chapter 25 notes

CHAPTER 25 NOTES The 2000 Election and the “War on Terrorism”

• George W. Bush was known for his connection to oil interests and his large amount of executions of prisoners while he served as the Texas Governor
• Bush accused Gore of “appealing to class warfare” but this was untrue for his candidacy was alined with some very extensive businesses
• Bush had higher corporate support
• neither had a plan for free national health care, low-cost housing, or a change in environmental controls
• both wanted death penalty, large military, land mines, use of sanctions against Cuba and Iraq
• Ralph Nader criticized the corporate control of the economy; emphasized health care, education, environment-not popular
• neither president would offer assistance to the poor
• Gore won popular vote
• electoral vote was close and came down to Florida’s decision
• brother Jeb Bush was governor of Florida
• Katherine Harris was secretary of state and left Bush ahead
• she certified Bush as the winner after a recount dispite the thousands of disputed ballots left
• supreme court was bias for Bush for they didn’t reconsider the election
• democrats only opposed Bush him mildly on domestic policy
• tax cuts for wealthy, opposed environmental regulations at the expense of big businesses, privatized social security-retirement funds depended on stock market, increased military budget, pursued ‘Star Wars’ program
• 9/11/01
• twin towers, World trade Center, Pentagon
• Middle Easterners saw U.S. as enemy
• ‘War on Terrorism’
• apprehension of Osama bin Laden and destruction of Al Qaeda
• facts that violent force does not defeat terrorism; British acted violently with Irish Republican Army, then faced even more terrorism, Israelis violently reacted with Palestinian terrorists which led to more terrorist bombings, Clinton bombed Afghanistan and the Sudan as a result of an attack on U.S. embassies in Tanzania and Kenya which led to 9/11
• Pentagon said they were bombing military targets; the press estimated from 1000-4000 civilians had been killed by U.S. bombs
• 9/11 killed innocent people, U.S. was killing innocent people
• American public supported the “war on terror’
• the New York Times had opposed Bush in the election but then said he was proving himself as a strong wartime leader who gave America a sense of security during crisis.
• U.S. media did not capture the human catastrophe of bombs in Afghanistan
• U.S. bombed largest t.v station in Mid E. to control the flow of information from Afghanistan
• American public became resentful of the terrorist attacks and wished total destruction of Afghanistan
• any criticisms of Bush were deemed un patriotic and research by authorities
• USA Patriot Act- authorities could detain noncitizens based on suspicions without any charges of offense
• thousands of Muslims were held in detention without charges
• there was a minority that criticized the war
• they said that terrorism stemmed from bitter grievances against the U.S. for ex. Stationing of troops in Saudi Arabis, site of the most holy Muslim shrines, the decade of sanctions against Iraq, the U.S. support of Israel’s occupation of Palestinian land
• these changes would not happen for it would cause the loss of the U.S. as a super power as it would require a withdrawal of military forces in many countries and a loss of economic and political domination, however it would lead it to a humanitarian superpower
• American enemies rooted their anger in the U.S. governments treatment of people in Third World countries whose resources are controlled by big businesses
• instead of sending soldiers to kill in order to gain oil, soldiers should be sent to repair the nations infrastructure