May 26, 2010

Conflict between older and younger Americans. Older Americans have fear of
another war or another great depression. Two different value systems between
adults and children. Older generation believes in sacrifice and delayed gratification.
Older parents believe you just endure and get through it. Children raised in 50s and
60s are raised in period of sustained economic growth. Value system is completely
different, believe in self-fulfillment, freedom and ethical work. Younger generation
becomes consumed with happiness. Parents give children of the 50s the childhood
they never had.

Rules of happiness:
1. Obey authority. (Don’t ask questions)
2. Control your emotions.
a. If you misbehaved, you weren’t normal, and everyone aspired to
normalcy.
3. Fit in with the group.
4. Don’t even think about sex

Between 1967-1977, all of these roles are broken. What happened for this to
happen? From the parent’s point of view, these rules got them through the Great
Depression and WWII, so they make sense.

Atomic bomb becomes part of popular culture, i.e. Japanese monster movies.
Military begins to argue that there will be another world war, and we would need to
use an atomic bomb with soldiers. How to move soldiers in to areas that had been
atomic bombed?

Cuban Missile Crisis causes generation to think that if they’re going to die, they
might as well have a good time.

The Lonely Crowd, 1950 – makes an argument that the American character has
changed. There was an internalized moral code, but something happened when
America shifted from rural to urban society, cutoff date is 1920. Urban society
means that people begin fitting in, doing whatever everyone else does. This book
comes out after Nuremberg Trials.

This is a generation produced from a culture of abundance. They don’t worry about
money or a job. Their parents come from a culture of scarcity. LBJ becomes
president, change in definition of liberalism. Lassiez Faire to Reform Liberalism to
Rights-Based Liberalism, focusing on the rights and freedoms of individuals and
groups.

LBJ begins Great Society. Notion of the Great Society is the notion of quality, not
quantity.
Mario Savio speech, 1964, “the machine” references, students take over the
administration building at UC Berkley and have a spontaneous sit-in. Rights
liberalism focuses on quality, which goes back to this speech. Quality is a difficult
thing to define based on generational gap.

June 2, 2010

Nixonland book

Nixon seen as a rags to riches figure, although he exaggerated how poor his family
was. Has anti-Communist crusader image. “Checkers” speech, threw his family
under the bus because he revealed too much of his personal life. Nixon begins to be
seen as a man who will do what it takes to win. Loses to Kennedy and then loses
governorship of California, so Republican party turns their back on him because he
can’t win. 1966-68, calls himself “New Nixon,” presents himself as a man of
moderations who will listen to all sides. 1972 campaign, becomes known as Tricky
Dick. Creates the first imperial presidency after WWII, will do whatever he wants to
do, “if the president does it, it is not illegal.” In his death, he is resurrected as a
foreign policy expert. Gallup poll labels him most respected and most hated.

Younger and older brothers die, so Nixon was always trying to make up for the fact
that his younger and older brother were gone. Went to Whittier College and rejected
by the “Franklins,” which created resentment. Creates Nixon v. everybody else
persona. Feels that he has not earned the respect of the wealthy and elite. Went to
Duke Law School in 1937. Not recruited by any major law firms in NY. Joins the
Navy.

Comes home, 1946, asked to run for House of Representatives. Attacks Jerry
Voorhis, opponent, as a Communist sympathizer. Nixon wins, becomes member of
HUAC, House of Unamerican Activities Committee. Leads attack against Alger Hiss,
closest aids of FDR. Accused by Chambers, and Hiss admits that he knows Chambers.
Hiss is not found guilty of being a spy, but is found guilty of perjury. Circumstantial
evidence convinces the American people that Hiss is guilty. This case makes Nixon’s
name as an anti-Communist crusader. Nixon realizes that painting lies would make
him popular. Nixon becomes VP nominee of Eisenhower.

