I have given you the answers that I could think of, not trusting Putin is an action of sorts, remembering Putin is an assassin and keeping that one thought in mind when dealing with Putin is also an action. Other than these I have nothing to offer.

Indeed, for America it would be like electing The Son of Sam or the Green River killer as President.

Anti_semitism is alive and well in Germany it's just kept out of sight because of laws that will prosecute you if you are caught talking about hatred of Jews {your hatred} and trying to garner more people to your cause.

thanks!

hopefully i'll soon be able to spend more of my time doing stuff i wanna do online rather than working against a deadline (or 2).

i also hadda chance to check into this stalin thing a lil more only to discover stalin was one of three runners-up, with the other two being a relatively obscure medieval warrior prince and one of the last tsar's ministers. 

it appears as if the contest--if not rigged--was, at least, shaped by putin's people. 

i still think there are russians who feel stalin was just another tsar in a lotta respects but unlike them, he made russia a superpower.

one more thing: i didn't know this was a tv contest rather than a poll.   imagine who the three greatest americans might be if chosen by those who not only watch, but actually spend money to vote for contestants on 'dancing with the stars'.

First, let me clarify that I do not think FDR is anything like Stalin (I know some old time liberals are going to jump to that conclusion).  But in a way, the US is doing the same thing with FDR as Russia is doing with Stalin.  FDR took a bad recession and turned it into a depression with his irresponsible fiscal policies.  Yet he is lionized.  Why?  Because he was a strong leader who united the country during the War and lead us to victory (he did the one thing that no president has since then - allowed his generals to run the battles in the field).

FDR, unintentionally unlike Stalin, adversely affected virtually every family in the US.  Yet ask a member of the greatest generation, and he is their hero.  I think it was Leauki (not re-reading all the posts) that said we remember the greatness and gloss over the pain.  Human nature.  But it is worrisome.  And brings into question why people dont understand that without vigilence, we could have another Hitler.  He did many bad things, but he took a crushed nation to the top, and that is what many will remember, the sufferers of his policies long since having died off.

It sounds like something I might say.

Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, and Tom Hanks - Yea, that's the ticket!

Here's more "good" news today concerning Russia:  Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev has signed a law extending presidential terms from four years to six, the Kremlin said Tuesday, a move seen as paving the way for Vladimir Putin's return to the presidency.

Sure we all seen it coming and this is little surprise, but what are the Russian people thinking. Don't they know the sequel is rarely better than the original?

Yup you nailed this one whip the great depression started in 1929, Hoovers beginning, FDR saved America with programs like the WPA.

Good to see that stupidity is not confined to just America.

It's an entirely different culture at the end of the day, but yes, Stalin was just as bad if not worse than Hitler. What is unfortunate was Trumans and Churchill's tolerance of him in order to finish off the Germans. One can only sympathise in the sense that what else could they of done? Especially when towards the end Stalin promised assistance with the war in the Pacific.

Putin's a puppy dog in comparison, yet he totally lacks dignity and is nothing more than a thug at the end of the day. Never the less Russians still revere him, probably because when we tried to sort out their economy after the collapse of Communisim we made such a hash of it, sending the country into turmoil (and subsequently bringing great shame to these people), that eventually they would be willing to overlook certain 'issues' if the person responsible for them could promise to restore a backbone to the country.

Of course Putin has been fortunate in the sense that Russia is litterally floating on natural resources, so this is no doubt going to prolong his grip over Russia, and for those who think that just because he's now the prime minister he's not the one running the show, your sadly mistaken, look closely enough and you can almost see the strings attached to Mr Medvedev.

MM I'm not so sure that he saved America as is widely held. I recall reading (can't remember where) that unemployment remained high until the war began. It was the war that brought the country out of the depression. Fraud, waste, and corruption were rife among many of these work programs. Where Roosevelt was successful was he did something, create and expand entitlement programs. Hoover did nothing. IMO had WWII not occurred the depression would have dragged on. Roosevelt was clever, ending prohibition helped get him elected, entitlement programs helped him get re-elected, threat of war got him his third term, and continuance of the war his fourth (but incomplete). I don't think he could have pulled it off if he had todays media available. I know he's the Democrats knight in shinning armor, but he had a bit of luck on his side.

