There’s been a lot of talk lately about America’s geopolitical rivalries, and there is frequent talk of a new Cold War. Whether we live in such an era is, at the very least, debatable. But the fact that such terminology is being thrown about perhaps reveals something about the way politicos think about wider international environment.

The Cold War era was, to be sure, serious in nature, but it has also become an increasingly hazy historical period for many. We forget the central role it played in international politics, as well as its constant presence as a series of threats hanging over all means of domestic politics. The Cold War was the stuff of many an action-packed spy thriller, while also fueling our post-apocalyptic speculations around the threat of nuclear war.

To take these recent warnings seriously, we at Angry & Verklemmt think it’s worth reminiscing a bit on the original Cold War. We want to highlight what this battle of superpower rivalries was, and why it might still matter today. But there’s also the matter of its nefarious use—invoking the Cold War inevitably serves political purposes, and we do well to keep this in mind.

So, join us on Angry and Verklemmt, as we consider the potential impacts of a now bygone era. And we try to make sense of the present in that light…