History

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What's the deal with Stalin? (hexbear.net)

submitted 1 year ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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In my continued exposure to leftist spaces and a leftist view on history it has become clear that all I understand about Stalin is the reactionary rhetoric I've been fed my whole life. I have only just started on reading theory and exposing myself to a leftist view, so Stalin as a topic isn't something I've reached yet.

But I have to ask, and I think this is the place to ask it, what is the deal with Stalin?

The vibe I get is that people at a minimum don't hate Stalin, but also maybe at most appricate Stalin. I'm aware that the efforts of the USSR during WW2, especially in regards to Nazi aggression are a credit to his administration and leadership, but is that really where the vibe starts and stops?

I'm not looking for a dissertation on the guy, but just the notes or primary points. I'll take reading suggestions too.

Thanks comrades.

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[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago

I hear you, man. There are a lot of people here who admire Stalin and react to critiques of him or USSR, I know I'm personally more appreciative of Stalin and USSR than I am rejecting him or USSR myself but they weren't perfect and had their flaws. It's really because we are always surrounded by, and grew up with, propaganda uncritically vilifying both Stalin and USSR and people get tired of hearing it all the time.

My girlfriend is a post-Soviet Russian and her family got moved around a couple of times under Stalin so they're not too happy about him, and one side hid their Jewishness probably due to prejudice/antisemitism that they faced—so it's clear some existed for them to hide it but it certainly wasn't to the point of avoiding imprisonment or extermination. She's still a Communist for what it's worth and they had a decent life in Soviet Union but she kinda takes the mainstream line on Stalin—that's all I'll say about that because it's caused friction with us before. Haha Anyway, opinions on Stalin range and I'm open to hearing about yours. People here usually very openly share evidence and sources for their claims to combat the decades of Western propaganda that's made us uncritically reject Stalin/USSR so that's why people are asking for yours.

I can appreciate you shared some personal information already but if you can also please share the evidence you alluded to reading then it would at least help me understand where you're coming from better. We also don't always have the luxury of reading every book and heavily researching all subjects so sharing like this is a form of collective education. So can you please share some of what you've researched?