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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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[-] RedWizard@hexbear.net 9 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

This video isn't saying that. The video is saying that this CIA document isn't evidence that "there is no such thing as one person controlling a government unilaterally" and that it is even an authoritative opinion from the CIA as an organization. Presenting it as such is easily disproven, and there is far more documentation of a higher level of authority within the CIA at the time, exposing that the CIA did in fact believe Stalin was a dictator.

It doesn't take a position on the nature of Stalin's level of power relative to the collective management of the Soviet Union. It is only pointing out how weak this document is as evidence of the claim that "even the CIA didn't believe Stalin was a dictator." Then effectively calls on the viewer to act and discard this document as a vehicle for agitprop and find new material.

[-] purpleworm@hexbear.net 4 points 7 months ago
this post was submitted on 02 Oct 2025
52 points (98.1% liked)

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