I don’t think I’m being arbitrary about it. The topic was generally on US actions during the CW, so it makes no sense to bring up Stalin in this case. It’s not like we were always on the right side of history with our actions, as we seemed to not mind dictators as long as they weren’t lefties. As Odd Arne Westad showed in his book, our actions helped to create the current war on terror. And we’re clearly marching into a more authoritarian/fascist world without the looming threat of communism as represented by a whole bloc of nations. If it was a win for humanity, we quickly started to lose as soon as the smoke cleared. Many of the countries we “freed” from red domination are now seeing the rise of fascist/authoritarian governments unleashed by dissatisfaction with the neoliberal global economy.
We’re not living in some democratic paradise around the world I’m afraid.
