1980s+Political+Culture

 The political culture of the 1980s was dominated by the return of the conservative Republicans to power and monumental changes on the international front. toc

="Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!" = media type="youtube" key="wnYXbJ_bcLc" height="274" width="339"

There is most likely no single event that helped define the global political arena in the 1980s as the fall of the Berlin Wall. Though the Cold War was not officially over, this was a defining moment for Americans, but more so for those that lived behind the Iron Curtain. (As a side note, a friend of mine was interviewed by Tom Brokaw of NBC News while standing on the Wall the night it came down.)

The fall of the Berlin Wall was momentous, but the sights of what occurred at Tienanmen Square were heart wrenching as the world watched hundreds of Chinese gunned down while taking part in a protest in support of democracy. Those that witnessed the protest on television, will never forget the young Chinese man standing in the way of armored tanks as they tried to make their way into the Square.

="I was authorized to do everything that I did." =

(Please click on image to read the Final Report Of The Independent Counsel For Iran/Contra Matters) [| http://img.timeinc.net/time/magazine/archive/covers/1986/1101861222_400.jpg] The Iran-Contra Affair was one example of the Reagan Doctrine which supported Third World efforts directed against the Soviet Union. Others included, the invasion of Grenada, American marines in Lebanon, and the bombing of Tripoli, Libya (Brinkley, 2007, p. 899-900).

="Read my lips: no new taxes!" =

media type="youtube" key="OuLWgVOLbG4" height="274" width="339" During his speech at the 1988 Republican Convention, George H. W. Bush declared that he would not raise taxes. In 1990, President Bush reversed his promise and raised taxes, which angered many conservative Republicans.

=Worth Noting From The 80s =  (The People History, 2009) (Wikipedia, n.d.)
 * Famine in Ethiopia.
 * UK invaded Falkland Islands off of Argentina.
 * Conservatism was on the rise with the efforts of Reagan and UK Prime Minister Thatcher.
 * Wars in Afghanistan, Iran/Iraq, and Lebanon.
 * War on drugs was escalated with Nancy Reagan leading the way.
 * Mikhail Gorbechov came to power.
 * Anwar Sadat and Indira Gandhi were assassinated.