Stalin and the Struggle for Democratic Reform

[OneFootInTheGrave]

Originally posted by KrazyHorse
This thread is great.

QFT

[Serb]

Originally posted by Propaganda


Unfortunately, I don't see the world in black and white as you do.

The USSR, at that time, was underdoing a revolutionary transformation, even after Stalin's death, and as you know, revolutions aren't just bread and butter; they are always bloody affairs...you know, like the French and American Revolutions? But I digress. There's no point in quibbling over semantics, now, don't you think so?

And, please, don't put words in my mouth. I have never stated or implied that I dispute the "purges", but only in the manner and circumstances they were concluded.

Anyway, here's a list of recommended reading for all of you to view at your own leisure. Perhaps this may interest you. Enjoy.

Stalinism: New Directions (Rewriting Histories)

Origins of the Great Purges : The Soviet Communist Party Reconsidered, 1933-1938 (Cambridge Russian, Soviet and Post-Soviet Studies)

The Years of Hunger : Soviet Agriculture, 1931-1933 (The Industrialization of Soviet Russia)

The Affirmative Action Empire: Nations and Nationalism in the Soviet Union, 1923-1939 (Wilder House Series in Politics, History, and Culture)

Forget it, Prop. They are hopeless victims of western brainwashing machine. There is nothing we can do about it.

[Serb]

Originally posted by Vince278
Serb must be ill. I hope he gets well soon.

So according to you, normal persons should spend all their time chating on internet boards? If somebody doesn't have this addiction, he is ill?

[Arrian]

And the thread is complete.

-Arrian

[Serb]

I don't think so.

[Arrian]

You're actually going to argue that Stalin tried to democratize the Soviet Union, Serb?

/me gets some popcorn

[Serb]

Actually I meant something else.
Without a good portion of America bashing, this thread wouldn't be complete.

[Ogie Oglethorpe]

Originally posted by Serb
Actually I meant something else.
Without a good portion of America bashing, this thread wouldn't be complete.

True dat. I assume you will start the obligatory America bashing in typical *** for tat style.

[Krill]

Aww. I wanted to see Serb try to argue that angle...

[Odin]

It baffles me people could like a person who starved and enslaved millions. Marx was rolling in his grave the moment Stalin seized power. He was a gift for right-wing propagandists and distroyed the reputation of an entire school of political and economic thought.

[Serb]

Khrushev was such gift, not Stalin.

[Serb]

Originally posted by Oerdin


You'd be amazed how often this works. The Chinese are doing that with Mao right now. Decades of propaganda build on one another until an absolute butcher becomes this good intentioned saint who was just caught up in the circumstances.

You'd be amazed how often countries use propaganda against their rivals. USSR collapsed not due to a military defeat, and not even due to unbalanced economy (North Koreans live worse than Soviets and the regime still exist), but because of successful ideology campaign run by USA. Propaganda was part of that campaign and forgery of such "documents" was part of that propaganda.
So, yes. USA used all means possible to destroy the USSR, including propaganda, based upon pure lie and fakes.

[techumseh]

Originally posted by Serb


You'd be amazed how often countries use propaganda against their rivals.

Ya think?

[Serb]

Originally posted by BeBro


Look, guys, I'm not saying Hitler was a saint or so, but he had a cute little moustache and built the Autobahn!

Germany, at that time, was underdoing a fundamental transformation, and as you know, these things aren't just bread and butter; they are always bloody affairs...you know, like the French and American Revolutions? But I digress. There's no point in quibbling over semantics, now, don't you think so?

And I don't dispute that mistakes were made under Hitler's rule, but hey, we're all humans, so who are we to judge?

The difference is their ideology. Hilter's ideology was about superiority of certain ethnical group over others. Nazism is inhuman ideology. It's all about hatered, racism, murdering and war. According to Hitler, "infernior humans" could exist only as slaves to serve the master race.
AND IT WAS THE OFFICIAL DOCTRINE OF HIS STATE.

Stalin wanted exactly the opposite. According to his ideology there should be no exploitation of one human being by other human being, that all people are equal regardless of their nationality, all of them have equal opportunities.
Stalin was antagonist of Hitler and Communism is antogonism of Nazism.

[Serb]

Originally posted by techumseh


Ya think?

Yep.