Letter from America: The Clinton Years (1993-1996)

A history of Father Christmas

27 Dec 1996

Contributed by Lukas

Santa Claus or Father Christmas? The origin of the Patron saint of Christmas is explored. Plus, the surprising popularity of a Tickle Me Elmo toy has ...

UN Leader Mr Boutros Boutros-Ghali

20 Dec 1996

Contributed by Lukas

A tribute to Mr Boutros Boutros-Ghali, former leader of the UN General Assembly, whose peacekeeping skills were put to the test during the Rwandan Gen...

Gulf War Syndrome

13 Dec 1996

Contributed by Lukas

Madeleine Albright becomes the first Secretary of State in America, and investigations reveal a possible chemical cause of Gulf War Syndrome.

Permissive California

06 Dec 1996

Contributed by Lukas

Cults of California, tolerance in San Francisco, and the permissive parenting backlash are discussed by Alistair Cooke in this week's Letter From Amer...

Thanksgiving in California

29 Nov 1996

Contributed by Lukas

From California, Alistair Cooke examines the un-politicised institution of Thanksgiving and the changing face of US politics.

Sexual harassment in the armed forces

22 Nov 1996

Contributed by Lukas

After public revelations of cases of sexual violence in the US Army and Navy Alistair Cooke examines the scandal of the sexual harassment of women in ...

US intervention in Rwanda

15 Nov 1996

Contributed by Lukas

US intervention in the Rwandan refugee crisis and the history of President Clinton's press conferences.

The 1996 presidential election

08 Nov 1996

Contributed by Lukas

The results of the presidential elections and how technology is turning busy television studios into silent cathedrals, as discussed by Alistair Cooke...

Halloween, 1996

01 Nov 1996

Contributed by Lukas

The history Halloween, the origin of the vampire myth and the roaring business performed by pumpkin farmers during the month of October.

Forest fires, tornadoes and earthquakes

25 Oct 1996

Contributed by Lukas

A season of disaster, forest fires, tornadoes, earthquakes and leads to a recollection of a vast storm in 1938 which descended on the Northern Atlanti...

The science of electoral predictions

18 Oct 1996

Contributed by Lukas

The science of electoral prediction and the possible pitfalls of keeping one ear to the ground following the Dole and Clinton debates.

Vice-presidential responsibilites

11 Oct 1996

Contributed by Lukas

Vice-presidential responsibilities, the careers of Bob Dole, Dan Quayle and Jack Kemp, and the false predictions of Lord Kelvin, Albert Einstein and A...

The 1996 presidential debates

04 Oct 1996

Contributed by Lukas

The first presidential debate between President Clinton and Mr Dole, and the unique election advantage gifted to incumbent presidents, the presidentia...

Boris Yeltin's heart surgery

27 Sep 1996

Contributed by Lukas

Boris Yeltsin's heart-bypass surgery and the cultures of secrecy that have surrounded the heath and governance of gravely ill leaders.

OJ Simpson's civil trial

20 Sep 1996

Contributed by Lukas

As O J Simpson's civil trial begins Alistair Cooke considers what can be gained from a civil suit and examines the differences in the way the new tria...

The Defense Of Marriage Act 1996

13 Sep 1996

Contributed by Lukas

The Defense of Marriage Act and the implications it has to same sex marriage, and news from Bob Dole's floundering presidential campaign.

Cruise missile strike in Iraq

06 Sep 1996

Contributed by Lukas

The US cruise missile strike in Iraq, the claims that the first Gulf War was left unfinished and the complexities of the first conflict, as discussed ...

Chicago and the Democratic convention

30 Aug 1996

Contributed by Lukas

The Democratic Party convention returning to Chicago, the history of the city and the 'circus within a plague' of the last, disastrous conference of 1...

The return of Ross Perot and US social concerns

23 Aug 1996

Contributed by Lukas

The return of Ross Perot as a presidential candidate, the prohibition of third-trimester abortions, the proliferation of guns and the education of chi...

The 1996 Republican convention

16 Aug 1996

Contributed by Lukas

The history of the party nomination conventions, the switch to the primary election as the method of choosing a presidential candidate, and Bill Clint...

Atlanta Olympics 1996

09 Aug 1996

Contributed by Lukas

The commercialisation and crass television coverage of the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, and the effect that an influx of money has on sport.

