aboutsummaryrefslogtreecommitdiff
path: root/smith
diff options
context:
space:
mode:
Diffstat (limited to 'smith')
-rw-r--r--smith/19_nixon241
1 files changed, 241 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/smith/19_nixon b/smith/19_nixon
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..227b068
--- /dev/null
+++ b/smith/19_nixon
@@ -0,0 +1,241 @@
+- Nixon opposed to Vietnam War. Promised to alleviate public fear about
+ leaders. But he made the biggest scandal since Andrew Johnson in 1898.
+ First president to resign
+Vowed to "restore law and order," but 5 top aides convicted.
+- In the end, brought together the American people, but not intentional.
+
+How did the political environment of the late 1960s influence Nixon's
+election strategy and domestic policy?
+What were Nixon's strategies in the Vietnam War?
+How did the Watergate Scandal unfold? What were its consequences?
+
+1968: The Year of Fracture
+- A traumatic year in a traumatic decade
+- James Earl Grey, thief and white racist, assassinates Dr. King.
+ - Riots erupted. Many black people died in those riots.
+- That night, Robert Kennedy stands on the bed of a flatbed truck:
+ "Those of you who are black can be filled with hatred, a desire for
+ revenge...Or we can make an effort, as Dr King said, to understand
+ and fill ourselves with love" (anti-division, anti-violence)
+- Bobby Kennedy appeared at a hotel to celebrate his senatorial victory
+ - Pledged to end division and violence
+ - Jordanian Arab shot at Kennedy eight times over Kennedy's support
+ of Israel, killing him at 42.
+- The assassinations "framed the 60s" and killed a wealth of idealism
+- Made many people lose hope of democracy
+ - Some turn to radicalism
+ - Others drop out of society
+
+The Chicago Riots of 1968
+- Protestors beaten by Chicago police
+- Fragments Democratic party
+The Election of 1968
+- Nixon, and the Republicans, claimed to be spokesmen for Middle America
+ - Appealed to "silent majority" of working and middle-class
+ Americans with contempt of the protestors
+ - "those who are not guilty of the crime that plagues the land"
+ - Promised to end the war
+- George Wallace, running on independent ticket
+ - Against "little Pinkos" (communists). White supremacist
+ - Appealed forcefully to white working class voters' disgust with
+ civil rights protests, antiwar protests, growing federal welfare
+ - Savage wit
+ - The American public will realize "there are a lot of rednecks in
+ this country"
+ - Gained appeal outside of his native South.
+ - He hoped to deny either other candidate a majority and make the
+ House decide.
+- Nixon
+ - Willing to do anything to win, including violating the law to tell
+ South Vietnamese people to stall negotiations because Nixon
+ promised to provide better terms.
+ - Pres Johnson's last-minute attempt to end the war was sabotaged by
+ Nixon.
+ - Johnson was furious and called Nixon a traitor
+ - "Of all Nixon's actions, this was the most reprehensible
+ for he chose winning an election over ending a war."
+ - But he didn't have enough proof to tell the public
+- Hubert Humphrey was the Dem running candidate
+- Nixon got a 1% popular vote margin, large victory of electoral college
+ - He gets California, weird.
+ - OH and NJ, traditional dem strongholds went to Nixon.
+ - More Southern whites vote republican than democrat.
+ - Deep South (AL, LA, AK, GA, MS) vote for Wallace.
+
+Nixon said he wanted to unify the country, but said he was a polarizing
+figure.
+- His key to reelection was having a good Southern Strategy to win over
+ white Southerners angered by the Civil Rights movement and gov.
+ programs that helped black people.
+ - Waves of businesses moved to the South because of poor pro-worker
+ legislation.
+ - Business growth was 7x greater than NY or PA, for ex.
+ - Merl Haggard, country singer, sings song to this group: they hated
+ antiwar protestors, civil rights demonstrators.
+ - Kevin Phillips argued that the key to Southern majority was
+ capturing the Sun Belt (evangelical protestants, suspicious of
+ "liberal elites")
+ - Advised Nixon to veer rightward and capture Wallace's racist
+ groups
+ - The avoidance of mandatory school busing (he "played the race
+ card")
+ - SC appointments to fit this
+ - The media focused on growing white backlash.
