The Report from Iron Mountain: on the Possibility and Desirability of Peace

It is controversial because of the uncertainty of its authorship. Is it a secret document written by a CFR-dominated think tank commissioned by the U.S. Department of Defense during the Johnson Administration, as claimed in the report itself, or was it written by Leonard Lewin, the man who originally said he was given the manuscript by one of the writers who felt it should be leaked to the public? 

It is important because it is a blueprint for how oppressive governments can keep their citizens psychologically incapable of rebelling. The solution, says the Report, is war. Only during war or the threat of war are the masses compliant enough to carry the yoke of oppressive government without complaint. Fear of conquest and pillage by an enemy can make almost any burden seem acceptable by comparison. 

The Report also examines the possibility of an alternative to war that might arouse the same high level of fear. It concludes that an end-of-earth scenario based on projections of environmental catastrophe holds the most promise for that purpose. It says that it makes no difference if the projections are correct. Credibility is more important than truth, and credibility can be achieved by repetition in the media.