Congratulations to our presumptive Democratic nominee, Joe Biden!
I spent some time in East Germany a few years before 1988.
The only thing that I praised about it was leaving. Yes, this was before Glasnost, but at the time it likely was the same thing that the Russians were living through.
And I was in my 20s at the time, so there's no way I'd use the "youthful enthusiasm" excuse either. Of course, I wasn't an elected official, so there were no efforts to impress me. The place was just sad, especially after seeing (from the West) the no-man's land that any would-be escapees had to cross if they tried to leave above-ground.
It was a truly harrowing experience.
If I were to vote in a presidentialprimary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
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