The welfare and healthcare reform debate

02 Aug 1996

Contributed by Lukas

The presidential race, US welfare and healthcare reform and the prurience and pressure surrounding the TWA flight 800 crash investigation.

The TWA Flight 800 crash

26 Jul 1996

Contributed by Lukas

The TWA Flight 800 crash and the media coverage of the accident, the casino life of the financial markets and Bob Dole's reluctance to embrace the 199...

The Helms-Burton Bill

19 Jul 1996

Contributed by Lukas

The Helms-Burton bill, which penalises foreign companies doing business with Cuba, Senator Jessie Helms and tobacco , and the importance of Southern ...

Melvin Belli (1907-1996)

12 Jul 1996

Contributed by Lukas

A reflection on the life and legal crusade of the flamboyant US celebrity lawyer Melvin Belli, self-proclaimed defender of the 'little helpless guy'.

1996 Russian presidential elections

05 Jul 1996

Contributed by Lukas

Boris Yeltsin's victory in the Russian presidential elections, the relative novelty of universal suffrage in the West and the need for democracy, as d...

Max Factor Jr and make-up (1904 - 1996)

21 Jun 1996

Contributed by Lukas

The death of Max Factor Jnr. and the origin of the word "make-up" are the subjects considered by Alistair Cooke.

Bob Dole to run for president

14 Jun 1996

Contributed by Lukas

With Bob Dole resigning from the Senate, Alistair Cooke examines the legislator's time as Senate leader and explores the uncertain future of the Repub...

Timothy Leary (1920 -1996)

07 Jun 1996

Contributed by Lukas

The death of Timothy Leary, the impact of LSD in the 1960s, and the need for each generation to rebel against the one before, as chronicled by Alistai...

Memorial Day, 1996

31 May 1996

Contributed by Lukas

Memorial Day, now indistinguishable from Veteran's Day, leads Cooke to consider on how recognition of military service has changed and, how Bill Clint...

Single issue groups

24 May 1996

Contributed by Lukas

The unique power of single issue groups in American presidential elections and President Clinton's stance on gay marriage are discussed by Alistair Co...

The debate over assisted suicide

17 May 1996

Contributed by Lukas

The preparations for the upcoming presidential elections, and the resurgence of the legal and moral debate over assisted suicide in the US, as conside...

Diplomacy and the Star Wars defence program

10 May 1996

Contributed by Lukas

The diplomacies of Wilson and Roosevelt, Ronald Reagan's Star Wars defence programme, and the American response to international elections, as detaile...

Kennedy's rocking chair

03 May 1996

Contributed by Lukas

The sale of President Kennedy's rocking chair, JFK's ailments and the discreetness of the press, as discussed by Alistair Cooke.

Erma Bombeck

26 Apr 1996

Contributed by Lukas

The life and work of columnist Erma Bombeck, "America's only woman humourist", and writer of "At Wit's End", is remembered by Alistair Cooke.

The South Florida University bomb

19 Apr 1996

Contributed by Lukas

The University of South Florida's reaction to a bomb threat leads Alistair Cooke to consider the emergence and nature of America's new anti-terrorism ...

The Montana Freemen

12 Apr 1996

Contributed by Lukas

The rise of Montana's armed insurgents, their historical inheritance and their opposition in the FBI, as chronicled by Alistair Cooke.

Euthanasia and the terminally ill

05 Apr 1996

Contributed by Lukas

Euthanasia, and the right to die for the terminally ill, the case of Karen Ann Quinlan, and Dr Jack Kevorkian, the Michigan doctor who has helped 27 d...

Perot, Buchanan and Dole

29 Mar 1996

Contributed by Lukas

Ross Perot and Pat Buchanan's challenge to Bob Dole in the race for the Republican presidential nomination and how a thief in the night may yet undo B...

The first Letter from America 1946

22 Mar 1996

Contributed by Lukas

On the 50th anniversary of his Letter from America broadcasts Alistair Cooke re-presents the first talk, describing his return from an austere Britain...

Lockerbie and anti-terror laws

15 Mar 1996

Contributed by Lukas

The Lockerbie bombing, the unpredictable threat of terrorism and the difficulty of making anti-terror laws compatible with constitutional rights, as d...

Churchill's Soviet warning and the Chinese threat

08 Mar 1996

Contributed by Lukas

Fifty years after Churchill's speech warning of Soviet ambitions in Europe, Alistair Cooke considers the new threat posed by communist China.

