Podcast Summary:

Victor Davis Hanson: In His Own Words
Episode: Hollywood’s ‘Willful Ignorance’ Towards Communist Crimes Was Decades in the Making
Guest: Dr. Elizabeth Spalding (Chairman, Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation)
Host: Jack (The Daily Signal)
Date: January 27, 2026

Main Theme

This episode examines the historical and ongoing consequences of communism, Hollywood’s cultural reluctance to address communist crimes, and the importance of public memory as embodied in the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation and Museum. Dr. Elizabeth Spalding, a third-generation anti-communist and scholar, provides insight into why the stories of millions of victims are often marginalized, how the museum came to be, and recommendations for deepening public understanding of this global tragedy. The discussion also explores today’s concerning trends regarding socialism and Marxism, particularly for American culture and youth.

Episode Breakdown

1. The Genesis and Importance of the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation & Museum

[03:43 – 08:14]

• Dr. Spalding outlines that over 100 million people have died and over 1.5 billion are currently living under communist regimes since 1917.

  "More than 100 million people have been killed by this most destructive ideology that mankind has ever seen, Communism."
  (Dr. Elizabeth Spalding, 03:43)

• The motivation for establishing the Victims of Communism Foundation originated with her family, especially her father, the late Lee Edwards, inspired during discussions "at family brunch after Sunday mass."
• The foundation aimed to ensure communism’s victims are remembered and the ongoing threat acknowledged, paralleling the Holocaust’s place in public memory.
• The foundation gained congressional support in 1993 through bipartisan, unanimous legislation, signed into law by President Bill Clinton, with subsequent commemorative efforts supported by President George W. Bush.
• Fundraising and bureaucratic challenges delayed the museum’s opening until 2022.

  "It’s really a labor of family love. ...open this small museum, but very powerful in 2022. And that became, in some part, my Covid project."
  (Dr. Elizabeth Spalding, 08:14)

2. Harry Truman’s Role in the Anti-Communist Movement

[08:14 – 11:06]

• Truman's instinctive anti-totalitarianism ("anti all totalitarianism, including communism") shaped U.S. Cold War policy, distinguishing him from predecessors and potential successors who may have been more conciliatory.
• Truman’s strategies, like containment, became the cornerstone of resisting communist expansion.

3. Inside the Museum: Location, Highlights, and Experiences

[14:24 – 20:28]

• The museum is centrally located in Washington, D.C. ("on McPherson Square, right near the Metro... a couple of blocks from the White House").
• Permanent galleries chronicle communism from the 19th century to the present, including interactive exhibits simulating life under communist regimes.
• Features the unique “Gulag art collection” by Nikolai Gettman, offering visceral, visual testimony of life in the Soviet gulag.

  "It's been called the visual analog to the Gulag Archipelago."
  (Dr. Elizabeth Spalding, 16:11)

• Temporary exhibits, such as one on Operation Pedro Pan, highlight less-known stories, including the exodus of Cuban children.
• The museum hosts events, visiting exhibits, and provides robust online educational resources at victimsofcommunism.org.

4. Hollywood’s “Willful Ignorance” and the Cultural Blind Spot

[22:34 – 26:11]

• Unlike anti-Nazi films, Hollywood has produced few major works exposing or condemning communist crimes, attributed to ignorance, the politics of the film industry, and intellectual trends from academia.

  "Hollywood never had their come to Jesus moment where they said, okay, we were anti Nazi, but we weren't equally anti communist."
  (Dr. Elizabeth Spalding, 24:58)

• A forthcoming anti-communist film festival is planned.
• Notable exception: Angelina Jolie’s "First They Killed My Father" about the Cambodian genocide is praised as one of the few, deeply affecting films addressing communist atrocities.

  "She tells the story and it's brilliant acting and there should be 25 movies like that."
  (Dr. Elizabeth Spalding, 25:58)

• Jack and Dr. Spalding agree on the persistent cultural focus on victims of Nazi crimes, with comparatively little attention to communist victims.

