Poll: 57% of Russians say Stalin was a "wise leader."

[davidn3600]

More than half of Russians believe the Soviet dictator Stalin was a wise leader, a new poll by Levada independent polling centre showed Friday.

Levada found 57 percent of Russians said they entirely or generally agreed that Stalin was a “wise leader who made the USSR powerful and prosperous.”

Levada said the figure was at a “maximum level” for its polls, up 10 percent on four years ago.

The pollsters also found that 71 percent of Russians agreed that “whatever mistakes or sins are attributed to Stalin, the most important thing is that he led our people to victory in World War II.”

That figure was up 11 percent on 2012, with Levada linking increased levels of positive feeling about Stalin’s role in World War II to Russia’s current involvement in armed conflict.

http://www.rawstory.com/2016/03/more-than-half-of-russians-call-stalin-a-wise-leader-poll/

[Socal31]

1. Not surprising.

Nationalism is re-surging in Russian youth. Not only are Stalin's crimes against his population white-washed, but his triumph against Hitler is a major source of Russian pride.

The collapse of the USSR and it's aftermath is a national embarrassment, so looking back to a time of national success is only natural.

[pampango]

2. I wonder if some cultures are not more receptive to the 'strong father' authoritarian leader concept

than others. Or whether it is merely a fluke of history or just the result of political imagery and propaganda that gives them that appearance.

[bemildred]

3. It's both, I think.

We have natural propensities in that direction, and some cultures emphasize it. It goes with inequality of other sorts, and what you might call individualistic and competitive values, big man politics is very common, but some cultures do frown on it.

[tabasco]

4. Propaganda works.

Just look a the USA, where half the population will vote for Donald fucking Trump as their chief executive.

[dembotoz]

5. and over 1/2 here do not believe in evolution

so much for education of the masses

[FLPanhandle]

6. Nostalgia for the "good ol' days"

It shows up in every generation in every country.

No matter how bad those days were in reality, over time people look back with nostalgia.

The 1950's were considered the heyday of the US now but no one thinks of the racial segregation, horrible pollution, the subservient role of women, the infiltration of religion into government. What's funny is you read books and articles from the 1950's and people of that time are complaining about rudeness of society, how children are spoiled and disobedient, and how much better things were in the 1910's-20's.