TresSugar

Behind the Iron Curtain: Was Sex Better Before the Wall's Fall?

TresSugar — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 10:13:52 -0800

Life may be better since the fall of the Berlin Wall, but is sex? It was at first. Prostitutes came in vans, porn was everywhere, and sex shops opened like wine bars in a gentrifying neighborhood. Yet interest waned throughout the '90s, and nostalgia set in for "love as it was before."

Before, men and women didn't need porn to get excited or toys to orgasm. What did they need? Imagination, says former relationship columnist Jutta Resch-Treuwerth, and they had it. Poll after poll shows there was lots of "imagination" behind the iron curtain. On average, East Germans lost their virginity earlier, had twice as much sex, and had more orgasms than their Western counterparts.

So what made sex so "gut"? Find out after the jump

Oh Snap! China Goes All Out For Its Birthday

TresSugar — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 11:30:00 -0700

Bringing back memories of last Summer's epic Olympic opening ceremony, China went all out to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the communist state. While thousands celebrated the red revolution today, those who did not take part faced tight crackdowns. In fact, gatherings in cities other than Beijing and Hong Kong were banned, as were divorces! There were some anti-government protests in Hong Kong, however.

An American icon also took part in the celebrations, despite the US's historical issues with communist China and its human rights abuses. The Empire State building was lit up in red last night in honor of the anniversary. Protesters called the lighting inappropriate for a symbol of freedom and a "blatant approval" of totalitarianism.

To see more photos, read more.

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Loco? US Lawmakers Meet With Fidel Castro

CitizenSugar — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 09:30:39 -0700

It's not quite time to break out the cigars, but it looks like the US and Cuba may soon be friendlier neighbors.

US members of Congress met with longtime Cuban dictator Fidel Castro yesterday in Havana, sending a signal that we might see a drastic shift in US-Cuban relations. On Monday, the same members of the Black Caucus met with Castro's brother, and current Cuban leader, Raúl. The Congress members, including Barbara Lee of California, were in town visiting the Latin American School of Medicine.

A while back, 80 percent of you said you'd like to see Obama lift the embargo on Cuba. How do you feel about US leaders meeting with Fidel Castro?

Learning Annex: Communist Chinese Torture Taught at Gitmo

LibertySugar — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 11:00:00 -0700

Does an interrogation class covering "coercive management techniques" like sleep deprivation, prolonged constraint, and exposure sound like something that would be conducted in modern America, or 1950s communist China? The answer is both!

During the Korean War, the US Air Force studied Chinese "torture" tactics used to obtain often false confessions from captured Americans. Recently, CIA and Guantanamo interrogators have become students of the tactics, according to the New York Times. Specifically, an entire interrogation class taught at Gitmo in December 2002 focused on the coercive techniques. To find out how the teachers explain the purpose of the class, read more.

Documents released include statements by trainers explaining that the class was used to present “the theory and application of the physical pressures utilized during our training.” The theories included information like "filthy, infested surroundings . . . reduces prisoner to ‘animal level’ concern." Since 2005, Congress has outlawed the use of coercion in the military. But under President's Bush approval the CIA still can use secret methods, explains the article.

I am confused why the US has taught Chinese tactics outlined in the 1950s' report titled "Communist Attempts to Elicit False Confessions From Air Force Prisoners of War." Do you think this class means American officials have forgotten the lessons of history?

Source

Communism Today: Russians Grab SPF, Cuba's Elian Joins Up

CitizenSugar — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 11:00:49 -0700

Landlocked by Communist rule for years, Russians were denied life's many pleasures, especially travel. But now as the middle class grows strong, they have money to spend and are taking it to the beaches of Turkey.

A mini-industry has popped up on the Turkish coast that has begun to cater to the whims of Russian tourists. The New York Times explored this trend in an article on one popular resort, Kremlin Palace Hotel, which they described as "Las-Vegas-does-Moscow by-the-shore extravaganza." This picture looks every bit as . . . glitzy as it sounds!

But what's more important is what traveling abroad illuminates about the new Russia. Between 1995 and 2006, the number of Russians traveling abroad grew from 2.6 to 7.1 million - a 4.5 million increase - according to the Russian government.