5. Essential Books and Films to Understand Communism’s Reality

[26:23 – 35:55]

Films Recommended:

• "The Lives of Others" (German film about East German Stasi, “brilliant, but not for younger children”)

  "It opened up a small window, but not a door."
  (Dr. Elizabeth Spalding, 28:09)

• "Mr. Jones" (UK-Ukrainian film about the Holodomor and reporting by Gareth Jones)
• "The Inner Circle" (about Stalin’s film projectionist; first shot in the Kremlin post-Soviet Union)
• "The Death of Stalin" (satirical, "brilliant")
• "Pilecki’s Report" (Polish film about Witold Pilecki, who exposed Nazi and communist atrocities)

Books (excluding Solzhenitsyn’s “Gulag Archipelago”):

• "With God in Russia"/"He Leadeth Me" by Walter Ciszek (Jesuit priest, 20+ years in Soviet captivity)
• "Life and Death in Shanghai" by Nien Cheng (memoir of surviving solitary confinement during China’s Cultural Revolution)
• "Against All Hope" by Armando Valladares (survival of over 20 years in Castro’s Cuba gulag).
• The importance of Whittaker Chambers’ "Witness" is also emphasized.

  "If people don't have time for the whole book, at least read the foreword."
  (Dr. Elizabeth Spalding, 36:04)

6. Contemporary Dangers: Communism, Socialism, and Western Amnesia

[37:47 – 43:44]

• Socialism and communism are closely related; socialism is “a less developed part of full communism.”
• Persistence of communist regimes today (China, Cuba, North Korea, Nicaragua) and concern over socialist ideas gaining favor in the U.S.
• Dr. Spalding warns about linguistic confusion (“collective” vs. “community”) and how Marxist thought adapts to new contexts.

  "We almost get into this Orwellian use of language in a bad way."
  (Dr. Elizabeth Spalding, 41:17)

• The spread of Marxist concepts in U.S. academia, critical theory, and public discourse is a serious concern.
• Calls for clarity in language and the need for broad civic education to counteract ideological drift.

  "You have to be very clear. And that does require us then to be able to have conversations with people that don't agree with us."
  (Dr. Elizabeth Spalding, 42:06)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On the persistent threat:

  "This is something that is both historic and still living."
  (Dr. Elizabeth Spalding, 06:26)

• On cultural memory:

  “Hollywood never had their come to Jesus moment where they said, okay, we were anti Nazi, but we weren't equally anti communist.”
  (Dr. Elizabeth Spalding, 24:58)

• On educational mission:

  “You want community… you don’t want the collective because that’s what gets you into socialism and ultimately communism.”
  (Dr. Elizabeth Spalding, 41:18)

• On adaptability of Marxism:

  “Marxism is very adaptable. You can figure out if Gramsci hadn't come up with what he contributed, if the Frankfurt School hadn't... I think some of this stuff would have still gotten into higher education and brought us critical theory and everything else that we're dealing with now.”
  (Dr. Elizabeth Spalding, 41:28)

Key Timestamps

| Time | Segment | |--------------|----------------------------------------------------------------| | 03:43 | Origins of the Victims of Communism Memorial/Foundation | | 08:14 | Truman’s anti-communism and impact on US policy | | 14:24 | Museum’s location, features, and the Gulag art collection | | 19:05 | Temporary exhibits: Operation Pedro Pan (Cuban child exodus) | | 22:34 | Hollywood’s failure to address communist crimes | | 24:58 | Analysis of censorship and “willful ignorance” | | 28:09 | Film recommendations: “Lives of Others,” “Mr. Jones,” etc. | | 32:05 | Book recommendations: Ciszek, Cheng, Valladares | | 37:47 | Relationship between communism, socialism, and contemporary US | | 41:18 | Dangers of collective thinking vs. community | | 41:28 | Marxism’s adaptability and impact on current education/culture | | 43:44 | Closing thoughts and invitation to museum/website |

Conclusion

This episode delivers a rich, impassioned exploration of why the crimes of communism are so often minimized in American consciousness, the dangers of such forgetfulness, and how institutions like the Victims of Communism Museum seek to correct the record. Dr. Spalding’s recommendations for books and films offer practical avenues for listeners to deepen their understanding and confront the persistent allure—and threat—of totalitarian ideologies. The conversation finishes with an emphatic reminder: education and clear thinking about history, language, and ideology are essential defenses against new forms of old evils.

To Learn More or Visit the Museum:
Victimsofcommunism.org