> The speech was shocking in its day. There are reports that some of those present suffered heart attacks and that the speech even inspired suicides, due to the shock of all of Khrushchev's criticisms and condemnations of the government and the figure of Stalin.
I guess these indeed are the consequences of developing a cult of personality over decades, that some people just are unable to deal with hearing criticism of the dear leader.
Also the cognitive dissonance at hearing a member of the politburo openly saying stuff that would usually have sent them and their family to the gulag.
Dansvidania · 1h ago
I can't help but think that the speech must have been a pretty easy grab of political power and historical significance with - now - relatively low personal risk.
wiseowise · 2h ago
Obligatory, check “The Death of Stalin”. I hadn’t laughed like this in years.
Nasrudith · 2h ago
Funny, for all that communists like to go on and on about 'contradictions' in capitalism meaning it is therefore inevitably doomed, they are completely incapable of seeing the many contradictions of their preferred ideology right in front of their faces. They like to think they are great rationalists, but they are only great rationalizers. Throwing such shade would be gratuitous if not for the fact that an increasingly vocal minority still believes in that crap.
anigbrowl · 1h ago
Ignorant statement. There are lots of sub-tendencies in communism, and they argue bitterly over their differences. Groups like tankies and Maoists tend to be authoritarian and pro-Stalinist, while Trotskyists hate Stalinists (guess why!), orthodox MLers dislike both for different reasons, many orthodox Marxists are skeptical of Bolsheviks, and then there are all kinds of socialist tendencies that don't identify as communists at all.
CyMonk · 5m ago
not to forget the confrontation between bakunin and marx in the first international, over several core issues of the movement.
I guess these indeed are the consequences of developing a cult of personality over decades, that some people just are unable to deal with hearing criticism of the dear leader.
Also the cognitive dissonance at hearing a member of the politburo openly saying stuff that would usually have sent them and their family to the gulag.