Ssilversmith

and bought the oldest "Candy" trademark they could find

NO, NOT CANDYLAND!

Many people who lived in the USSR and later immigrated to Europe or the US tell similar stories.

One story I'm reminded of is the story of a woman's encounter with American grocery stores. I think it was an NPR discussion. A man married a woman who fled the USSR, they were at a gorcery store one day and she was in tears at the produce section, saying they they would have to do with out fresh vegitables because they couldn't afford what they needed right now. She didn't beleive her husband when he said they could come back tomorrow, convinced it would all be gone before then.

Communism always looks good from the outside until totalitarianism kicks in, as it inevitably will.

Having read through some of your posts so far, and seeing you're a nerd, have you ever read Sandman/Vertigo? Theres a part of the story that focuses on a city (I think it was called Necropolis) where just about every one living there is deddicated in some way to taking care of the dead. I'm curious as to whether you had read it, and what you took from it if any thing at all.

I would highly recomend it then, if only for the fact that is has some of the most interesting story lines I've ever read in a comic.