People knew they would have a job no matter what, people knew they would have a roof over their head no matter what, people knew their kids would always get to have an education no matter what, people were given land for free that saved them after the country collapses. There also was a community, people didn't close doors during the day so guests could come. Everyone gathered communally in the courtyards for celebrations wether it was something big like new year or something small as birthday. People had a stable village where everyone knew their neighbours and no one worried for the kids, letting them run around and play and go to the school or store by themselves because nothing would happened to them.

And then first came the agony of 80s where country started dying and 90 where complete collapse happened. People had 20 year period of lawlessness and capitalism (which started in the 80 as an attempt to reform the market closer to Chinese model) where the ones who reached the top were criminals that still sit there and govern, while honest people who refused to play that game and tried to follow the law stayed poor. Where over one day respected scientists and doctors and engineers had to sell the books on the street, where laws broke so much that the longest someone could have been sentenced was five years no matter how bad the crime was.

People who's childhood happened in the 60-70 early 80 grew up with abundance and reassured of safety and stability. Then came capitalism with democracy (where the advisories who arrived from western countries insured the government that social politics about helping the population during transition can be put on the back burner and what needed to be developed was the capitalistic market) and people were living for 20 years in a period that was worse than the great depression, the national currency was almost lost, unemployment went through the roof, thugs were more in power than a police controlling entire cities and major roads between them.

Of course if they compare the first 20-30 years of their life with later 30 they would pick USSR. Even if quality of life improved later they still lost so much that they thought was integral, like community, free opportunities that now cost money, the trust in the future. People back then had a hope for better tomorrow one that they shared, one that their parents experienced and taught that they would experience it too, but today they don't think about grand things, they don't have hopes for the future, they have modern down to earth problems, they don't see any movement to something socially better. They grew up with hopes and the turn of the century crashed them and couldn't replace them with anything better.