Letter from America: The Bush Sr Years (1989-1992)
Activity Overview
Episode publication activity over the past year
Episodes
Vermont, snowboarders, and Nancy Cruzan
28 Dec 1990
Contributed by Lukas
From his holiday retreat in Vermont, Alistair Cooke muses on the benefits of getting away from it all, ponders the plight of the snowboarder and discu...
Gender-specific terminology and Michael Milken
21 Dec 1990
Contributed by Lukas
The Mayor of Los Angeles' attempt to eliminate gender-specific terminology, Betty Friedan’s 'The Feminine Mystique' and the conclusion of the trial ...
Black Americans in the armed forces
14 Dec 1990
Contributed by Lukas
The disproportionate amount of African Americans serving in the US military, and the Harris poll revealing a gender split in the opposition towards mi...
Pearl Harbour, Dick Cheney and Saddam Hussein
07 Dec 1990
Contributed by Lukas
The attack on Pearl Harbour, Congress and President Bush's conflict over the power to take the country to war, and Dick Cheney's objections to sanctio...
Margaret Thatcher and travelling during Thanksgiving
23 Nov 1990
Contributed by Lukas
The American perception of Margaret Thatcher and the effect of the recession on air travel during Thanksgiving, as discussed by Alistair Cooke.
150,000 more troops to Iraq
16 Nov 1990
Contributed by Lukas
President Bush sends more troops in to the Gulf, the public confusion around the reasons for intervention, and the effect on Bush's approval ratings.
1990 mid-term elections
09 Nov 1990
Contributed by Lukas
In the week after the 1990 mid-term elections, Alistair Cooke compares the predictions and the results of the vote, and discusses the failure of the D...
The CIA and Kuwaiti Conspiracy
02 Nov 1990
Contributed by Lukas
A press conference by the Iraqi Ambassador in Washington and American scepticism surrounding the allegations of a CIA and Kuwaiti conspiracy, as detai...
Intervention in the Gulf and no new taxes
26 Oct 1990
Contributed by Lukas
President Bush's difficulty in finalising proposals for the national budget, and garnering support for the American presence in the Gulf.
President Bush and the 1990 national budget
19 Oct 1990
Contributed by Lukas
President Bush and the Senate struggling to agree on a national budget, the workings of the federal system, and the 1990 Congressional elections, as d...
End of the fiscal year, 1990
12 Oct 1990
Contributed by Lukas
The Columbus Day parade, the closure of National parks and museums due to the end of the fiscal year and the start of a new budget, and the appointmen...
The 14th amendment
05 Oct 1990
Contributed by Lukas
The role of women in the armed forces, the life and work of Lady Astor, the fourteenth amendment and equal access to locker rooms.
A unanimous United Nations
28 Sep 1990
Contributed by Lukas
The Soviet foreign minister denounces the action of Saddam Hussein to the United Nations, and the first, and last, unanimous vote reached by the Counc...
New York - a melting pot?
21 Sep 1990
Contributed by Lukas
The cultural makeup of New York, ‘The Melting Pot’ and plays of Israel Zangwill, and the separation of Irish, Jewish, black, Italian and Puerto Ri...
Chernobyl and the Star Wars defence program
14 Sep 1990
Contributed by Lukas
The lessons learned from Chernobyl, the hesitation in Congress over the Star Wars defence program, and the motivations of American doctors conducting ...
James Baker and Russians in Iraq
07 Sep 1990
Contributed by Lukas
Secretary James Baker's questioning by the Senate foreign relations committee on Iraq; the presence of Russian military advisors working with Saddam H...
The Path To Kuwait, 1990
31 Aug 1990
Contributed by Lukas
President Bush's meeting with leaders from around the World to discuss Saddam Hussein's move in to Kuwait and the path towards American intervention.
Shipbuilding In California
17 Aug 1990
Contributed by Lukas
The economic growth in California since 1967, the work of Henry Kaiser to bring a military shipbuilding industry to the state, and the closure of Yose...
NYC's new immigrants
03 Aug 1990
Contributed by Lukas
Today's immigrants to New York and why they don't speak English, and the invitation to black players to join the Augusta National golf club in 1990.
