You just cannot go there. You can’t praise Hitler for building the German Autobahn-system, you can’t praise Mussolini for running the trains on time, you can’t praise Soviet leaders for decorating their subway stations with nice chandeliers.
Why?
Because it’s profoundly disrespectful towards the millions upon millions of victims of totalitarian regimes and it turns their suffering into something relative, with mitigating circumstances, when it should always be seen as absolute.
Bernie Sanders just doesn’t get it. And I’m willing to bet a fortune on why that is the case. He just cannot bring himself to see left wing authoritarian regimes for what they truly are – just as bad as fascist autoritarian regimes.
Inspite of all the tens of millions of corpses in the Soviet union, China, Cambodia et al.
Inspite of the strange coincidence that the socialist utopia never materializes, regardless of how much totalitarian control a socialist regime exercices over a country.
Is Bernie Sanders among the people who think that’s just bad luck? For some strange reason the leaders always turn out to be psychopaths and betray the ”true” socialist movement? His comments about Cuba (now, in 2020, with all the knowledge we have) sure give that impression.
Left wing extreme ideologies always fail economically, and generate massive political oppression, because human beings always fight to preserve or improve their place in the social hierarchy. We just cannot help ourselves. In a capitalist society (tamed by progressive taxation, regulation and redistribution) that can be achieved in ways that are often good for everyone. Through education, increased productivity, innovation.
In a left wing authoritarian country it will turn out destructive, it will be about who achieves the highest position in the One party state, in the secret police, in the planning commissions.
Bernie Sanders comments about Fidel Castro and Cuba makes plain that he is dangerous, delusional and hasn’t understood the history of left wing extremism and authoritarianism.