The Cold War and the War on Terror - 987 Words

Eerily, it seems that during the Cold War and the War on Terror, many of the feelings that citizens felt were the same, but what America called the enemy was different. Following the September 11th attacks, there was a feeling of paranoia felt throughout America similar to the paranoia felt during the Cold War. Americans did not feel safe, and an attack could come at any time. The fight on the home front looked different during the Cold War and the War on Terrorism. During the Cold War there was more of a correlation between fighting Communism, and buying consumer goods. During the war on terrorism Americans were asked to give up some of their rights in order to maintain their safety. There is an abundance of similarities between†¦show more content†¦In The Story of American Freedom, Foner writes, â€Å"A new ford now seemed as essential to the enjoyment of freedom’s benefits as the right to vote or workplace autonomy once had been.† During the War on Ter ror, consumerism was not stressed the way it was during the Cold War. What was stressed during the War on Terrorism was the idea that we had to return to the way America was before September 11th. If we could not do that, â€Å"The terrorists had won.† The film Dr. Strangelove is very critical of the American government during the Cold War. The film features a commander named â€Å"Jack D. Ripper,† who orders an attack on Communist Russia because he thinks they are secretly trying to add fluoride to the American water supply. Later in the movie, the President calls upon a former Nazi to help him figure out how to deal with the repercussions of Ripper’s actions. Several times during the film, the former Nazi refers to the President as â€Å"Mein Fuher.† It was no accident on Stanley Kubrick’s part to have the President referred to as such. Kubrick successfully showed the similarities between dropping an atomic bomb and committing genocide. T he graphic novel series Watchmen is also quite critical of America during the Cold War. In Watchmen, Richard Nixon is in his fourth term as President, and nuclear war with Russia is becoming more and more likely. In order to maintain peace on earth, one of the characters simulates an alien invasion. The idea was that America andShow MoreRelatedThe Cold War On Terror1878 Words   |  8 Pagesmovement together is an external factor over which the conservatives themselves have no control. Conservatives have found a new adhesive in the current Global War on Terror (the â€Å"GWOT). Though the threat of terrorism shows no signs of abating any time soon, it could end in much the same way as the Cold War ended. 9/11 and the subsequent War on Terror have created a new conservative alignment that provides the framework for modern approaches to national security and foreign policy. In the absence of anRead MoreIs The Cold War Really Over?1430 Words   |  6 PagesDanny Le Mr. Frey AP US Govt. 15 Nov. 2014 Is the Cold War Really Over? Many Americans have controversies whether the Cold War is over or not. The Cold War era began with ideological battles in the West and East. Political tensions and events are growing in the current conflicts in the Middle East and varied countries. The term â€Å"cold war† has rose again as new conflicts emerged from the Cold War era. After the prolong conflict between the West and East, the two sides continued their movement toRead MoreThe Cold War Is A Time Of Political Tension Between The United States And The Soviet Union1154 Words   |  5 PagesThe Cold War is a time of political tension between the United States and the USSR following World War II and lasting decades. It was a clash of ideology- capitalism versus communism- and a fight for dominance, by utilizing every opportunity for expansion (Trueman 1). The results and lessons learned from the Cold War still remain as reminders and helpful guides for the future. With the War on Terror at hand, the United States co uld use the lessons learned from the Cold War as a guide. The Cold WarRead MoreThe Soviet Revolution Of Ussr872 Words   |  4 Pagesan interventionist nation, throwing isolationism right out the door; but it does not stop there. The US is also determined to stop the spread of communism, and starting in 1993 the war on terrorism. And as soon as WWII ends the Cold War starts with the USSR. 2. One of the most important presidents during the Cold War was Harry S. Truman. He set forth the notion of containment. Containment is where the US tried to contain communism in every country they could. A great fear was that of the dominoRead MoreSpace Race : The Usa Wins The Competition Of The Cold War854 Words   |  4 PagesSpace Race: The USA Wins The Competition To The Moon And The Cold War Few moments define the twentieth century and human scientific advancement like the Apollo moon landing. But now, almost fifty years later, we may forget that this achievement was the result of a relatively short and furious space race, with a mere twelve years separating the first manmade object orbiting Earth (Sputnik 1 in 1957) and Neil Armstrong s 1969 walk on the moon. 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The United States and the Soviet Union had many differences that didn’t cause a full fled war, but a quiet, propaganda and secretive filled war that pushed both to the edge. This was known as the Cold War of 1945-1991. The main causes of the war were sphere of influence, Ideology, and military factorsRead MoreThe Foundation Of The U.s. National Security Policy1077 Words   |  5 PagesPresident Ronald Reagan after the World War II, encouraging a restructure of the military through the National Security Act of 1947. The Department of War and the Department of Navy was unified into the National Military Establishment (NME), then renamed to Department of Defense with the purpose to have Army, Navy and A ir Force into a unified structure. President Truman signed the National Security Act Amendment of 1949 in reflection to strategic changes to the Cold War facts. 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By dropping the atomic bombs on twoRead MoreUS Action During the Cold War1027 Words   |  5 PagesThe United States from the Cold War and into the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT) continues to face challenges in translating military might into political desires due t o its obsession with raising an army, electing politicians and assembling a diplomatic corp that continue to gravitate towards State-to-State engagements that if not rectified could lead to substantial delays in fighting terrorism and non-terrorist adversaries or worse total failure of the United States Military’s ability to properly