There
was a lot of surveillance and people would be living double lives in that they
could say anything at home or in private but once out in public, you had to be
careful about what was said about certain things. As an example, people would
watch western films or read western books at home but would not mention it in
public. Salaries were low but certain necessities were made cheap such as rent
and bread which became affordable. However, buying consumer goods was insanely
expensive. The selections in shops were poor and there would be huge queues
whenever a shop got a supply of desirable goods. People would join the lines
without even knowing what it was because they instinctively believed it was
good. The western products were very popular and could be sold between
teenagers at very high rates. Equal rights were good – affordable child care available
and most women worked. Unemployment was non-existent but the work could
sometimes be invented to ensure no one was left without a job.