The problem was that CSU proceeded as if it were merrily unaware of the larger context of movie production and assumed that militancy alone was sufficient to bring gains. At times the federation seemed not to recognize Hollywood’s importance to the nation’s overall export earnings, balance of trade—and ideological arsenal. Johnston’s trip to London, despite the anti-American feeling he encountered, was a step toward the Cold War, because binding the United States and its erstwhile allies against a common foe—Moscow—would necessarily lead to diminished tensions among Washington, London, and other important capitals. Likewise, targeting and isolating Communists would allow anti-American sentiment to seem the sole province of this increasingly scorned force of Reds, thus sapping the venom from anti-Americanism. Hollywood inevitably became a major force in preparing the way for both the Cold War and the Red Scare. Hollywood helped to produce leaders like Ronald Reagan who were essential in constructing the Red Scare and propelling the Cold War—while CSU often seemed cheerfully oblivious to these larger historical forces that were shaping the terrain on which it fought.