Maybe that’s because many of those leftist academics were Lenin apologists. They sincerely believed that had Lenin lived longer, the Stalinist horror would not have happened. They’re wrong--Lenin taught Stalin how to do it. Their insistence that Stalin wasn’t a true communist, that he’s the reason the USSR finally failed, etc., would be …
Maybe that’s because many of those leftist academics were Lenin apologists. They sincerely believed that had Lenin lived longer, the Stalinist horror would not have happened. They’re wrong--Lenin taught Stalin how to do it. Their insistence that Stalin wasn’t a true communist, that he’s the reason the USSR finally failed, etc., would be hilarious if it weren’t such an article of faith among academic leftists (eg Stephen Cohen and his ilk).
Maybe that’s because many of those leftist academics were Lenin apologists. They sincerely believed that had Lenin lived longer, the Stalinist horror would not have happened. They’re wrong--Lenin taught Stalin how to do it. Their insistence that Stalin wasn’t a true communist, that he’s the reason the USSR finally failed, etc., would be hilarious if it weren’t such an article of faith among academic leftists (eg Stephen Cohen and his ilk).