Cold War and the Los Angeles area - Essay Example

COLD WAR AND THE LOS ANGELES AREA The cold war was a period of collision and rivalry. The two super powers did not fight against each other but the war was expressed through costly defense, nuclear arms race and a number of proxy wars. The cold war changed the economic picture of the US. The pressure of nuclear warfare gave way to a new dimension to the changing culture of the history of war in the world. Los Angeles contributes and has a great impact on the nation’s economy, politics and culture.

A profound impact could be seen in the post world war II. The Olympics games in Moscow were boycotted by United States and its allies in 1980, therefore when in 1984 the Olympic were held in Los Angeles, Soviet Union boycotted the games. International sports sometimes need political support and this factor is exploited too, which was seen in the Cold war. President Carter concluded that such ban on sports would not create any benefit but on the part of athletes’, their career would be affected.

This movement was well attuned to international politics, and the governments had access to the power. Joining of Russia in the Olympic movement politicized the games. Particularly, it is stated that to wage propaganda the U.S. government controlling the Olympic Games carried on this campaign against communism during Cold War. (Hill)The Los Angeles games of 1984 will be remembered greatly, as it showed the execution of super political power and it showed a significant impact on the domestic Olympics of the season.

The games displayed the shift of powers from the IOC. Due to the Cold War, the strain between the countries allied with the super powers increased. Both the countries (West Germany and East Germany) were asked to participate as one team but the offer was declined by East Germany. (Rider)Such disagreement of countries allied with super powers continued for a long time and the athletes suffered. These games were sharply politicized on the other hand they were commercial as the taxpayers used it and refused to pay funds and exploited the games by all means. (Hill)The city holds an especial place in the heart of all Americans.

It is called the hub of entertainment, leisure, culture films and many more. It contributes to the US economy by drawing in income from the sale of cultural products across the globe. For 40 year Los Angeles had advanced strategic-projects including Bomber projects, space projects, missiles and advance electronic communication. But in the late in 1980s Los Angeles faced sudden reverse in the flow of income. Due to the cold war the job market in aerospace and electronics markets came to an end and dropped by 50%.

It won’t be wrong if it is said that “Cold war stripped Los Angeles in the sector of manufacturing, production and engineering.” (Engel )WORK CITEDHill, Christopher. "The Cold War and the Olympic Movement." History Today. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Feb 2013. .Rider, T. (2011). The olympic games and the secret cold war: The u.s. government and the propaganda campaign against communist sport, 1950-1960.  University of Western Ontario - Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository. Paper 210. Retrieved from http://ir.lib.uwo.

ca/etd/210/Hill, Christopher. Olympic Politics. 2. Manchester University Press, 1996. 138-140. Web.