The Cold War 1950s, 1960s, and the American Dream Essay

Discussion 1

1. Events of the 1950’s strongly influenced the lives of those living in the early 1960s. In fact, many of the events that took place in the 1950s reverberated throughout and beyond the 20th century and continue to impact American lives today. One of the events that occurred during the 1950s that impacts people in the 1960s is McCarthyism (Rosenberg, 2017). McCarthyism refers to the policies and practices of Senator Joseph McCarthy, who “began a witch hunt that would result in the blacklisting of many Americans as communists,” (Rosenberg, 2017). McCarthyism would affect my life because of the way I would be afraid to express my views for fear I would be blacklisted. The term “McCarthyism” is used synonymously for witch hunts, and this era proved that Americans have an unnatural fear of anything remotely resembling social service programs because of their gullibility of anti-communist propaganda.

2. The events of the 1950’s primed society for the upheavals of the 1960s. The important social and cultural upheavals that took place in the 1960s, such as the Civil Rights movement and the peace movement in reaction to the Vietnam War are still reflected in your lives today. The 1960s included a number of important events, the most important of which would be the Civil Rights Act (“The Sixties: Moments in Time,” 2005). The Civil Rights Act helped to transform American society, but unfortunately revealed how racism remains entrenched in the culture. The ramifications of the Civil Rights Act are still felt, but we still do experience racism today. Although the Civil Rights Act did lead to meaningful legislation, that legislation should have been passed a century prior. Nevertheless, the Civil Rights Act was an important step forward for all Americans.

Discussion 2

1. During the Cold War, American citizens were taught to prepare themselves and their families for the possibility of nuclear attack. Although the preparation videos from the time seem out of date, they do show how propaganda fueled the fear Americans had during the Cold War. For example, in the United States Air Force (1960) video about nuclear attacks, the narrator discusses the importance of knowing where the bomb shelters are located, as well as information about how people can build their own bomb shelter for their family, friends, and neighbors. Many of the bomb shelters created during this time were officially sanctioned, and stocked with necessary materials that could help families survive the attack while safely underground. The materials needed included food, water, and first aid materials. This United States Air Force video is strongly built on an overcurrent of fear and propaganda, but still includes important and useful information. Nuclear attacks do need to be taken seriously, as the long-term effects of radiation poisoning are devastating.

2. Even though the Cold War has ended, the media and some politicians suggest that the United States is still at risk of nuclear or biochemical attack. The risk of state attacks might have been greater during the 1960s, but today the risk of a non-state actor using chemical, biological, or nuclear weapons remains strong. The volatility of North Korea also suggests the potential for future attacks on American soil. It is therefore still important to understand how to best prepare for an attack of any type. Preparedness methods today differ somewhat from preparedness videos of the 1960s, during the Cold War. Current preparedness videos stress the importance of planning for different types of disasters, not just a nuclear, biochemical, or other type of attack, but…