Tuesdays, 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the Orcas Library, Sept 11 — Oct 16
— from the Orcas Island Public Library —
There was good reason to fear and distrust the Soviet empire after World War II. The Great Hunger “Holodomor” of 1932-33, Great Terror 1936-38, as well the annexation of Baltic states of 1939-44 and the severing of East Germany by the “Iron Curtain” are distinct facts that portray Stalin as a “bad actor” on the world stage.
Political maneuvering in Washington, D.C. exacerbated righteous anti-communist fears, precipitated decisions as the House Un-American Activities Committee and the McCarthy Army hearings; Korean and Vietnam Wars. Even now, our own Washington state clings tightly to the arcane and archaic anticommunist loyalty oath, even though recent attempts have been made to eliminate it and the court has found it unconstitutional. (HR 1062, 2013-14).
Join a dozen of your fellows in a salon on the meaning and the expression of 1945-1964. No specific texts but a self-research process through fiction as well as fiction to discern how events and decisions occurred in this seismic period following WW II.
Topics include: WWII-Before, During, After; America after the War; Politics of Anti-Communism; Policies of Anti-Communism; Evaluating Soviet Relations & Response; What went wrong? Alternative Actions?
Moderated by Brad Brown, Advanced registration required. Contact: 360/298-2840; bradleywaynebrown@gmail.com
