Anton Troynikov’s banner on his Twitter account.
I really enjoy Yakov Smirnoff’s old jokes about the Soviet Union, and the Russian reversal that is often associated with him. In the 21st century, I’ve used the odd one, such as, ‘In Russia, Olympics game you!’ and ‘In America, internet watch you!’. I’m sure I’ve done wittier ones, but I’ve yet to post, ‘In America, president Tweet you!’
Today on Twitter, Anton Troynikov, while not doing exactly the above, had a bunch of Tweets about how similar the USSR was to Silicon Valley today. Although he’s not pointing out opposites, it’s humour in the same spirit. In Tweeting, he outdid the few modernized Russian reversals I’ve used over the years.
Things that happen in Silicon Valley and also the Soviet Union:
– waiting years to receive a car you ordered, to find that it's of poor workmanship and quality
– promises of colonizing the solar system while you toil in drudgery day in, day out
— Anton Troynikov (@atroyn) July 5, 2018
– living five adults to a two room apartment
– being told you are constructing utopia while the system crumbles around you
— Anton Troynikov (@atroyn) July 5, 2018
– 'totally not illegal taxi' taxis by private citizens moonlighting to make ends meet
– everything slaved to the needs of the military-industrial complex
— Anton Troynikov (@atroyn) July 5, 2018
– mandatory workplace political education
– productivity largely falsified to satisfy appearance of sponsoring elites
— Anton Troynikov (@atroyn) July 5, 2018
– deviation from mainstream narrative carries heavy social and political consequences
– networked computers exist but they're really bad
— Anton Troynikov (@atroyn) July 5, 2018
– Henry Kissinger visits sometimes for some reason
— Anton Troynikov (@atroyn) July 5, 2018
– elite power struggles result in massive collateral damage, sometimes purges
– failures are bizarrely upheld as triumphs
— Anton Troynikov (@atroyn) July 5, 2018
– otherwise extremely intelligent people just turning the crank because it's the only way to get ahead
— Anton Troynikov (@atroyn) July 5, 2018
– the plight of the working class is discussed mainly by people who do no work
— Anton Troynikov (@atroyn) July 5, 2018
– the United States as a whole is depicted as evil by default
— Anton Troynikov (@atroyn) July 5, 2018
– the currency most people are talking about is fake and worthless
— Anton Troynikov (@atroyn) July 5, 2018
– the economy is centrally planned, using opaque algorithms not fully understood by their users
— Anton Troynikov (@atroyn) July 6, 2018