Moodie 3 the Iran-Contra Affair an Interview with Dr. David Abshire by William Moodie Alexando^ Hai^T February 12.2007

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Moodie 3 the Iran-Contra Affair an Interview with Dr. David Abshire by William Moodie Alexando^ Hai^T February 12.2007 Moodie 3 The Iran-Contra Affair An Interview with Dr. David Abshire By William Moodie Alexando^ Hai^t February 12.2007 Moodie 4 Statement of Purpose United States presidents face challenges on a daily basis and they are forced to make decisions regarding a multitude of issues that could affect the lives of millions of people. President Ronald Reagan faced one of these challenges during the second term of his presidency when he was confronted with news that his administration had covered up illegal procedures regarding weapon sales to Iranimi terrorists and illegal funding of Nicaraguan Contras. The purpose of this oral history project is to gain extensive knowledge of how the President's administration hmidled the Iran-Contra scandal, through an interview with Dr. David Abshire. Interviewing Dr. Abshire, who was a key special advisor to President Reagmi during the investigation, will provide a lesson in civility, truth, and honesty in difficult times. Moodie 5 Biography Dr. David Manker Abshire was bom on April 11, 1926 in Chattanooga, Tennessee, where he lived until he was accepted at The United States Military Academy at West Point. He graduated from West Point in 1951 and then fought in the Korean War as a Company Commander. Upon returning home, he became an adjunct professor at Georgetown University, from which he established a small non-profit organization in 1962, called the Center for Strategic mid International Studies (CSIS) (He received his doctorate in History from Georgetown University). Dr. Abshire served as an Assistant Secretary of State for Congressional Relations from 1970 to 1973. In 1973, he was asked to become the chairman of the United States Board of International Broadcasting. During the transition of government in 1980, President Ronald Reagan asked Dr. Abshire to lead the National Security Group, which included the Central Intelligence Agency, the State and Defense Depmlments, and the U.S. Information Agency. In 1983, Dr. Abshire was asked to become the United States' Ambassador to the North Atlmitic Treaty Organization (NATO). He accepted and served from 1983 to 1987. In 1987, Dr. Abshire was asked by President Reagan to become a Special Advisor to the Moodie 6 President during the investigation into the Iran-Contra scandal. Dr. Abshire, who held Cabinet rank, was in charge of coordinating the Tower Board, the Independent Council, and the Congressional Investigating Committees, and he held authority to meet with the President alone. After the affair. Dr. Abshire went back to CSIS and chaired the Board of Trustees until 2005. He now runs the Center for the Study of the Presidency and the Richard Lounsbery Foundation. He has received numerous medals and awards for his service both in the militmy mid the government, most significantly the Department of Defense's Medal for Distinguished Public Service mid the President Citizen's Medal. (These medals are the highest awarded to a civilimi). Dr. Abshire lives in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia with his wife, Carolyn. He and Carolyn have five grown children. Moodie 7 What Did the President Know And When Did He Know It? When the Iran-Contra affair exploded in 1986, twelve years after the national nightmare of Watergate, the presidency was again in crisis. Could the country withstmid another executive branch catastrophe? Was the United States system up to the challenge of another scandal? The scandal of the Iran-Contra Affair erupted when news broke of an illegal sale of military weapons to Iran in exchange for the release of hostages, the proceeds of which went to support anti-communist Nicaraguan rebels, called Contras. This sale to Iran was not legal, as Congress had passed laws during the Reagan administration stating that the United States would not support countries that endorsed terrorism, and those laws prohibited arms shipments and funding. United States government officials who supplied these arms also exceedingly overcharged for the arms, and the excess profits were given to support the Nicmagumi Contras, despite the fact that Congress had passed acts designed to limit the amount of money spent to fund the Contras. These elements came together in a complex story of events that almost brought down a president. In order to understmid the Iran-Contra affair, it is important to examine both the history of the events in Iran mid Nicaragua, mid the events in Washington during the affair mid to gain the firsthand perspective from someone who was involved in the event. Historimi Lou Cminon outlines seven major elements in the Iran-Contra scandal, as it has become known: first, the diminished political accountability of Reagan's cabinet; second, Reagmi's anger at not being able to get United States hostages out of Iran; third, a changing view of Iran