Workers' Liberty

Last week I was in Budapest which is my first time in the former eastern block, and part of that experience has got me thinking about certain aspects of post stalinist societies.
Almost all of the efficient public transport system was dating from the stalinist era, as was most of the rest of the infrastructure of the city. Also at every underpass and metro station and in every other door way their were communities of homeless people living there permantly. All the homeless I saw were at least 50 or over. Passing Pest's main hospital on a thursday lunchtime, A vast queue of adults and children snaked around the building waiting for treatment. Later we checked out the Ferenc Puskas Stadium. All along the street close by, people were selling their meagre belongings on blankets. These belongings seemed to all date back to the stalinist era.
The human cost of stalinism was appaling and the working class had no more control over the means of production as they do now under capitalism. However to an extent the stalinist regimes in eastern europe and today in cuba did/do may provide a basic minimum of material protection to workers denied to many under the capitalist system. The shock therapy introduced by the neo liberal governments of eastern europe has destroyed lives and communities. As true communists are right to oppose those who "criticaly" defend the anti working class oligarchy that is stalinism but we must also remember what has replaced in eastern europe is scarcly better, and for many workers worse.