Prabhupāda: So was this material advancement less than this? And this is description of five thousand years ago. So here in Tokyo, Kobe, in Japan . . . there is so much industrials. We find the common man, 99% they are living on matchboxes. That's all. How many men are living in this nice apartment? The common man is living in matchbox. So this is not material advancement. A few people exploiting them in their factory. They are working, and they are living in this nice buildings. But the common man is living in matchbox houses. We traveled these three hundred miles, or four hundred miles. We saw simply 99% matchboxes. What do you think, Bhānu? Is it not?
Bhānu: It is true.
Prabhupāda: Then where is your advancement? You supply everyone palatial building like this. Why they are living in the matchboxes? Why they are eating cats and dogs? One thing, if you don't believe in God, then you give them. But you cannot give. Then who has given them? Nobody wants to live in the matchbox. Why he is living in the matchbox and you are living in a nice house? Is it all a chance?
He is not struggling? He is not making his plan that, "I shall also live," just like the Communists. But he could not. We went to Moscow. They have no nice building made by the Communist people. All big, big, old buildings that is made, constructed by Czar. Not a single building I saw which was constructed by the Communist government.
Śyāmasundara: They all live in matchboxes too.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Sudāmā: In Russia?
Prabhupāda: Yes. And they are advertising equal facility to everyone, to the worker. The worker is still working. They are going, still walking on the street to go to the factory. So in this way the whole civilization is going on simply by bluffing. And because men are made śūdra class, they are believing. They are accepting this bluff. This is the position. Besides that, if you . . . even if you are able to give everyone nice building and nice motorcar . . . already a few motorcars you have got, there is scarcity of space, from practical point of view. Ninety-nine percent of the population, they do not possess. Or say 50%. So already 50% men possessing motorcars, it has created problem—where to park the motorcar? How to supply petrol?
Śyāmasundara: In America now practically everyone has a house and a car. But now the problem is no one wants to work.
Prabhupāda: That's it. (laughs) Just see. And he is satisfied to remain as urchin, the hippies.
Devotees: Yes. The sons.
Prabhupāda: They feel pleasure to remain as an urchin.
Sudāmā: As their father supplies them with money and motorcar.
Pradyumna: He built this house, and this house had a very nice view over the whole place. But another man built another building here. And now the view is . . . right next to, he built this building. That's why this apartment is vacant.