Teh Nazis!

[Skybird]

Originally Posted by CaptHawkeye

By all means Stalin and his regime were equally cruel and sadistic. The difference is no one covered for him after death. The Post-Stalin Soviet Union actually went out the way to discredit Stalin and his public image for good reason. The man was a tyrant, and the Soviet and modern people of Russia never liked him. If the Nazis hadn't been so brutal to the western Slavs, they would have actually risen against him and joined the axis.

Actually, Stalin is "in" in the present Russia. Stage shows featuring him. TV and films. He is socially acceptable again. Many people confess to like him. He has become an idol. It is said that the government also polishes his image, to make people more accepting strong leader figures at the top of the state. His nasty sides get minimised and glossed over, I get the impression. I think for historical reasons Russian mentality is quite prone to leader cult and one-man-shows - see Putin's surprising and very substantial popularity. Maybe they had Czars for too long - and the guys coming after the Czars were not less autocratic.