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Under Soviet rule, citizens were held back by bureaucratic passport lines that, even if approved, required classes on proper behavior and avoiding foreign influence. Those who were not in the government's good grace stood little chance of leaving, and even those that were and gained approval required chaperons across borders. While restrictions eased in the post-Soviet era, few Russians could afford to go anywhere.

Vladimir Putin, the former president and current prime minister, is largely credited for Russian's newfound normalcy, prosperity, and ability to travel. Though Russian's are spreading their post-Communist wings, one famous face has joined up. To see how, read more.

Most remember Elián González as the tiny face of those fleeing communist Cuba, that battle was eight years ago - and Elian has joined up - Cuba’s Young Communist Union, that is.

Now 14, Elián was 6 when Miami relatives lost their fight to keep him in the United States, and he returned to Cuba in mid-2000 with his father. After surviving the battle and the boating accident off the Florida coast that killed his mother trying to reach the United States, he was among 18,000 people who joined the group this weekend.

After all that Elián experienced, why did he join up? Will seeing greater post-Communist freedoms tempt those still involved?

Source

Russia Tightens and Cuba Loosens Technology Freedoms

LibertySugar — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 13:00:23 -0700

Russia and Cuba, two countries with a history of repression, are both adjusting government regulation of technology. Cuba is giving the green light to more personal freedoms, while Russian authorities are bringing expression to a screeching halt.

Yesterday, Cuban president Raul Castro lifted the ban on the sale of computers, DVDs, and video players. While Cuba's new leader is showing mild signs of loosening government control, Russia is moving to muzzle opposition.

Russian prosecutors have just filed criminal charges against a blogger who wrote that the police should be publicly incarcerated. The blogger's comments came after police raided a newspaper critical of the government. Unlike communist Cuba, Russia is at least nominally a democracy.

The internet has given government resisters a medium to voice outrage, when all other outlets are in the tight grip of dictators. Do you think loosening in Cuba will inevitably lead to more freedom? Can countries like Russia ever wipe out opposing voices from the virile internet, as it has from newspapers and television?

Source

Cuban Cyber Rebels Undermine Government Restrictions

LibertySugar — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 11:00:30 -0800

All you need to be a modern Cuban rebel is a digital camera, a memory stick, and an underground internet connection. Today, the New York Times highlighted "cyber rebels," Cubans that are rendering state control of the internet ineffective.

In February, university students captured compromising video of the president of the National Assembly. When confronted by fervent students about Cuba's travel ban, the president answered that if everyone who wished to travel could, there would not be enough airspace for the planes. The absurd video spread like wildfire on the digital underground, damaging the party leader's reputation.

The article discusses other manifestations of dissent that are passing from "flash drive to flash drive." Officially, there is only one cyber cafe in Havana, which costs $5 per hour, one-third of the average Cuban monthly salary, but the people are effectively using the black market to get around the government's control.

The cyber rebels say that the underground internet is the only aspect of Cuban life not regulated by the state. Do you think that a swelling movement could eventually lead to more freedoms in Cuba? Or, do you think the government will react harshly, as the Iranians, who plan to shut off the internet completely during legislative elections.

Source

Fidel Castro's Resignation Marks an End of an Era

LibertySugar — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 16:00:11 -0800

Here's one more look at the resignation of Fidel Castro. It marks the end of an era, which has lasted since the communist rebel took power in 1959. Castro outlasted nine US presidents.

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Castro survived several US backed assassination attempts, an economic embargo by the US, and the collapse of the Soviet Union. Given the history of Cuba shown in these fabulous vintage pictures, I wonder what is in store for his younger brother Raul, who officially took over Sunday.
Source

Oh Snap! Obama Is a Celebrity in China

TresSugar — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 06:00:37 -0800

A stone carving of President Obama is on sale in Shanghai, China, along with carvings of celebrities like Will Smith, Tom Cruise, and Katie Holmes. Obama will be meeting with both ordinary citizens and Chinese leaders in Shanghai and Beijing starting today. As you can tell from these photos, creative vendors in China are ready to capitalize on Obama's visit. You just got to love ~~capitalism~~ communism!

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