Hey, just a few thoughts I wanted to share in response to this:

First, citing the CIA to praise Stalin is… an odd move. Second, it’s important to recognize that liberals and neoliberals aren’t the same thing. The terms get conflated a lot, but they refer to different ideological frameworks, especially in terms of economics and state intervention. Neoliberalism is basically a rebranding of laissez-faire capitalism whereas liberalism favors more of a welfare-state capitalist system.

Third, I’d encourage reading the full context of the document in question. Here are a few excerpts that stood out:

There will not be a dramatic purge.

This might seem like a neutral observation, but it’s actually referring to a change after Stalin’s death. The implication is that dramatic purges did happen under him, and they’re noting that the new leadership wouldn’t continue that pattern.

Inasmuch as the MVD has already been cleaned up.

Again, this is post-Stalin. The MVD (Interior Ministry, which ran the secret police) being “cleaned up” suggests reform following abuses that were, again, tied to Stalin’s regime.

There is now no organized opposition inside the Party in the Soviet Union.

This kind of political consolidation didn’t happen in a vacuum. It reflects the legacy of Stalin’s crackdowns on dissent and internal opposition.

Since the death of Stalin and the blow which was given to the power of the secret police…

That’s a pretty direct reference to Stalin’s reliance on the secret police to maintain control. Again, the document frames the aftermath of his death as a shift away from that.

No improvement in the food situation can be expected.

This points to long-standing issues in agricultural production and distribution under the USSR, including during Stalin’s time. Whether or not the shortages were intentional, they’re part of the broader legacy of how poorly the Soviet agricultural system was managed. They were pretty much just experimenting with ways to grow food while failing to produce enough for their own population. I’m all for agricultural research, but only after the people are fed.

In short, this isn’t a glowing report of Stalin’s achievements. It’s describing a system trying to recover from the kind of authoritarian control he enforced.

If you’re interested in more critical perspectives from the time, I really recommend My Disillusionment in Russia and My Further Disillusionment in Russia by Emma Goldman. They were written in the early 1920s (just as Stalin was rising to power) and they offer a fascinating, firsthand account of someone who initially supported the revolution (Emma Goldman was an American anarchist exiled to Russia for her beliefs) but became deeply disillusioned with how it played out.

We really don’t need to dig up dead guys to give them accolades. We can think of a better system that the USSR or USA.

You gotta drink water from the far side of the glass.

Humans act kinda however their environment teaches them to act. Societies exist along a spectrum from encouraging people to be individuals to encouraging people to feel like part of a community. Most western cultures trend towards individualism. When we see ourselves as individuals, we’re more likely to see those around us as competitors.

That’s my guess at least. Judging by the way you’re typing in English I’ll assume you’re in the individualistic part of the world like me, and yeah, kinda sucks for most people. Personally, I think the fact that most people are upset with the nature of the society we live in is proof we’re supposed to be more community oriented.

That’s really how we should think about a lot of things. People don’t fall for stuff because they’re dumb. They fall for stuff because they’re vulnerable.

You mean the National Guard? They’re just another branch of of the military now.

If you mean the white nationalist militias, they’re pretty content with what going on. I think they’re getting ready to bring lynching back.

If you are talking about leftwing militias, I got some bad news…

Tolerance is a social contract. OP broke that contract by writing a ridiculously calous, mean spirited comment, and is no longer entitled to tolerance.

Tolerance the way you’re describing is how Nazi’s gain a platform. We don’t have to be tolerant of intolerant people. Just think about all the ways that could break society.

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50? Oh this’ll hit in your late 20s or early 30s

If nothing else, one silver lining is he is SIGNIFICANTLY reducing the influence America and the West has on the world.

He is far from the first flim-flam snake oil man making it big and performing atrocities in America. You could even look at the founding of the country as a sort of real estate scam gone darkly awry.

Damn, we’re in the era of corporate assassinations? Cyberpunk 2077 is becoming more and more prophetic.

Less than 25% of the US population voted for him. Of the people that voted, a majority voted for him, but an overwhelming majority of Americans did not vote for him.

Comparing a modern day American apartment to a Soviet one from 1950 lol okay.

Lol people actually believed that social credit score bullshit?

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Yes you are describing the intent of a boycott.

Considering the Overton window, there’s also the fact that what is left and right varies from country to country and culture to culture. For example, a centerist in America would be considered right wing when compared to a centrist from Vietnam or Cuba.

Well what is it, goth chicks, thick thighs, or chubby bearded men? Why are you posting so many memes like this with slight variations?

The only people that benefit from antagonizing liberals are fascists. That means that anything you’ve seen in volume to divide people along anything other than class lines is likely propaganda.

Boomers aren’t the problem. Immigrants aren’t the problem. White people aren’t the problem. LGBTQ+ people aren’t the problem.

The problem is our ideology and cultural celebration of individuals that put profits (or anything, for that matter) over the health and safety of people. Never loose sight of the prize, which is first and foremost, changing our culture. We do that by creating a culture that people want to be a part of, which means welcoming all with open arms.

These are my opinions, of course, but considering that the other side is pushing an ideally of death, environmental devastation and inequality, you’d think it’d be easier…

“We live in capitalism, its power seems inescapable – but then, so did the divine right of kings.”