Mon.+April+9

With the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, President Reagan declared victory over the socialist camp and the end of the Cold War. The United States became the only superpower in the world and the American model seemed to be the only good example for other countries to follow. Social scientist Francis Fukuyama published his provocative essay, “The End of History?” in the summer of 1989. He proposed that the collapse of Communism in the Soviet [|Union] and Eastern Europe signaled the end of historical progress and the de facto victory of liberal democracy over all other forms of political ideology. However, crises and challenges happened one after another in the United States such as the 9/11 terrorist attack, wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the financial crisis of 2008, the current debt crisis, etc. What will happen if these challenges continue?
 * __Mon. April 9: Current Challenges of the United States__**
 * Questions:**
 * What was the mentality of American leaders after the collapse of the Soviet Union?
 * How do you understand Fukuyama’s argument regarding “the end of history?”
 * How to understand 9/11 attacks and its consequences?
 * What do you think of America’s involvement in Afghanistan and Iraq?
 * What were the major causes of the financial crisis of 2008 and the current debt crisis?
 * What do you think of the American way of life?

Movies: 1. The 9.11 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owfKzWkOZ70

2. the financial crisis [] 1) David Boren//, [|A Letter to America] // 2) Thomas L. Friedman, //Hot, Flat and Crowed: Why We Need A Green Revolution-And How It Can Renew America// //3)// Jeffrey Melnick, //9/11 Culture//, Wiley-Black Well, 2009
 * Recommended Readings:**