Chapter 26Resurgence: 1981-1992
The Reagan Revolution
1980 Reagan ElectedReagan years mark
a shift in leadership, policies, and attitude.
Confident Leadership
Restoring public faith in the White House
Limited GovernmentStand firm against
Communism
Inauguration, January 1981
Reagan RevolutionAmericans must be strong.
Ameri cans must be free.
Reagan RevolutionStand strong against communism.Reduce the size of the federal
government.
Military Parade in Red Square, Moscow
Reaganomics“Supply-side Economics” – lower inflated
prices by producing more goods.
ReaganomicsMake government smaller - cut taxes!
Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1981 (25% cut)Reduce government regulations on
businesses so they can grow.
Reaganomics“Trickle-down Economics” – If businesses are
prosperous, they will hire workers who will also become prosperous. Prosperity trickles down from the entrepreneurs to the workers.
ReaganomicsBudget cutsDemocrat-controlled congress opposed
Reagan.“Safety net” programs got cut. AFDCJob training programs for the low incomeHomelessness increasedDrug addiction
Increased defense spending
ReaganomicsTax cuts + Increases in defense spending +
Unwillingness of Congress to make meaningful budget cuts = HUGE DEFICIT PROBLEM
Growing national debtNational Debt in 1979: $834,000,000,000National Debt in 1990: $2,300,000,000,000
The debt almost quadrupled in 10 years.
FYIOn January 20, 2009, the national debt was
10,600,000,000,000.On April 18, 2013, the national debt was
16,700,000,000,000.On April 28, 2014, the national debt was
17,551,000,000,000
ReaganomicsGramm-Rudman Act – required the federal
government to have a balanced budget or automatic spending cuts would be triggered.
Part of the act was found unconstitutional and the act had no long-term impact on reducing the budget deficit.
Senator Phil Gramm of Texas
ReaganomicsThe recession from the Carter administration
continued into the Reagan presidency. Although Reagan decided to allow the
government to raise taxes on businesses, the economy improved by 1983.
Boom time: low unemployment, low interest rates, low oil prices. (Houston went bust.)
Housing market and per capita income grew.
Reagan DoctrinePost-Vietnam paralysis – “Never again.” “Not
another Vietnam.”Soviet invasion of AfghanistanCommunist revolutions in
Latin America
To contain or not to contain?
Reagan DoctrineReagan: The Soviet Union is an “evil empire.”
Genocide in AfghanistanSoviets down KAL 007 passenger airliner in
1983U.S. Army major murdered in East Germany
1985
Reagan’s “Evil Empire” speech http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=do0x-Egc6oA
Reagan DoctrineThe Reagan Doctrine pledged America’s support to insurgent groups battling Communist governments in the Third World.
State of the Union 1985 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F25jYyU1u1o
What is the “Third World?”First World – U.S. and its alliesSecond World – U.S.S.R. and its alliesThird World – everyone elseThe under-developed nations of the world,
especially those with widespread poverty, particularly in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
The modern term is “developing nations.”
Cold War Battleground: Central AmericaEl Salvador: U.S. supported the democratic
government while the Soviets and Cubans backed communist guerillas trying to overthrow the government.
Cold War Battleground: Central AmericaNicaragua: Communist Sandinista
government supplying aid to communist rebels in El Salvador.
U.S. supported the anti-Sandinistas called Contras.
The Democrat-controlled Congress opposed helping the anti-communist forces and wanted to foster stability in the region by compromising with the Sandinistas (communists).
The Democrats wanted to send economic aid to the region instead.
Cold War Battleground: Central AmericaGranada: Communist country used as a
fueling station for Cuba in its support for the communist war in Africa.
An even more strict communist government came to power.
Reagan sent in the U.S. military to evacuate American medical students and to toss the communists out of power.
Cold War Battleground: AngolaCubans were supporting a Communist regime
against anti-communist forces trying to overthrow Angola.
U.S. sent supplies.Cubans withdrew in 1988.
Cold War Battleground:AfghanistanSoviets invaded Afghanistan in 1979.Mujahideen was the guerilla forces fighting
communism.Brutal war: Total warfare. (page 626)Reagan supplied Mujahideen with stinger
missiles and advisors.After 10 years of battling the fierce
Mujahideen, the Soviets withdrew. Some said it was the “Soviet Vietnam.”
Soviet helicopter attack on a camel caravan
Mujahideen
Middle East: Lebanon
Civil War among various internal factions and neighboring Syria and the PLO.
PLO is threatening to attack Israel from Lebanon.
Israel attacks Lebanon 1982.Very tense.Reagan sends troops to “keep the peace.”