William J Brennan and David Souter
27 Jul 1990
Contributed by Lukas
The resignation of Justice William J Brennan and the appointment of David Souter, and the process of appointing a new judge to the Supreme Court, as d...
The Cambodian guerilla coalition
20 Jul 1990
Contributed by Lukas
President Bush withdraws the US diplomatic recognition of the Cambodian guerrilla coalition due to the human rights record of the regime.
The 1990 World Cup
13 Jul 1990
Contributed by Lukas
With the World Cup drawing to a close, Alistair Cooke looks forward to 1994 when the USA will hold the tournament and examines the American interest i...
Independence Day 1990
06 Jul 1990
Contributed by Lukas
A French insight in to Independence Day, the British stereotype of American pastimes, and a travel guide for tourists visiting New York State, as disc...
Nelson Mandela In America
29 Jun 1990
Contributed by Lukas
Nelson Mandela's 1990 visit to the United States, the ANC's reluctance to renounce violence, and the conflict between pro and anti-abortionists, as di...
An Indepedent Quebec
15 Jun 1990
Contributed by Lukas
Charles de Gaulle's 1967 speech calling for an independent Quebec, healthcare and gun control in Canada, and the American view of their neighbour to t...
Diane Feinstein
08 Jun 1990
Contributed by Lukas
Following the emergence of Diane Feinstein as Democratic nomination for the Governor of California, Alistair Cooke profiles the politician, and detail...
Richard Paul Pavlik
01 Jun 1990
Contributed by Lukas
The spontaneous walkabouts of Mr Gorbachev, and an aborted attempt on the life of President Kennedy by Richard Paul Pavlik in Palm Beach, Florida in D...
Memorial Day, 1990
25 May 1990
Contributed by Lukas
In the week of Memorial Day, Alistair Cooke looks at the effect that an upcoming holiday has on Congress and examines the legislation affecting the ar...
Greta Garbo and Jim Henson
18 May 1990
Contributed by Lukas
The death of Greta Garbo, the way in which television is prolonging the life of movies, and a eulogy for puppeteer Jim Henson, as discussed by Alistai...
Robert Mapplethorpe in Cincinnati
04 May 1990
Contributed by Lukas
The controversy surrounding an exhibition by Robert Mapplethorpe, the conservative nature of Cincinnati, and the work of Judge Wolsey to bring Joyce's...
The End of the Eighties - Great or Greedy?
27 Apr 1990
Contributed by Lukas
Alistair Cooke muses on the end of the Reagan era and a collective shift away from the greed of the 'me' decade.
Earth Day, 1990
20 Apr 1990
Contributed by Lukas
With Earth Day approaching, Alistair Cooke discusses acid rain, the Clean Air act, and a selection of books that have shifted our opinions about the e...
Diverse peoples under one language
13 Apr 1990
Contributed by Lukas
Roosevelt's mission to unify a diverse people under the English language, and America's many Christians sects, as explored by Alistair Cooke.
Harry Bridges
06 Apr 1990
Contributed by Lukas
Alistair Cooke details the life and career of the labor leader, Harry Bridges, who initiated a general strike in San Francisco in 1934.
President Bush's broccoli
30 Mar 1990
Contributed by Lukas
Presidential press conferences, the lobbyist system, George Bush's dislike of broccoli, and the power of food as a political tool.
Pearl Harbour and church attendance
23 Mar 1990
Contributed by Lukas
The Japanese peace envoys visiting the White House during the Pearl Harbour attacks, the use of Biblical language by modern-day Americans and the fall...
Apocolyptic cults
16 Mar 1990
Contributed by Lukas
A proclamation by the head of a fringe religious group that the World is going to end on St George's Day leads Alistair Cooke to investigate the realm...
The final flight of the SR-71 Blackbird
09 Mar 1990
Contributed by Lukas
The final flight of the SR-71 Blackbird spy plane, the Russian capture of an American pilot in 1960 and the cuts in the American public spending budge...
Nicaraguan election 1990
02 Mar 1990
Contributed by Lukas
With Daniel Ortega voted out of power in Nicaragua, Alistair Cooke details the turbulent relationship between Nicaragua and the United States.
