Russell Brand and the Stalin poster

Several websites have mentioned the fact that Russell Brand's video apology contained an image of Stalin in the background. The BBC news magazine asks the question....

"He had the blood of millions on his hands, yet Joseph Stalin has escaped Hitler-style demonisation, and even become a trendy pin-up. Why has history been so kind to this murderous leader?".

Daniel Finkelstein has asked a similar question.

Despite all his crimes, for many on the left, Stalin represented a noble (if flawed) ideal. In their eyes, the fact that he stood up to a America absolves him of any guilt for the millions he murdered.

In Russell Brand's case, I wouldn't bother drawing any of those conclusions, the guy simply has very bad taste.