Middle East: LebanonThe U.S. “peace-keepers” were viewed as
allies of Israel by the Arabs, so they attacked the Americans.
The U.S. began shooting back.10/23/1983 – car bomb hits U.S. marines
barracks at Beirut airport, killing 241 Marines.
U.S. withdrew from Lebanon.
Middle EastArab terrorists took U.S. civilians hostage:
teachers, journalists.Achille Lauro – Italian cruise ship hijacked by
five Palestinian terrorists. They murdered a handicapped American Jew named Leon Klinghoffer.
Achille Lauro
1986 Disco bombing in Germany in which American servicemen are killed. Libya responsible?
U.S. bombs Tripoli, Libya, killing about 100 people.
La Belle Disco bombing, 1986
Libya’s Muhammar Qadaffi
Pan Am Flight 103Exploded over Lockerbie, Scotland on Dec.
21, 1988 after takeoff from London. Suspect: Libya’s Muammar al-GaddafiOn 22 February 2011 during the
Libyan protests, the ex Minister of Justice Mustafa Mohamed Abud Al Jeleil stated in an interview with the Swedish newspaper Expressen that Muammar al-Gaddafi had personally ordered the bombing.
259 passengers and crew and 11 people on the ground in Lockerbie died.
Four More YearsReagan wins re-election
in a landslide in 1984.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fy-uhxiXcE
Cold War ThawEconomy has
improved.Focus turns to
foreign policy.
Soviet Leadership:Leonid Breshnev
died 1982.Yuri Andropov died
in 1984.Konstantine
Chernenko died in 1985.
Mikhail Gorbachev takes over in 1985.
Mikhail GorbachevSoviet economy in
troubleArmy in trouble in
AfghanistanPerestroika –
“restructuring” of the Soviet economy
Glasnost – new “openness” of Soviet society
Yevgeny Yevchenko’s Half MeasuresPerestroika was a
series of half measures which raised expectations rather than improving the economy and the lives of everyday Russians. Therefore, it wasn’t successful.
Glasnost gave people under communism a taste of freedom, and they wanted more.
Tear Down This Wall!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZNttC-xC
MA
Soviet MeltdownPeople under Soviet dominion began to
rumble with nationalism and the desire for independence.
The Soviets under Gorbachev exercised restraint and Communist governments began to fall all over Central Europe in 1989. (no use of force)
East and West Germany were united in 1990. It had been unthinkable just a couple of years before.
The Soviet republics broke away and the Soviet Union was an entity no more.
Nuclear Arms ReductionSTART (Strategic Arms Reduction) – long
range missilesINF (Intermediate Nuclear Forces) Treaty –
intermediate range missiles
ICBM in a silo
Strategic Defense InitiativeSDI, aka “Star Wars” – a space-based missile
defense system (a space shield against inbound ICBMs)
ExpensiveGorbachev feared it.Reagan insisted on it.Soviets could not afford to compete in the
arms race any longer.
Iran-Contra ScandalReagan had always taken a strong position
that the U.S. did NOT negotiate with terrorists.
Iran-Contra ScandalRemember the
civilian hostages in Lebanon?
Intelligence agents arranged a deal to sell arms to Iran (in its war with Iraq 1980s), and in exchange Iran would secure the release of the American hostages in Lebanon.
Lt. Col. Oliver North
Iran-Contra ScandalHow do the Contras
in Nicaragua figure into this deal?
Congress had passed a law (Boland Amendment) that said NO FUNDING to the Contras fighting the communists in Nicaragua.
Nicaraguan Contras “Anti-communists”
Iran-Contra ScandalThe intelligence
agents who cut the deal with Iran used the profits from the sell of weapons to Iran to supply military aid to the Contras in Nicaragua in violation of the Boland Amendment.
Iran-Contra ScandalThis scandal tainted the Reagan presidency.
Two minute cartoon satirizing the Iran-Contra Scandal
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QikSorPak6M
What sarcasm do you see in this? What are the references to?
