In 1947, the US War Department, anxious to prevent a repeat of the Atrocities Hitler committed in ww2 and avoid America becoming a facist nation, released this film . It warns that Americans will lose their country if they let themselves be turned into “suckers” by the forces of fanaticism and hatred.
It’s interesting to think of this film in the light of Cold War anti-Communist politics, which really came into their own in the year this film was made. Were the witch-hunting politicians and citizens of the late Forties and early Fifties protecting the people, or were they themselves acting like “suckers?” Discussion questions like this help us sort out ideas and avoid unhelpful generalizations.