1980-1985

**Cold War**
President Ronald Reagen refers to communism as "the Evil Empire". In 1985 the new secretary for the Communist party, starts peace talks with the U.S.(p 996, The Americans). Also, Communist leader Gorbachev restores civilian ownership of private property and loosens the government's censorship. Yet, Reagen cuts aid to Central American countries that have any association with Communism (p 998, The Americans).

"ESTORIL, PORTUGAL- The United States failed to win a NATO endorsement here of president Reagan's Star Wars research program... U.S. Secretary of State George Schultz told reporters the Reagan administration would keep up research into a space-based missile defense and that it would not bargain with the Soviets on such activity... France and some other European allies have expressed concern that SDI could lead to an arms race in space." [|NATO refuses to endorse Reagan's 'star wars' plan]

The above article was written by Robert Burns and intended for an audience of the public. It was written for June 8th 1985. President Reagan had a plan called "Star Wars" research program that NATO refused to endorse. This lead to discussion of war in space. The significance of this is that it had to do with missiles, and war.

There is some support from NATO for the U.S. to do research into weapons in space, but they don't want the possibility of countries fighting each other in space either and having massive amounts of weapons there. "We are witnessing a globalization of many international issues...Europeans, ...(have) a sense of powerlessness...Soviet Union has constantly been deploying nuclear missiles targeted exclusively on Western Europe...Europeans fear the possibility—and the consequences—of a new cold war...a return to the dual NATO objectives of detente and security implies the strengthening of their own defense... leaving the question of Western Europe's defense mostly to the Americans..." Click Here for entire article: [|"Europeans Fear A New Cold War"]

This article was intended for an audience of the public, assuming worldwide. Publicized by "TIME" on June 7, 1981, it reads a message of a threat and fear of a new cold war. The significance of this article is not great but is inlayed within the USA's fear and Europe's fear of another cold war. The article implies special precautions were being taken. In 1981-82 there was a fear of another cold war. Nuclear weapons were being shot at Western Europe by the Soviet Union. America believed that the objectives of NATO should be returned to for the strengthening of Europe's defense. The USA and Americans are beginning to resent helping the Europeans and are assuming they should rely on themselves.

"WASHINGTON- Two confidential documents, one of them describing Navy communications in the Middle East, were found in the home of a California man accused of participating a Soviet spy ring authorities said Friday... The official said: "I'm afraid this thing is really very much the tip of the iceberg"... Whitworth, 45, has been charged with espionage in what prosecutors describe as the most damaging spy case in decades." [|Spy Case Figure Had Navy Plan]

This article was written by Robert Shenon and was intended for an audiance of the public. This was written June 8, 1985. Confidential documents were discovered in a home of a California man, condemning him to be charged with espionage-Soviet Spy. This article is signifigant because is shows that the Soviets were up to something and began protraying a threat of war.

The wife of the man accused said that her husband had friends in Russia and that he still kept in touch with them and the court was making something huge out of it, accusing him of espionage. He had sensitive Navy documents explaining how things worked and received a large sum of money in cash that was supposedly not in checks so that it couldn't be traced. He told the court it was from gains in the stock market.

**Economics**
In 1980 there was an inflation of 14% (p 979, The Americans). Reagen cuts government's spending on welfare, food stamps, student loans, and then doubled spending on military (p 982, The Americans). In 1982 there was a recession. During Bush/Reagen era, USA's national debt goes **//__WAY__//** up.

"The nation's unemployment rate surged to 8.9 percent in December as joblessness among adult men, historically the largest and most stable element of the labor force, set a post-World War II record, the Labor Department reported today...Since July, the Department said, more than 2 million Americans have been thrown out of work, and the unemployment rate has shot up almost 2 full percentage points." [|9.5 million out of work as unemployment hits 8.9%]

This article was written by Associated Press and published for January 9, 1982. The Unemployment rate went up about 9%. More than 2 million Americans had been fired. This has to do with economics and is important because it discusses how many were out of work which in turn affects economics negatively.

When the unemployment rate goes up nationally, it usually affects minorities the worst. The rate for African American teenagers was 42.2%. In places where car companies closed or layed-off workers, the rate just for those towns were anywhere from 12.5-15.1 percent.

"...government main economic forecasting gauge gained a healthy 0.7% in February...biggest rise in almost 2 years....slowdown in (business) activity...may have ended...(new start of) renewed strength..." [|Click here for Newspaper Article]

This article was written by Martin Crutsinger and published for March 29, 1985. The intended audience was that of the public. The government shown that economics had risen .7%, producing business activity and renewed strength. This is an important comeback in the economic world.

**Civil Rights**
Reagen appoints extreme conservative supreme court judges and gets rid of the old ones. (p 984, The Americans). This court judges would ultimately agree on the same things. Women began trying to receive more rights but their bills didn't pass. They then started electing women into government positions. Women made only 3/4 of the money men made at the same jobs. (p 991, The Americans). In 1980 a severely nationalistic view takes over and language and bilingualism is strongly opposed in the U.S.(p 981, The Americans).

"Reagan maintained he was trying to change a procedure, not a policy- when he reversed a 12-year precedent Jan. 8 and told the International Revenue Service not to deny tax exemptions to schools that exhibit racial bias. An uproar quickly ensued, leading Reagan to reverse himself and ask congress to prohibit the IRS to do what he authorized it to do twelve days ago. Reagan acknowledged that the matter could have been better handled." [|Reagan hints impatience over Polish situation]

This was part of a larger article about one of the conferences leaders had but this basically says that schools that showed racism- didn't receive funding from the government. President Reagan reversed that, so they would get equal funding and it made a lot of people angry. He tried to explain that he did it so that the IRS wasn't basing itself on social issues, but it was a lame exuse.

