"No. 7" by Mark is pretty good, but there is a DDR variation- not a joke, but fact.
The waiting list for a car in DDR was 13, yes 13 years, and when you were informed that your car was ready for collection, you paid CASH!
This told me in 1968, by my wife's uncle, (now deceased) who lived in Berlin-Pankow

DDR also had a fine education system.

Children were taught to read.
Children were taught to write,
Then they were taught WHAT they could read. and WHAT they could write.
http://timesonline.typepad.com/comment/2008/06/top-ten-communi.html