THE MODERN ERA G.H.W. Bush 1989-93

George Herbert Walker Bush

*Election of 1988 VS *George Bush Representative from Texas Head of the CIA Vice President *Bush would win the election with the campaign promise to continue Reagan’s policies & a promise not to raise taxes “READ MY LIPS, NO NEW TAXES.” Michael Dukakis Harvard Law Graduate Massachusetts Governor Massachusetts Legislator VS

Domestic Policy Greatest domestic challenge was to reduce the growing budget deficit Was able to cut spending in the military because of the end of the Cold War Agreed to increase income tax on the wealthy Never able to make a significant reduction to deficit

Civil Rights and Civil Unrest Recession was hard on young African Americans. Riots erupted in Los Angeles when a jury found policeman not guilty of beating Rodney King, enough though there was video evidence 70 people were killed and numerous business destroyed Riots highlighted the plight of minorities and continuing racial tension. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SW1ZDIXiuS4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P43WZd611WA

Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990 Prohibited discrimination against people with disabilities in employment and in public accommodations Restaurants, hotels and theaters had to install accessible areas for those in wheelchairs Employers had to make special accommodations wherever possible

Foreign Policy Invasion of Panama (1989) General Manuel Noriega, Panama Declared war on the U.S. rather than succumb to U.S. drug war pressure U.S. launched a successful lightning attack against Panama: -protect U.S. citizens -drug trafficking -protect the Panama canal -protect democracy & Panamanian human rights Bush came out as a hero. Former CIA informant, laundered drug money. Less than a month & 24 casualties later, Noriega was captured & brought back to the U.S. for trial

*The Cold War Ends* 1989, with the fall of the Berlin Wall (during Reagan’s term) East & West Germany reunited Soviet Union dissolves and becomes the Commonwealth of Independent States

*Persian Gulf War (Operation Desert Storm, Gulf War) August 1990, *Saddam Hussein, dictator of Iraq, invaded Kuwait for territorial claims & oil The U.N. condemned the action & the U.S. forms a coalition to oust Iraq from Kuwait Operation Desert Storm began Jan. 1991 *Kuwait was liberated in 6 wks & coalition forces pushed to within 150 mi of Bagdad before returning to the border Did not oust Saddam Hussein

Hawk Missile System

Preparing for “Dirty Bombs”

Colin Powell – first African American to hold the position of Joint Chief of Staffs Norman Schwarzkopf - Commander of the Allied Forces in Desert Storm

The End of Sadaam Hussein, 2003 Coalition forces invaded Iraq for a 2nd time, March 2003. Looking for WMD’s (weapons of mass destruction)

*Leader of Iraq Sadaam Hussein, deposed in 2004

Somalia Bush began a humanitarian airlift of food and supplies to war-torn Somalia in NE Africa where millions of people faced starvation Bush sent in U.S. troops when local warlords and bandits stole food and threatened food shipments

Clarence Thomas Bush nominated a conservative black judge to the Supreme Court in 1991. Liberals & women were angered. Won confirmation after televised Senate hearings that ignited public debate on the issue of sexual harassment.