Presidential speechwriters
23 Feb 1990
Contributed by Lukas
Peggy Noonan's revelations on writing speeches for Reagan and Bush, and how a great speech can shape the public persona of a politician.
Kansas City
16 Feb 1990
Contributed by Lukas
Why Kansas City is no longer a unique microcosm of America, and ways in which Americans are changing their diet in an attempt to prolong their lives.
US Foreign policy and defence spending
09 Feb 1990
Contributed by Lukas
An examination of the recent surge in American public interest in foreign affairs, a cut to defence spending, and the threat posed by Mikhail Gorbache...
McEnroe and Gorbachev
02 Feb 1990
Contributed by Lukas
The politeness of American crowds, the dismissal of John McEnroe from the Australian Open, and Gorbachev's plan to make a profit from peace, as discus...
Foreign aid budget
26 Jan 1990
Contributed by Lukas
The invasion of Panama, the opinion of the American public of their tax dollars being spent abroad, and the reasons behind the shrinking of the foreig...
Changes to the American Family
19 Jan 1990
Contributed by Lukas
A summary of how the American family has changed in the past 30 years and an explanation of why the prevalence of the microwave is a great indicator o...
A brand new decade - 1990
12 Jan 1990
Contributed by Lukas
The administration of Ronald Reagan and the upheaval of the American tax and welfare systems during the 1980s, as discussed by Alistair Cooke.
The capture of General Noriega, 1990
05 Jan 1990
Contributed by Lukas
With General Noriega of Panama captured by US forces, Alistair Cooke chronicles the American dealings with Noriega and the relationship between the tw...
1989 in review
29 Dec 1989
Contributed by Lukas
A review of the events of 1989, including the revolutions in Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary and Romania, the invasion of Panama, and Soviet-Chinese s...
American intervention in Panama
22 Dec 1989
Contributed by Lukas
American intervention in Panama, the initial failure to capture General Manuel Noriega, and the Bush administration's attempt to find legal grounding ...
Dan Quayle and the Soviet Union
15 Dec 1989
Contributed by Lukas
Vice-President Dan Quayle's wariness of the Soviet Union, the aftermath of the earthquake in California and the rise of the shopping mall, as discusse...
Soviets need soap, December 1989
08 Dec 1989
Contributed by Lukas
Give the Communist masses what they really want - a delivery of consumerism.This archive edition of Letter from America was recorded by one of two lis...
Thomas Paine and the uprisings in Czechoslovakia and Hungary
01 Dec 1989
Contributed by Lukas
A profile of American revolutionary Thomas Paine, the rebellions in Czechoslovakia and Hungary, and President Bush's reluctance to comment on the upri...
Hurricane Hugo, Galileo, and the cranberry scare of 1959
24 Nov 1989
Contributed by Lukas
Hurricane Hugo and icy winds in the north, the effect of the Galileo spacecraft on the weather, and the great cranberry scare of 1959.
The opening of the Berlin Wall, 1989
17 Nov 1989
Contributed by Lukas
The opening of the Berlin Wall, the origins of Democracy as the system of government in America, and Gorbachev's warning that Germany will not inevita...
1989 local elections and the defeat of propostions S and P
10 Nov 1989
Contributed by Lukas
The 1989 state and local elections, the defeat of Proposition S denying homosexuals to be recognised as domestic partners, and the vote against the ab...
Coverage of the 1989 earthquake and the domestic partnership bill
03 Nov 1989
Contributed by Lukas
Television coverage of the 1989 Californian earthquake, the birth of the docudrama, and the bill allowing homosexuals to register as married couples i...
1989 earthquake in California
27 Oct 1989
Contributed by Lukas
The devastation caused by the 1989 Californian earthquake, the effects on tourism in the region, and the strain a natural disaster places on the feder...
Nimitz freeway collapse
20 Oct 1989
Contributed by Lukas
Citizen volunteers help as San Francisco is shattered by fatal earthquake.This archive edition of Letter from America was recorded by one of two liste...
The failed coup against Manuel Noriega
13 Oct 1989
Contributed by Lukas
The failure of the coup against General Manuel Noriega of Panama, the involvement of the Bush administration in the attempted takeover and the possibi...
