Agreed. Read the "black book of communism" and the number gets closer to 80-100 million, if my memory serves me correctly. Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot, etc., all the same kind of murderous thug. So much for putting your faith in governments that promise to create workers paradises and take care of it's citizens from cradle to grave.
Yes, you're correct that in the Black Book of Communism, written by six European scholars, the fact that probably 100 million perished under communism is mentioned very early on in the book. But you mentioned Mao and what I'd like to bring to your - and all FRepers - attention is a new highly acclaimed book titled "Mao:The Unknown Story". This book received a good review in Commentary magazine and I ordered it. I'll quote one sentence from page 1: "Mao...was responsible for well over 70 million deaths in peacetime, more than any other 20th century leader." It appears that as time passes the numbers of communist victims increases. I think we're at the point where sheer numbers and the overall horror leave us beyond the point where we can be shocked. Who would ever have thought that
Joe Stalin would look like a piker in comparison? By the way, the book is a great read and always interesting.