Afternoon Links — 12.30.10

A man who grew up in a Communist family in Puerto Rico describes his movement out of the party and its anti-Americanism, as well as his observations on racial politics and the Left in America.

While a memoir of the Gulag , and of European anti-semitism, has just appeared in English, 53 years after it was written.

Several major social conservative groups are boycotting February’s Conservative Political Action Conference because the group “thinks social conservatism is the red-headed stepchild they don’t want to have around,” as one social conservative put it.

A new study finds that there are 6.5 million Jews in America , 20% than other studies had found.

A writer for New York magazine argues against libertarianism , in both its rightist and leftist forms.

A writer for the Washington Times lists the most influential pop starts of 2010 .

Stanley Fish reflects on the meaning of True Grit , both versions.