WS: Romania fought on the side of the Axis, so it was not "invaded" - it bet on a wrong horse.
Justin:
> Chris and Frank are almost certainly right: Stalin was
> loved and revered as well as feared -- not an
> inconsistent set of attitudes, if you think there is
> anything at all to psychoanalysis. And they did call
> him things like "The Father of Peoples." He was even
> loved by many of those who feared him. Sakharov (not
WS: We do not need to invoke psychoanalysis here - attitudes toward parents can be explained by concepts other than subconscious desires (which thus can be easily cut by the Ockham razor). For example, form a behavioral or cognitive experiences early childhood experiences, especially parenting techniques, can permanently shape personality and persons' attitudes toward the world in general.
I would go as far as saying that the family is the mother of all fascism and authoritarianism, not to mention religious superstition. In popular consciousness, gods and dictators are nothing else but parent figures writ large - someone more powerful than "me" and taking care of "me."
This, btw, spells a bleak future for democracy - a big share if not most of the people like being "like children" - someone taking care of them and watching after them - and they are a natural prey of fascist and religious agitators of all stripes.
Wojtek