# Before Aliens: When Flying Saucers Were A Cold War Threat

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/cold-war-cast-4464492/before-aliens-when-flying-saucers-were-a-cold-war-threat
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/cold-war-cast-4464492/before-aliens-when-flying-saucers-were-a-cold-war-threat.md
Podcast: [Cold War Cast](https://stenobird.com/podcast/cold-war-cast-4464492)
Published: 2026-02-28T22:20:54+00:00
Episode link: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/coldwarcast/episodes/Before-Aliens-When-Flying-Saucers-Were-A-Cold-War-Threat-e3foi3i
Audio file: https://anchor.fm/s/6b43b26c/podcast/play/116196914/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2026-1-28%2F419024650-44100-2-aee5f997af8b5.m4a
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Duration seconds: 1511

## Resource

What’s scarier, aliens or commies? Today we’re talking about a period during the tense, paranoid and uncertain early Cold War where Americans saw a rash of UFO sightings, setting off a panic. It wasn’t the prospect of little green men that put the country on edge, it was the idea that these objects could be Russians with secret technology…and we would be defenseless. I use the 1950 B-film “The Flying Saucer” as a good illustration of where America’s mind was at around 1947-50. I’ll also discuss the origin of the “flying saucer” term and the famous Kenneth Arnold UFO sighting that kicked it all off. As always, go to Red Dragon Herbs to get yourself some tea to support this podcast

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