I believe in socialism, but I feel Stalin shouldn’t be idolised due to things like the Gulag.

I would like more people to become socialist, but I feel not condemning Stalin doesn’t help the cause.

I’ve tried to have a constructieve conversation about this, but I basically get angry comments calling me stupid for believing he did atrocious things.

That’s not how you win someone over.

I struggle to believe the Gulag etc. Never happened, and if it happened I firmly believe Stalin should be condemned.

    • comfy@lemmy.ml
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      9 days ago

      Good idea, tactless execution. When someone comes to us asking questions with an open mind, being condescending like this could turn them away.

    • AnonomousWolf@lemm.eeOP
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      10 days ago

      I want a discussion. It shouldn’t be that hard to explain.

      I’m not going to convince you of Christianity by saying.

      Wrong, go read the bible. It’s not that simple.

      • Anarcho-Bolshevik@lemmygrad.ml
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        10 days ago

        They’re inviting you to read history, not claims of the supernatural. Most of us arrived at our more reasonable assessments of the Stalin administration by studying mature works of history. If you are expecting somebody to spend only a couple minutes refuting decades of Cold War propaganda then you are unlikely to find much help anywhere.

          • Cowbee [he/they]@lemmy.ml
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            10 days ago

            I do recommend reading the history books provided, however. I fully back what my comrades here have suggested, and don’t want to take away from their inputs on the matter. Rather, I endorse them, and think the idea of comparing theology to history when it comes to the notion of research is rather rude.

            • Shatur@lemmy.ml
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              10 days ago

              I think that simply saying “wrong” was rude as well; responses like that can alienate people.

              Your top-level comment is a great example of how it should be done 🙂

              • Cowbee [he/they]@lemmy.ml
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                10 days ago

                While I agree, I don’t fault comrades for being short of patience when combatting the same mistaken notions repeatedly. I take breaks frequently from Lemmy as a consequence.

      • Alaskaball [comrade/them]@hexbear.net
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        10 days ago

        Comparing theological work to historiographical work is a logical fallacy.

        Asking for a discussion of a topic one is ignorant on isn’t asking for to be persuaded on it, its asking for opinions that may or may not be correct then cherry picking the answers that best suit one’s biased perspectives.

        Asking you to do the most barest amount of research on a complex topic before trying to engage in it is to do you a favor of giving you the opportunity to arm yourself with concrete knowledge that you can then concretely be compare and contrast to the knowledge of others instead of asking for ephemeral platitudes that are fluffed to appear full in content but will starve your mind of substance