The Sixties: A Troubled Prosperity, Essay Example

The fifth chapter of the book Book Title,(Author’s name 79-100)describes the tumultuous events that took place during the decade of the 1960s and highlights the social unrest that occurred concurrently with economic prosperity.  During that time, unemployment was low and wages were high resulting in an unprecedented standard of living for the average American.

The chapter went on to address the civil rights movement, the rise of crime (particularly in urban areas), the welfare explosion and the controversies it precipitated, the hippie movement, and the war in Vietnam.

An underlying common thread came to light through the author’s discussion of all these issues and illustrates the difference between then and now.  That thread is disinformation and the ease with which it was used to influence social opinion.

Nixon blamed rising violence on “liberal permissiveness” (Author 86)in 1967, and a frightened constituency listened.  Ronald Regan gained popularity with exaggerated stories of “welfare chiselers” driving Cadillac’s at on the taxpayers dime (Author 92).  Later, Regan garnered support by tagging hippies as communists and perverts.  At one point, he cited a UC Berkley dance that turned into a naked orgy replete with a porn movie shown on a giant screen (Author 95).

Social manipulation through disinformation is a little harder to pull off in today’s world.  Any story told by anyone can be checked out for accuracy on the internet in minutes.  In the sixties, a story told by a politician and printed in a newspaper must have been true.  There are of course those who exaggerate claims with the intent of influencing public opinion or social polity today. It is just easier to catch them.

Works Cited

(Aurthor’Sname Firstinitial  Title of Book Year)Author’Sname, FirstInitial. “Title of Book.”  Ed. Editor. Edition ed. City of Publisher: Publisher, Year. 79-100. Print.