by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) mid the National Security Council (NSC); fourth, Israel's role in the Iran war; fifth, the Contras' Moodie 8 floundering in Nicaragua; sixth, the opportunity for U.S. profit from arms deals; and, finally, a reduced political competency of White House staff (Cannon 593). In Iran, a major shift in government had occurred in late 1979 as a revolution ousted the constitutional monarchy of Shah Mohmiimad Reza Pahlavi, which was replaced by a religious oligarchy under Ayatollah RuhoUah Khomeini. The new religious oligarchy began to try to spread its form of militant Islmii beyond Iran, through support of terrorists and challenges toward other Muslim governments, especially in the Arab world. In neighboring Iraq, a coup d'etat in 1968 had given power to the Sunni minority under Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr. This Sunni minority governed the much Imger Shiite population. Sunni leader Saddmii Hussein took power in Iraq in 1979, and the Shiite-Sunni conflict contributed to other problems that created enormous tension between Baghdad and Tehran. Saddam Hussein ordered a massive attack of Iraqi troops on the border meas of Iran on September 22, 1980, in order to gain strategic resources. The war began well for Iraq with limited resistance from the surprised Iranians. But as the Iraqis moved further into Iran, the Iranimis stmled to resist. By 1982, the Irmiians had successfully countered Iraq's push forward and regained most of the lost land. For the remainder of the war, most fighting occurred on Iraqi territory, with occasional fighting in Iran. The war devolved into a stalemate, with Iraq entrenched in its own fortifications and Irmi sending armed "hummi waves" towards those Iraqi forces. Iran was funded and supported by Syria, Libya, China, and North Korea during the wm, but as the war reached its critical stages in 1985 Iran's supply of arms was becoming seriously depleted. As the Irmi-Iraq war raged, important events were happening in Central America. With the resignation of Anastasio Somoza Garcia, dictator of Nicaragua from 1969 until Moodie 9 1979, a new wave of political fervor swept Nicmagua. The Frente Sandinista de Liberacion Nacional (commonly referred to as Sandinistas) took over the country in 1979 with a wave of socialist reforms. The Sandinistas had been rebels against the Somoza government, and when he resigned the Smidinistas quickly took over the government after only a single day. The chmiges being made by the Sandinistas seemed to many to be communist, and many miti-communist Nicaraguan citizens stmted revolting. In his autobiography Ronald Reagan claims that communism was "a predatory system of absolute, authoritarimi rule that had an insatiable appetite for expansion... it was against everything Americans have stood for for more thmi two hundred years" (Reagan 471). Having taken such a strong position against radical left movements, the Reagan administration felt it had no choice but to act. The Reagan Administration contended that in order for them to maintain a relationship with Nicaragua the Sandinistas must be removed. The CIA began orgmiizing "freedom fighters" against the Smidinista government into Contras, the term for military fighting forces funded and armed by the United States. Not all members of Congress supported the Contras and, led by Speaker of the House Tip O'Neill, these Congressional opponents limited the amount of money the United States could provide to the "freedom fighters" (Reagmi 477-80). On January 20, 1985, Ronald Regan took office for his second term with over 60 percent of the populm vote and the electoral votes of 49 out of 50 states. The second term was clearly going to be different thmi Reagan's first term almost from the moment Reagan took office; in fact, two weeks before Reagan's second sweming-in. Cabinet members Jim Baker and Don Regan met with the president and asked him to switch their jobs, with Regmi becoming Chief of Staff and Baker becoming Secretary of the Treasury. Moodie 10 President Reagan approved the chmige, which later would prove to be a critical mistake in that mmiy analysts believe B^er would most likely not have gotten Reagan into the Iran-Contra scmidal. Reagan notes in his journal, "I had no idea at the time how significant my decision not to appoint Jim B^er as National Security Advisor.. .would prove to be" (qtd. in Fitzgerald 233). Don Regan brought a very different style that Reagan had not encountered before. That style enlarged Regan's power, restricted access to the president, and led to communication problems between Regan and the president (Reagan 488). Terrorism had also become a reason why President Reagan felt that something had to be done to protect American civilians in the Middle East. During Jimmy Carter's administration many terrorist orgmiizations began to increase activities, and one of the most tragic events during his administration occurred when hostages were taken prisoner in the United States Embassy in the Irmiian capital of Tehran and held for 444 days.
