At the end of the Korean War,
James Veneris was an American POW awaiting repatriation. But when his time came, he—
along with twenty other Americans and a Briton—declined to leave and chose to cast his lot with Mao and the Chinese Communist Party. Over time, almost all of these men became disillusioned with Marxism and eventually
returned to their homelands. The Cold War that informed their decisions has become a chapter in the history books but the story of Western defectors to the Communist bloc is just now being written.
posted by jason's_planet
on Jan 4, 2007 -
9 comments
Mildred Fish Harnack was the only
American woman executed for treason during World War II.
Born, raised, and
educated in Wisconsin, she moved to
Berlin with her German husband
Arvid in
1929. Arrested by the Nazis in September 1942 for their
pivotal role in the Communist
Red Orchestra resistance movement, they were tried in December 1942:
Arvid was hung and
Mildred received six years hard labor. Reviewing her case (during the humiliating German defeat at
Stalingrad), Adolph Hitler ordered her retried in January 1943. This time, she was convicted, sentenced to death, and
beheaded by
guillotine in
Plötzensee Prison on February 16, 1943.
[Mildred's life is detailed in the 2000 biography Resisting Hitler: Mildred Harnack and the Red Orchestra.]
posted by cenoxo
on Jul 24, 2006 -
10 comments
Every state must have its enemies. Great powers must have especially monstrous foes. Above all, these foes must arise from within, for national pride does not admit that a great nation can be defeated by any outside force. That is why, though its origins are elsewhere, the stab in the back has become the sustaining myth of modern American nationalism. Since the end of World War II it has been the device by which the American right wing has both revitalized itself and repeatedly avoided responsibility for its own worst blunders. Indeed, the right has distilled its tale of betrayal into a formula: Advocate some momentarily popular but reckless policy. Deny culpability when that policy is exposed as disastrous. Blame the disaster on internal enemies who hate America. Repeat, always making sure to increase the number of internal enemies.
Stabbed in the Back !
posted by y2karl
on Jul 15, 2006 -
36 comments
Treason: Hurting America's Feelings --from fafblog:
Now you may think "oh well Fafnir America's a big country it can take care a itself" but in fact it is very sensitive. When you say its mom's ugly or criticize its foreign policy or kick sand on its face at the beach it is just as hurt as if you'd sold its state secrets.
posted by amberglow
on Feb 18, 2005 -
45 comments
Arcata City Council: always
political, always
controversial always
entertaining. Arcata is now the first city in the nation to pass an ordinance outlawing voluntary compliance with the
Patriot Act. Stories in today's
Washington Post, as well as previous articles in the
San Francisco Chronicle, and the local
Times-Standard, tell of Council Member David Meserve, who ran for office with the campaign slogan "The Federal Government Has Gone Stark, Raving Mad," and who drafted the ordinance, which passed by a 4 to 1 majority. Meserve calls the new law a "nonviolent, preemptive attack."
posted by runthegamut
on Apr 21, 2003 -
23 comments
Actually, They DO Dare Call It Treason. Criticize Bush and be shouted down as a traitor: "The despicable traitors have made it their mission to undercut the authority of President Bush during America’s darkest hour, proving themselves even more cowardly than the terrorist murderers who are the only beneficiaries of such contemptible conduct." It's a good thing that MeFi would never sink to such levels.
posted by NortonDC
on Sep 16, 2001 -
39 comments
