Opinion of Joseph Stalin

[GeneralMacArthur]

 > opinion of ethnic cleansing on the most massive scale ever seen, the complete annihilation of minority groups, endless purges that resulted in millions dead, the usage of starvation, torture, kidnap, rape and forced labor as weapons to subjugate and oppress a population of hundreds of millions of people, starting wars across the planet to destroy cultures and subject their peoples to the same oppression and misery, forced collectivization leading to cyclical widespread famines, and the largest system of prison and death camps the world has ever seen











 > for the purposes of this poll i have to say ff

[dead0man]

Look at the total peace in most of the Eastern European countries when such a thing was unthinkable in the 1920s.

wow...just....wow

Obviously many of you are brainwashed by the hack writings of Solzhenitsyn, Montefiore, Conquest, and Applebaum. If you read propagandists and fake news promoters you are going to get the facts wrong.

the ironing is delicious

[buritobr]

FF in 1941-1945, HP in the rest of his life

[PSOL]

FF in 1941-1945, HP in the rest of his life

Stalin was much more Left Wing by the end of his life and willing to reform the Soviet Union so as to not let careerists take control.

[Atlasia GM Liminal]

> opinion of ethnic cleansing on the most massive scale ever seen, the complete annihilation of minority groups, endless purges that resulted in millions dead, the usage of starvation, torture, kidnap, rape and forced labor as weapons to subjugate and oppress a population of hundreds of millions of people, starting wars across the planet to destroy cultures and subject their peoples to the same oppression and misery, forced collectivization leading to cyclical widespread famines, and the largest system of prison and death camps the world has ever seen











 > for the purposes of this poll i have to say ff

PSOL is one of the only people I've ever seen defend Stalin

[GeneralMacArthur]

 > opinion of slicing your tongue open with a paper cut when you're trying to lick an envelope shut















 > for the purposes of this poll i have to say ff

[President Johnson]

For the purposes of this poll, I have to vote FF.

A seriously overlooked aspect of Stalin’s tenure has been in putting into place a plan more so similar to the proposals of the Wilson administration after WWI. Arguably, the lack of war among Central and Eastern European states relative to Yugoslavia shows that something was indeed working according to a bourgeoisie standpoint.

You realize that there was "no war among Eastern European countries" because Stalin put them under his brutal tyranny for decades to come? Not to mention the USSR was already responsible for genocidal masscres before even Operation Barabarossa begun (see masscare of Katyn). Or that Stalin himself during the counter offensive in 1944 deliberatly ordered his army to halt before the gates of Warsaw and refused to come to freedom fighters defense in their uprise against Nazi barbarism. The Soviets under Stalin essentially took their time and waited until the SS and Wehrmacht did the dirty work for them by slaughtering Polish fighters and civilians en masse. And not only that, Stalin even refused to permit British and American planes to use Russian airfields to dump aid to assistance to the uprise against the Nazis.

It's really beyond my comprehension how anyone can defend such a vile and utterly depraved tyrant who slaughtered, starved and enslaved to death millions and millions of his own countrymen, as well as bringing totalitarianism over half of an entire continent. I can't even think of a dictator other than maybe Mao who was more evil next to Adolf Hitler. There's a quote of Stalin "a human, a problem; no human, no problem", which pretty much shows what kind of a monster he truly was. Comparing him to Woodrow Wilson is beyond ridiculous.

[Don't Blame Me, I'm from Massachusetts]

One of the most repulsive individuals to have ruled in modern history and that includes people within his party who were only marginally better. Only Mao, Pol Pot, and the Kim dynasty have been worse.

[President Johnson]

One of the most repulsive individuals to have ruled in modern history and that includes people within his party who were only marginally better. Only Mao, Pol Pot, and the Kim dynasty have been worse.

Agreed. I think you only forgot Hitler, though it's really no question he was the most evil dictator of all time.

[Don't Blame Me, I'm from Massachusetts]

One of the most repulsive individuals to have ruled in modern history and that includes people within his party who were only marginally better. Only Mao, Pol Pot, and the Kim dynasty have been worse.

Agreed. I think you only forgot Hitler, though it's really no question he was the most evil dictator of all time.

Hitler was evil, but one of his only redeeming qualities was that he was impulsive and made several decisions seemingly on a whim that sealed his fate. I believe that things could've gone  worse for Germany if a more competent leader like Goebbels or Himmler was put in charge.

