Castro is one example that comes to mind.
Stalin's belief in socialism and his efforts to inspire revolution against capitalism and alienation of working people from power in other parts of the world did serve as inspiration for many. In Latin America peasants were highly oppressed, with Chilean miners and peasants being highly exploited through capitalism. Pablo Neruda, a great poet, championed liberation of the workers and socialist revolt, viewing Stalin as a god-like figure who had achieved this in Russian. In the poem called "The Earth's Name is God," Neruda extols the virtues of Stalin who "erects, cleans, builds, fortifies, / perseveres, ponders, protects, nourishes, / but he punishes too. / And that's what I wanted to tell you, comrades: / punishment is needed" (Gardinier, 1993, p. 245). Even when Stalin's tactics of maintaining control became harshly condemned by most of the world, Gardinier (1993) argues that Neruda "could not quite give up his hero, who for him had provided Fascism's only disciplined, effective opposition" (p. 247).
Stalin was also viewed as a hero to the Russian people, especially the industrial laborers and peasants. These individuals viewed Stalin as providing them a better quality of life through socialism, while keeping them from being exploited at the hands of capitalism and wealthy owners of the means of production. From the perspective of such individuals, Stalin's tactics and methods in creating a government and social system in which the many were ruled by the few were necessary. Stalin placed himself above the party because he argued that only a strong leader with virtually unlimited power could prevent "capitalist encirclement" and divisiveness within the ranks of the Party and within the masses" (Rieber, & Nelson, 1966, p. 76). Stalinism, the championing of the people, overrode considerations related t
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