Emission controls in California
06 Oct 1989
Contributed by Lukas
The adoption of emission controls in California, and Senator Jesse Helms' objection to the work of Robert Mapplethorpe being funded by the National En...
Bush's 1989 speech at the United Nations
29 Sep 1989
Contributed by Lukas
President Bush's 1989 speech at the United Nations, the sleeping menace of nuclear weapons and the president's unusually high popularity in his early ...
The reunification of Germany and Mayor Edward Koch
22 Sep 1989
Contributed by Lukas
An analysis of the potential perils of a unified Germany, a profile of Edward Koch, the Mayor of New York, and a recollection of the reign of Mayor Fi...
The Wall Street crash and Crown Prince Humbert
15 Sep 1989
Contributed by Lukas
The Wall Street crash, an attempt on the life of Italy's Crown prince Humbert, Joseph R. Grundy's appearance in front of the Senate and other news ite...
Narcotics, interdiction and Columbian drug lords
08 Sep 1989
Contributed by Lukas
President Reagan's failure to implement the National Narcotics Border Interdiction System, and President Bush's plan to tackle to Columbian cocaine lo...
The US Open, Wimbledon and air conditioning
01 Sep 1989
Contributed by Lukas
The United States Open Golf Championship, the Wimbledon tennis tournament and the joys of air conditioning are pondered on by Alistair Cooke while on ...
Protection of property by the Declaration of Independence
25 Aug 1989
Contributed by Lukas
The possible inclusion of the phrase 'life, liberty and the protection of property' in the Declaration of Independence, and the outbreak of war in 193...
Colin Powell and "Mickey" Leland
18 Aug 1989
Contributed by Lukas
A profile of Colin Powell, the Chairman of the Joint Chief of Staffs appointed in 1989, and George Thomas "Mickey" Leland, the Congressman who worked ...
James Baker in Mexico
11 Aug 1989
Contributed by Lukas
Secretary James Baker's meeting with Mexican president Carlos Salinas de Gortari to discuss improvements to border control and Mexico's prestigious de...
Colonel William R Higgins
04 Aug 1989
Contributed by Lukas
The capture and murder of Colonel William R Higgins by terrorists in Lebanon in August 1989, the response of President Bush and the danger of televisi...
Chinese refugees at UC Berkley
28 Jul 1989
Contributed by Lukas
The ruling that allows Chinese students at UC Berkley to stay in America as refugees, the Sacramento conference on race relations, and the conservativ...
1989 economic summit in Paris
21 Jul 1989
Contributed by Lukas
Margaret Thatcher's comments on the two hundredth anniversary of the French revolution, and the role of President Bush at the 1989 economic summit in ...
The 1812 earthquake in Tennessee
14 Jul 1989
Contributed by Lukas
The effect of the 1812 earthquake in New Madrid, Tennessee on the Eastern seaboard, and the inevitability of "the Big One", the earthquake predicted t...
Abortion law thunderbolt
07 Jul 1989
Contributed by Lukas
Abortion arguments will continue to rage as Supreme Court fudges the issue and hands back control to states.This archive edition of Letter from Americ...
The New York water shortage
30 Jun 1989
Contributed by Lukas
The conditions that led to the 1989 New York City water shortage and the power of Congress to perform "corrective action" to bypass judgements made in...
The desecration of the American flag
23 Jun 1989
Contributed by Lukas
A ruling in Congress overturning the conviction of a Texan man for desecrating the American flag, the First Amendment and freedom of expression, and t...
Liberty in China
16 Jun 1989
Contributed by Lukas
President Nixon's 1972 visit to China, a complaint from a Chinese official about Letter from America, and the Chinese attitude towards liberty followi...
Tiananmen Square protests, 1989
09 Jun 1989
Contributed by Lukas
Chinese military suppression of protests in Tiananmen Square, and the societal change brought about by student uprisings around the World.
Claude Pepper
02 Jun 1989
Contributed by Lukas
The life and achievements of Congressman Claude Pepper, who became a champion for the rights of the elderly, as discussed by Alistair Cooke.
