Chapter 31

Ch. 31    Towards a Transnational America, since 1988

Theme: New World Order     "Multiculturalism"

• In August 2001, Telmo Alvear became a waiter at the Windows on the World restaurant located in the North Tower of the World Trade Center (WTC) in New York City.
  
• The restaurant was part of the transnational community created by the over 50,000 people who work at the World Trade Center.
  
• Many of the firms renting space in the Twin Towers were multinational operations from Latin America, Asia, Africa, and Europe.
  
• The WTC symbolized American leadership and the belief that transnationalism would lay the foundation for a new world order based on democratic liberalism.
  

 

War in the Middle East

• When Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990, President Bush formed a coalition:
  
  • to prevent Iraqi aggression against Saudi Arabia.
    
  • to enforce economic sanctions against Iraq.
    
• Bush shifted policies and prepared for an offensive war to drive out Iraq. <Movie: The Kingdom (Us relationship with Saudi Arabia>
  
• The U.S. relentlessly bombed Iraq, driving it from Kuwait. (1^st time seeing war live on TV)
  
• The war left Iraq devastated and, although Saddam Hussein remained in power, wreaked ecological havoc in the region. (setting the oil rigs on fire, some actually are still burning)
  
• Mideast tensions worsened due to the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.
  
• A Saudi millionaire built the Al-Qaeda terrorist network. (Osma bin Laden)
  

 

The Election of 1992

• (Bush: "No New Taxes")
  
• A harsh recession and soaring national debt had eroded public confidence in the Bush administration.
  
• Democrats turned to centrist governor Bill Clinton of Arkansas who stressed the need for fiscal responsibility, a middle class tax cut and new jobs.
  
• Billionaire H. Ross Perot won support for his independent bid with his folksy style and criticism of Washington insiders. (1^st time an independent made a dent in the electoral college)
  
• Clinton focused on the "forgotten middle class" in an effort to return Reagan Democrats to the fold.
  
• Clinton won 43 percent of the vote to Bush's 38 percent and Perot's 19 percent.
  

 

The Clinton Strategy

• Clinton broke political gridlock by positioning himself between warring Democrats and Republicans.
  
• Often backing ideas friendly to Republicans, he clashed with liberal democrats.
  
• Clinton unsuccessfully promoted a plan for national health insurance:
  
• Clinton pushed through a series of trade agreements (NAFTA and GATT) that raised fears that jobs were being sent abroad while environmental standards were being weakened at home.
  

 

Peacekeeping in the Balkans

• Human rights became factors in trade and diplomatic relations.
  
• International organizations were formed to work with the United Nations to aid victims of abuses.
  
• Clinton connected with human rights to the expansion of democracy.
  
• Heightened ethnic nationalism and religious fundamentalism created unrest across the globe, especially in the Balkans.
  
• The civil war in Kosovo between the Serbians and Albanians was the worst foreign crisis of Clinton's presidency.
  
• After negotiations failed, NATO bombed Serbian forces that eventually withdrew from Kosovo. Their president was indicted on war crimes.
  

 

Tech Boom & Silicon Valley

• The greatest stimulus to the economy was the soaring stock market, led by "tech" stocks. (Amazon.com)
  
• The resulting economic boom created huge profits.
  
• Critics noted the ill effects of downsizing and the pay disparity between white and blue collar workers plus the continuing decline of blue-collar jobs.
  
• Silicon Valley in northern California emerged as the capital of the American computer industry.
  
• Although Silicon Valley resembled a suburb, it was a sprawl of two dozen cities that expanded rapidly as the computer industry grew.
  
• Silicon Valley divided along class lines:    
  
  •     The white male managers and engineers lived in affluent communities.
    
  •     non-unionized, Latino and Asian workers lived in poor communities.
    
• By the early 1990s the Silicon Valley had lost its boomtown atmosphere as competition increased.
  

  
   

  
   

  *Quiz online. On Friday we will review Ch. 31, and for the final.