It’s that time of year when we are supposed to celebrate one of the weirdest artifacts of the Cold War.
“Given the tragedy of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 and the war in Gaza, you would be forgiven for having missed the fact that we are now in the middle of America’s annual Captive Nations Week. Every summer since 1959, the White House has invited the American people to observe the occasion with “appropriate ceremonies and activities,” according to the original law signed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower. On July 18, Barack Obama followed his predecessors and issued a proclamation calling on the American people to ‘reaffirm our deep ties to all governments and people committed to freedom, dignity, and opportunity for all.’ “