive refineries.” “No, Conoco built that, the government had nothing to do with it.” Then we passed a car dealership and Boris said “your government sure sells a lot of cars.” “No, that’s all owned by one man, he probably has a few more just like it.” The we passed a mall, and Boris asked “what’s that?” “Oh, it’s a shopping mall, there are hundred individual stores in it. You can buy anything there.” “Did the government build that?” “No.” After a minute, Boris said: “I think I understand now. Your government is just as bad as ours. The difference is that you don’t let them do anything.”
January 29th, 2009 at 7:06 pm
In the United States in 1982, you could stand in front of the White House and shout “Ronald Reagan sucks!”
In the Soviet Union in 1982, you could stand in front of the Kremlin and shout “Ronald Reagan sucks!”
January 29th, 2009 at 9:59 pm
I without even a fragment of a shred of irony do sincerely hope that President Obama’s taking off the coat, rolling up his shirtsleeves, and telling them to stay in their seats works out better for him and us — than it did for academia. . . . I just think it might because thank Whatever Higher Powers There May Be he at least does still have the bully pulpit, and knows how to use it.
January 30th, 2009 at 9:36 am
which would mean what? that man is the exploitation of socialism by socialists?
January 30th, 2009 at 2:33 pm
itsbenj:
I think that what you wrote would be opposite, instead of reverse. If I understand it correctly, the joke plays on the symmetry of the phrase “man by man.” Reversing it leaves you with “man by man.”
Hitler murdered in the name of national purity, right out in the open. Stalin hid his murders to foster the illusion of ideological purity. Different, but the same. Far enough “left” winds up being the same damn thing as far enough “right.”
February 1st, 2009 at 1:26 am
it isn’t Galbraith. It’s John Gardner.
The original quote is: “There is not so much difference between the ideologies of capitalism and communism, you know. The difference is simple. Capitalism is the exploitation of man by man, and communism is the reverse.”
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