I choose not to dwell on the past. Russia has a great future, and will overtake the USA within the next 40 years.

I agree, but my point was that there are more factors than "stalin was evil" to be taken into account.

how about "Lenin was evil" jkjk

There also is the fact that most of the people hated the Czar, because he was also oppressive, and there was so much poverty.

I believe that communism is a sound ideal, other than the fact that it would be practiced by humans and therefore would not work. Unfortunately, as Frank Zappa once said, "communism doesn't work because people like to own stuff." As far as Lenin and Stalin go...Lenin had problems to deal with left over from Nicholas II, who in my opinion was an incompetent -- at least militaristically speaking. Lenin was only popular simply because he pulled out of WWI. His economic policy would have worked better if heavy industry had actually been open rather than governmentally owned, Stalin started the heavy industry up but was short sighted on the matter of collective farming which ultimately caused a famine. Both helped and hindered Russian progression.

Lenin had a lot more pull with the people with stalin.

Lenin generally wasn't evil but we will never know for sure because he was in power very little.

This photo was faked in order to have the people think that Lenin wanted stalin to be his succsesor.



Anyone read Animal Farm by George Orwell?

exactly the same, but with animals.

You make its sound like George Orwell's book was similar by coincidence.

I read Animal Farm that was a pretty good book. Then I saw the movie...

This is the second time Tim has revived this thread and had nothing to say about it.

I'm going to close it and let it die.