Agree absolutely, Steve. But this assertion, that no-one knew what he was up to until Kruschev blew the gaffe in 1956, is unutterable pigshit, as you well know -- implying that these 'commentators' & 'naysayers' you admit to weren't even there. Even when it was known, and admitted by Kruschev et al, there were plenty of doctrinaire commies, several in my acquaintance [& indeed my own family] who just didn't want to know.

≈M≈