Foreign affairs

Last week, the Big Fella was explaining some board game to his friends at school. "It's great!" he tells them. "And you get to play Uncle Joe." Blank faces from his friends, so my boy elucidates: "Uncle Joe! You know - Stalin." More blank looks. The Big Fella was flummoxed.

Friday after school, still astonished by it all, he says to me: "How can anyone get to be ten years old and not know who Stalin was!?"

He's got a point. They've all heard of Hitler. Why does Stalin get a pass?