+ - Urban ethnic whites were angry at black people "taking
+ their jobs"
+ - High levels of division: conservatives saw feminism, civil
+ rights as assualts on traditional values.
+ - "Ascendancy through polarization"
+ - Nixon carried every Southern state. "Greatest political
+ realignment since Franklin in 1932"
+ - Brought together Country Club Republicans with poor whites
+ who were always voting for segregationist Dems.
+
+Nixon and the War
+- Nixon and Henry Kissinger develop a plan for a NWO to pursue peaceful
+ coexistence with Sovs and Chinese
+ - Want sercecy
+ - Bypass Congress and State Dept to pursue peace.
+ - By 1969 realized there is no way to win the war
+ - Sought "peace with honor"
+ - Honor = uphold credibility of US alliances
+ - Peace was long and coming
+ - Wanted to begin negotiations to end the war
+ - The "Mad Man" Strategy
+ - Wanted Viet Minh and Viet Cong to believe he was obsessed with
+ ending communism, including use of nuclear weapons.
+ - Wanted them to fear the total annihilation of Vietnam.
+ - Improve relations with Russian and Chinese -> prevent them
+ from joining the war.
+ - New Cold War policy: Détente
+ - Cooperation and accomodation
+ - Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT)
+ - In 1969, announced Vietnamization: equip Southern Vietnamese
+ to take over in combat
+ - Increased bombing while doing this to buy time
+ - Secret bombing campaign from Cambodia
+ - Still, Hanoi did not flinch
+ - 4x the tonnage dropped on Japan.
+ - US military incursion in Cambodia to "clear hidden military
+ Communist bases"
+ - Cambodia was neutral, but Nixon didn't care
+ - Ohio National Guard shoots Kent State bystanders, because antiwar
+ protestors were throwing rocks; investigation concludes
+ unwarranted. Many of Kissinger's aides resigned in protest.
+ - Widespread demonstrations against Nixon at 300 colleges
+ - Nixon Doctrine: America cannot and will not concede all the
+ plans, design all the programs, and take on all the defense of
+ free nations of the world.
+ - Supported proxy warfare: weapons and funds
+ - Pursued partnerships with Comm. countries
+ - Ex: US recognized PRC.
+ - Kssinger said Nixon took "leave of reality"
+ - Infuriated Japan and Taiwan. UN expelled Taiwan.
+ - Democratic predecessors could not get this same breakthrough w/
+ PRC and Sovs for being called "soft on communism."
+ - Negotiation on SALT I had been going on since 1962.
+ - US sold much of wheat crop to Soviets at a favorable price.
+- Kissinger continued private meetings with North Vietnamese in France
+ - He announced that peace was at hand.
+ - To win votes for Nixon's reelection.
+ - Peace talks broke off in December, so Nixon bombed two largest
+ cities in North Vietnam. (Christmas Bombings)
+ - Also put explosive underwater mines in Hai Phong Harbor
+ - Paris Peace Accords was a carefully disguised surrender by the
+ US. Kissinger and Nixon claimed the North Viets altered stance
+- In 1973, North Vietnamese released US PoWs and the last troops left on
+ the same day.
+ - In a few weeks, the war resumed. Communists gained the upper hand.
+ - Congress denied South Vietnam's request for support
+- The war divided the Baby Boomers
+ - Deeply eroded respect for the military
+ - Youth regarded military service as corrupting and dishonorable
+
+The Wategrate Scandal
+- Nixon deliberately subverted his Democratic opponents' chances at
+ reelection, even though he had a virtual landslide guarantee because
+ of his own paranoia. So strong it paralleled
+- 5 burglars previously associated with Committee to Re-Elect the
+ President (CREEP) broke into DNC headquarters to infiltrate it. The
+ conspiracy unraveled after he was successfully reelected.
+ - Bob Woodward, reporter on Metropolitan Desk of Washington Post was
+ told by his editor to check on the Watergate break-in. Bernstein.
+ - Discovered the "Plumbers" had expensive cameras and electronic
+ equipment + $2300 in cash. Well-dressed, false names.
