Kuklick PART VI Flashcards
(24 cards)
Operation Desert Storm 1991
In 1990, Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait, misjudging American tolerance. President George Bush led a UN-backed coalition in ‘Operation Desert Stoms’ in 1991, repelling Iraq out of Kuweit but leaving Hussein in power to counterbalance Iran.
Bill Clinton 1992
Bill Clinton narrowly defeated Bush in 1992 by appealing to concerns over economic inequality. Under the GOP wealth disparity increased significantly with tax policies benefiting the wealthy. Republicans championed ‘’Family Values,’’ while Democrats supported social liberalism, including LGBTQ+ rights and abortion access.
Disabillities Act 1990
The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, expanded civil rights, reflecting the growing reach of the 14th amendment. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) became law in 1990. The ADA is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in many areas of public life, including jobs, schools, transportation, and many public and private places that are open to the general public.
Democrats rebrand progressives
Liberals created identity politics, but conservative backlash emerged. Democrats rebranded themselves as progressives. Popular culture reflected the shift, with tv-characters like Al Bundy representing American working-class. While ‘the Cosby show’ offered a counterimage of black middle-class success.
Terror in the Middle East
Clinton’s presidency saw continued US involvement in the Middel East. Iraq remained a nuisance, but the greater concern was rising Islamic extremism. Al Quada, led by Osama Bin Laden, targeted US interests in 1993 World Trade Center bombing, 1998 embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania, and the USS Cole attack in 2000.
September 11 and War in Iraq and Afghanistan
On September 11 2001, al-Quada hijackers crashed planes into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, killing nearly 3000 people. The Bush administration responded by launching the War on Terror, targeting Afghanistan in 2001 and Iraq in 2003. Bush labelled Iraq, Iran, and North Korea the ‘Axis of Evil’. Saddam Hussein was overthrown but Iraq descended into chaos, strengthening Iran’s influence. The wars in Afghanistand and Iraq dragged on, tarnishing Bush’s presidency.
Barack Obama
Economic collapse in 2008 due to deregulated mortgage lending and financial speculation led to widespread job losses. Barack Obama defeated John McCain and became the first African-American president. He sought to stabilize the economy and shift foreign policy but remained entangled in the Middel East.
Arab Spring 2011
Obama ordered the assassination of Bin Laden in 2011, but faced challenges with the Arab Spring, a series of anti-government protests, uprisings and armed rebellions that spread across much of the Arab world because of economic stagnation.
US intervention Libya 2011
A US intervention in Libya in 2011, led to Gaddafi’s downfall, but the country destabilized. Syria erupted into civil war and Obama hesitated to act against both Assad’s government and ISIS. Meanwhile, Russia regained influence, resisting US efforts in Ukraine and Syria.
Diplomacy Iran Obama
Obama pursued diplomacy with Iran, negotiating a nuclear deal in 2015, but faced opposition from Israel and conservatives. His administration struggled to keep the US out of endless Middle East conflicts.
Decline Obama’s progressivism
By 2016, the hope of Obama’s progressivism faded, with terrorism, economic uncertainty, and political division dominating public discourse. Americans looked back on the Cold War era a time of relative stability.
Mass Shootings
Gun violence became a persistent crisis, with attacks in schools, workplaces and public spaces. Despite repeated massacres, gun control efforts largely failed due to Second Amendment defenses and lobbying by the National Rifle Association (NRA). Politicians condemned violence but failed to enact meaningful reforms.
Racial Conflict
Police brutality, particularly against Black Americans, led tot the rise of the Black Lives Mater (BLM) movement in 2013. Incidents such as the deaths of Trayvon Martin, George Floyd and Tyre Nichols ignited protests, some of which turned violent. The Kyle Rittenhouse case, in which a teenager killed two protesters in Wisconsin, became a flashpoint, symbolizing deep racial and ideological divides
Immigration
The US faced increasing pressure from Mexican and Central American migrants, leading to harsh border policies and calls for a border wall. Employers favored immigrant labor, while conservatives pushed for stricter enforcement. The political struggle over immigration remained unsolved.
Sexual Revolution and Abortion Rights
LGBTQ+ rights expanded with the Supreme Court legalizing same sex marriage in 2015. However the conservative dominated Supreme Court later rolled back abortion rights in Dobbs v. Jackson, overturning Roe v. Wade in 2022. Meanwhile the #MeToo movement exposed sexual misconduct among powerful men, leading tot the downfall of figures like Harvey Weinstein, Jeffrey Epstein and Bill Cosby
Trump’s rise to Power
In 2016, Hillary Clinton the first women to lead a major-party ticket lost the election to Donald Trump, a billionaire real estate mogul. Trump’s campaign was populist, nationalist and provocative, targeting white working-class voters.
Trump’s MAGA campaign
His Make America Great Again campaign emphasized immigration restrictions, deregulation and scepticism toward globalization.
His policies were often shaped by nationalist rhetoric, opposition to wokeness and hostility toward global institutions.
Trump’s foreign policy
In the Middle East he moved the US embassy to Jerusalem in 2018, and withdrew from the Iran Nuclear Deal. Negotiations with North-Korea’s communist Kim Jong-un failed but he strengthened ties with Israel while clashing with European Allies.
Domestic Conservatism Trump
In the US he promised a border wall which was partially build. He instituted travel bans targeting Muslim-majority nations. And separated migrant families at the border, leading to public criticism and outcry. In 2017 Trump passed tax cuts favoring the wealthy. His appointing of conservative Supreme Court justices led to Dobbs v. Jackson in 2022. Leading to European despair, Trump rolled back environmental regulations and repeatedly rejected climate accors.
2020 pandemic
In early 2020, COVID-19 emerged, disrupting the world. Trump’s response was chaotic, he downplayed the virus, promoted unproven treatments and resisted lockdowns. He launched ‘Operation Warp Speed’ leading to rapid vaccine development, but still over 1 million Americans died and the economy collapsed.
2020 election Trump V Biden
Trump faced Democrat Joe Biden, Obama’s former VP in the 2020 election. Biden’s campaign focused on Trump’s mismanagement during the pandemic, while Trump spread false claims of election fraud and tried to overturn the results. Biden won with 81 million votes, the largest total in US history.
January 2021 storming of the Capitol
Trump refused to concede to the 2020 election, on January 6th 2021, he incited a riot urging supporters to march on the Capitol. Thousands stormed Congress, demanding the election be overturned. VP Mike Pence refused to block certification but the violence led to five deaths and over 100 police injuries. Trump was impeached a second time but was acquitted of any charges.
Biden’s US challenges 2021-2024
Biden restored some stability but faced inflation, immigration crisis and global conflicts. He passed a $1.9 trillion COVID relief bill, oversaw US withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 with turned chaotic almost immediately after troops left. In 2022 Russia invaded Ukraine starting a war. Meanwhile Republicans continued to push election fraud narratives, setting the stage for Trump’s 2024 comeback and campaign.
2024 Election
Both Trump (77) and Biden (87) sought a rematch, however both their age and controversies raised doubts. Biden’s declining health led Democrats to consider replacements. He withdrew from the race, endorsing African-American women Kamala Harris. While Trump faced legal challenges, including his role in the storming of the capital in 2021. During his campaign Trump survived an assassination attempt in July of 2024, which boosted his popularity. Harris vs. Trump became a historic showdown. But the election eventually went to Donald Trump who will begin his second term as US president on the 20th of January 2025.