Recommended publications
  • The Impact of the New Right on the Reagan Administration
    LONDON SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS UNIVERSITY OF LONDON THE IMPACT OF THE NEW RIGHT ON THE REAGAN ADMINISTRATION: KIRKPATRICK & UNESCO AS. A TEST CASE BY Isaac Izy Kfir LONDON 1998 UMI Number: U148638 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. Dissertation Publishing UMI U148638 Published by ProQuest LLC 2014. Copyright in the Dissertation held by the Author. Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ProQuest LLC 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 2 ABSTRACT The aim of this research is to investigate whether the Reagan administration was influenced by ‘New Right’ ideas. Foreign policy issues were chosen as test cases because the presidency has more power in this area which is why it could promote an aggressive stance toward the United Nations and encourage withdrawal from UNESCO with little impunity. Chapter 1 deals with American society after 1945. It shows how the ground was set for the rise of Reagan and the New Right as America moved from a strong affinity with New Deal liberalism to a new form of conservatism, which the New Right and Reagan epitomised. Chapter 2 analyses the New Right as a coalition of three distinctive groups: anti-liberals, New Christian Right, and neoconservatives.
    [Show full text]
  • Building Cold War Warriors: Socialization of the Final Cold War Generation
    BUILDING COLD WAR WARRIORS: SOCIALIZATION OF THE FINAL COLD WAR GENERATION Steven Robert Bellavia A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate College of Bowling Green State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY May 2018 Committee: Andrew M. Schocket, Advisor Karen B. Guzzo Graduate Faculty Representative Benjamin P. Greene Rebecca J. Mancuso © 2018 Steven Robert Bellavia All Rights Reserved iii ABSTRACT Andrew Schocket, Advisor This dissertation examines the experiences of the final Cold War generation. I define this cohort as a subset of Generation X born between 1965 and 1971. The primary focus of this dissertation is to study the ways this cohort interacted with the three messages found embedded within the Cold War us vs. them binary. These messages included an emphasis on American exceptionalism, a manufactured and heightened fear of World War III, as well as the othering of the Soviet Union and its people. I begin the dissertation in the 1970s, - during the period of détente- where I examine the cohort’s experiences in elementary school. There they learned who was important within the American mythos and the rituals associated with being an American. This is followed by an examination of 1976’s bicentennial celebration, which focuses on not only the planning for the celebration but also specific events designed to fulfill the two prime directives of the celebration. As the 1980s came around not only did the Cold War change but also the cohort entered high school. Within this stage of this cohorts education, where I focus on the textbooks used by the cohort and the ways these textbooks reinforced notions of patriotism and being an American citizen.
    [Show full text]
  • The Strategic Defense Initiative and the End of the Cold War: Reagan's Bluff Or a Genius Strategic Ploy?
