Raymond L. Jordan left high school at the dawn of the crack cocaine era of the Reagan administration. He began to come into his own during a period when cocaine prices reached an all-time low, and its availability an all-time high in communities like North Philadelphia ("The Roles of Ross and Blandon in the Spread of Crack"). All the men in his family were alcoholics, so his image of what it meant to be a man was tainted by liquor and aggression. The united force of his family history and environmental stresses proved to be stronger than twenty-five year old Mr. Jordan was strong-willed. Fifty-six year old Jordan is not the same man. The world does not make excuses for people who grow up in underprivileged positions—and perhaps it …show more content…
On September 10, 1986, Mr. Jordan was sentenced to life for second-degree murder. At the time Mr. Jordan was a highly functional drug addict, with a job as a janitor at Temple University Hospital and another with his brother at a construction company. He had been introduced to cocaine at the age of nineteen at a friend’s house. He was a daily cocaine user for four to five years. He struggled financially to make ends meet while also supporting his girlfriend’s drug habit. The day of the crime he had been drinking alcohol and freebasing cocaine for approximately fifteen hours. Free-basing cocaine is known to cause adverse health consequences including toxic psychological reactions like dysphoria, agitation, and irritability (Tashkin et al). In addition, according to a Report on Cocaine and Federal Sentencing Policy by the United States Sentencing Commission, free-basing cocaine has one of the most rapid increases in physiological responses in comparison to other consumption methods and leads to increased heart rate, elevated blood pressure, increased body temperature, and symptoms similar to hypertension. The psychotropic effects of cocaine include a reduction of social inhibitions ("Cocaine, Its Forms, Methods of Use, and Pharmacology"), which in Mr. Jordan’s case may have included a heightening of propensity to violence. To make matters worse, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, “cocaine abuse coupled with use of
Moss, G. D. & Thomas, E. A. (2013). Moving on: the American people since 1945 (5th ed.).
The Reagan Doctrine was the foreign policy in the United States, legislated by President Ronald Reagan. This doctrine was design to eliminate the communist governments in Africa, Asia, and Latin America that were indorsed and validated by the Soviet Union. This assignment will summarize how the United States provided open and private support to guerrilla and resistance movements during the Regan years. In addition, explicate the diplomatic doctrine specific events that occurred in Afghanistan when the Soviet Union invaded. Finally, this assignment will describe the advantages and disadvantages based on the Regan Doctrine. Summarize The Situation of U.S. Diplomatic of The Regan Doctrine Throughout the opening years of the Cold War, Presidents Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, and Jimmy Carter all sanctioned policies against communism in order to contain it. Ronald Regan rejected their détente policy in 1979, when the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan. This alone proved that policies that only contain communism were ineffective. Regan disapproved in the compromise policy when it came to any communist government. Instead, Reagan proposed the Rollback strategy. The making of the Reagan Doctrine shifted from containment and spreading to eliminating all current communist governments. Furthermore, the United States wanted to increase and encourage democracy and capitalism in replacement of ousted communistregimes (Conservapedia, 2012).Implementation of the Regan Doctrine was to provide
Although he was a generally controversial president, Ronald Reagan’s policy decisions to stimulate economic prosperity, known as Reaganomics, were legitimately beneficial to the United States of America. First, in order to substantiate the success of Reagan’s economic policy decisions one must first grasp the varying levels of importance for each aspect of his plan. As Reagan’s policies were substantial decisions that defined his presidency and alienated an entire population of more economically liberal people, it makes sense that an understanding of his emphasis on certain decisions would lead to a more persuasive argument. Next, the negation of well formed and logical criticisms of Reagan’s economic policies also lend to the support of their benefits and success. Acknowledging a sensible counterargument and addressing specific points of critical analysis serves to further enhance the argument for the success of Reagan’s decisions. Furthermore, strong economic growth and the curbing of federal domestic power reinforce the accomplishments of Reaganomics. Though the U.S. did see economic growth, Reaganomics was not purely an economic plan, as cuts in government power, not including the military, benefitted the average American citizen. Moreover, Ronald Reagan’s economic decisions regarding Soviet foreign policy were also extremely beneficial to the United States. The tough decisions to further the national deficit proved a worthy sacrifice in pressuring the collapse
Crack users range from the Wall Street stockbroker to a homeless person living in Central Park, but by and large this evil drug called crack had its biggest impact on New York’s inner city minority population. A New York doctor, Dr. Mark Gold who is the person who set up and helps run the not for profit organization called 800-COCAINE, a hotline set up to help addicts and perspective users answer questions about the drug and also offers counseling and drug intervention services; suggested that his findings showed that, “occasional users of crack quickly increased, the amount and frequency of crack use until total dependency was achieved.” Men and women who were once law abiding citizens and honest people were now robbing and stealing to pay for the drug, and many who once enjoyed good health were now suffering from a variety of physical and mental aliments springing from their cocaine abuse. Crack brings along with its amazing high, some ominous dangers. Dr. Robert Maslansky is the director of New York City’s Bellevue Hospital
Ronald Reagan is to this date the oldest serving president, and the effects of his presidency have affected not only the United States of America but most of the world as well. The consensus among historians is that Ronald Reagan left a lasting legacy that was a great one in numerous ways. His Reaganomics improved America’s economy greatly, and secured its future economic prosperity. He also fought communism head on and was able to end it in most parts of the world, but more importantly in Soviet Russia. However, in doing so he got wrapped up in the Iran-Contra Affair, which will forever be tied to his name in a negative regard. Within America, Reagan was able to improve society such as his success in curbing the use of illegal drugs.
