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How to counter "Stalin bad" arguments? (lemmygrad.ml)

submitted 8 months ago by m5rki5n@lemmygrad.ml to c/asklemmygrad@lemmygrad.ml

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Me and my girlfriend pretty often have heated but respectful political discussions and recently we were discussing Stalin. She thinks that he was awful, mainly because of repressions, cult of personality etc.

When I say that repressions were actually good and Stalin didn't kill enough fuckers, she gets a little angry, but I can't seem to explain my position in great detail because of lack of knowledge.

In the case of the cult of personality, I say that Stalin WAS loved by the majority of soviet citizens because he did a shit ton of good for them, but she still doesn't quite get it.

What arguments would you suggest to use, or maybe something to read in order to deepen my knowledge on the topic?

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[–] olgas_husband@lemmygrad.ml 9 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

I'd say to scale down said debates to not tank your relationship over that. if the debate is inevitable, the "didn't kill enough" depoliticize the discussion, and to someone outside our circle you make you look like a lunatic, so the best approach imo is bringing the discussion to context, like the other comrade commented quoting losurdo, recognize the repression but putting into the context the political situation soviet union had at the moment, surrounded by reactionary forces including the assassination attempt on lenin, to at least not end the discussion looking like stalin was a monster that killed people for shits and giggles. critic without autophagy.