    1 /32 den Daas 4333446 The Strategic Defense Initiative and the End of the Cold War: Reagan’s Bluff or a Genius Strategic Ploy? Bachelor Thesis American Studies R.J. den Daas S4333446 – Radboud University Nijmegen Supervisor: Dr. P. van der Heiden Second reader: Dr. J. van den Berk 16-06-2019 2 /32 den Daas 4333446 ENGELSE TAAL EN CULTUUR Teacher who will receive this document: Dr. P. van der Heiden Title of document: vanderHeiden_denDaas_BachelorThesis.docx Name of course: BA Werkstuk Amerikanistiek Date of submission: 16-06-2019 The work submitted here is the sole responsibility of the undersigned, who has neither committed plagiarism nor colluded in its production. Signed Name of student: Robbie den Daas Student number: S4333446 3 /32 den Daas 4333446 Abstract This thesis has set out to further investigate the role the Strategic Defense Initiative had in the ending of the Cold War. It has done so by investigating Reagan and his administration’s views on the USSR and the nuclear threat during his first term in office and by examining the rhetoric and foreign policies Reagan and his administration undertook in that first term. This was done to create a frame in which the thoughts behind the need for such a defense could become clear. Reagan changed his rhetoric from an aggressive and confrontational nature into a tone that was more open towards discussion between the United States and the Soviet Union. Thereby, showing that Reagan feared the possible consequences of a nuclear war and thought of the SDI as a way of making nuclear weapons impotent and obsolete.
    [Show full text]
  • Ronald Reagan a Biography J
    Clemson University TigerPrints Clemson University Faculty Monographs Monographs 2012 Ronald Reagan A Biography J. David Woodard Clemson University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://tigerprints.clemson.edu/faculty_monographs Part of the Political Science Commons Recommended Citation Woodard, J. David, "Ronald Reagan A Biography" (2012). Clemson University Faculty Monographs. 1. https://tigerprints.clemson.edu/faculty_monographs/1 This Book is brought to you for free and open access by the Monographs at TigerPrints. It has been accepted for inclusion in Clemson University Faculty Monographs by an authorized administrator of TigerPrints. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Chapter 1 HEARTLAND Jack Reagan arrived tn Tamptco, lllinms, on March 23, 19 6, a enior salesman in charge of the clothing and ~hoe department of H. Ptt­ ney' General tore on outh Main rreet. The Reagan. had come to Illinoi from Ireland before the t\'d War, but both hts parents dted of tubercula i~, ·o an elderly aunt raised hLin as a pmper Irish arholic. He wa · 23 years old and had been married to Nelle lyde Reagan, who was 11 days younger, for 16 months. Pitney's establishment wa the large t general tore for about 20 miles in either direction, an 1 the job seemed a fit for the qualitie Jack Reagan possessed 111 abundance: optimi m, se lf-confidence and ambition. He wa a talker, a toryreller, and had the Irish trait of blarney, meaning charm and flattery. Tampico was imilar to thou ·and of other rown ·pread aero · the American Midwest in the early 20th century.
    [Show full text]
  • Antinuclear Politics, Atomic Culture, and Reagan Era Foreign Policy
    Selling the Second Cold War: Antinuclear Cultural Activism and Reagan Era Foreign Policy A dissertation presented to the faculty of the College of Arts and Sciences of Ohio University In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy William M. Knoblauch March 2012 © 2012 William M. Knoblauch. All Rights Reserved. 2 This dissertation titled Selling the Second Cold War: Antinuclear Cultural Activism and Reagan Era Foreign Policy by WILLIAM M. KNOBLAUCH has been approved for the Department of History and the College of Arts and Sciences by __________________________________ Chester J. Pach Associate Professor of History __________________________________ Howard Dewald Dean, College of Arts and Sciences 3 ABSTRACT KNOBLAUCH, WILLIAM M., Ph.D., March 2012, History Selling the Second Cold War: Antinuclear Cultural Activism and Reagan Era Foreign Policy Director of Dissertation: Chester J. Pach This dissertation examines how 1980s antinuclear activists utilized popular culture to criticize the Reagan administration’s arms buildup. The 1970s and the era of détente marked a decade-long nadir for American antinuclear activism. Ronald Reagan’s rise to the presidency in 1981 helped to usher in the “Second Cold War,” a period of reignited Cold War animosities that rekindled atomic anxiety. As the arms race escalated, antinuclear activism surged. Alongside grassroots movements, such as the nuclear freeze campaign, a unique group of antinuclear activists—including publishers, authors, directors, musicians, scientists, and celebrities—challenged Reagan’s military buildup in American mass media and popular culture. These activists included Fate of the Earth author Jonathan Schell, Day After director Nicholas Meyer, and “nuclear winter” scientific-spokesperson Carl Sagan.
