How do people in Poland feel today about the “old days?
” JL: Young people embrace freedom and capitalism, but the generation who grew up in the 60s misses the Poland of the past. Many who benefited from the laziness and complacency of the system miss communism’s cradle-to-grave care. Family members who benefitied from the communist system miss the good old days when you did not have to work to get a job because it was just given to you. You did not have to apply to college because you were told where you would go (if at all). If you were sick the doctor was in 24 hours a day so you could get a bag of pills whenever. Even today my cousin works for a 24-hour state-run dental clinic, and often works the 1 AM shift to take care of those who just can’t wait until 7 to get a cavity filled. She even commented once that she received a bottle of liquor as a “gift” for treatment. It was the same bottle she had given her doctor months before. There have been many changes since 1989, but bribery and many parts of the old system are still alive and wel
