From the ridicule of Trump to the rise of Jack Welch: how the 1980s shaped and changed America
In When America Roared, Pulitzer-winning reporter Jonathan Kaufman looks back to a decade of greed and excess, and uses it to explore where we are today
TL;DR
- Donald Trump's persona and career are deeply rooted in the 1980s, a decade where he was often ridiculed but is now taken seriously.
- Jonathan Kaufman's book, "When America Roared," explores how the 1980s impacted and shaped contemporary America.
- The book features influential figures such as GE CEO Jack Welch, feminist labor leader Karen Nussbaum, Wall Street figure John Rogers, gay marriage activist Evan Wolfson, and FCC chair Mark Fowler.
- Kaufman highlights the deregulation of media under Mark Fowler, which paved the way for Fox News and talk radio, contributing to media polarization.
- The book suggests that the Republican Party's strategic changes in business, media, and the judiciary in the 1980s created a "deep state" that continues to influence politics.
- Kaufman draws parallels between the Democrats' struggles to counter Reagan in the 1980s and their current challenges.
- The 1980s also saw the seeds of movements like gay marriage, which were initially dismissed but later succeeded due to long-term strategies.