On Sat, Mar 7, 2026 at 02:58 PM, Marv Gandall wrote: > > "if and when he broke with Stalin *ism* , it would more likely have been > over the suppression of the East German workers' protests in 1953."
A lot changed in the three months after Stalin died. Khrushchev got to work ousting Beria and positioned himself to take over. We know where that went: denigrating and abandoning the communist path in 1956. Was the DDR "Stalinist" in 1953? When Trotsky---s use the insult-word "Stalinism, " it means 98 to 100 percent not socialist. Makes it easy to avoid a realistic and helpful appraisal of the DDR. > > The "lavish life" enjoyed by East Germany's party leaders, as widely > publicized in the U.S. press, included a $725 yearly allowance in hard > currency, and housing in an exclusive settlement on the outskirts of > Berlin that sported a sauna, an indoor pool, and a fitness center shared > by all the residents. They also could shop in stores that carried Western > goods such as bananas, jeans, and Japanese electronics. The U.S. press > never pointed out that ordinary East Germans had access to public pools > and gyms and could buy jeans and electronics ( though usually not of the > imported variety) . Nor was the "lavish" consumption enjoyed by East > German leaders contrasted to the truly opulent life style enjoyed by the > Western plutocracy. (Michael Parenti, Blackshirts and Reds ) > -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Groups.io Links: You receive all messages sent to this group. View/Reply Online (#40984): https://groups.io/g/marxmail/message/40984 Mute This Topic: https://groups.io/mt/118178757/21656 -=-=- POSTING RULES & NOTES #1 YOU MUST clip all extraneous text when replying to a message. #2 This mail-list, like most, is publicly & permanently archived. #3 Subscribe and post under an alias if #2 is a concern. #4 Do not exceed five posts a day. -=-=- Group Owner: [email protected] Unsubscribe: https://groups.io/g/marxmail/leave/13617172/21656/1316126222/xyzzy [[email protected]] -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
