Captain Capitalism: Nightmare of a Red Xmas

[Pix]

Coming soon to the FOX News channel:

[Counselor]

I was born in 83, and I got it, wth?

[Pix]

I was born in 1982 and I think the only reason I got it was because I got educated in it.

Granted, as a child forced to play with boys I did play "The Russians Are Coming" but the Cold War fear did not sink in. Early on in 2000 I saw Star Trek IV and was confused over Chekov asking a 20th century cop about the "nuclear wessels" until I turned to those watching it with me and asked, "Cold War humor?" One said I made him feel old.

But even by then I'd been exposed to it (from outdated textbooks in school to seeing a survivalist zine swearing Russian tanks were just south of the Mexican border waiting to invade the moment Y2K hit), heard tales from those raised in it that ranged from hilarious to frightening, saw documentaries on pot to nukes that explained it in detail, and so many other things (including general Time/Life books on the decades) that made me understand it better. I even read a book by FBI Director Hoover warning about Commies (and bonus points for reading far left manifestos of the time as well and coming to understand words like "proletariat"). And then after seeing X-Men: First Class I got to talking about the Cold War with others who told me more about it. So that's why I understood this. Had I been apathetic and not caring to educate myself I'd have found this to be pointless silliness.