Communism S Shadow

It has long been assumed that the historical legacy of Soviet Communism would have an important effect on post-communist states. However, prior research has focused primarily on the institutional legacy of communism. Communism's Shadow instead turns the focus to the individuals who inhabit post-communist countries, presenting a rigorous assessment of the legacy of communism on political attitudes. Post-communist citizens hold political, economic, and social opinions that consistently differ from individuals in other countries. Grigore Pop-Eleches and Joshua Tucker introduce two distinct frameworks to explain these differences, the first of which focuses on the effects of living in a post-communist country, and the second on living through communism. Drawing on large-scale research encompassing post-communist states and other countries around the globe, the authors demonstrate that living through communism has a clear, consistent influence on why citizens in post-communist countries are, on average, less supportive of democracy and markets and more supportive of state-provided social welfare. The longer citizens have lived through communism, especially as adults, the greater their support for beliefs associated with communist ideology—the one exception being opinions regarding gender equality. A thorough and nuanced examination of communist legacies' lasting influence on public opinion, Communism's Shadow highlights the ways in which political beliefs can outlast institutional regimes.

Despite its key role in the intellectual shaping of state socialism, Communist ideas are often dismissed as mere propaganda or as a rhetorical exercise aimed at advancing socialist intellectuals on their way to power. By drawing attention to unknown and unexplored areas, trends and ways of thinking under socialism, the volume examines Eastern Europe and Russian histories of intellectual movements inspired - negatively as well as positively - by Communist arguments and dogmas. Through an interdisciplinary dialogue, the collection demonstrates how various bodies of theoretical knowledge (philosophical, social, political, aesthetic, even theological) were used not only to justify dominant political views, but also to frame oppositional and nonofficial discourses and practices. The examination of the underlying structures of Communism as an intellectual project provides convincing evidence for questioning a dominant approach that routinely frames the post-Communist intellectual development as a 'revival' or, at least, as a 'return' of the repressed intellectual traditions. As the book shows, the logic of a radical break, suggested by this approach, is in contradiction with historical evidence: a significant number of philosophical, theoretical and ideological debates in post-Communist world are in fact the logical continuation of intellectual conversations and confrontations initiated long before 1989.

When H.G. Wells came face to face with Lenin. In 1920, world famous writer H.G. Wells was invited on a trip to Russia. A committed socialist, Wells had high hopes for the Bolsheviks. What he found was a country ravaged by revolutions and civil war. Despite this, he still held out hope for the future—an optimism which would prove to be very misplaced. The highlight of the trip came when he met with Vladimir Lenin, or as Wells described him, "the little figure at the great desk". "Russia in the Shadows" is a fascinating document of Wells’ trip, and a great read for any history buffs. H.G. Wells (1866–1946) was an English author often called the "father of science fiction". His work popularised some of the genre’s most abiding concepts, such as time travel and parallel universes, while also exploring social issues of the day. Among his most famous books are "The Time Machine", "The Island of Doctor Moreau", "The Invisible Man" and "The First Men in the Moon". Wells was also one of the first writers to imagine an alien invasion. In "The War of the Worlds" he depicts a devastating attack by Martians, who stalk the earth in huge metal tripods. Orson Welles famously created an American radio version in the 1930s, panicking some listeners who thought it was a real news bulletin. The book has been adapted for the screen many times, including a movie starring Tom Cruise and a BBC television series.

In the Shadow of Infamy is born out of life experiences in the shadow of "Communist paradise" created by the Stalinist dictatorship. Author George Farmos was born in Slovakia during a time when Darwinism would be unleashed in the most unanticipated way. Not to believe what the Communist Party championed was considered ignorant, reactionary, and deserving of punishment. Individuals were forced to sacrifice their rights on the altar of "collective fairness". Farmos writes this book to illustrate a chilling parallel between Communism and progressive liberalization of America, under government's leadership, in the name of "science".

"This is a charming and sometimes shocking portrait of growing up in a remote village in Romania during the Communist era. It is an intriguing portrayal of the customs and traditions that lingered on from the pre-Communist days, humourous and brutal as they were, and their destruction at the hands of what seems a madness that gripped the country during the 1940s and 50s. It is also a testament to the resilience of the author's father who endured unimaginable pressures, humiliations and imprisonments for committing no crime other than employing a couple of men."--Back cover.

When traumatic historical events and transformations coincide with one's entry into young adulthood, the personal and historical significance of life-course transitions interact and intensify. In this volume, Alena Heitlinger examines identity formation among a generation of Czech and Slovak Jews who grew up under communism, coming of age during the de-Stalinization period of 1962-1968. Heitlinger's main focus is on the differences and similarities within and between generations, and on the changing historical and political circumstances of state socialism/communism that have shaped an individual's consciousness and identity—as a Jew, assimilated Czech, Slovak, Czechoslovak and, where relevant, as an emigre or an immigrant. The book addresses a larger set of questions about the formation of Jewish identity in the midst of political upheavals, secularization, assimilation, and modernity: Who is a Jew? How is Jewish identity defined? How does Jewish identity change based on different historical contexts? How is Jewish identity transmitted from one generation to the next? What do the Czech and Slovak cases tell us about similar experiences in other former communist countries, or in established liberal democracies? Heitlinger explores the official and unofficial transmission of Holocaust remembering (and non-remembering), the role of Jewish youth groups, attitudes toward Israel and Zionism, and the impact of the collapse of communism. This volume is rich in both statistical and archival data and in its analysis of historical, institutional, and social factors. Heitlinger's wide-ranging approach shows how history, generational, and individual biography intertwine in the formation of ethnic identity and its ambiguities.

When Shadows Fell is a probing exploration of a young American woman's struggles to express her ideals by joining the Communist Party, at a time it was dangerous to do so, in the early 1950s at the height of McCarthyism. Inspired by the author's experience as a grass roots Communist in Los Angeles, the story brings the reader into intimate contact with the inner life of the Party. Interlaced with this main theme are is the rising crescendo of the main character, Zelda's, conflicts with a virulently anti-Communist father and secretive husband. During her six years in the Party, Zelda gains strength and confidence, but her certainty that she's taking part in reshaping the world explodes after the Soviet Party's 20th Congress when Khrushchev reveals Stalin's brutalities and expose the Party's knowing silence. A devastated Zelda struggles to find a political identity in a world suddenly stripped of familiar signposts.