[buritobr]

Stalin was horrible because of the mass collectivization of 1928, the famine in Ukraine in 1932, the purges of 1937-38, the invasion of eastern Poland, baltic republics and Finland in 1939-40, the assassination of Trotski in 1940. But I don't include what he did in the war against the nazis in his list of horrors. Wars are never clean. Even the US and the UK played dirty sometimes.

[GeneralMacArthur]

Stalin was horrible because of the mass collectivization of 1928, the famine in Ukraine in 1932, the purges of 1937-38, the invasion of eastern Poland, baltic republics and Finland in 1939-40, the assassination of Trotski in 1940. But I don't include what he did in the war against the nazis in his list of horrors. Wars are never clean. Even the US and the UK played dirty sometimes.

I don't think anyone is going to complain that Stalin, despite his best efforts, got forced into being on the right side of World War II.

[Big Abraham]

FF, with or without the context of this poll. Stalin was a master statesman, the kind of political genius that is produced very rarely in world history. I'd say the only one that could compare to him in terms of impact, will and foresight is possibly Bismarck, a figure who, despite what their respective supporters might say, he shares a great deal in common with.

[KaiserDave]

FF, with or without the context of this poll. Stalin was a master statesman, the kind of political genius that is produced very rarely in world history. I'd say the only one that could compare to him in terms of impact, will and foresight is possibly Bismarck, a figure who, despite what their respective supporters might say, he shares a great deal in common with.

Stalin continued to deny that the Germans were actually invading the Soviet Union even hours after the attack had started and reports had made it to him.

Truly, tremendous foresight.

[Arson Plus]

nice guy ff

[Big Abraham]

FF, with or without the context of this poll. Stalin was a master statesman, the kind of political genius that is produced very rarely in world history. I'd say the only one that could compare to him in terms of impact, will and foresight is possibly Bismarck, a figure who, despite what their respective supporters might say, he shares a great deal in common with.

Stalin continued to deny that the Germans were actually invading the Soviet Union even hours after the attack had started and reports had made it to him.

Truly, tremendous foresight.

He had enough foresight to thoroughly industrialize the USSR, in nearly as short a time period as did Japan in the latter half of the XIX century. That's more than Trotsky would have, or could have done, and such a rapid (and yes, bloody) process could not be avoided if Nazism was to be vanquished. Therefore he was the leader Russia, and the world, needed at the time, for better or for worse. I would say the same for Churchill and Roosevelt. Every Allied leader was a FF, especially the ones who did all the heavy lifting, i.e. the Russians.

[KaiserDave]

FF, with or without the context of this poll. Stalin was a master statesman, the kind of political genius that is produced very rarely in world history. I'd say the only one that could compare to him in terms of impact, will and foresight is possibly Bismarck, a figure who, despite what their respective supporters might say, he shares a great deal in common with.

Stalin continued to deny that the Germans were actually invading the Soviet Union even hours after the attack had started and reports had made it to him.

Truly, tremendous foresight.

He had enough foresight to thoroughly industrialize the USSR, in nearly as short a time period as did Japan in the latter half of the XIX century. That's more than Trotsky would have, or could have done, and such a rapid (and yes, bloody) process could not be avoided if Nazism was to be vanquished. Therefore he was the leader Russia, and the world, needed at the time, for better or for worse. I would say the same for Churchill and Roosevelt. Every Allied leader was a FF, especially the ones who did all the heavy lifting, i.e. the Russians.

The Russians were a large part of the war effort of the collective USSR, which included dozens of nationalities.

[Big Abraham]

FF, with or without the context of this poll. Stalin was a master statesman, the kind of political genius that is produced very rarely in world history. I'd say the only one that could compare to him in terms of impact, will and foresight is possibly Bismarck, a figure who, despite what their respective supporters might say, he shares a great deal in common with.

Stalin continued to deny that the Germans were actually invading the Soviet Union even hours after the attack had started and reports had made it to him.

Truly, tremendous foresight.

He had enough foresight to thoroughly industrialize the USSR, in nearly as short a time period as did Japan in the latter half of the XIX century. That's more than Trotsky would have, or could have done, and such a rapid (and yes, bloody) process could not be avoided if Nazism was to be vanquished. Therefore he was the leader Russia, and the world, needed at the time, for better or for worse. I would say the same for Churchill and Roosevelt. Every Allied leader was a FF, especially the ones who did all the heavy lifting, i.e. the Russians.

The Russians were a large part of the war effort of the collective USSR, which included dozens of nationalities.

"um actually she's the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, not the Queen of England".

Ok. Thanks for the pedantry. Do you have anything else to add?

