It's not a double standard though. Killing one person who was objectively profiting off of the lives and suffering of millions of people is very different than killing/imprisoning anyone who disagrees with you.
Declassified CIA report: Even in Stalin's time there was collective leadership. The western idea of a dictator within the communist setup is exaggerated. Misunderstandings on that subject are caused by lack of comprehension of the real nature and organization of the Communist power structure. Stalin, although holding wide powers, was merely the captain of a team and it seems obvious that Khrushchev will be the new captain.
Hold up a minute, you are putting words in my mouth. I'm not even making any claims in my comment about how many Stalin killed or that he acted alone. Only the historically accurate fact that he is responsible for a significant amount of death and suffering, and that statistically it is impossible that everyone persecuted by the (Stalin lead) soviet government was innocent. You can argue numbers and western perception all you want but it is a historical fact that Stalin had the blood of innocent people on his hands, as many world leaders throughout history have had (including most if not all us presidents). Even if your claims are true it still doesn't invalidate my point.