----- Original Message ----- From: "ChrisD(RJ)" <chrisd at russiajournal.com>
> An interview with Sergei Markov, head of the Political Surveys Institute
> I'd sooner describe it as an attempt to find some
> positives in our history.
>The people are tired of self-
> loathing. They want patriotism. They want to be able to be proud of
> their country.
> The 36% of respondents who approve of Stalin associate his name
> with positive aspects of his rule, with achievements. Like the victory
> in the greatest war in history. And the economic boom... We cannot
> deny the undeniable - that under Stalin, our country, once an agrarian
> backwater of Europe, rose to the status of a leading world power.
> This longing for an iron hand stems from the cowardice and
> unscrupulousness of the majority of modern politicians.
> Stalin is something like a slogan, which some voters use to
> put pressure on the authorities, in order to stimulate those in power
> to pursue steadier and more independent policies.
I notice that political analyst Markov goes to great lengths to ascribe this "Stalin nostalgia" to patriotism, desire for a better history, national pride, the 'unscrupulousness of modern politicians', the desire for 'independent policies' - anything at all EXCEPT a hatred of capitalism and a preference for socialism. The words 'socialism' and 'communism' and their derivatives and synonyms are completely absent from Markov's musings.
LP