The period from the beginning of Reagan’s Presidency up to today covers more than a quarter of a century. However, the following events are the turning points of this period: the end of the Cold War and the end of Reagan’s Presidency, the latest economic crisis at the beginning of Obama’s Presidency, and appearing of commercial Internet providers in the late 80s. All these turning points were crucial not only for American society but for the rest of the world as well.
The end of the Cold War eased the tension, which reached its highest point in the period of Cuban Missile Crisis. People did not have to fear anymore that one day everything could be destroyed as a result of impulsive political decision. At the same time, the end of the Cold War meant fall of the Soviet Union. It was not long ago when the world was divided into two parts – countries supporting US, and countries supporting USSR. Russia lost its power and authority in the world. It gave America a chance not to look at its dangerous neighbor anymore. Communists lost their influence even in the former USSR, and no one had to fear them. Thus, the danger of the war vanished; economy of the broken USSR was so weak at that time that it was not a competitor to the USA. Americans could cut expenses on the military sector and breathe easily.
People learned a lot of lessons and the main one was that war was not the only answer to political conflicts. Alan Axelrod in his book The Real History of the Cold War: A New Look at the Past says that the Cold War is unique in the entire history of human conflict. It was the only war fought as an alternative to fighting a war, a war that would have been the end, almost certainly, of just about everything and everyone.
When the first commercial Internet providers appeared, the new Internet era started. The existence of the Internet is without any doubts a very good thing. Its positive sides are obvious: people have more opportunities for work, education and entertainment; countries’ borders are now open to every Internet user. Everything can take less time with the use of the Internet. However, for many skeptics World Web seems disturbing in the aspects of socializing, health and many others. They think that people start spending less time together, just chatting on the Internet; they also spend too much time online, which results in their poor health condition. Internet sites are always under discussion: availability of inappropriate content for children terrifies parents. However, nowadays, the progress is spreading, bringing more and more improvements to our everyday life.
When the Financial Crisis of 2007 – 2012 started, it reminded us the time of the Great Depression. Although it was not such a big collapse for economy, it had the most unpleasant consequences. Politicians count on this point and promise to solve all the problems. The authority of President Obama was undermined in the time of the crisis. Many people lost their homes, bank accounts and as a result – trust in the banking system and to the Government in a whole. It will take officials a lot of time till the trust is earned again.
One more major event took place in the period under discussion: the AIDS epidemic stroke American society. From the very beginning of its existence AIDS has been a riddle for medicine and a source of anxiety for public. Having appeared in 80s, the new virus shook American’s general confidence. Several reasons can explain this.
At first, it was a disease which literary came out of nowhere. It is still unknown how and where AIDS originated. Modern scientists say that most probably HIV evolved naturally by mutating (Udema, 2007). However, in early 80s, there were not enough proofs for this theory, and it has aroused all manner of speculation. Being at the beginning a disease of homosexuals, AIDS captured attention of government politics critics. They supposed HIV to be a specially designed tool for destroying homosexual, drug addicted and Afro-American population. The way how the AIDS question was cloaked in mystery is the first reason why Americans started being uneasy.
The fact that the information given to public did not appear trustworthy was the second reason for growing anxiety. Not many predictions about AIDS came true. One of the first media sources, which have published information about the virus, was The New York Times. An article dated July 1982 tells us about 41 registered cases of some strange cancer. The fact that cancer was found only by homosexuals eased doctors, and they informed people that there was no apparent danger to non-homosexuals from contagion. As we now know, this prediction did not come true, and cases of infection by HIV became more frequent among heterosexual people who denied having taken drugs. Furthermore, there were many cases of infection via blood transfusion.
The panic arose drastically. By mid 80s, not only homosexuals and drug-addicts were afraid of getting infection; people who led a respectable way of life could get infected. The task of the Government was to provide clear information about AIDS, which could protect society from further cases and misjudgments connected with this disease. An education campaign “Understanding AIDS” was launched in 1888. Nowadays, it is still continued by the White House ONAP programs.
The presidency of Ronald Reagan was not marked only by the anti-AIDS company. One of the most important points of Reagan’s policy was deregulation of economics and support of private sector. His policy even influences our life today, and many people say that the roots of economic crisis lie in 80s, when this policy was started. For justice’s sake it should be mentioned that it had both bad and good consequences for US economy. From one side, Reagan’s policy managed to overcome crisis phenomena, to attract foreign investments, to expand service industries. However, it was not enough to improve economic situation in a whole: as a result of measures taken, social stratification intensified as well as competition of goods from Europe and Japan. This actually resulted in the recent economic crisis, and now officials are trying to find the way to regulate economy again in order to be aware of impending problems.
