Way to Russia Talk Lounge

FauxPas · Posted: Sun Jun 04, 2006 3:16 am Post subject: Stalin and the young generation

I have several questions regarding Stalin and the USSR. (I'm sorry if this is an old or tired topic!)

There has been alot in recent news about how the young generation of Russia views Stalin in a positive light. I am a college student and we had many discussions about this when I was taking an economics class this spring.

http://www.foreignaffairs.org/20060101facomment85101/sarah-e-mendelson-theodore-p-gerber/failing-the-stalin-test.html

(That article is incomplete, but I remember there were similar articles and polls in the Washington Post and NY Times a couple months ago).

The main reason, according to my professor, as to why the young generation is ambivalent towards Stalin and the USSR is because it was the young generation who had to experience the fall of the USSR and the effects of its collapse. In this case, as with any other failed government, things get worse before they get better, so the young generations have only experienced negative things with the new governments. This is why they support the USSR, because it was at least better than the new fledgling states. Is this a true depiction, or is it skewed since the west is preoccupied by democracy?

So here are my main questions:
How do you view Stalin, and why? How do your grandparents view him?
Why does the younger generation view Stalin in high regard?
What was better or worse about the USSR?
What is your opinion on Brezhnev, Krushchev, Gorbachev, and Putin? What did they do to help or hurt the present state?

Thank you!

bryak · Posted: Wed Jun 07, 2006 1:39 am Post subject:

As far as I'm concerned, and from a humanitarian standpoint, anything good that Stalin did is overshadowed by his often brutal methods.
Of course, I am Canadian and not Russian in the least, so maybe my opinion doesn't count, but as a human being I believe he was a brutal man.

AntoMax · Posted: Wed Jun 07, 2006 8:35 am Post subject:

Hey, a question about Stalin is never a dull one!

How do you view Stalin, and why?
Some asian mofo who thinks hes slavic and stuff, because he was talking about Russia like a Slav would and in russia we have a diff way of calling a russian as in slavic or a citizen of russia n stuff...

How do your grandparents view him?
Grandfather=h8ed communism
Grandmother=dunno never asked (although she never finished school because she was probably making weapons n stuff)

Why does the younger generation view Stalin in high regard?
Because Stalin brough ecnomic stability, an example is the World Depression not affecting Russia because it was closed off and at that point people were proud etc. And that he stopped the Germans which the Russians h8 even they wont show it Rolling Eyes

bcuz we r such nice pplz! He made Russia a super-power (probably your first thought) Apart from that I guess nothing positive, I think younger generation want to be Positive and forget the Negatives, which is a good thing because Negative is never good...

What was better or worse about the USSR? Economic stability was great, everyone had meals even the poorest but in that respect alot of opression was always a thought of the people of that time. The other part is that the exclusion of the international seen hence the word given by the british pm 'iron curtain' we couldnt get the hell out! Or move around that easy either (that easy). Goods and Bads as you may have realized.

What is your opinion on Brezhnev, Krushchev, Gorbachev, and Putin?
They have Russia in their hearts and the people in their mind and thats all that matters (or the other way 'round Razz

)

What did they do to help or hurt the present state? I dont know much about Brezhnev, Kruschev obviously avoided world destruction and gorbachev; many remember him for who he was; putin...hes AIIIGHT! Razz