1980s: Reaganomics and Conservationism, Reagan Presidency
Much of the 1980’s in America were dominated by the presidency of Mr. Ronald Reagan. Reagan was a former Hollywood actor, and had previously served two terms as Governor of California. Like Thatcher from Britain, Reagan denounced communism as an evil force. As Reagan stepped into the White House, US domestic problems, the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, and the hostage crisis of Iran represented a challenge for the Republican. During his presidency, Reagan made cuts on business regulation, income and capital gain taxes, expansion of money supply, and the growth of government spending. His economic reform defined the decade, as did his opinion against communism and the Cold War.
Ronald Reagan is perhaps the most identifiable politic figure of the 1980s. His eight-year-term was the final basis of the cimentation for healthier relationships with the communist bloc and the end of the capitalist-communist rivalries, despite his tough opinion of socialism. He was shot a few months after his inauguration, and he was a controversial figure to many Americans, but his actions paved the way for a better, war-free future.
1980s: Perestroika and Glasnost, Gorbachev Calls for Reform
1980s: The Wall Comes Crumbling Down
In 1985, Mikhail Gorbachev became the new premier of the Soviet Union. Unlike the long line of leaders before him, Gorbachev was young and free-minded. During his administration, he called for a series of reforms to the Soviet system. The first of such reforms was known as the ”perestroika” (restructuring). Under this reform, the Soviet economic system was transformed to a free-market style economy. The Soviet economic crisis was solved and the Soviet Union was almost in par with the US. Then, he launched ”glasnost” (openness), which was more controversial than ”perestroika”. With glasnost, Gorbachev reformed the Soviet political system, by allowing the media more freedom of speech. Various newspapers began to appear criticizing communism and calling in favor of democratic rule within communist countries.
Various Western leaders, such as Reagan and Thatcher, had denounced communism and taken steps to ensure its downfall worldwide. It was Gorbachev, however, who truly laid the cimentation for the crumbling of the communist system. His system of reforms was very controversial, especially after he permitted freedom of speech and criticism of socialism. However, it was this reform system that paved the way for the liberation of countries under Soviet grip and the end of the capitalist-communist rivalries that had been going on for almost 50 years.
As the 80’s drew to a close, it seemed like the political reforms and diplomatic solutions between the two blocs had hit a right direction. On the evening of November 9th, 1989, East German officers announced an easing of travel restrictions to the West. Faced with a growing demonstration of thousands demanding passage, the East German officers allowed the demonstrators to climb through the Berlin Wall. News reporters were present as the physical and psychological barrier that had separated Berlin for almost 30 years vanished and families and friends reunited in tearful embrace. The Fall of the Berlin Wall produced profound thoughts on the American public that the communist system was coming undone.
The fall of the Berlin Wall is defined as the action that ended the Cold War for the American public. People present on the event 30 years ago still remember when families reunited after years of separation. At the same time, it increased public opinion of Gorbachev and the Soviet Union, after four decades of tense rivalries between the two blocs. After the fall of the Berlin Wall, more countries would follow in the fall of their own communist grip and demonstrate that communism had fallen to the triumph of capitalism and democracy.
1980s: Information Revolution
The 1980’s saw a boom in technology. It’s considered the decade where”the future began”, as much of the modern technology we use today originated in this decade. In 1981, IBM released IBM PC, the first personal computer which featured a fully functional hardware and software system. The true star of this technological boom was Steve Jobs. Jobs had been fabricating computers in his garage for a few years. Under his technological firm, Apple, Jobs had made the term ”PC” very popular. But, in 1984, he made a jump to stardom when he presented the Apple Personal Computer in front of stockholders at a technological exposition at Cupertino, California. In his presentation, he introduced the audience to the PC system. The guests were awed as they watch the tiny computer screen reproduce images and even speak.
The first Macintosh looked little like today’s computers. It had a small monochromed monitor, blocky graphics, and a very synthethized voice system. Not to mention that it was far from being affordable or totally functional. Yet, that evening, when Jobs unveiled his creation to the world, he completely changed the world of technology. Had it not been for Macintosh, perhaps we wouldn’t have Wi-Fi or PCs in our homes today.
