In comparing the seventies era with the present ; I have come to recognize similarities between events of today and the proceedings that occurred almost 40 years ago, both having impacted our nation . The Vietnam War, like the Iraq war, dragged on longer than expected. Because of this, the people within our country became polarized with extreme positions that ultimately divided our national focus. During the 2000‘s, many U.S. citizens expressed their opposition to the war in Iraq. Likewise this sentiment was shared by many politicians and political activist during the Vietnam War era, like the presidential candidate Eugene McCarthy and singer/songwriter John Dylan.
World War II to 2011: Changes and Challenges in the Global Economy The aftermath of World War II was the beginning of a new era. The war ended the Great Depression. The federal government emerged from the war as a potent economic factor, able to regulate economic activity and to partially control the economy through spending and consumption. Six major changes and challenges emerged from the war that helped shape the global economy: 1. The Emergence of Women- women were needed to fill many traditionally male jobs and roles.
In this paper we will examine the impact of 9/11 on Americans and the U.S. economy and why the U.S. responded to the terrorism by enacting the USA Patriot act to “protect” America, which had become a big controversial issue to Americans. Another topic we will discuss is the negative effects of the Patriot Act such as violating Americans civil liberties and how the government stereotyped and secretly arrested Arab or Muslim citizens. The tragedy of 9/11 has impacted America in many ways and ever since then, America has made a lot of changes to prevent another tragedy, such as the national security which is tighter than it has ever been in recent years, especially in airports. According to Jennie Wood’s article, she mentions that the airport has way too many restrictions on what to bring in the plane for every traveler, such as, “Liquids and toiletries have to be a certain size and placed in clear, sealed bags. No food or bottled water is allowed through security.
At that time, Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein accused Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates of flooding the world oil market. Specifically, he accused Kuwait for stealing oil from a disputed supply, the Rumaila oil field which ran beneath both countries, and thus waging an "economic war" against Iraq. Saddam Hussein was a brutal dictator and led the 4th larger Army on the world, with 650,000 soldiers. On August 2nd, 1990, Iraqi military forces invaded and occupied Kuwait, gaining power over 20 percent of world fossil oil fields. Within hours of the invasion, Kuwait and U.S. delegations requested a meeting of the United Nations Security Council, which passed Resolution 660, condemning the invasion and demanding a withdrawal of Iraqi troops.
They lost power, control, and respect as a nation, and the tensions between and with foreign countries and those within America itself persisted long after military attacks were made. Although the economic policies improved under the successes of Kennedy and Johnson, this war was crucial to the downfall of the economy that came in the 1970s. The social tensions still remain prominent today, and it is still a difficult topic of discussion and reflection for most. Politically, the pressures made people more aware and conscious of their decisions. Vietnam helped Americans draw from experience new lessons that drastically reformed the society during the 1960 and 1970s, and called to attention the questioning of beliefs and morals.
1968 With Tom Brokaw When people look back on past years and decades, they usually do so in a manner that summarizes how particular events helped define those years. People will often have says for each decade such as the Roaring’ Twenties, the GI Generation for the forties, and the 60’s may just have an endless list. One year in the 60’s though stood out from the rest; 1968 was quite possibly one of the most influential years in American History. A counter-culture tore through classic American Traditions, a controversial war segregated the population, protests, assassinations, and riots were front page news every couple of months. These were times of trouble yet growth in the American culture, and we are still feeling the effects of them today.
eThe Future of Freedom - Chapter 5 précis. In the chapter entitled “Too Much of a Good Thing”, Zakaria talks about the changes in the American political system since the 1960’s, and the explanations for these changes. America in the past 25 years has seen a significant increase in GDP and the end of the Cold War. As a country they have towered above the world politically, economically and culturally. However, Americans, regardless of all these progressions, feel unhappier in their government as they feel that their country has a fundamentally flawed political system; and have declining faith in their democracy.
After selling their lies and plans for the war to the America people, congress had given President Bush carte blanche to bring justice to those who caused pain and destruction on American soil. Abu Ghraib Prison, also known as Baghdad Central Prison, became the U.S Army detention center for captured Iraqis. “For decades under Saddam Hussein, many prisoners who were taken to the Abu Ghraib prison never came out. It was the centerpiece of Saddam's empire of fear, and those prisoners who did make it out told nightmarish tales of torture beyond imagining – and executions without reason.” (Abuse of Iraqi POWS by GIs Probed, 2004) In 2004 rumors began to surface, regarding the abuse of prisoners held by the U.S army. Initially the U.S media expressed little interest to the accusations, until photographic evidence emerged, exposing the violation of the prisoner’s human rights.
The Tet Offensive: The Beginning of the End On January 31, 1968, Viet Cong forces launched one of the most influential coordinated attacks against 36 of South Vietnam’s 44 capitals, and 70 other towns in the country (Hayward 2001, 21). Like other “surprise” military actions in history, the lack of action to prevent these rumored attacks caused for a much larger crisis on the U.S. front – something Army General Bruce Palmer later called "an allied intelligence failure ranking with Pearl Harbor in 1941" (Hayward 2001, 5). This rebel attack led by General Vo Nguyen Giap is considered by many historians to be the turning point in the Vietnam War. With the use of expert military tactics, the National Liberation Front (NLF) and the North Vietnam Army (NVA) gave a new meaning to the phrase “losing the battle but winning the war.” But in order for anyone to fully appreciate the severity of a historical event, one must know all of the history surrounding it. These series of attacks that singlehandedly changed the course of the war by planting seeds of unrest into the minds the American public are known today as the Tet Offensive.
HIS 135 Week 9 Day 7 Assignment: Final Most Significant Events Troy Stutsman Axia College Introduction The purpose of this paper is to show how many different events over the past five decades have changed the world in which we live today. Some good, some bad, the people of the United States have been through many changes as well as wars and presidents that have both helped and hurt us in many different ways. This paper will explain some of those events in detail. Many wonder why historical things happen, although no one really has the answer. Events that happen or may have happened often have an impact on future events.