"The Brother: The Untold Story of the Rosenberg Case"

I'm in the middle of reading a book about the Ethel & Julius Rosenberg espionage incident...drawing on interviews with Ethel's brother, David.  He and his wife were also involved in the whole business, but from what I've gathered, they escaped the worst of it by cooperating with the prosecutors. I wouldn't say it's a great book, so I'm not really recommending it...but has provoked thought.

What struck me was how innocently it all began.  Here were children of first generation Jewish immigrants... ordinary people...trying to survive in the "land of plenty".  Communism for them was not evil, but an ideal to embrace and as a way to overcome economic inequities and discrimination.  Additionally, the Soviet Union was, for a time, our ally... right there fighting against fascism. 

How quickly our allies turn to enemies! Over and over again we chum up to despots, etc. only to then move them into the other column when it suits us.  I suppose I can view this behavior in the context of the respective time and place, but given time, this pragmatism seems to have a price.

There is a documentary out there that is worth seeing. It's made by the Rosenberg's granddaughter, Ivy Meeropol: "Heir To An Execution".  Very well done.