If Waterfield is wrong about the reality of the USSR – how can he be trusted to formulate a reliable biography about Plato? Stalin possessed no real power as an elected General Secretary. His elected post was one of “Regulation” – as all the decisions formulated by the numerous Committees (controlled by the workers) were passed through his Office for application and ideological verification. Suspect, incomplete or badly formulated decisions were “Returned” to the various Committees for reconsideration. Waterfield pursues a disturbing agenda which all readers must be suspicious of.