I’ve been watching the mock trial too, I’m on part 15. I’ve also been re-reading Case Closed.
Oswald was quite the whack-job, defecting to Russia, when his novelty with the locals wore off returned to the U.S. He felt both systems were equally flawed, like a pure Marxist he believed the USSR wasn’t implementing Marxism properly. He believed he would get tremendous press when he returned, he had written out answers to his questions for the throngs of reporters he expected to greet him, he was humiliated when no one was there to meet him at the airport.
He kept a diary he called the “Historical Diary”. His next “mission” was to try to get into Cuba to fight for Castro. Castro was his next great hope of a pure Marxist society, he had a picture of Castro on the wall of his apartment.
He made it to Mexico and caused a scene at the embassy trying to get passage into the USSR and then into Cuba, the Russians had him pegged as a nut and denied him. Oswald was the classic political assassin, totally deluded and absorbed with making a mark on history. He thought himself as superior, he was starved for attention, was a pathological liar, constantly wrote to Gus Hall and the communist party telling of his works for the Fair Play for Cuba committee. He told them they had meetings and were getting new members, the truth was he was the only member.
He died at 24, he was in the New York Times when he defected, had drawn attention to himself getting arrested for disturbing the peace handing out pro-Castro fliers, he was interviewed for TV. He then did a radio debate against an anti-Castro leader who exposed his prior lies on a radio interview about his Marine service and the time he spent in Russia. He was devastated by this humiliation, as well as his series of low paying jobs from which he was always fired.
He constantly beat his wife Marina, wouldn’t let her learn English, when he got mad he made her write letters to the USSR embassy to try and get them back into Russia. The Russian community in Russia felt bad for Marina and disliked Oswald, they gave her clothes for their baby and routinely bought her food. This infuriated Oswald as well, there is so much about Oswald it’s astounding. If he were alive today he would have 50,000 + posts on DU.
He staked out General Walker, taking pictures of his home before attempting to assassinate him, the bullet hit part of the lattice on Walkers window and singed his head, if not for Walker’s luck he would have been Oswald’s victim and not Kennedy.
Russian community in Russia
_______________
Should read the Russian community in TEXAS.
Without their kindness, Marina and her baby would have been starving. They threatened to stop supporting her if she went back with Oswald. When she did they stopped supporting her for a while.
Quaker Ruth Paine in Irving took her in while she was pregnant with their second child and took care of her while Oswald lived in a rooming house in Dallas. Oswald would visit on weekends.
The only time he didn’t call for permission to visit was before the assassination, he begged for a reconciliation and Marina refused. He might not have killed Kennedy if she said yes.
When he left to kill Kennedy he left Marina 170 dollars (a fortune for Oswald) and left his wedding ring in a cup on the dresser along with the money, he had never taken his wedding ring off before.
Odd behavior for an “innocent” man, Oswald did it and did it alone.