**Technology**
Nuclear power plants are called the 'energy of the future' despite controversy over the environmental impact (p 972, The Americans). In 1980 AIDS spiked and began rapidly spreading and there was no cure found (even presently) (p 988, The Americans). The use of personal computers goes way up. The hunger and famine in Ethiopia is finally shown on American TVs in 1984-85. Live Aide begins, with major bands/artists playing concerts for free to benefit struggling countries.

"NEW YORK- Mainline church educators agree with the Arkansas court decision handed down this week which over turns a law for teaching "creationism" along with evolutionary theory... "The creation story is a religious story about who is the originator of the universe and the life in it, not how it was done." the Rev. Richard Solberg of the Lutheran Church of America said. "The danger is evolution taught as absolute truth" Mr. Solberg said, adding that the church has no basis for saying "how the world was created or how it developed, if it indeed did," but affirms that whatever the means used, God did it." [|Many In Support of Creation Ruling]

Once the law was passed that made it possible to teach evolution in schools, many people sought to regulate it or have it be a side note, with Christianity's explanation of existence being taught as the truth in public schools.

"The Reagan administration, as part of it's regulatory-relief package for the auto industry, proposed Friday loosening several pollution limits on trucks... the principle change would more thna double limits allowed on carbon monoxide emissions on large, gasoline powered trucks... the change will eliminate the need for expensive catalytic converters on some trucks, the EPA said... Under the new proposal, 40 per cent of the vehicles could fail to meet the standards and the auto maker still would be deemed to be meeting the pollution requirements. [|EPA proposes loosening truck-pollution standards]



According to __The Americans__ text book, President Reagan fired 3/4 of the EPA and left the people "he found fit". Now, the EPA (which Reagan was just controlling) wanted to make it so that trucks had A LOT of freedom to not be environmentally safe and the government was saying that was okay because it would save companies money.

**Culture**
Unfortunately, in 1980 Ronald Reagen was elected president and was shot 1 year later (lived) (p 976, The Americans). Crime and drug abuse rises seriously and subsequently, education is at a low (drop out rate + illiteracy) (p 989, The Americans).The government cuts spending on urban areas by 60%. In 1981, PAC-man was released (p Year of PAC Man, __//inthe80s.com//__) "In 1980 a gallon of gas was $1.19 and by 1989 was 97 cents " - (p 1, __//thepeoplehistory.com//__)

"Bethia Caffery talks to the "Brits" who have visited with us while the H.M.S Rothesay has been docked a bayboro Habor...First, Americans would be calling themselves 'lieutenants' instead of 'lootenants'... However, they said they find it easier to understand Americans, even the slang we've developed since we decided to go it independently...First the said, if we had lost out in the Revolution, we'd have our first woman Prime Minister- the strongest and best prime minister for many a year, they agreed... we wouldn't be drinking ice tea with lemon in it... we would be paying with sensible money of different colors, so value would not be mistaken... we'd drive on the proper side of the road...we would have gotten used to punk rock, with young people reacting to society by wearing colorful rags and heavy makeup, but we'd not get so uptight about eccentricities." [|Punk Would Be Passe If Britain Had Won The War]

This is sort of an interview but the "Brits" agree that basically America would have more equality and peace if they had just followed Britain and not fought in the war. Women would have more rights, there would be strong patriotism to the queen, and social changes wouldn't be as dramatic as they are in America.

=**Citations**= [|Web link] || - - -. "NATO Refuses To Endorse Reagan's 'star wars' Plan." __St. Petersburg Times__ 8 June 1985. 4 June 2009 . || [|Web link] || Caffrey, Bethia. "Punk Would Be Passe If The British Had Won The War." __The__ __Evening Independent__ 5 July 1982. 4 June 2009 . || [|Web link] || Cornell, George. "Many In Support of Creation Ruling." __Toledo Blade__ 9 Jan. 1982. 4 June 2009 . || [|Web link] || Crutsinger, Martin. "Economic Index Up; Outlook Seems Bright." __The Evening__ __Independent__ 29 Mar. 1985. 5 June 2009 . || [|Web link] || "EPA Proposes Loosening Truck-Pollution Standards ." __Toledo Blade__ 9 Jan. 1982. 4 June 2009 . || [|Web link] || "Eurpopeans Fear A New Cold War." __Time__ 7 June 1982. __Time__. 5 June 2009 . || [|Web link] || Santini, Maureen. "Reagan Hints Impatience Over Polish Situation." __The Evening__ __Independent__ 20 Jan. 1982. 4 June 2009 . || [|Web link] || Shenon, Philip. "9.5 Million Out of Work As Rate Hits 8.9%." __Toledo Blade__ 8 Jan. 1982. 4 June 2009 . || [|Web link] || - - -. "Spy-Case Figure Had Navy Plan." __St. Petersburg Times__ 8 June 1985. 4 June 2009 . ||
 * || || Newspaper or Newswire
 * || || Newspaper or Newswire
 * || || Newspaper or Newswire
 * || || Newspaper or Newswire
 * || || Newspaper or Newswire
 * || || Book || Danzer, Gerald A. __The Americans__. Boston: McDougal Littell, 1998. ||
 * || || Newspaper or Newswire
 * || || Newspaper or Newswire
 * || || Newspaper or Newswire
 * || || Newspaper or Newswire
 * || || Newspaper or Newswire