Trotsky or Stalin?

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I don't particularly like Trotsky, but I think it would sell short Stalin's wickedness to equate the two. The USSR was never particularly nice or liberal - don't get me wrong - but only when Stalin took the helm did it take on its deranged totalitarian form. (I also highly doubt Trotsky would have been as stupid and short sighted as Stalin was in the lead up to WW2).

The thing is Trotsky was one of those people who loved to straddle all sides in factional war that end up being loathed by all principle players as an opportunist. It's not a personality type that tends to really get a chance to enjoy being top dog, because people think you're a difficult bastard.