I was sold on McGowan's piece until I read his work on the moon landings, which was utter raving nonsense. I was much less sold after that.

But I think it's still fair to question the extent to which psychedelia and pro-peace (as opposed to anti-war) culture was deliberately seeded and manufactured - in the same way that abstract art and music were promoted to intellectuals by the US primarily for nationalistic and political reasons.