Discussion Post
• How did Reagan define "freedom" in his speech in Berlin? Why do you think he addressed General Secretary Gorbachev directly? Would you consider this a change in US foreign policy? Why or why not?
• You may have noticed that historians and textbooks tend to use dates to designate periods of history. In this class for example we've designated dates lik 1865, 1877, 1917, 1929, 1933, 1941, 1945, 1964/5, 1968, and 1980 as turning points. September 11, 2001 is another such date the designates the "end" of a period (the post Cold War era) and the "beginning" of another (the era of partisanship? the war on terror?) In any case, September 11 will be covered in the lectures next week but I want you to read this article in the Atlantic to think about how the current Coronavirus may be argued by future historians to be just such a turning point.
Atlantic Article, "The 9-11 Era is over" (April 6, 2020)
• What is the thesis (argument) of the author of this piece?
• How does he support his argument(s) about 2001 and 2020?
• What are your own thoughts? (I'm asking opinion here though you should do some analysis answering #1 and #2 before you get to this point.).
The response must include a reference list. Using Times New Roman 12 pnt font, double-space, one-inch margins, and APA style of writing and citations.