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“Alexa, Play ‘Eve of Destruction'”

In the excerpt from Christian Appy’s “A Working Class War,” he argues that in comparison to previous wars, the Vietnam War was fought disproportionately by young men from working class families. Appy cites that “roughly 80 percent came from working-class and poor backgrounds” (251). Geography is a large indicator of the large amount ofContinue reading ““Alexa, Play ‘Eve of Destruction’””

Northern Civil Rights: NYC & Boston

When remembering the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, most look to the South. It was there that Rosa Parks sparked the boycotting movement, that Martin Luther King Jr. preached of equality and peaceful protest, and where Black students birthed the idea of the sit-in. While the South undoubtedly played a large part in thisContinue reading “Northern Civil Rights: NYC & Boston”

“Behind Every Successful Man, There is a Woman”?

The idea of domestic containment centers on a woman’s role in maintaining the household and rearing children. As the Cold War gave way to anticommunism in the 1950s, domestic containment rose in popularity across America. Where men fought against communism outside of the home, women did their part inside the home. It was arguedContinue reading ““Behind Every Successful Man, There is a Woman”?”

Minutemen: The Missiles Among Us

In his farewell address, President Eisenhower coined the term “military-industrial complex.” Eisenhower created this label to refer to the relationship between the military and the defense industry that was being fortified in the post-WWII era. Because both the military and the defense industry benefit from an alliance, Eisenhower feared that this would lead to theContinue reading “Minutemen: The Missiles Among Us”

The Lavender Scare: Whisperings of Homophobia

The Lavender Scare and the Second Red Scare were major components of Cold War era society and politics, particularly during Senator McCarthy’s time in office from 1947 to 1957. McCarthy is closely associated with these “scares” as he popularized them both as well as used them for his own political gain. While the Red ScareContinue reading “The Lavender Scare: Whisperings of Homophobia”

National Security State: The Sheep Didn’t Deserve This

The national security state is an institution developed during the early years of the Cold War. Originally, as Dean states, the national security state was “designed to provide the executive branch with intelligence concerning the intentions and capabilities of actual or potential enemies, and to provide the capacity to wage covert campaigns against those deemedContinue reading “National Security State: The Sheep Didn’t Deserve This”