Sunday, July 08, 2012

Poland's communist version of Monopoly a big hit

"Communism is sexy," Occupy Denver graffiti
Do you want to know what it was like to survive amidst the centrally-planned disorganization, the man-made shortages, the black market, and the sheer incompetence of communism? Then I recommend to you a Polish board game based on Monopoly, our beloved celebration of capitalism.

From AFP:
Wonder what it was like to queue for hours for toilet paper or butter in communist-era Poland? Now you can experience the 'boredom' thanks to a foreign-language version of a hit Polish history-in-a-box board game.

The new multilingual, Monopoly-style "Kolejka" or "Queue" was unveiled with fanfare -- and fun -- recently by the Institute of National Remembrance (IPN), a state office set up to document recent history and prosecute Nazi and communist-era crimes.

"Kolejka has been called 'the world's most boring game', but ask anyone who has queued in any communist country in the '70s and '80s and they'll tell you there's nothing more boring," joked IPN historian Tomasz Ginter.

"Waiting in line for six hours was normal for everyday food -- like, for example, steaks -- but if you were so unwise as to need furniture, it was a matter of weeks!" he said.
We're months away from Christmas, but I recommend that you put this on your gift list if you are burdened with an Occupy Wall Street supporter in your family. Yes, there is an English language version of the game.

But don't delay this purchase. All 20,000 editions of the Polish edition of Kolejka have been snapped up.

There are no lines to buy the game--so don't pay someone to queue up for you--save that strategy for Kolejka.

On a less humorous note, our healthcare system will like this game in a few years if Obama has his way.

Related posts:

(Photo) 1990 bread line in Riga, Latvia

(Video and photos) Polish-Americans protest Obama at Chicago fundraiser

Occupy Chicago May Day march pics you won't see in the establishment media

(Video) Communist in Grant Park: Rant against capitalism before the anti-NATO march

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