10. American Social Issues in 1993-2001
a. International Relation Issues
In the 1990s the United States played the role of world policeman, sometimes alone but more often in alliances. The decade began with Saddam Husseins
invasion of Kuwait and the resultant Gulf War. In 1993, war was in the African country of Somalia, as television images of starving children led to an attempt to
oust the warlord, General Mohamed Farrah Aidid. By September, 1994, the U.S. was once again sending troops to a foreign country to overthrow a military
dictatorship, this time in Haiti. In 1996 about 20,000 American troops were deployed to Bosnia as part of a NATO peace keeping force. In late March 1999,
the U.S. joined NATO in air strikes against Yugoslavia in an effort to halt the Yugoslavian governments policy of ethnic cleansing in its province of Kosovo.
The decade was to end much as it began with U.S. forces deployed in many countries, and the U.S. playing arbitrator, enforcer, and peace keeper throughout
the world. Clinton also applied ‗don‘t ask don‘t tell‘ policy; it is a policy made for
hiding sexual preferences for those who work in military force to prevent slightly future harm inside the military units.
b. Political Issues
In 1994, the Republican congressional took over the parliament after 40 years struggling. The Silent Majority, Reagan Democrats, and the south finally switched
political sides at the ballot box. The public perceived Bill Clinton as an incompetent, out-of-touch tax and spend liberal. They overwhelmingly opposed
health care reform and continued to worry about deficits. As a result, the G.O.P. gained 54 seats in the House of Representatives and 8 Senate seats. Adding insult
to injury, Democratic office holders began switching parties. The G.O.P. congress
eventually forced welfare reform and a balanced budget upon the president. In fairness, President Clinton could never have balanced a budget with the neo-left
controlling the House of Representatives. Before Oklahoma City
‘s bombing case in 1995, people considered Bill Clinton a one-term failure. Reporters even questioned his relevance. Clinton
worked an amazing comeback using the Republicans as a foil. He portrayed the G.O.P. as extremists and positioned himself against the Republicans. He vetoed
welfare reform declaring it extreme and then later signed it into law much to the chagrin of his base. Clinton shut down the government and then blamed the
Republicans. Clinton took positions to the left of the Republicans, but comfortably right of his own party. As a result, he appeared the adult. By early 1996, he placed
himself in a good position to win re-election.
c. Economical Issues
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