+ - All were heavily involved in CIA anti-Castro activities.
+ - Large political sum, laundered through a Mexican bank, funded
+ the robbery.
+ - White House Aides working with the re-election knew about the
+ break-in and the bugging of Watergate, including John
+ Mitchell, Attorney General.
+ - Nixon declared that John Dean, WH Counsel, discovered that no
+ one in the staff or administration was involved. (Cover-up)
+- The secret source, called "Deep Throat" in their subsequent book, is
+ Mark Felt, 2nd-in-command at FBI.
+ - Systematically pointed Woodward and Bernstein to the full breadth
+ of the scandal: illegal fundraising, subversion of opposition
+ political candidates, WH "plumbers" to break-in and wiretap
+ enemies, use of IRS to discredit foes, and counter-intelligence.
+ Watergate was the tip of the iceberg.
+"Dirty tricks" were paid for with IRS funds.
+- HR Haldeman, WH chief of staff.
+Accused Dems of sexual indiscretions and infiltrated campaign staff.
+- G Gordon Liddy entrapped Dems into many bad things.
+ - Mastermind behind Watergate, authorized by AG. "Plumbers" = WH
+ investigations group. Created in 1971 to destroy Nixon's enemies
+
+Daniel Ellsberg and The Pentagon Papers
+- Former aide to Henry Kissinger
+- Ellsberg leaked the Pentagon Papers, a Defense Department official
+ - Revealed that intelligence agencies lied to the public about the
+ war
+ - Only about events up to 1965, but Nixon argued their release would
+ prolong the war and hurt nat. sec. Supreme Court ruled against.
+ - Pres launched a crusade to destroy Ellsberg.
+
+- Nixon tried to divert attention from crimes on Jun 20 in a plot with
+ his aides. "Crush the Inquiry by telling the deputy CIA director that
+ the FBI investigation would compromise 'sensitive CIA ops.'"
+ - Actually worked temproraily
+ - But various officials continued to leak to Woodward and
+ Bernstein, "smelling a set-up"
+
+James McCord presented the Judge on the case with a letter.
+ - It alleged that "high-level gov officials had committed perjury
+ during the investigation" and "pressure was applied to
+ force...participants to keep their silence" and "various
+ participants...were never identified."
+ - John Dean, WH Counsel, whose fake investigation was cited by
+ Nixon, started talking to prosecutors and negotiating for immunity
+ - Former AG John Mitchell admitted meeting with conspirators and
+ other officials found themselves caught in lies.
+- Senators Sam Ervin and Howard Baker helped lead the investigation.
+- WH aide Alexander Butterfield announced that Nixon had installed a
+ sophisticated tape system in WH to record all words the pres. said.
+ - Drama continues to unfold and Nixon digs himself deeper and deeper
+ - Archibald Cox, Special Prosecutor, appointed by Nixon to
+ investigate Watergate. Both the prosecutor and the senate
+ inquiry subpoenaed tapes
+ - Nixon pleaded Executive Privilege, willing to give them
+ transcripts but not the tapes. Archibald Cox refused and
+ petitioned the courts to order Nixon to turn it over
+ because it was a criminal org. Nixon wanted to fire Cox
+ so fired the AG and his deputy who refused, finally using
+ Solicitor General to fire him. "Saturday Night Massacre"
+- The replacement eventually had enough info to indict the Pres, but
+ didn't do so because he believed sitting presidents weren't subject to
+ indictment.
+ - Congressional resolutions to impeach (which didn't pass until
+ Jul 1974) began after the firing of Cox. Some tapes Nixon handed
+ over were erased.
+ - It turns out Nixon approved hush money payments for the WH
+ burglars to prevent them from confessing their crimes and
+ their relation to CREEP.
+ - Felony obstruction of justice.
+
+Jul 1974: Impeachment proceeds with a Dem majority in the House passing
+articles of impeachment. House Judiciary Committee demands tapes from
+Nixon.
+- Nixon ultimately releases the tapes that document his crimes.
+ - On 1974 Aug 8, Nixon resigns. Gerald Ford sworn in
+ - "Our long national nightmare is over"