Good evening, everyone. Welcome to the fourth and final event in this years leon panetta lecture series. Before we begin, i want to first ask that on this memorial day, we have a moment of silence in honor of all those men and women who have died while serving in the United States armed services. [ event concluded ] [gavel pounding] thank you. This season, we are discussing the health of american democracy. It is very fitting that we recognize the individuals who have even the greatest sacrifice four our freedoms and our way of life. We honor their commitment to country. Our guests and our discussion this evening are particularly fitting four this holiday, because, tonight, we will conclude the 2019 lecture series by looking back to the finding of our nation founding of our nation and the man who first took up arms to fight in the name of liberty and protect our republic. In the wake of victory, they understood they had to create a system of government that would preserve and protect t
The stage author of the definitive study on soviet russian famine of 1921 to 23, the big show on the American Relief expedition to soviet the big show on bola land, the American Relief expedition to soviet russia in the family of 1921. He also curated two exhibitions dealing with the famine. The 1922 show here entitled deliverance, america and the famine in soviet russia 192123, and at the Hoover Institution that just closed this year, brad plus medicine, american famine relief and soviet russia, 192123. The informative exhibit catalog for the later exhibition is available through the Hoover Institution press. And i would encourage all of you to go online and get a copy. Youll never think of cobbler oil the same way. [laughing] is also a lecturer in history and International Relations at stanford university, a Research Fellow at the Hoover Institution, and your moderator. Please welcome bert patenaude. [applause] so, thank you, tom, for a very generous introduction. Thanks for putting