There’s a joke that’s been revived in a bunch of countries along these lines.
Man stands on a street in Hamburg, 1918, with a sign that says “the king is an idiot”. Police arrest him. He says he meant the British king. “You can’t fool us,” they reply, “we know who the idiot is”
Old Soviet joke:
A man hands out leaflets on Red Square, and the KGB arrest him. But when they get him to the station, they find that the leaflets are all blank.
And he says “Well, everyone knows what the problem is, so why bother writing it down?”
I was not aware of this joke. This news story hit recently and I suppose the joke may provide some context that I was missing.
Old one from the 80s.
An older man is muttering in his apartment, and his wife suggests he go to the market and pick up some sausage. He shuffles off.
When he approaches the butcher, the line is almost 2 blocks long. He inches towards the shop. When he is 3 people from the door, the butcher closes the store, flipping the sign from Open to Closed. The man is furious and begins to rant.
A pair of KGB stand on either side of him. " Comrade, please settle down."
He replies, " I am a hero of the battle of Stalingrad. How is it I am treated this way?"
“Comrade, don’t make it worse.” The agent raises his right hand, points to his temple, then simulates firing. “Remember what would have happened in the old days. Now go home.”
He arrives at the apartment and slumps in his chair, mumbling. His wife asks if the butcher was out of meat again.
He replies " worse. They are out of bullets now."
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An American is in a small East European village. He is trying to get directions, but can’t find anyone who speaks English. One old man says he can speak English and says: “SHRRRRK third street KWRRRRRK left. ZHHHHHHHKKKK red building KKKRRRR downstairs.” The American asks the man where he learned to speak Engish. He replies “KKKKKKRRR ZZZZHHHHH… Voice of America.”