Times Of 80's Grimes

In Mr. Grime’s analysis of The Times of 80’s, he begins with an unspoken truth; every decade has its own rhythm and norms. He specifically notes that rise of cable television greatly influenced the national dialog as American Society was no longer dependent on the three major networks information. He also outlines some of the dominant areas of crisis our nation faced: the AIDS epidemic, the decline of the Soviet Empire, and the rise of inflation. In this short essay, I will attempt to illuminate some of the important issues Mr. Grimes glosses over. In looking through the articles selected by Mr. Grimes selected, I was stunned there was no mention of the Economic Tax Recovery Act of 1981. In 1979/80, President Reagan campaigned on a pledge to lower taxes. According to the tax foundation, the effect of this was a 25% cut in marginal tax rates. This decrease in revenue coupled with a massive increase in defense spending led to an increase in the federal deficit. Ironically, this economic policy, romanticized as Reaganomics, is proselytized as a success by current Republicans that merits repeating. …show more content…
Grimes also includes an article on the Cocaine Epidemic that ravaged the United States during the 1980’s. The chosen source focuses on the profit that led to the proliferation of the drug. There is no mention of the fact that the War on Drugs led to massive incarceration of a minority population. Additionally, in order to understand this war, you have to analyze the effect it had on different demographics. The predominantly white user group gravitated towards powder cocaine while minorities favored the more potent crack cocaine. From a cultural stand point, individuals arrested with powder cocaine were often given options of rehabilitation based on their wealth and status of social privilege while the poorer demographic faced Draconian mandatory minimum incarceration