Quote from grandluxe: I think drillmega is lumping together figures from the Bolshevik Revolution, Mao's 'cleansing' and Pol Pot's rampage, etc - but that 100+ mil number seems a little steep. That's why I asked him for more info ... I find history interesting and was just curious.
Right.... because the great leap forward (aka Mao decided every farmer should start making steel instead of farming in their backyard, which, along with pretty horrible weather, bought incredible famine) had nothing to do with it.... I never ceases to amaze me how growing up in comfortable western democracies rot the ability of seeing murderous regimes for what they are.
US/UK - that's what you want to hear right? In the world of a Useful Idiot, Prague Spring really was just spring time in Prague.
So was American democraZY resposible for the death of 30% of ALL white southern white males in the 1860's? Idiot.
Quote from dontmissthebus: Previoously, you appeared somewhat agitated ... but possibly knowledeagable. Instead, you appear bitter and not very knowledgeable. Prague Spring was little more than a blip on world history, although signifiant to the czechs. I was cuious about your opinion on whose 'regime' was the most murderous.
What are you talking about? The Great Leap Forward was a government program... And I assume you are talking about the civil war? Why yes - both democracy and America (both Americas, I suppose) are responsible for the civil war. What's your point exactly? That countries fight wars? I certain don't attribute the death due to the Chinese Civil War to communism. But the death to the Great Leap Forward, and the 101 different Purges are certainly due to the direct policies of the Communist government.
Pol Pot's come to mind in brutality. In absolute number: how about the Chinese (in the 50s/60s) and the Russians (in the 20s/30s).
Quotes from dontmissthebus: Your 'supposition' about the American Civil War is not exactly accurate. Americans were indeed the combatants, but not the fomenters. I think you're right about the Russians. Lenin, thru his boys at Cheka, gets credit for over 40 mil according to some.
I don't really understand your point about the Civil War... Americans are indeed the combatant of the American Civil War. I'm not sure what your point is here - that america fought its own people? Indeed it did - and I'm certain not naive enough to think the reason for the civil war entirely based on freeing the slaves. There are all sorts of other less glamorous reasons like north/south economic interests. But how does that compare to the great Purges of EVERY communist regime? And no, Maccarthism (certainly not a high point of western liberal democracy) is not on the same moral plane as the whole sale deportation of families to siberian gulags.