this post was submitted on 21 Feb 2024
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[–] duderium@hexbear.net 41 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

99% of all the bad shit that has happened in the last five centuries around the world has been because of capitalism, colonialism, imperialism, patriarchy, feudalism, slavery. Left anti-communists are still like “yeah but we still need to focus on that remaining 1%, meaning the lack of instantaneous perfection of the USSR, even though it ceased to exist over thirty years ago. Also let’s talk endlessly about China.”

Regarding these tweets here, I’m remembering what Norman Finkelstein’s parents said. They weren’t communists, but Stalin freed them from the Nazi concentration camps. They said that any Jew who criticized Stalin was a traitor. (I’m also writing this as a Jew.)

[–] zifnab25@hexbear.net 22 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

99% of all the bad shit

As no real Communist countries existed before the big 1917 Revolution, this is arguably over-reductive. Not exactly unfair to observe the first generation of Soviet Countries as bound to all the same social problems and governing mistakes of the prior century, particularly in the early years.

But what you end up with in analysis here is just a Parenti-ism, declaring the Soviets uniquely bad for having the same (draconian) state security service as everyone else.

Basically, the Soviets are guilty of not rising above the sins of the past fast enough. Meanwhile, Red Scares and White Terrors are never a factor in how or why a Russian Soviet might be weeding out counter-revolutionaries left, right, and center.

Left anti-communists are still like “yeah but we still need to focus on that remaining 1%, meaning the lack of instantaneous perfection of the USSR, even though it ceased to exist over thirty years ago. Also let’s talk endlessly about China.”

We could talk about China, but I doubt Sinophobes would like where the conversation went

[–] LesbianLiberty@hexbear.net 35 points 11 months ago (1 children)

I doubt it, but he cites no specific historical moment which can be evaluated. It'd be worth doing the research to understand, but the purges were long over by WW2. When would Stalin have done this, and with who, would be worth illuminating. Not to pretend that the USSR under Stalin wasn't immune to this stuff, but also it's not like Stalin was like "Hmmm yes, Jewish, purge" as most of the biggest revolutionaries in the USSR were themselves Jewish and Stalin wasn't going over everything. Until then this just seems to be more of the classic largely baseless accusations of Soviet antisemitism.

[–] LesbianLiberty@hexbear.net 24 points 11 months ago

In addition, even during the height of the purges evidence was necessary, in fact the requirement for any punishment. To say that anybody was purged baselessly would be false and does not, afaik, conform to the history known to scholars.

[–] AcidMarxist@hexbear.net 18 points 11 months ago (2 children)

I think this person just has a mental illness like most posters, but in this case they're also a Zionist and NATO apologist. I dont really understand what their point even is

[–] Aquilae@hexbear.net 22 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Seems like typical utopian "USSR didn't immediately achieve perfection tho" stuff to me.

[–] Walk_On@hexbear.net 12 points 11 months ago (1 children)

lol He’s actually a semi-prominent YouTuber who self identifies as a communist and makes reaction content.

[–] WashedAnus@hexbear.net 18 points 11 months ago (1 children)

It seems more like

makes reactionary content

[–] OgdenTO@hexbear.net 5 points 11 months ago

kelly Reactionary videos

[–] heartheartbreak@hexbear.net 13 points 11 months ago

"when he became pro Arab" wtf-am-i-reading

[–] invalidusernamelol@hexbear.net 13 points 11 months ago

Maybe he's talking about the Doctors Plot? But that's all Medvedev and there isn't much primary source reference for his claims.

[–] Thordros@hexbear.net 5 points 11 months ago