In what ways was the Eisenhower era a time of caution and conservatism, and in what ways was it a time of dynamic economic, social, and cultural change?
President Ronald Reagan, the man who is accredited with ended the forty six year cold war was elected on Nov. 4, 1980. Reagan won his election with fifty percent of the popular vote over former President Jimmy Carter who had forty one percent. While Reagan as a president is praised for such successes as strengthening the national defense, stimulating growth in the U.S. economically, and as mentioned before he is considered the President who ended the Cold War. President Reagan had achieved many things by the end of his administration, but just as he had many successes his presidency was plagued with shortcomings and a handful of what could be considered flat out failures. The purpose of this writing is to establish and identify the ‘cons’ or failures of the Reagan administration, and provide a brief description of each different aspect of the administration.
The United States has the highest rates of poverty and income inequality among any developed nation due to economic policies that prevent economic growth, a welfare system that has created a culture of dependence, and a decline in marriage. As evidenced by the current administration’s policies, high taxes and heavy regulations do not help the economy to grow. These prevent businesses and industries from growing, which in turn increases unemployment and the poverty level. Fifty years since President Johnson’s announcement of the War on Poverty, the poverty rate is reported by the Census Bureau to be currently 14.5% which is approximately the same as it was in 1967, three years into the war. This means that the War on Poverty has had essentially
In a time when America was at an all time low, a retired actor from a small town in Illinois would rally Americans to stand together and overcome a crumbling economy, communism, growing foreign tensions with the middle east, and to wage war on the home front against the use and spread of drugs. To many all around the world , this man would become the savior of America.
As President, Ronald Reagan encountered many significant events; from surviving an assassination attempt, to the space shuttle Challenger disaster. Perhaps the most significant event was the economic downturn. He came to office (much like President Obama) in the midst of an economic crisis; however, President Reagan was able to turn the economy around. How did he do this? In order to answer this question, you must first ask what the economy was like when he was sworn into office, how his policy changed from the prior administration’s policy, and how it contrasts our present economic policy.
Beginning with the creation of the Monroe Doctrine in 1823, up to the current Obama doctrine, presidential doctrines have dominated United States foreign policy. A presidential doctrine highlights the goals and positions for United States foreign affairs outlined by the sitting president. Many of the country’s major foreign policy successes or disasters can be explained by tracing the doctrines of sitting or previous presidents and analyzing their evolution and eventual impact on world events. After established, a presidential doctrine often takes on a life of its own. This can be explained by the military resources and human capital involved in carrying out these doctrines. Future presidents often feel compelled to abide by previous doctrines, or find the reality of change can only be done with incremental changes over a period of years. For this reason, presidential doctrines often outlive their creators and consequently effect American foreign policy for years to come.
American society experienced a vast amount of change from 1980 to 1990. Before the start of the 1980s, America had several economic issues Explain economic issues. After the failures of Jimmy Carter to save Americans, many citizen wanted a new President to set America straight. This President was Ronald Reagan. He helped to fuel the rise of conservatism, the yuppie generation, the war on drugs, and a new domestic/foreign policy.
He was named the “teflon president” because no bad image could stick to him and was often said to be cheerfully ignorant of domestic and foreign policy. Reagan articulated foreign policy in terms of good and bad. Good were America and its allies, as well as the “freedom fighters” in Latin America and Afghanistan. Bad were the Communists (except China) and terrorists. The introduction of Reaganomics brought many new ideas into circulation. Reagan promised to stimulate production, reduce inflation, cut taxes, and balance federal budget. He claimed that targeting corporate producers and giving them incentives would flood the market with consumer
New federalism is the philosophy of where national government transfers power to the states. The concept was developed by Nixon, but it was implemented under the Reagan administration. Reagan had taken a slightly new definition of the word by reducing spending and federal income tax. This reduced the money that the federal government gave to each of the states. Many programs and services that were once under federal jurisdiction now went to the states. This caused a decrease in the scope of federal government. Reagan believed that federal government was too powerful, and this was a way to reduce some of the scope of their power.
2. Large financial incentives have been given to low enforcement agencies to make drug arrests.