Reflections on the Meaning of Stalinism Paul Le Blanc

Conclusion
The Stalinist political framework was constructed with rotten
timber, representing a “future” of manipulated dreams and ideals that
could not endure. It is best seen neither as a metaphysical “Evil” nor
as the inevitable outcome of revolutionary communism. It represents,
instead, a set of human developments that can be analyzed, arising and
disintegrating within specific historical contexts. It is inconsistent with
the original revolutionary impulses from which it emerged. Yet elements
of the original impulses can be seen to have persisted among people
within that framework. In our different historical context we can see
bubbling-up out of the Stalinist tradition precisely such revolutionarydemocratic
and humanistic qualities that are consistent with the original
revolutionary impulses.
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102 <strong>Reflections</strong> on the Meaning of Stalinism
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<strong>Reflections</strong> on the Meaning of Stalinism