Stalin and Pipe Smoking

[saltedplug]

As told by a friend, before Stalin became Czar and started killing a lot of people, during the years he was coming to power he would get into trouble and disappear so that those he'd angered didn't effect his total disappearance. But at some point he would reappear and return to being Stalin.

He recommended a 2017 movie with Steve Buscemi as Kruschchev, The Death of Stalin, as both hilarious and disturbing.

 

[mso489]

Stalin had many killed because they opposed him, but many more to sustain the aura of fear around him. Oddly, I think the story is that as a young man, he aspired to be a poet, but unlike Mao, he did not continue this into his role as a national leader. I guess hell hath no fury like a poet scorned. Hitler after military service started out as a fine arts painter.

 

[brian64]

Steve Buscemi as Kruschchev

That's enough right there to put it on my must watch list.

 

[brian64]

Stalin had many killed because they opposed him, but many more to sustain the aura of fear around him. Oddly, I think the story is that as a young man, he aspired to be a poet, but unlike Mao, he did not continue this into his role as a national leader.

I never realized Mao was more poetic with his mass murder.

 

[mso489]

The translations of Mao's poetry don't show much depth, but you never know with translations. His poetry was published on into his later life. Pre-Mao, during the monarchy, over many different rulers of many different ethnicities, the civil service exam for government jobs in China required a familiarity with classic poetry and even some poetry writing itself. The civil servants held together the national identity through extreme changes in leadership including under Mongol rule. China is a bewildering history to outsiders, including me.

 

[saltedplug]

As told by a friend, before Stalin became Czar and started killing a lot of people, during the years he was coming to power he would get into trouble and disappear so that those he'd angered didn't effect his total disappearance. But at some point he would reappear and return to being Stalin.

He recommended a 2017 movie with Steve Buscemi as Kruschchev, The Death of Stalin, as both hilarious and disturbing.

Forgot to mention the most important, Stalin's success had everything to do with being a pipesmoker.

 

[Sweet Home Alabama]

Never celebrate a narcissist.

 

[ben88]

Stalin's success had everything to do with being a pipesmoker

I'd highly doubt that. His success had everything to do with mentality of people around him.
As far as pipes go - he smoked Dunhills.

 

[musicman]

Relevant to this thread: My dad likes to bargain hunt for wine at Grocery Outlet, and his local store has a really great wine buyer who will do things such as set aside wines she knows he likes before they sell out.

He got to talking to a neighbor, and it turns out this woman is Stalin’s grand-daughter. Yes, Stalin’s grand-daughter is a wine buyer for a Grocery Outlet in Portland, OR. It’s a small world we live in!

 

[brian64]

Never celebrate a narcissist.

Or a nihilist.

Yes, Stalin’s grand-daughter is a wine buyer for a Grocery Outlet in Portland, OR.

Somehow I'm not the least bit surprised by that.

 

[mso489]

Wow, that is a fascinating historical footnote. One of the directors of one of the U.S. National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, is the granddaughter of Trotsky, one of the Bolshevik leaders who competed with Lenin for power and was murdered in Mexico. Jesse Winchester, the late singer-songwriter who emigrated to Canada to escape the draft during the Vietnam War was the great-grandson of Robert E. Lee.

 

[Casual]

Is there pipe smoking content here?

 

[brian64]

One of the directors of one of the U.S. National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, is the granddaughter of Trotsky

Even less surprising than the Portland thing.

 

[brian64]

Is there pipe smoking content here?

Only as an historical footnote.

 

[mso489]

For those who may not know, Stallin's preferred blend was Dunhill Royal Yacht, or so it's said.

 

[oldgeezersmoker]

For those who may not know, Stallin's preferred blend was Dunhill Royal Yacht, or so it's said.

And I am fairly sure at least some of his pipes were Dunhills
eta: if he smoked Royal Yacht, no wonder he was a callous, murderer

 

[olkofri]

As far as pipes go - he smoked Dunhills.

I really HATE Dunghill now!

 

[musicman]

Or a nihilist.


Somehow I'm not the least bit surprised by that.

Even less surprising than the Portland thing.

So what are you saying here? That Portland and the NIH is communist? You're aware that political talk is not allowed on these forums, yes?

 

[musicman]

Also, this really does belong in "General Discussion." There is pretty much nothing in the OP that is pipe related, other than the fact that it's about a pipe smoker.

 

[brian64]

So what are you saying here? That Portland and the NIH is communist?

No, I personally would not call either of them communist per se. I get the impression of more like some kind of bizarre hybrid of 2 or 3 different isms with a large dash of organized crime. But then the whole country is that to one degree or another.