America in Globalization and War

The 2000 Election

• Al Gore vs. George W. Bush• Moderate Dem vs. “compassionate conservative”• Super close election comes down to FL

“Hanging chad” –Florida authorities struggle to determine voters’ intent from flawed ballots

The “Butterfly Ballot” – voters in Palm Beach County, FL accidentally selected the wrong ballot line due to confusing ballot, e.g. Jewish voters who meant to vote for Gore had their votes counted for Pat Buchanan, the Reform Party candidate who has been criticized for making anti-Semitic remarks

The “Brooks Brothers riot” – well-attired Republican operatives protest recount process

The Outcome

• Gore wins pop. vote• Bush wins Electoral College after Supreme

Court’s Bush v. Gore ruling halts FL recount

Prosperity?

• Economic growth under Clinton and W. masks growing inequality

• Consumers buying on credit• Dot com boom of the late 1990s is followed by

housing boom of the early 2000s, fueled by easy credit and surging home prices

Terror

• 9/11/01 attacks on NYC, DC• George W. Bush declares “War on terror”

against “Axis of Evil” (Iraq, Iran, North Korea)• US and allies (UK, Germany, Australia, etc.)

attack Al Qaeda’s terrorist base in Afghanistan

Fear of the Turban

• Sikhs, Arabs singled out and attacked for retribution

• Gov’t rounds up Muslims, immigrants; many detained and deported

• PATRIOT Act allows greater surveillance

Iraq?

• Bush administration leads drumbeat of war (2002-3)

• Saddam Hussein regime accused of possessing “WMDs,” posing threat to US

• Saddam also accused Al Qaeda ties• But Saddam was a secular nationalist, not a

religious fundamentalist like Bin Laden; no ties existed

Shock and Awe

• US, UK invade (March 2003)• Regime easily overthrown• But US finds no WMDs• Saddam captured, tried, and hanged

2004 Election

• Dems nominate Sen. John Kerry (D-MA)• Dems have a confused message—many

liberals oppose war, but candidate Kerry voted to let Bush invade Iraq

• Kerry says he’ll pursue war more effectively• Bush promises to stay the course, and scores

narrow victory

The Triumph of Conservatism

• 2004 election: victory for social conservatives• Voters cite “moral values” as key factor• Anti-gay marriage referendums pass in many

states• Zenith of conservative power: GOP controls

White House, Congress, Supreme Court

Things Fall Apart

• Hurricane Katrina (2005) reveals inadequacy of neglected levies in New Orleans, inability of gov’t to respond to disaster

• Militant sectarian insurgency tears apart Iraq• “Subprime” meltdown (2007-present) reveals

that deregulated financial industry made a fortune by giving out bad loans to risky borrowers

2008 Election

• Former first lady and Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) early frontrunner for Dem nomination

• Freshman Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) challenges Clinton over her vote for Iraq War

• Moderate Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) moves to the right to win GOP nomination

Global Financial Crisis

The Great Recession

• Sept. 2008: major banks collapse as homeowners default on mortgages and loans held by banks turn out to be worthless

• Unemployment, homelessness surges

Saving the System, but for Whom?

• Global financial system on the brink of collapse

• Congress agrees to aid banks with $800 billion bailout in Fall 2008

• Unpopular with voters but both candidates support it (Obama and McCain)

Obama’s Triumph

• 1st black president wins 6 point victory in Nov.• Dems sweep Congress• Obama pledges to save economic system, pass

universal healthcare

Challenges of the 21st Century

• Joblessness, debt continues• Political gridlock between Dems, GOP• Climate change and rising energy prices

remain unaddressed• Issues such as immigration continue to divide

an increasingly diverse nation• White majority predicted to end in coming

decades