I wonder why books published by an Anticommunist country that went through a decades long scare would have anticommunist grifters with anticommunist opinions. I am also curious why said anticommunists also happen to be islamophobic, pro-NATO, Zionist, pro-Imperialism, and have ties to the Military Industrial Complex.
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.
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.
Power. But for meaning of the word, I'd just go with something like https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dictator. Fair few mentions of Stalin there, but definitely second to Hitler.
What level of power? Like, is it just a vibe? If the vibes are off, or if they're alright? By your definition linked, the idea of Absolute Power, Stalin was not a dictator as we have shown.