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Nabiha Iqra HST 202 Extra Credit
Nabiha Iqra HST 202 Extra Credit
HST 202-14
Fall 2013
Extra Credit Assignment
December 11th, 2013
throughout the world. Nixon would also say the caricature of capitalism as a predatory,
monopolist dominated society, is as hopelessly out of date, as far as the United States is
concerned, as a wooden plow (VF 246). The United States, he declared, had achieved what
Soviets could only dream of prosperity for a classless society (GML p. 915). Nixon defined
American freedom as the ability to consume, to be able to buy what you want. During the cold
war, freedom to average Americans meant enjoying the lifestyles which only the wealthiest
could afford once, while working for wages. Consumptions of cars, televisions and radios
increased drastically during that era, since people would travel across the country for vacation
and watch TV during leisure. American consumerism is still pretty much the same today.
Americans want to be able to purchase whatever they feel like, thats why most houses and cars
are still bought on credit today. Luxurious goods became necessities for Americans. The
consumer industry today is aimed to push consumers into wanting to consume more and more.
Works Cited
Foner, Eric. Give Me Liberty. third ed. Vol. two. New York: W.W. Norton & Company,
2012. Print.
Foner, Eric. Voices of Freedom. third ed. Vol. two. New York: W.W. Norton & Company,
2011. Print.