    [Show full text]
  • Ronald Reagan at the National Press Club, June 16, 1966
    Ronald Reagan at the National Press Club, June 16, 1966 Ronald Reagan. International News Photos. National Press Club Archives In the week following his first triumph in a campaign for public office—a stunning two-to-one victory in the Republican primary for governor of California— Ronald Reagan (1911-2004) traveled east to confer with the national party chairman, California’s Republican representatives in Congress, and leading industrialists. Not only had Reagan become the favorite in his bid to unseat two- term Democratic Governor Edmund G. “Pat” Brown, politicians and pundits now considered him a major national figure and future contender for the presidency. Feared as an extremist by some, Reagan visited former President Dwight D. Eisenhower at his farm in Gettysburg and gained his support. One day later, Reagan appeared before a capacity crowd at the National Press Club in Washington, where he delivered, in the opinion of a Los Angeles Times reporter, a “witty, deft, engaging performance in his debut in one of the capital’s chief forums.” This period of Reagan’s political ascendancy coincided with the beginning stages of a seismic shift in American politics: the decline of modern liberalism and entrance of the conservative right into the political mainstream. Two years earlier, President Lyndon B. Johnson had trounced conservative Senator Barry Goldwater after a raucous Republican convention split the party into warring factions. Democrats secured resounding majorities in both the House and 1 Senate. With a clear mandate, Johnson began his new term with the announcement, “We’re on our way to the Great Society,” invoking the near- utopian vision for the U.S.
    [Show full text]
  • Video Catalogue Eric Roberts October 28, 2004
    Video Catalogue Eric Roberts October 28, 2004 AN ACT OF CONSCIENCE, Robbie Leppzer,1997, 1:30. This film follows the history of Randy Kehler and Betsy Corner,two tax resisters from Colrain, Massachusetts. After years of refusing to pay war taxes, the Federal Government seized their home and sold it to pay the arrears. The film chronicles the campaign of nonviolent resistance to save their home but also explores the class and political conflicts that arise between the resisters and the family that buys the home. THE ADVENTURES OF PRISCILLA: QUEEN OF THE DESERT, Stephen Elliot, 1994, 1:42. The story line of the film involves a group of three drag performers from the Sydneygay nighclubs who drive their lavender bus, Priscilla, across the desert to perform in Alice Springs. The fun comes from the energy that the trio and supporting cast bring to the adventure, which ends up being a wonderfully funnyand life-affirming tale. AGAINST THE CURRENT,Dmitri Delov, The Glasnost Film Festival, 1988, 0:27. ‘‘This is a film about ecological crime. Despite being labeled extremists, the residents of Kirishi protest a major syn- thetic protein plant. ‘Wecouldn’tbreathe, we coughed, we buried our children . .. but we couldn’tput up with it anymore,’ayoung woman shouts indignantly at a rally.’’[from the film notes] ALICE’S RESTAURANT,Arthur Penn, 1969, 1:51. At one level, this is the story told by Arlo Guthrie’ssong, with the half-a-ton of garbage, the twenty-seven8x10 col- ored glossy photographs, and the draft induction center where you get injected, inspected, detected, infected, neglected, and selected.
