Free Democracy vs Terrible Dictatorship

Text on the meme

FREE DEMOCRACY 1981 1982 1984 1985 TERRIBLE DICTATORSHIP 1981 1982 1984 1985

What it means

A humorous comparison shows Ronald Reagan appearing nearly identical in four portraits labeled “FREE DEMOCRACY,” while four different Soviet leaders appear under “TERRIBLE DICTATORSHIP” for the same years. The joke mocks simplistic Cold War propaganda by suggesting American democracy had continuity while the Soviet Union changed leaders rapidly. EN: A humorous comparison shows Ronald Reagan appearing nearly identical in four portraits labeled “FREE DEMOCRACY,” while four different Soviet leaders appear under “TERRIBLE DICTATORSHIP” for the same years. The joke mocks simplistic Cold War propaganda by suggesting American democracy had continuity while the Soviet Union changed leaders rapidly.

Who

Ronald Reagan (Рональд Рейган)Leonid Brezhnev (Леонид Брежнев)Yuri Andropov (Юрий Андропов)Konstantin Chernenko (Константин Черненко)Mikhail Gorbachev (Михаил Горбачёв)

Objects

four portraits of a suited politician / четыре портрета политика в костюме four Soviet leaders / четыре советских лидера men in suits / мужчины в костюмах neckties / галстуки medals and decorations / медали и награды black background / чёрный фон white caption text / белый текст подписей portrait photographs / портретные фотографии year labels / обозначения годов