Some rabid anti-communist told be to read this book as proof of a Soviet genocide in Ukraine.

I did a quick search and saw it being passed around and referenced in anti-communists circles like /r/ENOUGHCOMMIESPAM, but I haven't seen any leftist evaluations of this book or this author. So is anyone familiar with this, and how seriously should I take it?

  • KurdKobein [any]
    ·
    4 years ago

    I dunno. According to Soviet data 14 million people passed through the Gulag system for 1929 to 1952. That's a shitload of people for a country that hovered at a population of around 160 mil.

      • KurdKobein [any]
        ·
        4 years ago

        You have a point but there were also more than 1.5 mil people in camps every year from 38 to 41.

        • StupendousGirl17 [she/her]
          ·
          4 years ago

          Yeah absolutely. I hesitate to say this in case it's interpreted as support of that policy, but for a nation under siege against all the capitalist powers, and several fascist ones popping up on the literal doorstep, it kinda tracks that the USSR would be looking out for anyone who may be a subversive. Horrible, but like, WWII was right there.

          • KurdKobein [any]
            ·
            edit-2
            4 years ago

            On the second look 14 mil point turned up to be Conquest, lol. Soviet data is from 0.5 to 2.5 mil in camps at any one time. That doesn't sound that bad but might sum up to those 10+ number anyway.