Do women have better sex under socialism? Yes

Below is my reply to the comments on Della's LinkedIn post. It's been such a hot topic that I think we'll listen to this episode for the next Upstream Coffee Club.

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It sounds like most of the commenters haven't even listened to the episode, read the book, studied socialism or communism or for that matter appear to even know what these terms are. In addition quite a lot of people arguing pretty hard against this are men when the subject matter was about women.

For me this says it all - in the episode Kristen refers to research which actually spoke to women that lived in the German Democratic Republic and West Germany which shows that East German women were having better sex before 1989. This was also recorded in other Eastern bloc countries as well. Men trying to argue that this is propaganda and shouting down female scholars using real women's lived experience exemplifies why it seems entirely reasonable why women would have better sex under socialism.

There are also comments equating better sex with fertility/baby booms. This entirely misses the point and again exemplifies Western patriarchal thinking around the purpose of sex and women's bodies. Kristen talks about this in the episode and notes the different fertility patterns in Eastern bloc countries compared with the US based on availability of healthcare, education and financial security. It's also important to be aware that the Soviet Union was the first country to give women access to first trimester abortion in 1920. It varied by country but women had reproductive freedom, access to education and professions - they were economically independent of men which meant patterns of fertility were radically different to more conservative Western views.

In the West we have this black and white thinking that communism/socialism is terrible and capitalism, whilst not perfect is the best we have. Why not cast a critical eye over both ways of organising the economy and make your own conclusions rather than believing what we have been told about these systems? It should also be recognised that this grouping together of "communism" is unhelpful. Life in the German Democratic Republic was different to life in the Soviet Union, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Poland etc. Similar to comparing life in North Korea, Cuba etc. These are radically different countries and not one homogenous embodiment of socialism/communism.

Some food for thought taken from Socialism Betrayed by Roger Keeran and Thomas Kenny in reference to the Soviet Union; "no society had ever increased living standards and consumption so rapidly in such a short period of time for all its people. Employment was guaranteed. Free education was available for all. Free healthcare existed for all, with about twice as many doctors per person as in the United States. Workers who were injured or ill had job guarantees and sick pay. Workers averaged 21 days of vacation and sanitariums, resorts and children's camps were either free or subsidised. The state regulated all prices and subsidised the cost of basic food and housing. Rents constituted only 2-3 percent of the family budget; water and utilities only 4-5 percent."

Compare this to life in the UK; Between 1990 and 2022 the UK’s billionaire wealth increased by over 1000% whilst 4 million (40%) children live in poverty. 1 million children are living in "destitution" with families unable to keep their children warm, dry, clean and fed. 300,000 households are at risk of homelessness. "Affordable" rent is considered 30% or less of household income. Food poverty is amongst the worst in Europe and we have more food banks than Mcdonalds. 13% or 3.1 million households in England are fuel poor meaning their housing is of poor energy efficiency and disposable income after housing and energy costs is below the poverty line.

Remind me again why capitalism is so great?

This blog is based on my reply to a LinkedIn post by friend and comrade, Della Duncan. In it she shared the Upstream podcast episode "Why women have better sex under socialism" with Kristen Ghodsee who has written a book of the same name.

The comments on the post mainly centered around propaganda based ideas around what we've been told about life under communism.

Something I find fascinating is how indoctrinated we have been into this black and white thinking; socialism/communism = bad; capitalism whilst not perfect = better or good.

Thatcher told us "there is no alternative" but who's interests does it serve for us to believe this? Why not cast a critical eye over the reality of life under capitalism AND socialism/communism and make your own judgement?

Here's some further resources if you want to dive in deeper;

• Listen to Kristen Ghodsee in the "why women have better sex under socialism" Upstream episode which explains how sex under capitalism has become commodified and transactionalised and the impact this has on society as a whole. It also talks about how economic independence can lead to women pursuing romantic partners they are attracted rather than seeking financial security through romantic partnerships.

• Listen to the "Socialism betrayed" teaser Upstream podcast with Roger Keeran and Joe Jamison to understand how, if you grew up in the West you were probably sold a propagandistically persuasive explanation for the collapse of the Soviet Union; simply that communism doesn't work. But this does this reflect reality? This episode debunks myths around the collapse of the Soviet Union but also sets out some of the realities of life under communism.

• Listen to the "Black scare/red scare" Upstream podcast episode with Charisse Burden-Stelly to understand McCarthyism where communists in the US were vilified, criminalised and blacklisted. Combined with Black scare -the fear and hatred of Black people in the US it forms an entire mode of governance that have shaped the character, politics and Western collective consciousness over the last century.