• You’re getting your resources from Martin McCauley, a Pro-Western Anticommunist who wrote dozens of Anticommunist books during the Cold War. A grifter, so to speak. Additionally, he is a member of the Limehouse Group of Analysts, a Zionist, Islamophobic, pro-NATO, pro-Western group of political analysts with ties to the Defense Industries of Western Countries.

    Additionally, he wrote your quoted texts from before Soviet Archives became public.

    This is why it’s important to vet your sources.

    • It’s just that Khlevniuk seems to agree on the factual things mentioned in the books. So do other sources I look up. And this particular book is very highly regarded as far as I can tell. They do all paint a very clear picture if you ask me.

      It’s absolutely important to vet your sources but usually so you know to expect some factual errors. If there’s something erroneous in the book related to his description of the Stalinist state and Stalin’s position in it, you should definitely point it out.

      Additionally, he wrote your quoted texts from before Soviet Archives became public.

      The revised 3rd edition is from 2003. It does note in the foreword “Since the second edition of this book, there has been an explosion of published materials. Very revealing are the documents which permit a greater insight into the day-to-day decision making of the Stalinist state.” Haven’t checked if the chapter is unchanged in the 4th edition.