We, the people from beyond the Iron Curtain, don’t just believe—we see it with our own eyes. Lithuania has never lived better, economically speaking. Sure, after declaring independence, we had to go through all the painful “side effects” of systemic change: russia’s economic blockade, deep poverty, and in the 1990s–2000s, the rise of violent criminal gangs. But we had a direction and a goal. We chose to go toward Europe—to become Europe (notably Northern Europe). Euro-integration began, reforms were made, and over time, the gangs were brought under control. We joined the EU and NATO. Step by step, things improved. Our emigrants—many of whom worked in the UK, later in Norway, Denmark, and elsewhere—are now more often returning home than leaving.
I don’t idealize anything, but Lithuania—and democratic Eastern Europe as a whole—lives much, much better today. Of course, you’ll always find people here who’ll say otherwise, and yes, you’ll occasionally see someone rummaging through trash bins. Pensioners want bigger pensions (which are indexed every year), teachers and medics want higher salaries—understandably so. There’s never enough money for everyone. But Lithuania is thriving. That’s not even up for debate.
So when I see some of you clinging to the dream of communism, I’m just… stunned.
If corruption is still thriving in your country, then you must elect those who will fight it. It won’t happen overnight, but change begins with outrage—from ordinary people. You can’t keep voting for the same corrupt politicians and expect different results. If your law enforcement is rotten to the core, then yes, your society has a serious problem. But that doesn’t mean it can’t be fixed. The demand for change must be loud and constant.
Of course, my country isn’t free of corruption either. But now it’s mostly “under the carpet,” and journalists are doing their jobs—exposing it, thanks to the freedoms guaranteed by democracy. It’s a long road, but it’s a vector. And I dare say: most of us citizens no longer tolerate it.
And if you think that in a communist state everyone will be equal, you’re deeply delusional. There will always be those who feast while others starve. In Soviet times, our food stores were nearly empty, but Communist Party leaders lived comfortably—they had their own special access to luxury.
And unlike those obsessed with political correctness, I’ll say it bluntly: not all people are equal—and never will be. I don’t mean this in a racist way, but in a social one. A person’s upbringing has a huge effect on their life. We all have different talents, different degrees of willpower, different levels of determination. Some confront problems; others run from them. That alone shapes our lives. So if you think some utopian ideology will magically make your life better, you’re in for a rude awakening.
Yes, in Soviet times, we were all “equal.” Equally poor and unfree. You could drink your life away without worrying about losing your job—because there would always be another one, where you’d pretend to work and they’d pretend to pay you. That was the system.
At least in a democracy, you have a chance. You’re free to pursue what you want. If you have skills and the will to work, you can earn good money. Just don’t be lazy. Opportunities exist. And the democratic system, for all its flaws, doesn’t stand in your way the same way communism did.
Everything I said about equality and inequality doesn’t mean I believe we shouldn’t care about vulnerable people. A society—if it’s truly a society—must care for its vulnerable and those in poor health. And I think Europe, to a certain extent, is genuinely trying to do that.
In the end, we ourselves often stand in the way of our own happiness. No political system is perfect, but so far, democracy is the best we’ve got. Northern and Central Europe are proof—they’re doing well.
And I’ll tell you this: if you chase after communism, you’ll lose everything you have and end up in the same dumpster of history as those before you. Because, like it or not, money doesn’t grow on trees.
