I think invoking Lenin might be perceived as too dangerous for them, better to try and let him fade away while they pat themselves on the back for invoking MLK, Ghandi, or Nelson Mandela
I think it's that they can pigeonhole antiracist or national liberation figures like those you listed into those issues alone, while ignoring their broader socialist politics. Lenin was a communist first and foremost, so it's harder to sanitize.
Ironically not really the case with Lenin, even if it's true of others.
A lot of libs think Lenin was okay but Stalin went too far, which is close if you squint.
I think invoking Lenin might be perceived as too dangerous for them, better to try and let him fade away while they pat themselves on the back for invoking MLK, Ghandi, or Nelson Mandela
I think it's that they can pigeonhole antiracist or national liberation figures like those you listed into those issues alone, while ignoring their broader socialist politics. Lenin was a communist first and foremost, so it's harder to sanitize.