The Cold War was not the only war in the period under discussion. The US took part in other wars. When talking about the war in Iraq, one should bear in mind that it did not start exactly after September 2001 attacks. Actually, it was quite a logical continuation of the Gulf War of 90-91. The series of attacks just gave the American Government a moral right (a very disputable) to invade Iraq again. This decision, however, was not made at once: it took officials about two years to weigh all the pros and cons. Considering the fact that UNO has not approved this war, no good response from international community could be expected. The war against terrorism was not a good enough explanation. Americans were accused of trying to misappropriate Iraq oil resources and of many other impartial things like supporting national war industry. President Bush’s decision to begin the war still remains the most questionable both in his career and in the modern American history.
The war in Afghanistan was also just a new phase of the old war, which started as long as 23 years before September attacks. As in the case of the Iraq War, the USA was also judged by the international society. America claimed that the aim of the war was to find the leader of international terrorist group al-Qaeda, Osama bin Laden. He was thought to hide in this country, and it sounded like a reasonable excuse to invade it. However, in this case, the international response was softer, which might have been depended on the fact that Afghanistan did not possess many natural resources, and America could not be judged from this point.
Nowadays, many events happen almost simultaneously, and when picturing them it is useful to remember that they can be judged impartially as not all the consequences have come yet.
Kipindi kutoka mwanzo wa urais wa Reagan hadi leo kinafunika zaidi ya robo ya karne. Hata hivyo, matukio yafuatayo ni hatua za kugeuka ya kipindi hiki: mwisho wa Vita Baridi na mwisho wa urais wa Reagan, mgogoro wa hivi karibuni wa kiuchumi mwanzoni mwa urais wa Obama, na kuonekana kwa watoa huduma za kibiashara za mtandao mwishoni mwa miaka ya 80. Hatua hizi zote za mabadiliko hazikuwa muhimu tu kwa jamii ya Marekani bali pia kwa ulimwengu wote. Mwisho wa Vita Baridi ulipunguza mvutano, ambao ulifikia kiwango chake cha juu katika kipindi cha Mgogoro wa Makombora ya Cuba. Watu hawakuwa na hofu tena kwamba siku moja kila kitu kingeweza kuharibiwa kama matokeo ya uamuzi wa kisiasa wa ghafula. Wakati huohuo, mwisho wa Vita Baridi ulimaanisha kuanguka kwa Muungano wa Sovieti. Haikuwa muda mrefu uliopita wakati dunia ilikuwa imegawanywa katika sehemu mbili <unk> nchi zinazounga mkono Marekani, na nchi zinazounga mkono USSR. Urusi ilipoteza nguvu na mamlaka yake ulimwenguni. "Hiyo ilitoa nafasi kwa Marekani kutomtazama jirani yake hatari tena.""" Wakomunisti walipoteza uvutano wao hata katika Muungano wa Sovieti wa zamani, na hakuna mtu aliyehitaji kuwaogopa. Kwa hivyo, hatari ya vita ilitoweka; uchumi wa USSR iliyovunjika ulikuwa dhaifu sana wakati huo kwamba haukuwa mshindani wa USA. Wamarekani wangeweza kupunguza gharama za sekta ya kijeshi na kupumua kwa urahisi. Watu walijifunza masomo mengi na moja kuu ilikuwa kwamba vita haikuwa jibu pekee kwa migogoro ya kisiasa. "Alan Axelrod, mwandishi wa kitabu chake The Real History of the Cold War: A New Look at the Past, anasema: ""Nguvu ya baridi ilikuwa ya kipekee katika historia yote ya vita vya wanadamu." "Hiyo ilikuwa vita pekee iliyopiganwa kama mbadala wa vita, vita ambavyo vingeweza kuwa mwisho, kwa hakika, wa kila kitu na kila mtu. """ Wakati watoa huduma za kwanza za kibiashara za Internet zilipotokea, enzi mpya ya Internet ilianza. Kuwepo kwa mtandao ni bila shaka jambo zuri sana. Upande wake mzuri ni dhahiri: watu wana fursa zaidi za kazi, elimu na burudani; mipaka ya nchi sasa imefunguliwa kwa kila mtumiaji wa mtandao. Kila kitu kinaweza kuchukua muda mfupi zaidi kwa kutumia Intaneti. Hata hivyo, kwa watu wengi wenye kutilia shaka, Mtandao wa Ulimwengu unaonekana kuwa wenye kusumbua katika mambo ya kijamii, afya, na mengine mengi. Watu wanaanza kutumia muda kidogo pamoja, tu kuzungumza kwenye mtandao, na pia kutumia muda mwingi sana mtandaoni, ambayo husababisha hali yao mbaya ya afya. Tovuti za Intaneti zinazungumziwa daima: kuwapo kwa habari zisizofaa kwa watoto huwaogopesha wazazi. Hata hivyo, siku hizi, maendeleo yanaenea, yakileta maboresho zaidi na zaidi katika maisha yetu ya kila siku. Wakati wa mgogoro wa kifedha wa 2007-2012 ulipoanza, ilitukumbusha wakati wa Mshuko Mkubwa wa Kiuchumi. Ingawa haikuwa kuanguka kubwa kama hiyo kwa uchumi, ilikuwa na matokeo yasiyo ya kupendeza zaidi. Wanasiasa wanategemea jambo hili na kuahidi kutatua matatizo yote. Mamlaka ya Rais Obama ilidhoofishwa wakati wa mgogoro. Watu wengi walipoteza nyumba zao, akaunti za benki na kama matokeo <unk> imani katika mfumo wa benki na kwa Serikali kwa ujumla. Itachukua maafisa muda mwingi mpaka imani itakapopatikana tena. Tukio jingine kubwa lilitokea katika kipindi kinachozungumziwa: janga la Ukimwi lilipiga jamii ya Marekani. Tangu mwanzo kabisa wa kuwepo kwake, UKIMWI umekuwa fumbo kwa dawa na chanzo cha wasiwasi kwa umma. "Kama ilivyotokea miaka ya 1980, virusi vipya vilitikisa imani ya watu wa Marekani.""" Kuna sababu kadhaa zinazoweza kueleza jambo hilo. Mwanzoni, ilikuwa ugonjwa ambao fasihi ilitokea bila kutarajia. Bado haijulikani UKIMWI ulitokeaje na wapi. Wanasayansi wa kisasa wanasema kwamba uwezekano mkubwa ni kwamba virusi vya Ukimwi vilitokea kwa njia ya asili kwa kubadilika (Udema, 2007). Hata hivyo, katika miaka ya 1980, hakukuwa na uthibitisho wa kutosha kwa nadharia hii, na imesababisha aina zote za uvumi. Kwa kuwa mwanzoni ugonjwa huo ulikuwa wa wagoni-jinsia-moja, UKIMWI ulivutia wakosoaji wa siasa za serikali. HIV ni chombo cha kuangamiza watu wa jinsia moja, wa dawa za kulevya na wa asili ya Afrika. Kwa sababu ya jinsi suala la Ukimwi lilivyofichwa katika siri, watu wengi walianza kuwa na wasiwasi. Ukweli kwamba habari iliyotolewa kwa umma haikuonekana kuwa ya kuaminika ilikuwa sababu ya pili ya kuongezeka kwa wasiwasi. Matabiri mengi kuhusu UKIMWI hayakutimizwa. Moja ya vyanzo vya kwanza vya vyombo vya habari, ambavyo vimechapisha habari kuhusu virusi, ilikuwa The New York Times. Katika makala ya Julai 1982 ya gazeti la The New York Times, gazeti la The New York Times, liliripoti juu ya watu 41 waliorekodiwa kuwa na kansa fulani isiyo ya kawaida. "Ukweli kwamba kansa iligunduliwa tu na wagoni-jinsia-moja uliwafurahisha madaktari, na waliwajulisha watu kwamba hakukuwa na hatari ya wazi kwa wasio-wagoni-jinsia-moja kutokana na maambukizi.""" Kama tunavyojua sasa, utabiri huu haukutimia, na visa vya maambukizi ya HIV vilianza kuwa vya