The conventional wisdom is that the launch of Sputnik I by the Soviets in 1957 scared the crap out of the American people and that we poured money into the school systems to get more kids into math and science.
Is this actually true?
From what I've read in magazines at that time the "panic" was largely confined to the national media and decision makers in Washington D.C.
I was 11 at the time and i saw the stories in the New York papers. I was thrilled and excited after watching a Disney program about a 3 stage rocket going to the moon.. Why would i be afraid? I just knew that this was the first step to the stars.. Why would i care what country made it?
The people that were worried were at the Pentagon and the White house. They spun it into a reason to be afraid, very afraid... Just like they do today getting people all frighten about hidden terror cells and an impending invasion for the sole purpose of installing Sharia law.. Just about the time the description, Al Qaeda was getting worn out, they re-branded into isis..
The real purpose of spreading paranoia is to legitimize their existence and secure more funding.
They did this in the Cold War and they are doing it again.. Currently they are dusting off and refurbishing the old anti-Soviet rhetoric.
This is their stock and trade and people eat it up..