Historian Jonathan Levy writes, “what most distinguishes the Age of Chaos is a shift in what has always been capitalism’s core dynamic: the logic of investment, as it works through production, exchange, and consumption” (Levy). After the Volcker Shock (named after the chairman of the Federal Reserve in late 1970s and early ‘80s), the UnitedContinue reading “New Horror Site: Zillow in 2008”
Author Archives: Annie J
#NoRegrets
From the beginning, the groups of people most interested in studying and mitigating carbon emissions have set the terms of the “global warming” debate—to the detriment of policy change. As historian Joshua Howe argues, climate scientists adopted a “science first” approach to political debates, which tragically omitted the cultural, social, and human ramifications of globalContinue reading “#NoRegrets”
The Great American Prerogative to Want More, More, More.
My first thought to this question: oil, oil, oil, and money, money, money. I was not too far from the truth–at least according to historian Andrew Bacevich. U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East is centered around what Bacevich calls the “Global Pax Americana”: the American prerogative to establish and enforce norms governing international order,Continue reading “The Great American Prerogative to Want More, More, More.”
Happy Earth Day! =)
Beginning in the early 1980s, environmentalists were demonized by conservative Republicans, particularly under the Reagan administration, as “extremists” who posed a growing threat to the orderly development of the nation’s resources (Turner). While environmentalists enjoyed a great deal of legislative success in the 1960s and 1970s, their efforts were challenged by westerners in the 1980sContinue reading “Happy Earth Day! =)”
WWJD: Weaponize Worship for the GOP? :o
Jerry Falwell, the televangelist and American pastor, unified disgruntled conservative Christians around moral and social issues—coalescing into “political” issues. The Moral Majority, a conservative political organization, emerged under Falwell’s leadership in response to a suspicion of federal overreach and regulation. Prior to the emergence of the Moral Majority, white evangelicals lacked a shared identity; FalwellContinue reading “WWJD: Weaponize Worship for the GOP? :o”
The Devastating Impacts of Deindustrialization in Pennsylvania
During the 1970s and 80s, steel employment faced a devastating blow due to a combination of factors: global competition, technological advancements rendering the need for workers obsolete, government policies, and the broader decline of heavy industry in the U.S. Rather than a one-time, linear decline, the process of deindustrialization in Pennsylvania, and in the broaderContinue reading “The Devastating Impacts of Deindustrialization in Pennsylvania”
The Silent Majority
During the late 1960s and early 1970s, the American working class became more diverse as more people of color and women joined the workforce. With the influx of new groups, labor unions and the Democratic Party struggled to retain power as a consensus was near impossible—further exacerbated by the various ideological direction workers were nowContinue reading “The Silent Majority”
Good Mooorning, Vietnam (and all working-class soldiers)!
Of the 2.5 million enlisted men in Vietnam, roughly 80% were from working-class and poor backgrounds (Appy). In contrast, World War II witnessed virtually all young, able-bodied men enter the service—with class status being an irrelevant factor. Personal connections to the military permeated society “regardless of class, race, or gender” (Appy). However, the Vietnam warContinue reading “Good Mooorning, Vietnam (and all working-class soldiers)!”
The Tactical Racism of the North
When talking about the Civil Rights movement, traditional teachings tend to focus on the regional South where racism was pervasive and abundant. However, history, and the present, tends to omit the equally abundant and pervasive racism in the North. A history that persists today, as Northern cities continue to have the most segregated schools inContinue reading “The Tactical Racism of the North”
Fly Over State? No. Weapons of Mass Destruction State!
During Dwight D. Eisenhower’s administration, substantial investment and construction of highways and the interstate system skyrocketed. I-90, a familiar road for many South Dakotans who ventured across the state in search of tourist stops, also served another significant purpose: it provided an “efficient means of moving large numbers of military personnel and huge quantities ofContinue reading “Fly Over State? No. Weapons of Mass Destruction State!”
Will Wright 