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Real Enemies

Conspiracy Theories and American Democracy, World War I to 9/11

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About this listen

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. Although paranoia has been a feature of the American scene since the birth of the Republic, in Real Enemies, Kathryn Olmsted tells us that it was only in the 20th century that strange and unlikely conspiracy theories became central to American politics.

In particular, she posits World War I as a critical turning point and shows that as the federal bureaucracy expanded, Americans grew more fearful of the government itself - the military, the intelligence community, and even the president. Analyzing the wide-spread suspicions surrounding such events as Pearl Harbor, the JFK assassination, Watergate, and 9/11, Olmsted sheds light on why so many Americans believe that their government conspires against them, why more people believe these theories over time, and how real conspiracies - such as the infamous Northwoods plan - have fueled our paranoia about the governments we ourselves elect.

©2009 Oxford University Press, Inc. (P)2018 Tantor Americas Media Studies Political Science Politics & Government Social Sciences United States Crime Government Socialism Liberalism Soviet Union Russia Imperialism Espionage
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A very well read book, my first on audible. Trough the whole book you get a sense of fairness. A conspiracy lover myself it made me look a things in a slightly less conspiracy way. That is until the end. It was a shame for the whole book was very un biased but the end bashing of the latest president seemed more like a personal vendetta. Should have kept it the same as the whole book. If you hate Trump you’ll love this book. If you like Trump, avoid it

Started off well

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Loved this book. It's more of what we know now that we didn't back then as more stuff becomes declassified.

A well put together "conspiracy book" that is true

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Listening to the author defend the Clinton's in the day the Epstein list is released is aweful and the irony is not lost.

Defending the Clinton's!

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