Blowback S6 Episode 8 - "Cut Off Their Hands"
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Feb 2, 2026 A deep dive into how Cold War politics turned Angola into a proxy battleground. They track the Reagan Doctrine, covert aid flows to UNITA, and South Africa’s military role. The story follows Jonas Savimbi’s rise, Cuban countermeasures, and the tangled links to Iran-Contra. The episode ends on sanctions and the long toll of war on Angola’s people.
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Reagan Doctrine Remade Cold War Strategy
- The Reagan Doctrine shifted U.S. policy from containment toward active rollback via proxy wars in the Third World.
- This energized large covert and overt interventions from Central America to Southern Africa, reshaping Cold War conflict dynamics.
Constructive Engagement Backfired
- Constructive engagement tied the U.S. to apartheid South Africa economically while expecting political reforms that never materialized.
- This policy emboldened Pretoria's regional military actions and complicated U.S. credibility on apartheid.
The Jamba Jamboree PR Spectacle
- The Jamba Jamboree gathered anti-communist guerrilla leaders in Jonas Savimbi's Angolan base as a PR spectacle for U.S. conservatives.
- The event included a message from Reagan and displayed South African logistical support despite diplomatic sensitivities.