Once Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy, the facade that the banking industry showed the world cracked and subsequently shattered. The housing bubble popped, the stock market crashed, and the hope for complete deregulation was quickly dashed. Levy opens Chapter 22 with the quote, “We are fighting for liquidity,” a sentiment shared amidst the tension beforeContinue reading “The Fall of Lehman Bros. and the 2008 Recession”
Author Archives: lrhardy21
Bark Without Bite: The US, Climate Change, and the Kyoto Protocol
Reading Howe’s article reminds me that the US does a decent amount to say it will work on its carbon footprint and sign laws, but often doesn’t follow through on it meaningfully. This is shown primarily by the Kyoto Protocol, but the article goes into many deeper reasons for this. One of the largest reasonsContinue reading “Bark Without Bite: The US, Climate Change, and the Kyoto Protocol”
America’s Modern “Big Stick” Diplomacy
U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East, I believe, can be traced back a couple of lines. Between the policies of Roosevelt in the early 1900s and the economic needs of America at the time of the Iraq war starting, and a sprinkling of Bush’s belief in America needing a rallying cry, you’ve got aContinue reading “America’s Modern “Big Stick” Diplomacy”
Connections to the Earth: The Sagebrush Rebellion and Wise Use Movement
Turner’s perspective on the Sagebrush Rebellion and the Wise Use movement provides a unique perspective on the environmental turmoil surrounding Reagan’s time in office. The Sagebrush Rebellion was a movement hoping to change the policies of federal land use and control for the betterment of the environment, with many supporters just wanting more local controlContinue reading “Connections to the Earth: The Sagebrush Rebellion and Wise Use Movement”
Falwell’s Sunbelt Right
Willimas’s article proposes that Falwell was instrumental in forming a Christian Right primarily due to his status as an evangelical Christian public figure. Falwell’s belief in Republican policies stems from the impact that privatized corporations and, by extension, the Republican Party, have had in his hometown area in a post-Civil Rights movement South. With aContinue reading “Falwell’s Sunbelt Right”
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: The Working Class’s Struggle in 1970’s and 1980’s America
Winant’s writing about the struggles of Pittsburgh steel workers in the 70s and 80s strikes a chord, especially in the modern age, considering the potential changes to the labor structure AI may cause in the coming years to decades. From the article, one of the largest consequences of deindustrialization was, of course, the spike inContinue reading “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: The Working Class’s Struggle in 1970’s and 1980’s America”
Made to Raise the Flag: Doves and Hardhats in 1970’s America
Lewis’ argument that the classes of “doves” and “hardhats” being more stereotypes than anything holds a large amount of weight. Nixon’s weaponization of those stereotypes to his advantage shows a level of understanding of them that isn’t prevalent with real life and is typically only found in stereotypes. With surveillance and domestic security ramped up,Continue reading “Made to Raise the Flag: Doves and Hardhats in 1970’s America”
Culture War: Vietnam’s Demographical Disparities
Appy and DeGroot both dove into hard-to-tackle concepts surrounding the Vietnam War, with Appy covering the demographics present during the war and DeGroot talked of the rising and falling morale of the troops. Appy’s argument that Vietnam was a “working-class war” stems from the overwhelming amount of kids from middle-class, blue-collar families that couldn’t affordContinue reading “Culture War: Vietnam’s Demographical Disparities”
America’s Rotted Roots; Racism in the 20th Century and Before
America’s troubled past with racism is more widespread and systemic than a lot of people tend to think In Theoharris’ chapter on the 1960’s New York school system riots, she dives into the history present but often overlooked of racism in the North rather than just the South. The struggles prevalent in New York andContinue reading “America’s Rotted Roots; Racism in the 20th Century and Before”
Scars on the Landscape: South Dakota’s Unique History with Cold War Politics
Heefner’s article on the Minutemen Silo Memorial and the lasting impact of Cold-War economics on the Great Plains area illuminates a part of domestic history often overlooked. While it’s even more surprising that other parts of the country also have missile silo museums, there’s something special about the one just off I-90 that seems differentContinue reading “Scars on the Landscape: South Dakota’s Unique History with Cold War Politics”
Will Wright 