Nixon is accused of taking money from a political fund. Nixon goes on TV and gives
an account of how poor his family was, which gains Nixon’s support back. 1955,
Eisenhower has a heart attack and Nixon is in the position of running the country,
ends up doing a good job. 1958, Nixon goes on Latin American tour and is attacked
by communist groups. 1959, Kitchen Debate.

1960, gets Republican nomination for presidency. Eisenhower does not say anything
positive about him. 1960, first televised debates, Nixon does not look appealing.
Nixon realizes that image is more important than substance. Loses a close race.
Nixon runs for governorship of California, loses. Everyone thought his political
career was over. Nixon goes to NY, but decides he will make a comeback. 1964-68,
works back into Republican party. Nixon learns how to be a new politician. 1968
presidential campaign, uses “bring us together” campaign slogan, and silent majority
strategy. LBJ did not want to run for nomination, everyone thought RFK would get
nomination but he was shot. Humphrey becomes nominee. Nixon and Humphrey
become very close. Turns out that if there is a cease fire in October, Nixon might lose
the election because Humphrey would credit this to the democrats. Nixon wants to
send people to Paris to stop Vietnam from signing a cease fire. Don’t really know if
Nixon actually gave the direct order, but people around Nixon did.

War in Vietnam:

French return in 1954 to get Vietnam back. Country is divided in half at 17 th parallel,
S. Vietnam propped up by US. Eisenhower insists that we have to maintain presence
there because of domino theory. Kennedy stays in Vietnam. Johnson says we are
staying to maintain containment and credibility, but really he wants to win election
in US.

Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, begins bombing Vietnam. Operation Rolling Thunder.

Announces ground war in 1965. Non-violent civil rights movement changes in 1968,
MLK Jr. murdered and police riot in Chicago disillusioned population.

1969: The Center Does Not Hold

SDS – students for democratic society. Weather Underground formed, put a bomb
in the Pentagon, blow themselves up, etc. to stop the war. Congress hearings on
conduct of the war held because no one had actually declared war. Rescind Gulf of
Tonkin Resolution, although it’s a little late for that. Nixon talks with congress about
who runs foreign policy. Nixon wants to convince people that he’d gone mad and
that he would do anything to win the war. Wants to let Vietnam think that he would
drop the atomic bomb. Nixon believes the war in Vietnam should be fought by
people in Vietnam. Vietnamization of the war.

Soldiers begin to get frustrated. Hamburger Hill, 1969-70. Soldiers sent up the hill to
take area, but soldiers refuse the fourth time they are sent up because they were
being turned into hamburger meat. Soldiers would begin to frag commanders,
intimidating them that if the soldiers were sent out, the commanders would be
blown up. Breakdown of authority. Lottery system begins. Life magazine soldier
photo editorial shows how old the soldiers actually were. When Nixon found out
Life magazine made an anti-war statement, Nixon realized he was losing the middle
class.

Nixon says that he has a plan to end the war, but it’s a secret plan. Nixon has
pressure to end the war. North Vietnam was smuggling supplies into Cambodia, so
Nixon bombs Cambodia and Laos. Nixon explains that entering Cambodia will end
the war, but the population doesn’t really think this will help. Kent State and Jackson
State shootings cause anti-war movement to increase. Nixon loses more of the
middle class during this incident. Nixon begins making the argument that they will
stay in Vietnam until POWs and MIAs are returned. My Lai atrocities revealed in
1971.

Christmas Bombings meant to show Americans that Nixon will do anything to end
the war. Peace accords are signed in 1973. Did the US abandon South Vietnam?
1975, War ends.

Nixon begins to play toward middle class. “The Silent Majority.” Uses The Southern
Strategy, with argument that people that moving to suburbs in sunbelt states, so
Republicans should go where the voters are to win the suburbs. Political
compromise over Civil Rights issues.

Watergate: 1972, Democratic party is self destructing by nominating McGovern.