kawaida miongoni mwa watu wa jinsia tofauti ambao walikataa kutumia dawa za kulevya. Isitoshe, kulikuwa na visa vingi vya maambukizo kupitia utiaji-damu. Wasiwasi ulitokea sana. Kuanzia miaka ya 1980 hadi 1990, watu waliojitahidi sana kuepuka kuambukizwa virusi vya HIV na kuwa na maisha ya heshima walikuwa na hatari ya kuambukizwa. Kazi ya Serikali ilikuwa kutoa habari wazi kuhusu Ukimwi, ambayo inaweza kulinda jamii kutoka kwa kesi zaidi na makosa yanayohusiana na ugonjwa huu. Kampeni ya elimu ya "Kuelewa Ukimwi" ilianzishwa mwaka wa 1888. Leo, bado inaendelea na mipango ya White House ONAP. Rais Ronald Reagan alikuwa na jukumu kubwa katika kuimarisha mfumo wa kupambana na Ukimwi. Moja ya pointi muhimu zaidi ya sera ya Reagan ilikuwa deregulation ya uchumi na msaada wa sekta binafsi. """Sera yake hata inaathiri maisha yetu leo, na watu wengi wanasema kwamba mizizi ya mgogoro wa kiuchumi iko katika miaka ya 80, wakati sera hii ilianza." Kwa ajili ya haki inapaswa kutajwa kwamba ilikuwa na matokeo mabaya na mazuri kwa uchumi wa Marekani. Kwa upande mmoja, sera ya Reagan ilifaulu kushinda matukio ya mgogoro, kuvutia uwekezaji wa kigeni, kupanua viwanda vya huduma. Hata hivyo, haikutosha kuboresha hali ya kiuchumi kwa ujumla: kama matokeo ya hatua zilizochukuliwa, stratification ya kijamii iliongezeka na pia ushindani wa bidhaa kutoka Ulaya na Japan. Hii ilisababisha mgogoro wa kiuchumi wa hivi karibuni, na sasa maafisa wanajaribu kupata njia ya kudhibiti uchumi tena ili kuwa na ufahamu wa matatizo yanayokuja. Vita Baridi haikuwa vita pekee katika kipindi kinachozungumziwa. Marekani ilishiriki katika vita vingine. "Kama tunazungumzia vita vya Iraq, ni lazima tukumbuke kwamba vita hivyo havikuanza baada ya mashambulizi ya Septemba 2001.""" "Hiyo ilikuwa ni ""mwisho wa vita vya Ghuba"" vya mwaka 1990." Mfululizo wa mashambulizi ulimpa tu Serikali ya Marekani haki ya kimaadili (ya kutatanisha sana) ya kuvamia Iraq tena. Hata hivyo, uamuzi huo haukupata kuachwa mara moja; ilichukua miaka miwili hivi kwa maofisa kupima faida na hasara zote. Kwa kuzingatia ukweli kwamba Umoja wa Mataifa haukuidhinisha vita hivi, hakuna majibu mazuri kutoka kwa jamii ya kimataifa ambayo yangeweza kutarajiwa. Vita dhidi ya ugaidi haikuwa ufafanuzi mzuri wa kutosha. Wamarekani walishtakiwa kwa kujaribu kuiba rasilimali za mafuta za Iraq na mambo mengine mengi yasiyo ya upendeleo kama vile kuunga mkono viwanda vya vita vya kitaifa. Uamuzi wa Rais Bush wa kuanza vita bado unabaki kuwa wa kutiliwa shaka zaidi katika kazi yake na katika historia ya kisasa ya Marekani. "Vita vya Afghanistan ni ""hatua mpya"" ya vita vya zamani, ambavyo vilianza miaka 23 kabla ya mashambulizi ya Septemba." Kama ilivyo katika vita vya Iraq, Marekani pia ilihukumiwa na jamii ya kimataifa. Marekani ilidai kuwa lengo la vita hivyo lilikuwa kumtafuta kiongozi wa kundi la kigaidi la kimataifa al-Qaeda, Osama bin Laden. Alifikiriwa kujificha katika nchi hii, na ilisikika kama udhuru wa busara wa kuivamia. Hata hivyo, katika kesi hii, majibu ya kimataifa yalikuwa laini, ambayo inaweza kuwa inategemea ukweli kwamba Afghanistan haikuwa na rasilimali nyingi za asili, na Marekani haikuweza kuhukumiwa kutoka kwa hatua hii. Siku hizi, matukio mengi hutokea karibu wakati mmoja, na wakati wa kuwaonyesha ni muhimu kukumbuka kwamba wanaweza kuhukumiwa bila upendeleo kama matokeo yote hayajafika bado.