Jim Wright and the Baltic rebellion
26 May 1989
Contributed by Lukas
Gorbachev's offer to reduce Russian forces in Afghanistan, rebellions in Estonia and Lithuania, the student protests in Beijing, and the ethics hearin...
The Soviet-Chinese relationship
19 May 1989
Contributed by Lukas
The meeting of the Soviet and Chinese leaders at their 1989 summit, the relationship between the two countries and the threat their friendship poses t...
Colonel North's orders
12 May 1989
Contributed by Lukas
The end of the Colonel Oliver North trial, the findings that he was not acting on his own, and the popular opinion that his orders came from the White...
Oliver North's jury
05 May 1989
Contributed by Lukas
As the North verdict is delivered, is it time to question the way in which juries are selected - before a 'mistrial' plea goes in?This archive edition...
The Missouri abortion case
28 Apr 1989
Contributed by Lukas
The continuing trial of Colonel Oliver North, the former marine who aided Nicaraguan contras, and Missouri court case to overturn the 1973 ruling on a...
Happy birthday, Charlie Chaplin
21 Apr 1989
Contributed by Lukas
The 100th anniversary of the birth of Charlie Chaplin, and a personal recollection of the comic actor delivered by Alistair Cooke.
Atlanta and Augusta
14 Apr 1989
Contributed by Lukas
A brief history of the city of Atlanta, the increase in internal flights within the United States and the beginnings of the Augusta National Golf Club...
James Munroe's declaration of independence
07 Apr 1989
Contributed by Lukas
The journalism of James "Scottie" Reston, and President Munroe's declaration that America should not be considered as a future target for colonisation...
A Portrait Of Washington, D.C.
31 Mar 1989
Contributed by Lukas
The history of Washington D.C, the attractions and memorials popular with tourists, and the causes of the high murder and crime rates in the capital c...
The New York City Board of Estimate
24 Mar 1989
Contributed by Lukas
The nightlife in New York City before the Second World War, and the 1989 ruling that the city's Board of Estimate is unconstitutional, as explored by ...
Food safety and standards
17 Mar 1989
Contributed by Lukas
After two grapes imported from Chile are found to have been injected with cyanide, Alistair Cooke details the role of the EPA and FDA in maintaining f...
The continuing case of John Tower
10 Mar 1989
Contributed by Lukas
The continuing case of John Tower, the surprising support of Senator Strom Thurman, and the drinking habits of Winston Churchill.
John Tower and Colonel North
03 Mar 1989
Contributed by Lukas
The Senate Committee's ruling that former Senator John Tower should not be allowed to join President Bush's cabinet, and the trial of Colonel Oliver N...
Satanic Verses outcry
24 Feb 1989
Contributed by Lukas
Stores accused of bowing to Iranian edict, but there are still fears for book store staffs' safety.This archive edition of Letter from America was rec...
1989 Soviet-Chinese summit
17 Feb 1989
Contributed by Lukas
The obsession with Gorbachev and the nonchalant attitude towards President Bush in the foreign press, and the 1989 Soviet-Chinese summit, as discussed...
Revenue enhancements and the Nixon files
10 Feb 1989
Contributed by Lukas
President Bush's proclamation of "no new taxes", the difference between a tax and a revenue enhancement, and the release of President Richard Nixon's ...
Ethical behaviour
03 Feb 1989
Contributed by Lukas
New president seen as distancing himself from the old Reagan ways of doing politics.This archive edition of Letter from America was recorded by one of...
Bush's stance on abortion
27 Jan 1989
Contributed by Lukas
President Bush's stance on the issue of abortion, and the universal fondness shown towards outgoing president Ronald Reagan, as discussed by Alistair ...
Bush's first week and 'African-Americans'
20 Jan 1989
Contributed by Lukas
President Bush's failure to recall the date of the Pearl Harbour attack, and Reverend Jessie Jackson's attempt to instigate the use of the term 'Afric...
The inauguration of George Bush, 1989
13 Jan 1989
Contributed by Lukas
The campaign that won George Bush the presidency of the United States, and the Washington insiders he has chosen to form his cabinet.
George Bush, the 41st president
06 Jan 1989
Contributed by Lukas
As a new political year begins, Alistair Cooke considers the official announcement in the House of Representatives of George H W Bush's presidency.