Real Enemies : Conspiracy Theories And American Democracy, World War I To 9/11


Cover of the book Real Enemies : Conspiracy Theories And American Democracy, World War I To 9/11 by Kathryn S. Olmsted, Oxford University Press, USA
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Kathryn S. Olmsted ISBN: 9780195183535
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA Publication: December 15, 2009
Imprint: Language: English
Author: Kathryn S. Olmsted
ISBN: 9780195183535
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Publication: December 15, 2009
Imprint:
Language: English
Many Americans believe that their own government is guilty of shocking crimes. Government agents shot the president. They faked the moon landing. They stood by and allowed the murders of 2,400 servicemen in Hawaii--or 3,000 civilians in New York. In their zeal to cover up their crimes, they killed witnesses, faked evidence, and stole into secure offices to snatch incriminating documents from the files. Although the paranoid style has been a feature of the American scene since the birth of the Republic, in Real Enemies Kathryn Olmsted shows that it is only in the twentieth century that strange and unlikely conspiracy theories have become central to American politics. While Americans had worried about bankers, Jews, and Catholics for decades, Olmsted sees World War I as a critical turning point for conspiracy theories. As the federal government expanded, Americans grew more fearful of the government itself--the military, the intelligence community, and even the President. Perhaps more important, Olmsted examines why so many Americans believe that their government conspires against them, why more people believe these theories over time, and how real conspiracies by government officials--such as the infamous Northwoods plan--have fueled our paranoia about the government. She analyzes Pearl Harbor, Cold War and anticommunist plots, the JFK assassination, Watergate, and 9/11. Along the way, she introduces readers to a lively cast of characters, from the Nobel prize-winning scientist who became a leading conspiracist to a housewife who believed she could unlock the secrets of the JFK assassination. Polls show that thirty-six percent of Americans think that George W. Bush knew in advance of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Real Enemies, an engaging work on a timely, important topic, sheds light on such theories, revealing how the rampant fear of conspiracy at once invigorates and undermines American democracy.
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Many Americans believe that their own government is guilty of shocking crimes. Government agents shot the president. They faked the moon landing. They stood by and allowed the murders of 2,400 servicemen in Hawaii--or 3,000 civilians in New York. In their zeal to cover up their crimes, they killed witnesses, faked evidence, and stole into secure offices to snatch incriminating documents from the files. Although the paranoid style has been a feature of the American scene since the birth of the Republic, in Real Enemies Kathryn Olmsted shows that it is only in the twentieth century that strange and unlikely conspiracy theories have become central to American politics. While Americans had worried about bankers, Jews, and Catholics for decades, Olmsted sees World War I as a critical turning point for conspiracy theories. As the federal government expanded, Americans grew more fearful of the government itself--the military, the intelligence community, and even the President. Perhaps more important, Olmsted examines why so many Americans believe that their government conspires against them, why more people believe these theories over time, and how real conspiracies by government officials--such as the infamous Northwoods plan--have fueled our paranoia about the government. She analyzes Pearl Harbor, Cold War and anticommunist plots, the JFK assassination, Watergate, and 9/11. Along the way, she introduces readers to a lively cast of characters, from the Nobel prize-winning scientist who became a leading conspiracist to a housewife who believed she could unlock the secrets of the JFK assassination. Polls show that thirty-six percent of Americans think that George W. Bush knew in advance of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Real Enemies, an engaging work on a timely, important topic, sheds light on such theories, revealing how the rampant fear of conspiracy at once invigorates and undermines American democracy.

More books from Oxford University Press, USA

Cover of the book What Is Mathematics?:An Elementary Approach to Ideas and Methods by Kathryn S. Olmsted
Cover of the book The Christian Century and the Rise of the Protestant Mainline by Kathryn S. Olmsted
Cover of the book Music In The Late Twentieth Century by Kathryn S. Olmsted
Cover of the book Goddess of the Market: Ayn Rand and the American Right by Kathryn S. Olmsted
Cover of the book China in the 21st Century: What Everyone Needs to Know by Kathryn S. Olmsted
Cover of the book Antarctica: A Biography by Kathryn S. Olmsted
Cover of the book Guns or Butter : The Presidency of Lyndon Johnson by Kathryn S. Olmsted
Cover of the book Indirect Procedures: A Musician's Guide to the Alexander Technique by Kathryn S. Olmsted
Cover of the book Reverence : Renewing A Forgotten Virtue by Kathryn S. Olmsted
Cover of the book Nilsson: The Life of a Singer-Songwriter by Kathryn S. Olmsted
Cover of the book The Lion's World: A Journey into the Heart of Narnia by Kathryn S. Olmsted
Cover of the book Water Music : Making Music In The Spas Of Europe And North America by Kathryn S. Olmsted
Cover of the book Fairness and Freedom:A History of Two Open Societies: New Zealand and the United States by Kathryn S. Olmsted
Cover of the book Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era by Kathryn S. Olmsted
Cover of the book The Cyprus Problem : What Everyone Needs to Know by Kathryn S. Olmsted
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy