The greatest acts of terrorism in the 20th century were the totalitarian regimes of Mao, Lenin/Stalin and Hitler which caused millions of deaths. The atom bombs caused 103,000 deaths at the time, and an estimated 550 deaths from radiation induced cancers and leukemia since then. The atom bombs caused less deaths than the fighting that didn't happen because they were dropped would have caused. I'm glad the Americans dropped them, and that they came to Europe to fight the Germans and ensure Stalin's evil regime didn't take over all of Europe instead of just the Eastern half. One of the benefits of the Americans actions in the world war is that people can moan about how bad the USA is, and say nasty things about President Bush. If Russia had taken over Western Europe in 1945 free speech would have ended.

Hiroshima
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atomic_bombings_of_Hiroshima_and_Nagasaki#Opposition_to_use_of_atomic_bombs

suppression of all film shot in Hiroshima and Nagasaki
 http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001001583

Nagasaki reports censored
 http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000963439

Hiroshima: Was It Necessary? The Atomic Bombing of Japan
 http://www.doug-long.com/

Hiroshima was to start the Cold War rather than end WW2
 http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn7706&feedId=online-news_rss20

Nagasaki
 http://www1.city.nagasaki.nagasaki.jp/na-bomb/museum/museume01.html

Portland woman recalls horror of atomic blast in Nagasaki
 http://news.mainetoday.com/apwire/D84BRUD03-221.shtml

Japanese attack museum over A-bomb
 http://www.news.scotsman.com/international.cfm?id=1342562003

Andy,
Lenin as a dictator is a ridiculous proposal, not even the most ardent anti-communists could ever claim that Lenin had despotic tendencies. I think you are falling for some severe propaganda ! Stalin no doubt was despotic, but all the decisions while Lenin was about were collectively made by the Politburo. I think you need to consider the definition of Dictator and compare it to the traits of Lenin. You will find it hard to be conclusive.

During 1921-1922, while Lenin was in charge of the USSR millions died in Russia because of the Cheka enforced confiscation of grain from farms. Just because Lenin was responsible for fewer millions of deaths than Stalin does not make him the hero of popular myth. Had Lenin not died when he did there is every reason to suppose that he would have gone on to cause millions more deaths. As the Russian state no longer pays for the maintenance of Lenin's corpse, we can all hope he is soon buried or cremated and removed from the face of the earth. Good riddance to a mass murderer.

Andy, I condemn what Lenin did. I was simply pointing out he was not a totalitarian dictator.

Killing many does not make a goverment a dicatorship.

“We can all hope he is soon buried or cremated and removed from the face of the earth. Good riddance to a mass murderer”

Do you want the world to forget Vladimir Lenin? Let us learn from our mistakes. If Lenin is forgotten the same atrocities could be repeated; is this what you want?