Blood Work The Poor Man's Air Force: The History of the Car Bomb (Part 1)
Oct 21, 2025
A survey of how vehicle bombs reshaped modern violence and politics. Stories range from the 1920 Wall Street wagon bombing to ANFO’s spread and IRA campaigns. The narrative tracks tactics from Palestine and Algeria to Lebanon, Vietnam, and urban terror in Europe. It explores training programs, state collusion, and the rise of suicide vehicle attacks.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Car Bombs Are Historical Technologies
- Car bombs evolved as political technology, shaped by history and users rather than existing as isolated tools.
- Gregory Foley stresses the car bomb's evolution reflects tactics, economics, intent, and historical context.
Wall Street Wagon Attack
- Mario Buda executed the first car bomb in New York in 1920 targeting J.P. Morgan's offices but killed mostly clerks and bystanders.
- Buda fled to Italy and was never caught, establishing the vehicle+explosive formula.
Poor Man's Air Force
- Davis calls the car bomb the 'poor man's air force' because it replicates airpower effects cheaply and stealthily.
- Foley highlights qualities: cheap, anonymous, indiscriminate, and empowering for marginal actors.
