As someone with mixed family ethnicity, I'm going to step in for a second: the article in question needs to be re-read in order to stop the complaints pronto.  When one reads it, it is necessary to understand the history of US-USSR relations at the time.  In the US, communism was bad - indeed, communists were the enemy - "pinkos".  Everybody in the US hated the commies.  Picture this imaginary conversation between am American (A) and someone from the USSR (U): 
 * A: You communists are despicable! 
 * U: No, we're not, it's simply a different economic concept... 
 * A: But you make people work, take their wages, and redistribute them! That's sick! 
 * U: To each according to their needs, from each according to their ability... 
 * A: Pinko bastards, you're war-mongering freaks! 
 * U: We're freaks? This coming from a country where they still find it OK to lynch people of colour?!??!? 
 Very much a "don't point your finger at someone else, unless your own hands are clean" kind of message that yes, indeed, is propaganda intended to deflect American concerns about the communist state. Truly, the message in and of itself by mocking the American belief that lynching was OK, actually says that lynching was bad.  Lynching is therefore not a joke, but America (who turned a blind eye to lynching their own residents) were the joke.  Bwilkins / BMW