Two Questions about Russia today

[kowalskil]

How to explain it?

The 70th anniversary of the German attack on the Soviet Union was on June 21. On that occasion I visited many Russian websites. What a surprise to find that both communists and anticommunists glorify Stalin in today's Russia.

Communists remember him as a great Marxist ideologist, as Lenin's partner, as a leader responsible for collectivization of agriculture, for rapid industrialization, and for merciless destruction of traitors, especially within the communist party and the military, in the late 1930's. Briefly, they glorify him as the leader of the Soviet proletarian dictatorship, and as a military genius responsible for the Soviet victory over fascism.

The anticommunists also claim that Stalin was responsible for the Soviet victory over fascism. But they totally ignore his communist ideology, and the brutality he used to impose obedience. Logically, the attitude toward Stalinism should divide communists and anticommunists. But in reality it seems to unite them. How can this be explained?

And this is not the only puzzle. As some of you probably remember, I wrote a memoir about life in the Soviet Union during the first year of the war. It can be seen at

http://pages.csam.montclair.edu/~kowalski/dedenievo.html

Thinking about the approaching 70th anniversary of the Great Patriotic War--that is how Russians refer to their experience during WWII--I sent the above link to perhaps as many as 20 editors of Russian newspapers, giving them permission to translate and publish my memoir. Not a single one responded. How can this be explained?

Ludwik Kowalski (see Wikipedia)

My profile==> http://csam.montclair.edu/~kowalski/my_profile.html
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[bspeer]

"How to explain it?"

Good question. I think it is normal human behavior to seek out exactly what we are looking for: Marxist hero or savior of WWII. We tend to ignore that which we don't "like" in favor of the positives we desire.

As to why the Russian newspapers are not interested, I cannot speak to that. Perhaps they view your story (and I have read it) as something contray to the agenda they have established.

[slapout9]

That's pretty easy IMO. Capitalist are Communist.....Corparate Communist its Big Banking not business as many people think.. That is why they worship the to big to fail philosophy. It's Marx vs. Shumpeter. Marx thought everybody should belong to a labor union. Shumpeter thought everybody should belong to a Corparation. That is a simplification but close enough for government work.

[Stan]

Hmmm, in this neck of the woods nobody would be surprised.

When Putin did a "Soviet-style rewriting" of Russian history half of the Baltic just laughed (at us the West when we acted surprised) :wry:

When we told the Germans and Russians Estonia was littered with hundreds of thousands of UXO they almost denied ever being here.

However, when Estonia wanted to move a bronze statue from the middle of the city to the grave of the unknown soldier we had riots.

When Putin moved a "freedom fighter statue" to make a highway... No big deal and if you complain, the Milits will help you with your capitalist thoughts :cool:

Mr. Kowalski, I would concentrate your efforts in the former states because they will at least appreciate where you are coming from and they will make a mess of the Russian media.

Good luck, Stan

[Old Eagle]

In Russia, the Great Patriotic War, and many of the myths that surround it, transcends politics. I'm am not much surprised that both communists and their opponents can agree on this. I think that the Stalin part is peripheral to the GPW legend.