Stalin was an capitalist - really?

[chris watton]

Listening to the (mostly) awful Jeromy Vine show right now, he had a Socialist caller state quite clearly that Stalin was actually a capitalist, so his crimes against his own people were actually due to his capilalist leanings! Are these scary people really that deluded - why is is mostly the far left that like to not just manipulate, but throw a huge tin of paint over history?

[scorp]

Stalin's atrocities were because he was a paranoid control-freak, nothing to do with his religious or economic beliefs. imho.

"The left" have clearly been smoking too much weed.

Edited by scorp on Thursday 18th September 12:35

[Motorrad]

Stalin clearly wasn't a capitalist. He also clearly and demonstrably wasn't a communist or a 'leftie'.
He was a totalitarian dictator who used marxist and communist doctrine to justify and consolidate his despotic rule.

[215cu]

Stalin was sick in the head and a communist.

Something I think the caller to said show could empathise with.

[Mr E]

I suspect uncle Joe would have declared himself an environmentalist if he'd thought it would have helped.

[mattikake]

Stalin was a power-craving moral-less hitman who would stop at nothing and abuse anyone to get only what he wanted. He kept his superiors happy for as long as was required before setting himself up to attain power, keeping his own personal agenda quiet. He would then keep power at any social, economic or human cost.

I'd say that's pretty stereotypical capitalist traits! The only thing he got wrong was a lack of use of propaganda. Today we use TV, media, social hysteria, letting the stupid vote and all manner of other distractions.

[Prof Beard]

One view is that Stalin was economic left but authoritarian/right socially.

Another opposing view characterises Stalinism as "state capitalism" - where the means of production are owned by a ruling class (the party hierarchy) which acts in cohort rather than individually (as in capitalism).

[chris watton]

Prof Beard said:

One view is that Stalin was economic left but authoritarian/right socially.

Another opposing view characterises Stalinism as "state capitalism" - where the means of production are owned by a ruling class (the party hierarchy) which acts in cohort rather than individually (as in capitalism).

But isn't the essence of Communism state capitalism, with only the ruling class reaping the benefits of the workers sweat and toil? At least, that's how it always pans out - Utopian-esque 'everyone is equal' always, always goes out the window once those in power smell power and luxury.

[HundredthIdiot]

Prof Beard said:

Another opposing view characterises Stalinism as "state capitalism" - where the means of production are owned by a ruling class (the party hierarchy) which acts in cohort rather than individually (as in capitalism).

Isn't that fascism?

[mattikake]

chris watton said:

Prof Beard said:

One view is that Stalin was economic left but authoritarian/right socially.

Another opposing view characterises Stalinism as "state capitalism" - where the means of production are owned by a ruling class (the party hierarchy) which acts in cohort rather than individually (as in capitalism).

But isn't the essence of Communism state capitalism, with only the ruling class reaping the benefits of the workers sweat and toil? At least, that's how it always pans out - Utopian-esque 'everyone is equal' always, always goes out the window once those in power smell power and luxury.

Yeah I call this communism, as opposed to socialism.

'Everyone is equal' goes out the window once ANY human smells the chance to be better than thy neighbour.