From a recent Time magazine:


A Russian walks into a bar and orders a beer. "That will be

one ruble," says the bartender. "One ruble!" the customer protests,

"last week it was only fifty kopeks!" "Well," replies the bartender,

"it's fifty kopeks for the beer and fifty kopeks for the perestroika."

Reluctantly, the customer gives the bartender a ruble, and is surprised

when the bartender gives him back fifty kopeks and says, "We are

out of beer."