How can...

[Pretty Flaco]

...anybody on here describe the Eastern Bloc as being socialist? Workers didn't control the means of production or the state.

Also, how can anyone uphold "Comrade" Stalin as being a great socialist? Sure, looking at him from a leadership perspective he greatly improved Russian dominance in the world balance of power and was very efficient in consolidating his own power as a leader. But that's not socialism.

[Sensible Socialist]

Because people are so desperate to believe that socialism has been achieved, they'll disregard any evidence to the contrary.

[thesadmafioso]

Well, the eastern bloc did undergo a great deal of progress in the period of time wherein it was administered in accordance with socialist ideology. In many regions of the eastern bloc, socialism still holds an notable degree of sway even. You also need to remember that these states never moved beyond the earlier stages of socialism, largely due to external factors, meaning that they never were really allowed by historical circumstance to undergo the processes which you describe as composing socialism in its entirety.

As for Stalin, you will rarely find leftists who offer their unconditional support for his social actions.

[Dogs On Acid]

The majority of us don't, Only Marxists-Leninists and their sub-tendencies do.