Iran-Contra Explained: The Wall of Crazy Scandal

The Iran-Contra scandal of the 1980s is an incredibly complex and difficult chapter in recent American history. It’s been eclipsed by more recent scandals, and many people shy away from learning about it simply because it’s so complicated. In this video I’ll explain and deconstruct how and why the administration of Ronald Reagan, and rogue elements within it like Oliver North and John Poindexter, came to swap heavy weaponry with the terrorist sponsoring government of Iran in exchange for the release of American hostages, and how money from these deals came to be diverted to a secret and illegal war in Central America. This is an amazing story with a huge cast of characters, but it deserves to be understood. Major sources for this video include the books Landslide: The Unmaking of the President 1984-1988 by Jane Mayer and Doyle McManus; The Iran-Contra Scandal: The Declassified History by Peter Kornbluh and Malcolm Byrne; Shadow by Bob Woodward; and numerous other documents and articles. My website: My Ko-fi: My new blog: Chapters: 00:00-05:37: Intro & Road Map 05:37-13:53: The Background 13:53-20:40: The Cycle of Terrorism 20:40-26:40: The Reagan White House 26:40-36:59: Nicaragua & The Contras 36:59-48:29: The First Arms Deals 48:29-58:48: The Big Swindle 58:48-1:07:26: The Diversion 1:07:26-1:18:18: Everything Falls Apart 1:18:18-1:26:44: The Aftermath 1:26:44-1:33:14: Why Iran-Contra Matters 1:33:14-1:43:48: The Long Tail 1:43:48-1:46:11: Conclusion