My goodness. I do hope you're not on your death-bed confessing with this post?
I too come from rural poverty and a very left leaning, come, Communist background via my mothers father, my grandfather whom I lived with. My family were somewhat crushed by the Depression. We ate what we shot, trapped, ran over, grew and caught on a line. I would call myself an anarchist rather than, left, because left still produces the same sort of outcome as all the isms.
I read something the other day that the 10 richest men in the world have more wealth than the bottom two-thirds of the worlds population. They have more wealth than 5.2 billion fellow humans. Got to love Capitalism.
I introduced myself to religion, or spiritual concepts after having a strange little epiphany that I found rather inexplicable. I'm sure others on here will have no trouble explaining it for me. i have been blessed to find value in all religions without ever being trapped by one. Before that I was a failed procrastinator. I didn't have the will to be religious, intellectual, an alcoholic, an atheist.
As for Stalin and Genrikh Yagoda, it was a spirit of the age thing. The world had shed a skin, great change was upon us and ructions were breaking out all over the world as old ways collapsed and new ways ripped humanity apart. Murder and mayhem does seem to be our superpower. I don't think Jewishness had anything to do with the Great Purge and in every religion and race there are those capable of unspeakable acts if the system falls apart and they rise to the top because society has failed.
I think we are in the middle of another moment that could be very challenging. We have China ensconcing a megalomaniac. Russia with its brooding, vengeful leader, also ensconced, who wishes nothing other than to regather to Russia the state of the former USSR at a time when America has rusting and dilapidated leadership, with nobody worthy even in sight, and there are many other nations run by less than ordinary leaders.
I have several dear friends from childhood who came to Australia after escaping the Stalin purges in Ukraine. Both believe they lost their entire families, having never heard from them again.
