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Changes After the Cold War (Eastern Europe (Political: In Poland, as the…
Changes After the Cold War
Eastern Europe
Political: In Poland, as the Russian Communist government fell, many people expressed their dissent with the government at that time. Lech Walesa lead the movement. This lead to free parliamentary elections in 1988.
Economy: Once free parliamentary elections were held in Poland, massive free market reforms took place. However, this lead to severe unemployment. The next president helped move Poland into a successful open economy.
Social: The living conditions in the new Russia were not quite as good as some other Eastern European countries. Many people resorted to alcoholism. Organized crime ran rampant. Traditional family values were also being lost.
Western Europe
Political: After Communism fell, the Berlin Wall separating East and West Germany fell as well. This caused the two countries to reunify into Germany in 1990. Helmut Kohl became the new president.
Economy: The EC is created, which is an economic union. This turned into the EU, or European Union. It established a common currency (the euro). Then, Greece and Ireland became bankrupt when using the euro, causing a fiscal disaster. The euro was adopted by many different European countries.
Social: After Germany’s economy collapsed, there were high tensions against native Germans and the large immigrant population. Many immigrants sought refuge in Germany because it did not have harsh immigration laws. The tension was driven by poor living conditions.
North America
Political: In recent years, US politics have switched between left and right. Many different presidents have different views on political issues. For example, George Bush was occupied with the war on terror in Iraq and Afghanistan. Reagan helped create a large peacetime military buildup.
Economics: Reagan increased federal spending dramatically, causing a large budget deficit in the government. The deficit was over a trillion dollars in 1987. Capitalism was still prevalent in the US and on the rise.
Social: In the US in the 1990s, there was an opposition to the popular women’s rights movement. Many women wanted to return to traditional roles in the home. However, some women still wanted to balance career and family.
South/Central America
Political: Many new governments in South America have been created such as in Venezuela and Brazil. These new governments are mostly left wing democracies. For example, Hugo Chavez was elected in Venezuela in 1998, and Luiz Silva was elected in Brazil in 2002.
Economics: In Brazil, the president tried to instill a policy of increased trade and educational reform. This helped expand the middle class and create new consumers. The new economic policy of Brazil has been thriving.
Social: Haiti has dealt with earthquakes and continued poverty. However, on the other side of the island, the Dominican Republic has fared better because of tourism and money sent from abroad.
Africa
Political: In Cote D'ivoire, there is a civil war raging between the Muslim rebel north and the Christian government controlled south. When the Christian president was elected in 2002, the Muslim rebels were angered and they split off in the north. The civil war was solved in 2007 when a power sharing deal was agreed upon.
Economic: The civil war in Cote D'ivoire caused huge economic problems. Many jobs have disappeared, and there are 4 million men out of work of the country of 21 million. There are many food shortages, and many businesses and banks have closed.
Social: Throughout Africa, there is a large epidemic of the AIDS virus. More than 1.2 million people died of AIDS in 2010. AIDS is helped spread by the poor living conditions in Africa. The poverty is widespread; many people live on a very low GDP per capita.
Middle East
Political: Israel is facing a large conflict between many different ethnic groups and the Palestine Liberation Organization. Israel is the Holy Land of three different major religions, and a large amount of conflict has been going on to this day. Christians, Muslims, and Jews all want to control this portion of the Middle East.
Social: Islamic Law is prevalent in the Middle East, and it restricts many basic human rights. In early 2011, many people in Middle Eastern countries protested Islamic Law and the government. This was called Arab Spring, However, the protests did not change citizens civil rights much.
Economic: In the early 2000s in Israel, the second invasion by Palestine (Second Intifada) caused the economy to worsen because of a decline in investment and tourism. This sent unemployment in Israel to unprecedented highs.
East Asia
Political: North and South Korea have been in political conflict for many years. North Korea is building its nuclear program, and South Korea is worried that North Korea will launch missiles. North Korea remains a military dictatorship, and South Korea is a peaceful democracy.
Economics: In the 1990s, Japan experienced an economic recession due to the deflation of currency. Many people were not buying Japanese products because they were not built well.
Social: China implemented a one child policy in order to slow down its population growth. The policy gave many benefits to families that only had one child. The one child policy helped slow the population growth, but caused economic problems because of the large elderly population.
South/Southeast Asia
Political: India and Pakistan fought over the territory of land between them (Kashmir). In 1998, both countries tested nuclear warheads, which made the situation worse. In 2002, there was a large threat of war, but in 2003 India and Pakistan restored diplomatic relations.
Economic: Economic reforms happened in India in 1991. This helped India move towards a market based economy. India shifted from primarily agricultural jobs to service and industrial jobs. India may be the world’s third largest economy by 2035.
Social: In the Philippines, terrorism is a large problem. Muslim rebels on the island of Mindanao use terror to achieve their goals. This frightens the common population and wreaks havoc.
