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submitted 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) by sadschmuck@hexbear.net to c/history@hexbear.net

No.

According to a claim circulating online, there is a CIA document or internal communication from the 1950s asserting that Joseph Stalin was not a dictator. The existence of this document is cited as proof either that Stalin was not a dictator after all, or at least that even the CIA didn't think he was. However, looking at the document in question, we see it is not a pronouncement of fact by the CIA whatsoever, but an anecdotal information report submitted to CIA information gatherers. As such, the document is a primary source representing the perspective of one anonymous informant, not the opinion of the CIA as a whole. Additionally, the document is contradicted by dozens of more reliable or detailed documents obtained or created by the CIA in the same period, indicating that they did not believe Stalin was non-dictatorial as claimed.

The transcript is in the comments.

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[-] Erika3sis@hexbear.net 13 points 7 months ago

You'd probably have more success making an "effortpost" about it that's basically just a transcript of this video with a less ambiguous title and a few other minor changes.

[-] ClathrateG@hexbear.net 8 points 7 months ago

Yep tbh I'll never watch this video but an effort post I would read

[-] sadschmuck@hexbear.net 4 points 7 months ago

This is not a bad summary, at least in regards to the document in question, but not necessarily the part about evaluating primary sources:

According to a claim circulating online, there is a CIA document or internal communication from the 1950s asserting that Joseph Stalin was not a dictator. The existence of this document is cited as proof either that Stalin was not a dictator after all, or at least that even the CIA didn't think he was. However, looking at the document in question, we see it is not a pronouncement of fact by the CIA whatsoever, but an anecdotal information report submitted to CIA information gatherers. As such, the document is a primary source representing the perspective of one anonymous informant, not the opinion of the CIA as a whole. Additionally, the document is contradicted by dozens of more reliable or detailed documents obtained or created by the CIA in the same period, indicating that they did not believe Stalin was non-dictatorial as claimed.

[-] sadschmuck@hexbear.net 3 points 7 months ago

It's not enough that I found the video but I also have to sell it soviet-huff Just watch it you bunch of LIBs.

You'll learn to be more mindful of primary sources and try to evaluate them.

this post was submitted on 02 Oct 2025
52 points (98.1% liked)

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