The 1980s

FACTS about this decade.  Population: 226,546,000

Unemployed in 1980: National Debt: 1980 - $914,000,000,000

National Debt:  1986 - $2,000,000,000,000 Average salary: $15,757

Life Expectancy: Male 69.9  Female 77.6 Minimum Wage:  $3.10

BMW was $12,000; Mercedes 280 E was $14,800

1970s

•Population: 204,879,000 Unemployed in 1970: 4,088,000  National Debt: $382 billion  Average salary: $7,564  Food prices: milk, 33 cents a qt.;  bread, 24 cents a loaf; round steak, $1.30 a pound  Life Expectancy: Male, 67.1; Female, 74.8 

• Double digit inflation to start

• Sandra Day O’Connor, Geraldine Ferraro

• Jesse Jackson• Video Games, Home

Computers, Cable TV• AIDS• Vietnam Memorial +

Movies

• S. King, D. Steele, T. Clancy

• T. Morrison • Most Popular Major –

Business• Book Banning (Finn,

Catcher etc.)• Minivans begin• Gas prices drop• MTV – Madonna,

Start of Rap / Hip Hop

To understand the 1980s you must remember some things about the

1970s• Vietnam, Pentagon

Papers, Watergate led to skepticism about government

• Backlash to governmental covert ops

• Cold War détente – Afghanistan

• 1973,1979 Gas Crises • Iran Hostage Crisis • First big threat to US

Manufacturing dominance• Strong $ hurt economy • Inflation, unemployment

Iranian CrisisMossadeq – Pahlevi – Khomeini

• 1953 US supported coup to overthrow popular leader / place the Shah (Reza Pahlevi)

• Since ’53 Iran big part of Cold War defensive alignment v. USSR

• ’73 October War leads to increased Anti-Americanism in region

• ’79 Islamic Revolution – Student / Religious revolution – Ayatollah Khomeini– Backlash v. Western influence

Iran CrisisHostages

• ’79 Student Revolutionaries Storm US embassy / kidnap all within

• Khomeini Gov wants Shah back US refuses

• US launches failed rescue attempt

• Shah dies• Deal brokered by Carter adm,

hostages released on day of Reagan Inauguration

“It’s morning again in America”• Carter seen as weak leader• Mostly because of Iran• Success in Foreign Policy

– Camp David Accords • Reagan Represents

Change – If you reject how things are

going – vote for Reagan– Reaganomics (Similar to

Hoover)– Prompts Financial Service,

RE Investment Boom– Inflation/ unemployment do

drop– Rich / poor gap grows– Like 1920s False Prosperity

1980s Lebanon• ’82 Israel Invades Lebanon • ’83 US sends International

Peacekeepers• ’83 200 Marines Killed in Beirut

Bombing• ’83 Reagan withdraws peacekeepers• ’83 - 88 Kidnapping of Americans

ongoing in Beirut - US gov doing little about it– No negotiations with terrorists

• Are kidnappings sponsored by Iran?

1980s Nicaragua • Pro Communists

Sandanista Government• Contra Rebels fighting

against Sandanistas• US Congress rejects aid to

Contras • ’85 US Gov sells weapons

to Iran– To secure hostage release?– Proceeds to benefit the

Contras

The Iran Contra Scandal • 1986 – First Reported in Lebanese

Magazine• President Confirms weapons sales to Iran

but denies hostage exchange angle• "Our government has a firm policy not to

capitulate to terrorist demands.... We did not -- repeat, did not -- trade weapons or anything else for hostages, nor will we" - President Reagan November 1986

The Investigation• Col. North caught shredding documents• Tower Commission investigates

activities of National Security Council • Reagan testifies – answers

inconsistent, filled with memory holes• Report cites North, Poindexter,

Weinburger as guilty parties– President had no direct knowledge– President should have had more control

of council – 63% Approval when he leaves office

US / Iran Relations since Late ’80s

• Satanic Verses Fatwa • Death of Khomeini • Non – Interference in

1991 War• 1997 Election of Khatami • 2001 – Assistance in

Afghanistan• 2002 – Axis of Evil

Speech • 2005 Election of

Ahmadinejad • Resumption of Nuclear

enrichment program

1990s

• FACTS ABOUT THIS DECADE• Population:  281,421,906 (2000 Census)

Unemployment:  5.8 million, or 4.2% (Sept 99)  National Debt:  $5,413.l Million (1997)  Average Salary:  $13.37/hr (1999)  Teacher's Salary: $39,347 (1998)  Minimum Wage:  $5.15/hr (1997)  Life Expectancy: Male 73.1 Female 79.1(1997) Auto Deaths:  49,772 (1997)