• Kusimulkku@lemm.ee
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    3 months ago

    Khlevniuk is Russia. Not that I’d consider the nationality the thing I use to judge historians.

    • Cowbee [he/him]
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      3 months ago

      We are talking about Martin McCauley, who wrote Stalin and Stalinism.

      • Kusimulkku@lemm.ee
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        3 months ago

        We were talking about them both. You chose to focus on only one of them, despite both making the claim about Stalin being a dictator.

        • Cowbee [he/him]
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          3 months ago

          Because I didn’t bother with the second after realizing you believe a fascist-written opinion piece to be worthy of respect.

          • Kusimulkku@lemm.ee
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            3 months ago

            I was under the impression it was the claims we were discussing, which Khlevniuk’s book seem to support, not what or who deserves our respect. For that reason it might be worthwhile to check that out too. Totally up to you of course.

            • Cowbee [he/him]
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              3 months ago

              Respect, as in accept the opinions. Nothing you have shown has supported the idea that Stalin could not be opposed, and was not opposed, nor that he was all-powerful.

              • Kusimulkku@lemm.ee
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                3 months ago

                We were talking about whether Stalin was a dictator or not. Khlevniuk’s Stalin: A New Biography of a Dictator makes that case.

                Stalin could not be opposed, and was not opposed, nor that he was all-powerful.

                Even Hitler wasn’t a dictator on those grounds. And I think he is considered the epitome of a modern day dictator.