Around the time of the revolution my grandfather managed to get out of Belarus and a few years later my grandmother was also able to get out. They left many relatives behind—not one of whom, or their off-spring, survived Stalin’s reign.
Almost no one in America understands that this happened. I’m almost 70 years old and I’ve grown tired of trying to explain it to anyone. Most Americans believe communism is a great idea that just ended up in the wrong hands or some such amazing nonsense.
Our schools have never (and certainly do not now-) teach the truth about the Soviet Union or communism. The American people will only learn how bad it is once they are living in a full-bore Police State complete with cults of personality and cults of paranoia, purges, forced famines and all the rest.
Then, of course, it will be too late.