Members Only #235 - To Overthrow the World: A Conversation on Communism with Sean McMeekin

In 'To Overthrow the World', Sean McMeekin explores the evolution of Communism from a seductive ideal of a classless society into the ruling doctrine of tyrannical regimes. The book spans from Karl Marx’s writings to the rise and fall of the USSR under Stalin, Mao’s rise to power in China, and the acceleration of Communist or Communist-inspired policies in the twenty-first century. McMeekin argues that despite its endurance, Communism remains deeply unpopular as a political form and has always arisen by force. The book provides a thorough and readable account of how Communism has endured through the twentieth century and its ongoing influence today.

In 'Stalin's War', Sean McMeekin presents a groundbreaking reassessment of World War II by shifting the focus from Adolf Hitler to Joseph Stalin. McMeekin argues that Stalin was the central figure in the conflict, working to ensure that the war would leave his enemies exhausted and ripe for revolution. The book reveals how Soviet Communism was rescued by the self-defeating strategic moves of the US and Britain, particularly through Lend-Lease aid, which provided Stalin's war machine with substantial American matériel. This support enabled the Soviet Union to conquer much of Eurasia, from Berlin to Beijing, and set the stage for the Cold War. McMeekin's research draws on previously classified Soviet archives and challenges the traditional view of World War II as a simple struggle between good and evil.

In 'Red Star Over Hollywood,' Ronald and Allis Radosh explore the complex and often hidden connections between Hollywood's film community and the political Left, especially during the period of communist influence. The book delves into the lives of movie stars, directors, and screenwriters who were drawn to or actively involved with communist ideology, revealing the broader cultural and political implications of these affiliations.

In 'Political Pilgrims,' Paul Hollander examines the journeys of Western intellectuals to communist countries, particularly the Soviet Union, China, and Cuba, between 1928 and 1979. The book delves into the motivations behind these travels and how these intellectuals were often deceived by the host countries through elaborate hospitality, propaganda, and selective presentations. Hollander's work is a sober and factual account that aims to understand why educated individuals could overlook critical evidence and produce misleading assessments of these societies. The book also explores the estrangement of Western intellectuals from their own societies and the factors contributing to this estrangement, such as the decline of authority, emotional discontent, and the influence of mass media and Marxist propaganda.

In 'Hollywood Party,' Kenneth Lloyd Billingsley uncovers the Communist Party's strategic plan to take control of the movie industry during its golden age. Using neglected information from public records, personal files, and Soviet archives, Billingsley details how the Party dominated the industry's politics, raised money from liberals, and conscripted industry luminaries to support Stalinist causes. The book reveals the Party's influence from the Popular Front through the Nazi-Soviet Pact and beyond World War II, and how their plans ultimately shaped the popular memory of those days despite their failure to maintain control by the mid-1950s.

Published in 1954, this book provides a detailed analysis of the McCarthy era, focusing on the State Department security policies of the 1940s and McCarthy’s public cases. The authors defend McCarthy where the record supports him and criticize him where he overstepped. The book also critiques the Tydings Committee, arguing it was unfair and untruthful. It discusses the appropriate standards for national security employment and the balance between security risks and individual rights.