Was Stephen Spender part of this CIA funded cultural cold war or just a useful idiot - published in 1978 see - The Thirties and After . Poetry politics and people 1933-75 ... i tried to discuss this in the 1980s at public meetings and with individuals But it was an a thankless task . Men were especially defensive and abusive... lots of sexism and misogyny in those days - more to come . with academics and with ordinary people it was a miserable task