A Decade Of Dissapointment

A Decade of Disappointment

From worldwide wars to the reuniting of the nation, the social, political, economic, and international events of the United States always seem to be under a state of change. One very imperative time in America’s history was the 1980 decade, this was a very hostile and displeasure able time. From the discovery of AIDS to an all out boycott of the Olympics by the United Sates and Russia, and a national tragedy caused by the space-shuttle Challenger disaster, these societal events caused major changes to millions of people spread over many nations. The prominence of AIDS was the most socially significant event of the 1980s as this lethal virus is still a massive problem not just in the United Sates, but across the entire globe.

Introduction

I. Discovery of AIDS

A. The Discovery of The Disease in 1981

B. First Blood Tests on AIDS and The Beginning of AIDS Awareness

C. The Advancements Made on AIDS1985

II. 1980 & 84 Olympic Boycotts

A. Soviet Union’s Advancement into Afghanistan

B. The United States and Soviet Union’s Rotation of Olympic Boycotts

C. The Ending of The Olympic Feud

III. Space-Shuttle Challenger Disaster

A. NASA’s Development of The Space Craft

B. The Launching and Disastrous Explosion

C. Ronald Reagan’s Announcement and The Aftermath

IV. The Beginning of the AIDS Epidemic is the Most Significant

Conclusion

A Decade of Disappointment

From worldwide wars to the reuniting of the nation, the social, political, economic, and international events of the United States always seem to be under a state of change. One very imperative time in America’s history was the 1980s decade, this was a very hostile and displeasure able time. From the discovery of AIDS to an all out boycott of the Olympics by the United States and Russia, and a national tragedy caused by the space-shuttle Challenger disaster, these societal events caused major changes to millions of people spread over many nations. The prominence of AIDS was the most socially significant event of the 1980s as this lethal virus is still a massive problem, not just in the United Sates, but across the entire globe.

In 1981 doctors in New York and San Francisco began to have male patients that had begun to develop rare opportunistic infections and cancers. These diseases were not affected by treatment and the patients seemed to have a common link, a common blood condition. This condition is now known as AIDS or Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome but would not be named until 1983 by Science magazine (Institute Pasteur). But it would take two more years for this to occur and more and more patients that suffered from what would normally be considered “cope able or treatable” as said by Charlie Dauguet the head of the electron microscopic in the viral Oncology unit at the institute (Institute Pasteur). Advancements came as quickly as possible, as by 1985 there was a commercialized test put out that could detect the virus in the blood of a patient. They also discovered that lymphocytes, or white blood cells, are the main victims by the virus. But another prejudiced idea came about, as it would be known as a “gay syndrome” because of its prevalence in homosexual men. This was for a time actually not true as it was initially found in homosexuals but would soon be more prevalent in hospital patients or drug addicts. A huge leap in AIDS awareness, treatment, and prevention has come in the last twenty years with groundbreaking experiments bringing a possible cure closer and closer. An AIDS test can now be taken by a simple gum swab and the results of that test would be ready in a week, rather than the possible two moths of waiting in the 80s. Also there are new medications that can be taken to prevent the progression of HIV or Human Immunodeficiency Virus to AIDS. Although this seemed to be a huge problem four years prior an international dispute occurred between two of the most powerful nations in the world.

The 1980 Olympics were set to be a huge event in Russia, but because of advancements made by Russia into Afghanistan, the United States athletes would not be able to compete. This would only create more tension between the two power countries at the center of the Cold War, lasting from 1945 to 1991, and now not only bring political but social disagreements into the proverbial mix. This all began because of the constant desire to expand, and the Soviet Union was no exception. In the mid to late 1970s the Soviet Union had began to give aid to Afghanistan to help build its culture, economy, and reunite the country as one. But the soviets had another agenda; they wanted to spread their influences across Asia but to predominantly spread communism. Communism had been starting to fall in popularity throughout the Soviet Union because the Soviet army was not supporting it, but it would stand the test of time. But there was a protest in the Afghan capital of Kabul, and in 1979 the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan. A year later the Olympic games were to be set in the Soviet capital of Moscow. President Carter had decided the decision had to be made to make a stand; he called for the Moscow games to be moved to another location. President Carter asked the International Olympic Committee to move them preferably to Greece. And at one point President Carter relesed this statement saying, “I pointed out ... that continued aggressive actions by the Soviets would endanger the participation of athletes and travel to Moscow by spectators”(Lorch). The Soviet Union did eventually pull out of Afghanistan but not without internal discord. But four years later there was to be another international conflict from the actions taken by the US and the Soviet Union. The 1984 Olympics were set to be Los Angeles and in response the Soviet

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