News events of the week for February 9-16, 1974 - Alexander Solzhenitsyn is stripped of citizenship and expelled from the Soviet Union, Patty Hearst kidnapping saga goes into its second week. Oil and The Middle East (again).
February 12, 2011

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Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn - ran somewhat afoul of the Politburo.


Not every week in history could be as momentous as this last one. It's a good thing because a steady diet of that sort of drama would really see a boost in anti-Psychotic medication throughout the world.

In 1974, this particular week (sort of half last week and half next week) saw The Soviet Union strip author and dissident Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn of his citizenship, the first time since Trotsky ran afoul of Stalin and feelings ran high it was a sign of things to come with other Soviet dissidents.

The Patty Hearst kidnapping saga was in its second week with "Tanya" not having been established yet and periodic communications still on the level of "Mom-Dad, I'm okay" as opposed to a few weeks later when it became "I'm with a combat unit". Still, the kidnapping of a publishing heiress on the level of the Hearsts was not going to go away anytime soon.

The Middle East and our obsession with oil made the news, yet again. This time with friction between Israel and Syria was putting a threat on oil prices.

And so it was that week in February 1974. If you're reading this and you're old enough, you survived it. Further evidence life goes on.

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