And I'm absolutely no fan of communism.
The hole in question that absolute majority of Bulgarians' experience was shaped by what the economy can let them do and what it can't - talking about both pre-1990 and post-1990.
Late communism was more like an asylum which is run by inmates. It was as repressive as they personally were.
Edit about your edit:
Late communism was more like an asylum which is run by inmates. It was as repressive as they personally were.
I can't say I understand this but it sounds like a tautology you can apply to just about any human organization.
> sounds like a tautology you can apply to just about any human organization
Exactly! It wasn't much better or worse than your garden variety society. That you won't use all the repressive words against.
> The "Revival Process" was in turn followed by the forced expulsion of over 300,000 Muslims in 1989.
Isn't that exactly the action of post-Perestroika, now-democratic Bulgaria? Indeed, as I have heard most of ethnic cleansings happen in young democracies as opposed to autoritarian states. In young unstable democracy, it suddently seems like a good idea for 70% to get rid of a 30% minority (numbers may vary). After all, you can vote solidly in favor of that.
If Socialist Bulgaria wanted to get rid of muslims it would not wait until 1989. They had 40 years to do that if they wanted. They didn't. The new, emancipated one did.
Yes.
Isn't that exactly the action of post-Perestroika, now-democratic Bulgaria?
No. This was done under communist rule, as outlined in the Wikipedia page. Many Bulgarian ethnic Turks were able to return after the fall of communism as is mentioned there as well. A political party representing ethnic minority interests was one of the first formed after the end of communist rule. It remains significant part of the Bulgarian political landscape to this day - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Movement_for_Rights_and_Freedo...