    [Show full text]
  • “Better Unmentioned:” an Assessment of Reagan Administration Aid to Pakistan, Panama, and Zaire
    City University of New York (CUNY) CUNY Academic Works Dissertations and Theses City College of New York 2018 “Better Unmentioned:” An Assessment of Reagan Administration Aid to Pakistan, Panama, and Zaire. Charles G. Sherrard CUNY City College How does access to this work benefit ou?y Let us know! More information about this work at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu/cc_etds_theses/726 Discover additional works at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu This work is made publicly available by the City University of New York (CUNY). Contact: [email protected] 1 “Better Unmentioned:” An Assessment of Reagan Administration Aid to Pakistan, Panama, and Zaire Senior Thesis. Author, Charles Sherrard. Mentor, Professor Ravi Kalia. Second Reader, Professor Yaari Seligman. Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the Master of Arts of the City College of City University of New York. 2 “Better Unmentioned:” An Assessment of Reagan Administration Aid to Pakistan, Panama, and Zaire.1 By Charles Sherrard. In the 1940 movie Santa Fe Trail, then-actor Ronald Reagan plays the part of George Custer, depicted in the film as a dashing young cavalry officer who fights against the abolitionist John Brown (who is portrayed as a crazed radical) alongside the story’s main character, Errol Flynn’s “Jeb” Stuart. There are some striking similarities between Reagan’s character in the film and the image he helped foster during his presidency. Like Custer in the film, Reagan tried to create a myth where he was the “cowboy” fighting against the radical Soviet Union alongside the members of his cabinet. Reagan’s world was the world of movies, simple, uncomplicated, and Manichean.
    [Show full text]
  • Melvyn P. Leffler the Scholar
    The Scholar Texas National Security Review: Volume 1, Issue 3 (May 2018) Print: ISSN 2576-1021 Online: ISSN 2576-1153 Melvyn P. Leffler The Scholar Scholars, like contemporary observers, continue to argue heatedly over the quality of President Ronald Reagan’s strategy, diplomacy, and leadership. This paper focuses on a fascinating paradox of his presidency: By seeking to talk to Soviet leaders and end the Cold War, Reagan helped to win it. In that process, his emotional intelligence was more important than his military buildup; his political credibility at home was more important than his ideological offensive abroad; and his empathy, affability, and learning were more important than his suspicions. Ultimately, by striving to end the nuclear arms race and avoid Armageddon, he contributed to the dynamics that led to the dissolution of the Soviet Union. These ironies, rather than detracting from Reagan’s significance, should instead put it in proper perspective. He was Gorbachev’s minor, yet indispensable partner, setting the framework for the dramatic changes that neither man anticipated happening anytime soon. cholars love debating the role of Ronald who worked for him, and who labored to impress Reagan in the Cold War. Some say he his legacy on the American psyche. aimed to win the Cold War. Others Nonetheless, the growing documentary record, claim he wanted to end the Cold War. along with memoirs and oral histories, allows for SomeS say he wanted to abolish nuclear weapons a more careful assessment of Reagan’s personal and yearned for a more peaceful world; others say impact on the endgame of the Cold War.
    [Show full text]
  • Freedom Man: the Leadership of Ronald Reagan
    1 Freedom Man: The Leadership of Ronald Reagan Lou Cannon In his seminal book on leadership, Warren G. Bennis wrote that the successful leader must have a guiding vision of the mission to be accomplished and the strength to persist in the face of failure or setbacks. Bennis had business leaders in mind, but his words apply with equal force to political or military leader- ship.1 By these standards Ronald Reagan succeeded in the leadership he provid- ed as president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. Despite some gaps in his leadership, Reagan was a transformational president. As Margaret Thatcher observed, Reagan “achieved the most difficult of all political tasks: changing attitudes and perceptions about what is possible. From the strong fortress of his convictions, he set out to enlarge freedom the world over at a time when freedom was in retreat—and he succeeded.”2 Much is demanded of American presidents. “No one can examine the char- acter of the American presidency without being impressed by its many-sided- ness,” wrote British historian Harold Laski in 1940 when his country’s existence was threatened by the Nazis and anxious for assistance from U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt. “The range of the president’s functions is enormous,” Laski wrote. “He is ceremonial head of state. He is a vital source of legislative sugges- tion. He is the final source of all executive decision. He is the authoritative ex- Lou Cannon, “Freedom Man: The Leadership of Ronald Reagan,” Essay, Enduring Legacy Project, John A. Adams ’71 Center for Military History & Strategic Analysis, Virginia Military Institute, 2014.
