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Heartland’s Tim Benson is joined by Maurice Isserman, Publius Virgilius Rogers Professor of American History at Hamilton College, to discuss his new book, Reds: The Tragedy of American Communism. They chat about the deeply contradictory nature of the history of the Communist Party USA, the history of the American far left, and how the Bolshevik Revolution skewed the American far left. They also discuss CPUSA’s unwavering faith in the Soviet Union, how many American communists became involved in espionage on behalf of the USSR, and the organization’s decline into political irrelevance.
Get the book here: https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/maurice-isserman/reds/9781541620032/?lens=basic-books
Show Notes:
The American Prospect: Harold Meyerson – “Red Weather Vanes”
https://prospect.org/culture/books/2024-08-08-red-weather-vanes-isserman-review/
https://prospect.org/culture/books/2024-08-08-red-weather-vanes-isserman-review/
The Bulwark: Ron Radosh – “How and Why American Communism Failed”
https://www.thebulwark.com/p/communism-failed-maurice-isserman-reds-review
https://www.thebulwark.com/p/communism-failed-maurice-isserman-reds-review
Foreign Policy: Casey Michel: “The Contradictions of America’s Communist Party”
https://foreignpolicy.com/2024/07/07/communist-party-america-history-illiberal-democracy/
https://foreignpolicy.com/2024/07/07/communist-party-america-history-illiberal-democracy/
The Wall Street Journal: Joseph Epstein – “‘Reds’ Review: Communism in the U.S.A.”
https://www.wsj.com/arts-culture/books/reds-review-communism-in-the-u-s-a-1e0b14d7
https://www.wsj.com/arts-culture/books/reds-review-communism-in-the-u-s-a-1e0b14d7
Creators & Guests
Host
Tim Benson
Ill Literacy, the newest podcast from The Heartland Institute, is helmed by Tim Benson, Senior Policy Analyst for Heartland’s Government Relations team. Benson brings on authors of new book releases on topics including politics, culture, and history on the Ill Literacy podcast. Every episode offers listeners the author’s unique analysis of their own book release. Discussions often shift into debate between authors and Benson when ideological differences arise, creating unique commentary that can’t be found anywhere else.
What is Heartland Daily Podcast?
The “fire hose” of all podcasts produced by The Heartland Institute, a national free-market think tank.