Posted on 09/02/2008 10:22:27 PM PDT by TigerLikesRooster
Stalin's mass murders were 'entirely rational' says new Russian textbook praising tyrant
By Will Stewart
Last updated at 1:10 AM on 03rd September 2008
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Ruthless: 20 million died as a result of Stalin's actions
Stalin acted ‘entirely rationally’ in executing and imprisoning millions of people in the Gulags, a controversial new Russian teaching manual claims.
Fifty-five years after the Soviet dictator died, the latest guide for teachers to promote patriotism among the Russian young said he did what he did to ensure the country’s modernisation.
The manual, titled A History of Russia, 1900-1945, will form the basis of a new state-approved text book for use in schools next year.
It seems to follow an attempt backed by Prime Minister Vladimir Putin to re-evaluate Stalin’s record in a more positive light.
Critics have taken exception, however, to numerous excerpts, which they say are essentially attempts to whitewash Stalin’s crimes.
In the West, it has been widely accepted that in the 1920s millions were shot, exiled to Siberia, or died of starvation after their land, homes and meagre possessions, were taken to fulfil Stalin’s vision of massive ‘factory farms.’
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
I wonder if Putin is laying the ground work for him claim himself officially dictator.
I suppose Putin is the author.
The statement to which I responded was, "Anyone who attempts to "rationalize" mass-murder is prima facie, irrational...". The statement was a generalization that I would suggest is overly broad. I don't dispute that the mass murders committed by Stalin in particular (and indeed, by most mass murderers) are irrational. Nonetheless, that does not imply that mass murder cannot be simultaneously rational and evil.
Not true. There are plenty of rational evil people. They only need to take one simple sentence to heart to unlock evil.
"The ends justify the means"
We need McCain.
IN Georgia they like to boast that Stalin was a Georgian and that he murdered millions of Russians.
I am in touch daily with quite a few Georgians and have spent time there. This is the first I have heard of your claim.
Oh wait, I checked your posts. You’re just another sleeper who trolls for Vlad here.
He is not a typical left-leaning Euro. However, his comments sounds really naive in light of what has been transpiring in Russia lately.
We do not have to have shooting war with Russia. On the other hand, certain amount of stand-off(cold-war-like) is necessary.
Or maybe a certain amount of arming small nations with the best stuff available.
That statement is, in itself, irrational. You can *never* achieve a worthy end by unworthy means, and anyone who believes that they can, is, not to put too fine a point on it, irrational...
the infowarrior
Interestingly enough, last year 65% Russians said they would prefer to see someone like Saakashvili as their president... go wonder
I expect that means that millions more Russians will be dying for the state.
As it’s been explained to me before and is quite obvious, the Russian people have a certain desire to be ruled. If that ruler is a murdering dictator, so be it. It’s their dictator and they secretly like it. They don’t know how to run their own life. It’s fascinating that millions of people of a like culture want to be under a dictator’s thumb.
Two words from one of Russia’s greatest national heroes: Gulag Archipelago
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Gulag_Archipelago
http://www.times.com/books/98/03/01/home/solz-gulag.html
http://www.acton.org/publications/randl/rl_172review.php
There are still people there who remember the Stalin/Russian induced famine that killed close to 10 million Ukrainians.
The left will excuse any atrocity as long as another leftist commits it.
Then link him to Obama, and ask Obama of Ayers' opinion...
Cheers!
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