Disillusionment In The 1970's

The 1970’s is often times referred to as a bummer decade. They were full of disillusionment, diminished expectations, and suspicion of government. Some causes for this attitude include: the Vietnam War, unreliable foreign policy, and economic crisis. Therefore, many Americans lost all faith in their government on November 4, 1979 when report came that the American Iranian embassy had been overrun. This lack of trust is referred to as the “credibility gap”, but after ten years, this gap had grown into a gorge that many believed was not fillable. America’s response to the Iranian hostage crisis was forged from the domestic matter of an energy crisis and the foreign involvement inside Vietnam. By the 1970’s, America had become increasingly …show more content…
These groups included: Students for Democratic Society (SDS), Hippies, and the Counterculture. They held anti-war rallies and openly mocked the government and our president. A common theme was to fight against the “establishment” whom they believed were taking advantage of all American people. They preached to do everything the exact opposite of what the “establishment” said to do. The idea of “drugs, sex, and rock n’ roll” was the exact opposite of the usual traditional stance America was known for. This public display of rebellion and open mockery of the government was not common until the 1970’s. It added to further decline of the economy and the idea that America was hopeless.
The final straw for America’s faith in government came with the Tet. Offensive. It was a military victory but a political disaster. The public saw the indeed a third world state had managed to overthrow multiple military bases. Therefore, proving peoples doubts that we were wasting our money, lives, and time in Vietnam. The Tet. Offensive was one of the largest contributors to American people realizing their government had been lying to them. People believed that their government no longer had their interests in mind. Moreover, they began to doubt American foreign involvement …show more content…
Farber says that they didn’t “know how to play the part” (139), and many would agree with him. As the count on ABC continued to rise, people wondered why our government had not gotten them out yet, and one could argue that, although devastated, America was not surprised at the seemingly incompetence of its government yet again. Of course the hostage crisis was much more complex than one may think. Carter was faced with releasing the Shah to Iran, where he would be executed, and being seen as a traitor to its allies, or keeping the Shah and risking the lives of the American hostages. Neither choice bode well for Carter or his

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American Culture In The 1970's

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