    [Show full text]
  • (Re-)Framing the Arab/Muslim
    Silke Schmidt (Re-)Framing the Arab/Muslim To my parents Silke Schmidt (Dr.) studied American Studies, Political Science, and Communi- cation Studies in Germany and the U.S. Her research focuses on Arab American Studies, Culture and Economics, and Gender. Silke Schmidt (Re-)Framing the Arab/Muslim Mediating Orientalism in Contemporary Arab American Life Writing Dissertation an der Philipps-Universität Marburg, 2012. Bibliographic information published by the Deutsche Nationalbibliothek The Deutsche Nationalbibliothek lists this publication in the Deutsche Natio- nalbibliografie; detailed bibliographic data are available in the Internet at http://dnb.d-nb.de © 2014 transcript Verlag, Bielefeld All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or uti- lized in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any infor- mation storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Cover layout: Kordula Röckenhaus, Bielefeld Printed by Majuskel Medienproduktion GmbH, Wetzlar Print-ISBN 978-3-8376-2915-6 PDF-ISBN 978-3-8394-2915-0 Acknowledgements Any work of writing is not just the work of the writer. Writing is a solitary activity; it takes time; it requires endurance, and it constantly raises doubts – doubts about writing itself, doubts about scholarship, and doubts about life in its entirety. If the writer manages to overcome these obstacles, then the latter become part of the work itself, woven into the network of arguments, making them even stronger and more forceful in expression. This overcoming of challenges, however, cannot be done in solitude.
    [Show full text]
  • UNIVERSITY of CALIFORNIA, MERCED Ronald Reagan's Race
    UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, MERCED Ronald Reagan’s Race to Space: American Atomic Diplomacy and SDI in the Age of Reykjavik A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy in World Cultures by Bradford David Johnston Committee in charge: Professor Sean Malloy, Chair Professor Jan Goggans Professor Gregg Herken Professor Nathan Monroe 2013 Copyright Bradford David Johnston, 2013 All rights reserved The Dissertation of Bradford David Johnston is approved, and it is acceptable in quality and form for publication on microfilm and electronically: Professor Jan Goggans Professor Gregg Herken Professor Nathan Monroe Professor Sean Malloy Chair University of California, Merced 2013 iii Dedicated to Natalie Johnston iv Table of Contents Dissertation Signature Page, iii Acknowledgments, vi Curriculum Vita, vii Abstract, x Introduction, 1 Chapter One Providential Destiny and Technological Evangelism: The Roots of Ronald Reagan’s Worldview, 8 Chapter Two Communists and Bridge Lamps: The Deepening Worldview of Ronald Reagan 14 Chapter Three Racing to Win: Ronald Reagan, the Committee on the Present Danger, and the American Quest for Strategic Superiority 27 Chapter Four Racing to Zero? The Transnational Nuclear Freeze Movement and the Reagan Administration’s Atomic Diplomacy 41 Chapter Five Racing to Heaven: Domestic Politics, Nuclear Fears, and Ronald Reagan’s Technological Solution 63 Chapter Six From Geneva to Reykjavik 83 Chapter Seven Running in Place: The Reykjavik Summit and SDI 105 Conclusion 130 End Notes 134 v Acknowledgments Many people deserve my acknowledgment and thanks, though for brevity’s sake I will keep this short. I would like to thank my mother, Marlene Williams, for encouraging me to read widely as a boy with our weekly trips to the library, and my father, David C.
    [Show full text]