Posted on 11/25/2018 3:59:26 PM PST by CondoleezzaProtege
Stalin’s popularity among society in today’s Russia is rather superficial—Russians know little about the dictator and his life; they are rather nostalgic about the period of his rule and the achievements of his era. The image of the Soviet dictator as an outstanding leader is blended with Russians’ individual memories of repression and terror which affected almost every Russian family. These reminiscences however do not penetrate the public sphere at the mass level, which makes it possible for the state’s narrative to dominate it.
The Kremlin has exploited the ambivalent and superficial attitude which Russians have to Stalin. Even though it does not glorify him, it allows for his social cult to develop, and contributes to it by selectively emphasising the positive aspects of the leader’s actions and by mythologising his image. The Kremlin has been legitimising its power based on politics of memory, generating controlled divisions in society and mobilising its proponents. On the other hand, the government has made it more difficult to draw attention to the murderous nature of Stalin’s actions. Any criticism of him (from Russian citizens and civil society organisations as well as the international community) is seen as an attack on contemporary Russia and its present government which presents itself as the heir to the USSR’s and Stalin’s accomplishments and victories...
(Excerpt) Read more at osw.waw.pl ...
Washington's officers offered to make George their King. He turned it down. The King of England upon hearing that said Washington must be the greatest man in the world. Even Napoleon said 'They wanted me to be another Washington'. I'd say Washington was quite different from the bloodthirsty tyrant Stalin was.
The Paulista followers of old hippies admire Stalin, too, as they interrupt their dope smoking to spew more eastern conspiracy theories.
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