Nixon would have won election anyway, but insecurity leads him to take advantage
of his power. Bugged phones in Democratic Nat’l Committee headquarters,
Watergate. The coverup was really what screwed over Nixon. Nixon denies knowing
who buggers are, etc., and lies are what become the problem.

Houston Plan: early in presidency, Nixon says he will go after everyone who is an
enemy. Creates “enemies list.”

Watergate legacies: Ford is unelected president. Ford replaces Agnew, who resigns
because he is involved in Watergate. Ford pardons Nixon, so public thinks this is
some sort of deal. Ford thought Nixon was suicidal, thought a public trial would be
the best interest of Nixon and the country. War Powers Act passed, President can
send out troops but Congress really runs foreign policy after 6 months. Freedom of
Information Act passed, campaign finance legislation. Re-affirms importance of
independent press and court.

Nixon is concerned that the Cold War will lead to an atomic war. Ping-pong
diplomacy in China. Nixon negotiates with China. Nixon travels to USSR and begins
détente to relax tension. Nixon wanted to play China and Russia off one another.
Problems in Middle East were more difficult. Terrorism – Black September breaks
into 1972 Olympics, killed 11 athletes. PLO funds Black September. Terrorism
decreases in 1973-74 because of oil and OPEC. Middle East realizes they can control
market price of oil.

Nixon has less success in Iran and Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Philippines, Pakistan
and Chile (Marxist, IT&T says they will finance overthrow to avoid losing Chilean
economy)

June 9, 2010
Book ideas: Stepford Mommies, Altamont, Wounded Knee, “Ladies and Gentlemen,
The Bronx is Burning”

70s counterculture movement

Cultural Gap: Political activists and national counterculture movement. Political

activists experience constant chaos, and begin abandoning the system for a real
revolution. Revolution of values where you change the way you think. The real
revolution should be a revolution of the self. “Turn on, tune in, drop out.”

Political activists begin blaming their parents. Challenge middle class values. Don’t
worry so much about social status, should simplify. Materialistic life is not
meaningful. Reject organized religion, turn to eastern philosophies.

This arises from a culture of scarcity v. culture of affluence. Summer of Love in 1967,
ends in disaster. 1969, Woodstock, Charles Manson.1970, Altamont, free Rolling
Stones concert.

Symbols of the counter-culture: hair, music, drugs and sex. All of these symbols are
taken over by capitalism.

Black power movement assumed equality rather than seeking equality, like the
earlier civil rights movement. The timing of this movement was a little off, economy
is crumbling and Vietnam is sucking up resources. The movement itself doesn’t have
sustained leadership.

Philadelphia plan: wanted to get blue collar Democratic workers to vote Republican.
Introduced a quota system at a construction business in Philadelphia, where the
union had to set aside positions for black people. That way, Nixon can repeal, make
the Republicans seem like knights in shining armor and win over blue collar
workers.

Bakke Case: Applied to UCalifornia and refused, Bakke goes to court arguing reverse
discrimination and the court makes UC let Bakke in. Court says the school can use
quotas for the purpose of diversity. Federal programs are alienating people.

Chicano Movement: Chicano movement elected Kennedy because of support for

Jackie. Cesar Chavez leads movement.

Immigration Act of 1965: Changes quota system. If you’re already here, the extended
members of your family don’t count against the quota system. People from Republic
of Mexico begin flooding in.

Women’s Movement: Successful in ending silence on domestic violence and rape,

although alienated married women.
BOOK REVIEW:

Thesis of the book and thesis of review in first paragraph. Talk about the author of
the book a little, link background of author to the book. Synopsis of the book, most
should be analyzing and what do I think.

Oral presentation: informally talk about the book, would you recommend it, well
written, 350-500 words

June 23, 2010

July 14, 2010

Why are people searching? Had rising expectations about their life, much higher
than their parents. When reality hit, people wondered what to do now. Begin
searching for stability and structure, going against parents, etc.

Jonestown People’s Temple

The Third Great Awakening