Actually, I'm finding the
views shown by both sides here about History to be very enlightening.
Beznogim, I understand your point of view, but I think that your attempts to explain the necessity of Soviet policies are fruitless. As your signature says, НЕ ПЫТАЙТЕСБ ЧТОТ0 NЗМЕНИТЬ. The majority of people here come from countries where the concept of "necessary sacrifice" is regarded as ultimate evil. Individualist societies cannot accept loss of human life no matter how necessary it might be for the country. Stalin's policies will always be regarded as absolute evil from Western point of view, even though from Stalin's viewpoint, his actions were necessary to ensure survival of the Soviet Union. It's not just a conflict of political ideologies, the moralities of Western and Russian societies contradict each other here.
It's not that. The West does have a concept of 'Necessary Sacrifice', it's just that the bar for when it
becomes necessary seems to be quite different.
I think a lot of it has to do with an Expectation of Sacrifice. A Firefighter who dies in the line of duty is in many ways viewed as a 'necessary sacrifice' for society. They specifically risk their lives to save others and western society both expects this of them and lauds them for their heroics.
In much the same way Soldiers who die in the line of duty are treated as 'acceptable' Sacrifices (Although that varies much more depending on Popular opinion of the operation they were engaged in).
However the idea that the Government can decide
for its citizens that
they are a 'necessary' sacrifice for the good of the nation is an anathema. It is accepted that the primary Function of government in the west is to safeguard the lives and welfare of its citizens and any deviation from that has to have some major justifications behind it for people to even tolerate it.