Watchmen and Geopolitics

This is the theme that most stood out at me throughout the work. Most likely because the book was such a great relic of the Cold War era -- there's so much terror about the pending nuclear holocaust, and it doesn't seem as though this feeling is entirely dramatized for the characters. By which I mean you can tell that Moore was reflecting the popular attitude of the time. All of this seems altogether foreign to our generation -- we've heard plenty of tell of the Cold Ward; we understand its implication and the extent of the terror it caused, but having grown up after it had ended, we have no real understanding of how powerful that fear must have been. I feel it permeates Watchmen.

There are enough obvious reasons: this standoff, and an effort on the part of Ozymandias to thwart it, are the driving points of the plot. What I thought was really interesting, though, was the way Moore tied these superheroes into the geopolitical structure. Especially the vigilantism of the Comedian -- and the seemingly more official business of Jon -- in the Vietnam War. Also, more importantly, the fact that Jon was essentially used as the ultimate weapon, or perhaps the ultimate deterent, against the Russians. One gets the sense that Moore's invention of Jon maybe stemmed from a Western desire to see the Russians thwarted in their expansionistic (slash dominational) efforts. Although that might be reading too much into Moore and his writing.

Regardless, Jon's character, and the way he is able to affect world affairs, just by his very existence, are very interesting. What I found particularly curious, though, was the fact that Jon was recognized and treated like any valuable and high-ranking agent of the government. He is summoned, and he is ordered to do things by the president. However we learn that Jon's view toward the universe has become entirely materialistic - he has learned to see things at the atomic level. Why, I wondered, does he continue to accept the president of the USA, and his molecules, as a source of authority? Why would he value Nixon's judgment (especially if he could see into the future, wink wink) above anyone else's? Perhaps a better question still: why were they stupid enough to let Jon into the same ROOM as the president? Nixon and all his secret service men would have presented Jon as much challenge as the billions of tons of Martian crystals he created. Which is none whatsoever.

Geopolitically, I found myself constantly wondering why Jon had such allegiance to the US government? His new powers as well as perspective, one would think, would have revealed to him the many errors of his government's ways, relative to what had been going on in the rest of the world. Why did he hold so true to his country and work on its behalf, when there could surely have never been any true incentive for him (How do you pay a man who can materialize cash?) It seems like, when Jon came into existence, the arms race would have turned into a Jon race -- a mad dash to win his favor and protection at any cost.