Would Stalin have been as ruthless if WE had treated Russia with respect and not tried to undermine them at every turn? I doubt it.
No disrespect, but I think you are almost as ignorant about Stalin as the average Russian.
From the moment Lenin died (1924), Stalin ruthlessly consolidated his power, even going to great lengths to hunt down and exterminate people who were heroes of the Marxist revolution.
He hunted Leon Trotsky for FIFTEEN YEARS, and had him killed by one of his agents, who took more than year to build a false persona that allowed him to get Trotsky into a situation where he was vulnerable.
If that us what you consider
no disrespect, I shudder to think of what you consider
gratuitous disrespect .
YOU were the one who brought up Stalin in a discussion about Reagan. I normally consider that type of diversionary discourse as an attempt at establishing a false equivalence, but I decided to give you the benefit of the doubt and see how you would respond to historically valid cause and effect.
When comparing Reagan with Stalin, the issue is not Trotsky. The issue is U.S. belligerent and unnecessary involvement. If I was to go into some DETAILS about what our intelligence services have done ROUTINELY for over 70 years, the Trotsky set up would look like a Sunday School Picnic. But I see I am wasting my time trying to enlighten you on what the US actually did to stimulate the paranoia and police state in Russia.
Have a nice day.