Crash Course - Reaganhttps://
www.youtube.com/watch?v=2h4DkpFP_aw&list=PL8dPuuaLjXtMwmepBjTSG593eG7ObzO7s
1988 ElectionRepublican Candidates
V.P. George Herbert Walker BushConservative Congressman Jack Kemp of New
YorkPat Robertson of the Religious RightSenator Bob Dole of KansasFormer Secretary of State Alexander HaigFormer Sec of Defense Donald Rumsfeld
1988 ElectionDemocrat CandidatesMass. Governor Michael DukakisCivil rights leader Jesse JacksonU.S. senator from Tennessee Albert GoreMissouri congressman Dick GephardtSenator Paul Simon of IllinoisFormer U.S. Senator Gary Hart of ColoradoFormer Gov. of Arizona Bruce BabbittSenator Joe Biden of Delaware
1988 ElectionLibertarian CandidateCongressman Ron Paul of Texas
General ElectionDemocrat Nominee:
Michael Dukakis, running mate Senator Lloyd Bentsen of Texas
Republican Nominee:Vice President George Herbert Walker Bush, running mate Senator Dan Quayle of Indiana
Libertarian Nominee:Congressman Ron Paul of Texas
Outcome
Bush and Quayle
The Bush Presidency1988-1992
Bush and Quayle
George Herbert Walker Bush (41)Inherited problems of economic decline and
foreign challenge.
Problems at HomeSavings and Loan Crisis & Scandal
Risky investmentsGovernment funded bailoutPolitical favors: Campaign contributions in
exchange for dropping investigation of S&Ls.Lincoln Savings & Loan
Keating Five: Sen Don Riegle, Dennis DeConcini, Alan Cranston, John Glenn, John McCain
Americans with Disabilities ActADAProhibits job discrimination based on
disabilitiesCostly to business because they had to install
handicapped accessible facilities.Unfunded Mandate
“Read my lips…”https://
www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MW44jsYi0g
President George H.W. Bush had campaigned on a promise not to raise taxes.
Budget deficitsPressure from DemocratsHe gave in and allowed tax increases to help
control the federal deficit.Voters saw him as a man who had broken his
word.
Fall of the Iron CurtainThe Cold War ends with the fall of
communism.Soviet Republics break away to form
independent republics.Eastern Bloc nations turn toward
democratically elected governments.Many are still quite socialist in nature, but
the people now have a voice.More economic freedom and political
freedom.
War in Iraq 1992Iraq under Saddam Hussein attacked
neighboring Kuwait to seize its territory and petroleum. (Aug 1991)
He was moving on Saudi Arabia.Large oil deposits supplying the world would
be under Hussein’s control.G.W. Bush: “This shall not stand.”
War in Iraq 1992Operation Desert Shield: Defend Saudi
ArabiaNote: This upset many Muslims that foreign
forces were on the soil of their holy lands near Mecca and Medina.
War in Iraq 1992UN votes to push Iraq out of Kuwait.Ultimatum given: Withdraw by Jan. 15, 1992.Congress gives approval to use U.S. forces.
Operation Desert StormBegins with air strikes on January 16, 1992.Iraq launched Scud missiles into Israel.Fear of chemical and biological weapons.Apparently Iraq never used them (?)Israel used restraint and did not respond
which would have caused other Arab countries to side with Iraq against Israel.
Bush Speech & War Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFrnQHaQWoA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=neDgVb9YHcA&feature=related shock & awe
Operation Desert StormFive-week massive 24/7 bombing campaign.Ground attack begins February 24, 1992.After about 100 hours most Iraqi forces
surrender.Kuwait is liberated from the Iraqis.Saudi Arabia is no longer under threat.The war stops.
Should the UN/US have pushed its way into Baghdad to topple the government of Saddam Hussein?
President Bush said “No.”That was not the mission given by the U.S.
Congress and the U.N.The mission given had been accomplished.An attack on Baghdad would have meant
urban warfare.
Saddam Hussein still ruled Iraq.He attacked people who had helped the
UN/US forces, especially the Kurds in northern Iraq.
A no-fly zone was enforced over Iraq for the next decade.
UN inspectors were supposed to inspect Iraqi weapons facilities, but they were never sure whether they saw everything.
Saddam Hussein was uncooperative with the inspectors.
Gulf War SyndromeMany Gulf War veterans (60K-500K) reported
being sick after returning from the war.Muscle & joint pain, memory loss, headaches,
sleep disorders.Low-level exposure to chemical weapons?Pesticides?Vaccines?Oil well smoke?
Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
1992 ElectionBush had the war victory.But the economy went into recession.Bill Clinton challenged Bush.
“It’s the economy, stupid.”
1992 ElectionClinton billed himself as a “New Democrat.”
End high taxes and free spending of the Democrats
An easy communicator with great personal appeal.
Everyone who met him liked him.
Bill ClintonGovernor of Arkansas
Accusations of sexual misconductMarijuana use in collegePossible corrupt financial transactions (White
Water Land Development deal)
Ross PerotTexas BusinessmanElectronic Data Systems (EDS)Folk heroRan as independent and pulled votes from
Bush.
Outcome of 1992 ElectionBill Clinton – 43%George H.W. Bush – 37%Ross Perot – 19%