[PSOL]

Nice to see you Biggie

Stalin was horrible because of the mass collectivization of 1928, the famine in Ukraine in 1932, the purges of 1937-38, the invasion of eastern Poland, baltic republics and Finland in 1939-40, the assassination of Trotski in 1940. But I don't include what he did in the war against the nazis in his list of horrors. Wars are never clean. Even the US and the UK played dirty sometimes.

Punching left isn't going to make you one of them y'know

[Hindsight was 2020]

Nice to see you Biggie

Stalin was horrible because of the mass collectivization of 1928, the famine in Ukraine in 1932, the purges of 1937-38, the invasion of eastern Poland, baltic republics and Finland in 1939-40, the assassination of Trotski in 1940. But I don't include what he did in the war against the nazis in his list of horrors. Wars are never clean. Even the US and the UK played dirty sometimes.

Punching left isn't going to make you one of them y'know

Acknowledging Stalin was a monster is not “punching left” it’s having basic humanity

[Filuwaúrdjan]

'Lying in a puddle of indignity!'

[Republican Party Stalwart]

FF, with or without the context of this poll. Stalin was a master statesman, the kind of political genius that is produced very rarely in world history. I'd say the only one that could compare to him in terms of impact, will and foresight is possibly Bismarck, a figure who, despite what their respective supporters might say, he shares a great deal in common with.

Stalin continued to deny that the Germans were actually invading the Soviet Union even hours after the attack had started and reports had made it to him.

Truly, tremendous foresight.

He had enough foresight to thoroughly industrialize the USSR, in nearly as short a time period as did Japan in the latter half of the XIX century. That's more than Trotsky would have, or could have done, and such a rapid (and yes, bloody) process could not be avoided if Nazism was to be vanquished. Therefore he was the leader Russia, and the world, needed at the time, for better or for worse. I would say the same for Churchill and Roosevelt. Every Allied leader was a FF, especially the ones who did all the heavy lifting, i.e. the Russians.

The Russians were a large part of the war effort of the collective USSR, which included dozens of nationalities.

"um actually she's the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, not the Queen of England".

Ok. Thanks for the pedantry. Do you have anything else to add?

Stalin (Joseph Dzhugashvili) was Georgian.

[KaiserDave]

FF, with or without the context of this poll. Stalin was a master statesman, the kind of political genius that is produced very rarely in world history. I'd say the only one that could compare to him in terms of impact, will and foresight is possibly Bismarck, a figure who, despite what their respective supporters might say, he shares a great deal in common with.

Stalin continued to deny that the Germans were actually invading the Soviet Union even hours after the attack had started and reports had made it to him.

Truly, tremendous foresight.

He had enough foresight to thoroughly industrialize the USSR, in nearly as short a time period as did Japan in the latter half of the XIX century. That's more than Trotsky would have, or could have done, and such a rapid (and yes, bloody) process could not be avoided if Nazism was to be vanquished. Therefore he was the leader Russia, and the world, needed at the time, for better or for worse. I would say the same for Churchill and Roosevelt. Every Allied leader was a FF, especially the ones who did all the heavy lifting, i.e. the Russians.

The Russians were a large part of the war effort of the collective USSR, which included dozens of nationalities.

"um actually she's the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, not the Queen of England".

Ok. Thanks for the pedantry. Do you have anything else to add?

Considering that Stalin wasn’t even Russian and modern Neo-imperialist historical revisionism I think it’s a pretty big deal.

[Statilius the Epicurean]

Stalin was immensely more competent than that and could seriously read the room well. His organizational ability and success in navigating the political scene of the CPSU knows no bounds, as is lasting so long through his foreign policy.

Okay so, even in pure cynical realpolitik terms, or in terms purely for the advancement of socialism, Stalin's foreign policy of allying with Nazi Germany was a catastrophic failure that almost extinguished global socialism, and killed upwards of 20 million Soviet citizens and wrecked the USSR's major industrial and agricultural areas. In the crucial years of 1938-1940 he was more incompetent than Maxim Litvinov.

Also, Stalinist industrialisation was an(other) inefficient catastrophe that derailed Russia's 20th century and made it vastly poorer than it otherwise would have been.

[Fascism Must Be Defeated]

PSOL, even if we engage you on the merits things fall apart. By any reasonable definition, consideration of Stalin's legacy has to include the Former Soviet Union, where Stalinist policy set the table for the current conflicts over Chechnya, Ukraine, and the various disputes in Central Asia, as well as more low-level ethnic tensions in the Baltics and Moldova.

Eastern Europe outside of the USSR underwent really dramatic ethnic cleansing, which obviously reduced the likelihood of post-Soviet ethnic conflict.