As a relatively young man, much of history has been colored for me. Figures like Ghandi and MLK have been whitewashed, while it's almost unbearable rudeness to even touch on any positive points Hitler or Stalin may have had. Truth is, figures in history are neither black nor white; every evil man had at least one good quality, and every virtuous man his flaw. These must all be taken into consideration when measuring the worth of an individual.
The same can be said of governments. Since I wasn't alive during the time of the Soviet Empire, much less the Nazi regime, everything I've learned about these governments has been colored by biased sources. One thing I am sure of, however, is the ruthlessness with which they squashed dissent. To this day, countries like Russia, China and North Korea have used a tactic known as the Suppression of Dissent. One popular reference work states, "Suppression of dissent occurs when an individual or group which is more powerful than another tries to directly or indirectly censor, persecute or otherwise oppress the other party, rather than engage with and constructively respond to or accommodate the other party's arguments or viewpoint." (italics added) It is invariable that governments like these that treat their citizens in this way, usually under the guise of maintaining "moral cleanness", are vilified, hated, despised, and condemned by both their citizens and by history.
In a completely unrelated note. I miss Weasel already.
Originally Posted by Weasel
