American Prestige Unlocked - Blowback: The Forgotten Cold War Front in Angola w/ Brendan James and Noah Kulwin
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Dec 6, 2025 
Brendan James and Noah Kulwin, co-hosts of the Blowback podcast, dive into Angola's overlooked role in the Cold War. They discuss how Angola became a crucial battleground, highlighting U.S. proxy wars and Cuba’s bold military maneuvers without Soviet approval. The conversation touches on the long-lasting impacts of these interventions, how Ronald Reagan's presidency reshaped foreign policy, and the complexities of local leaders like Neto and Savimbi. They also draw compelling parallels to contemporary political dynamics, making history resonate today.
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Reagan's Return To Proxy Wars
- Reagan transformed U.S. policy from managed Cold War competition back toward aggressive rollback and proxy confrontation.
- Hosts emphasize Reagan's extremism and how his style allowed hardline actors to push expansive covert actions like in Angola.
Portugal’s Backward Colonial Rule
- Portugal ran a late and brutal African empire, lagging decades behind other European powers.
- Brendan James describes Salazar's regime as reactionary and determined to keep its colonies by old-school colonialism.
Agostinho Neto As Founding Leader
- Agostinho Neto emerged as a respected founding figure: a doctor, poet, and MPLA leader.
- Brendan James and Noah Kulwin stress Neto's symbolic stature and role leading the left-leaning party in Luanda.