MM,

One must remember that much of Stalin's playbook came from his predecessor V. Lenin.  Lenin put a heavy emphasis on education and primarily education reform.  They controlled what was being taught in the school systems. 

After the final collapse of the USSR in the early 1900's much of the education system still remained.  This could be similarly compared to our media of today of Barak Obama (thou shalt not oppose). 

It is also important to point out (as many already have) that any political opposition were arrested and either jailed or sent to the labour camps (ie Gulags).  My wife's grandfather was in the politcal prison during WWII (he was a Polish Jew).  He somehow managed to change his name in prison to a more Russian sounding last name.  He was later released and sent to the east where many of the political prisoners were (near Siberia). Her father was born and raised near the Ural mountains before later moving to Kyrgyzstan.

I suspect two things are the reason for Stalin even being considered for National Hero.  The education systems and those that opposed were either killed or left.

The main difference between Putin and Stalin is the Gulags and the people disappearing.  As you said Putin is very much still a thug.  The KGB is very much still alive just maybe more descreet.  The KGB continues to show it's ugly head globally.  A friend of mine was telling about some issues over in India involving KGB.

The Russian people remember Stalin and think of Putin as people who made Russia a world power and look past how they got there (through exploitation).

You are correct.  And indeed, I did not say that FDR got us into the recession, but he turned it into a depression and prolonged it with his policies.  The thing that got us out of it was the War (do we thank Tojo and Hitler for that????).

Putin just cannot get away wuith the stuff Stalin did due to 24 hour news, something Stalin never had to contend with.

Truman was just following FDR"S policy that was made with Churchill and Stalin at Yalstin{city spelling?}

Fdr did well enough to be elected 4 {four} times, that says something about the job he did under the worse of circumstances.

Much like America has been doing for decades upon decades. I remember when the entire "black history" took less than one page in school, no mention of what we did to the Japanese in WW2 on and on, I think all countries write REVISIONIST HISTORY and teach it as truth in school.

I don't know if it's taught as 'truth' per se but rather "they aren't gonna know anything different."  Sadly, it wasn't until college that I learned how much involvement the US really had before and during WWII. 

Here's an article about a book on IBM and the Nazis LINK

Sure, if you believe pandering is the correct approach. In many cases it is from the peoples point of view. First term, FDR promises to and does repeal Prohibition - I would have voted for him for that. Second term, FDR promises and creates jobs (WPA), great if you don't have a job. He also taxes the rich and upper middle class more (sound familiar yet) to pay for projects (and keeps the country in depression as a by product) also the beginning of social security entitlements. Third term, FDR promises to keep US boys from fighting in Europe (Japan has other ideas/ Fourth term War patriotism keeps FDR in office, the war also brings the US out of the depression. I/d say entitlements and excellent timing of world events kept FDR in office. Pandering got Obama elected, lets see if fate will intervene on his behalf as well.

with unemployment at 25% (i'm uncertain whether famers who were tossed or blown off their land were counted as unemployed rather than just dispossessed), i'm not sure 'pandering' is accurate--unless, of course, you also consider it pandering to create a market for manufacturers and retailers from those who were formerly unable to buy anything.

at one time, i liked what and whom john mccain seemed to be.  then came the day he caved to the forces of GOP theocracy and decided to forgo principle for pragmatism.   by late last summer, he was very clearly willing to do or say anything he felt might win him the presidency. 

mccain kissing evangelical ass was pandering of the sort and degree unmatched by any potential candidate for the office this year--including all them masses of wannabenominees--of any party.

until being annointed by the religious right is no longer a prerequisite for the republican nomination there'll be others in his wake.

We were taught that the United States were giving Great Britain ships and supplies before we got involved in WW2, but that was all we learned in high school.

While I admire FDR, truth is truth and he was the king of Pandering, but it was necessary at the time.

Many still do, and he is guiding Obama now.  It is time we put the myth to rest.  No one ever spent their way into prosperity.  The US did not 70 years ago, and will not now.