Posted on 03/04/2006 9:04:56 AM PST by lizol
Fifty Years Later, Russians Regard Stalin Positively
March 4, 2006
(Angus Reid Global Scan) – Many adults in Russia think the tenure of one of the most notorious Soviet leaders was beneficial, according to a poll by the Public Opinion Foundation. 47 per cent of respondents believe Josef Stalin played a positive role in the country’s history.
Stalin was the second leader of the Soviet Union, taking over after the death of Vladimir Lenin in 1924. Stalin was responsible for a series of repressive campaigns—known as the Great Purge—during the 1930s. During his tenure, Stalin eliminated all possible political opposition through executions and internal exile.
Following the victory of the allies in World War II, the Soviet Union was established as one of the world’s superpowers. Stalin remained in control of the government and the Communist Party until his death in 1953. His successor, Nikita Khrushchev, officially denounced Stalin’s personality cult and repression in 1956.
In a May 2005 interview with German newspaper Bild, current Russian president Vladimir Putin said, "Stalin was certainly a tyrant and many call him a criminal, but he was not a Nazi. It was not the Soviet forces who crossed the German border on June 22, 1941, but the contrary. That is the first thing we should not forget."
Polling Data
In your view, did Josef Stalin play a positive role or a negative role in Russian history?
Positive 47%
Negative 29%
Hard to answer 24%
Source: Public Opinion Foundation Methodology: Interviews with 1,500 Russian adults, conducted on Feb. 18 and Feb. 19, 2006. Margin of error is 3.6 per cent.
Fit this into the "Russian people as hopeless mass, needing and respecting a tyrannical leader" perspective. Sigh.
As a side note, some 30 million Russians who did not think highly of Stalin while he was in power could not be reached for comment.
Of course, it helps if 99.6% of the folks that might have voted negatively were dead.
Uncle Joe was able to kill from the grave.
Heck, they're probably STILL afraid to answer honestly.
Uncle Joe was able to kill from the grave.
Wonder what the results would be if the same poll was taken here in US?
20% - Positive
50% - Who the f*** was Stalin?
;)
Good point.
In 2004 I was deployed to Operation Enduring Freedom in Uzbekistan. Evidence of the former USSR was everywhere. The local hires included many lovely young Central Asian women, well turned out and speaking excellent English (and Russian). One said to me, "I want you to know one thing: I admire Josef Stalin!"
I said, "Why, because he killed fifty million people!?"
The girl replied, "You need a strong hand for such a large country as the Soviet Union!"
This from a twenty-two year old.
Not to mention the children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren that were never born to those families.
The majority of modern day Russians are the children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren of the sheeple that never dared to challenge the Soviet system.
The question was his role in history. Historically, when he took over Russia was an agrarian second-rate power. When he died, it was an industrialized superpower with a European empire and nuclear weapons. There's no doubt his role in Russian/Soviet history was positive.
The question should have been, "were Stalin's crimes superseded by his accomplishments?"
Why do you think this is a lie?
Do you think they falsified the outcome of that poll?
Or you just don't agree with it?
Prove it to be a lie then...
Given the geography teacher rant of last week I think the "positive" would be closer to 45 to 50%. Back in the 70's Stalin was not a bad word, I learned the evil of Stalin from my father, not from high school, then along came Reagan.
1400 years later, muslims regard the pedophile prophet positively.
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