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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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[-] Awoo@hexbear.net 8 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

Lenin went from heavily criticizing Trotsky in a great chunk of his work to saying "akshully, he was awesome and Stalin is an asshole" on his death bed?

Yeah Lenin totally hated the guy he asked to help him commit assisted suicide. Not like that's the kind of thing you ask the person you're closest to when you can't ask your wife to do it. (Stalin refused btw)

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

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