Lenin and Stalin in the Soviet Union, Mao in China

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The Answer is The "cult of personality" in communist societies can be attributed to several factors. Firstly, these leaders often rose to power during times of great social and political upheaval, and their strong personalities and charisma allowed them to gain a significant following. Additionally, the centralized nature of communist governments meant that these leaders had a great deal of control over the media and propaganda, allowing them to cultivate an image of themselves as larger-than-life figures.

Furthermore, the ideology of communism often emphasizes the importance of a strong, central leader who can guide the country towards a utopian society. This emphasis on a single, powerful leader naturally lends itself to the development of a cult of personality.

In industrialized democracies, we do not typically see the same level of cult of personality surrounding political leaders. This is largely due to the nature of democratic governance, which emphasizes the importance of institutions and the rule of law over the power of any single individual. Additionally, the free press and independent media in democracies often serve as a check on the development of a cult of personality, as they are able to provide more balanced and critical coverage of political leaders.

Overall, the cult of personality in communist societies is a result of the unique historical, political, and ideological factors at play in those societies, and is not typically seen to the same extent in industrialized democracies.

Lenin and Stalin in the Soviet Union, Mao in China

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