"The Cold War is over. The world has become much more complicated." Vladmir Putin
This is an interesting quote as it pertains to what we have been studying. While the Cuban Missile Crisis was by far one of the most tense points of the Cold War overall, it demonstrated the most effective leadership in being able to cooperate for the sake of all nations involved. That is what made it a simpler time. It was a bipolar system and the two sides knew that a nuclear war would obliterate nations, but Kennedy and Khrushchev were able to compromise.
However, while at the time that may have seemed like a big deal, it is interesting to note that any other conclusion would have had dire consequences. Compared to other situations our country has been in, leaders have had to make other difficult decisions such as George HW Bush making the decision not to invade while George W Bush did have to invade.
Finally, I was very intrigued by the idea of the "bumper sticker slogan". It does seem like that short catch phrase makes it easier for the average American to have some concept of what the big deal is currently in international relations, however I think it degrades the real situation. The "war on terror" for example seems almost to be making a mockery of what is actually happening in the middle east. Fighting was actually occurring, but this slogan did not impart the seriousness that should have been incorporated to such a difficult time.
Furthering what you said in the first part of your post, the world was simpler also because their were clearly defined in groups and out groups, us and them, the bipolar system you were talking about. I would be careful in saying both leaders had all the world in mind when making the decisions they more likely they were focusing on the safety of their group. Additionally, if it took the possibility of nuclear warfare for a "compromise" to occur, I am not certain the world was so simple rather the situation was simple: live or die. In my post I agree with what you said about the idea of bumper sticker slogan. Simplifying a complex policy into a few words does not do it justice. Though, I found myself asking this, if we can assume the majority of the American people are international relations experts, how else would the government inform its people of its policies?
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