Pat Buchanan and divisions with the Republican Party

23 Feb 1996

Contributed by Lukas

Presidential candidate Pat Buchanan, divisions within the Republican Party and the greatest anxiety of "middle America" are discussed by Alistair Cook...

The US tax system

16 Feb 1996

Contributed by Lukas

The varied nature of democratic governments, the legal and political powers of state government and the arcane operation of the US tax system are cons...

Great American frauds

09 Feb 1996

Contributed by Lukas

Phineas T Barnum, Hershel Geguzin and Ruldolph Walter Wanderone, three notable fraudsters, are all profiled by Alistair Cooke.

The 1996 New Hampshire primary

02 Feb 1996

Contributed by Lukas

The importance of the New Hampshire primary election in the race to become president is the subject of a discussion by Alistair Cooke.

Clinton's State Of The Union address

26 Jan 1996

Contributed by Lukas

President Clinton's State of the Union Address and the origins and purposes of the grand jury system.

Hilary Clinton, Eleanor Roosevelt and Abigail Smith

19 Jan 1996

Contributed by Lukas

The controversy surrounding Hilary Clinton's involvement in the presidency and the actions of Mrs Roosevelt and Mrs Adams, are the subject of a compar...

The snow of 1996, 1947 and 1888

12 Jan 1996

Contributed by Lukas

The New York blizzard of 1996, the great snowfall of 1947 and the "paralysing anxiety" during the blizzard of 1888, as chronicled by Alistair Cooke.

Government services and the budget bill

05 Jan 1996

Contributed by Lukas

A halt on US Government services and the consequence of the refusal to pass a continuing resolution on the Budget Balancing Bill, as discussed by Alis...

Christmas 1995

29 Dec 1995

Contributed by Lukas

A Christmas spent in Vermont, the joy of experiencing absolute silence and the progress of the federal government shutdown are discussed by Alistair C...

School prayers

22 Dec 1995

Contributed by Lukas

The adaptability of American soldiers, the debate in Congress over the reading of prayers in schools, and what makes a good government are discussed b...

US troops enter Bosnia, 1995

15 Dec 1995

Contributed by Lukas

The arrival of the first America soldiers in Bosnia in December 1995, the harsh conditions they face and the position of the constitution on the decla...

James Reston (1909-1995)

08 Dec 1995

Contributed by Lukas

The Pulitzer winning journalist James "Scottie" Reston (1909-1995) and the writer's transition from young sports commentator to respected political co...

Church and state

01 Dec 1995

Contributed by Lukas

The relationship between church and state, the future of a monument to the Ten Commandments and the existence of freedom of speech in the classroom ar...

Bosnia and the Dayton Agreement

24 Nov 1995

Contributed by Lukas

A possible end to the conflict in Bosnia, the role of the US in the peace treaty, and why the city of Dayton became the venue for the signing in Novem...

1995 Shutdown of the federal government

17 Nov 1995

Contributed by Lukas

The federal government shutdown on November 14 1995, the events leading up to this national crisis, and an exploration of the history of US debt and t...

General Colin Powell

10 Nov 1995

Contributed by Lukas

General Colin Powell's electoral appeal, the apathy towards Republican candidates and a shift in political reporting are discussed by Alistair Cooke.

Quebec and French relations

03 Nov 1995

Contributed by Lukas

The formation of Quebec, the American and Canadian relationship with France and the possibility of a divided neighbour to the north, are explored by A...

Arafat visits New York

27 Oct 1995

Contributed by Lukas

The visit of Yasser Arafat to New York City to meet with the United Nations in 1995, the traffic carnage caused in the city and his plea to reconstitu...

New York taxi drivers

20 Oct 1995

Contributed by Lukas

How the demographics of New York taxi drivers change and how President Clinton's relationship with business may be key in the race for re-election, ex...

OJ Simpson and race

13 Oct 1995

Contributed by Lukas

The race issues surrounding the OJ Simpson trial, the emergence of the black middle class and the future for a divided America, as discussed by Alista...

The OJ Simpson verdict, 1995

06 Oct 1995

Contributed by Lukas

How do Americans feel about the OJ Simpson trial following the delivery of the verdict in October 1995?

Colin Powell and Ross Perot

29 Sep 1995

Contributed by Lukas

An examination of the increased rate change in America and the possible entrance of Colin Powell and Ross Perot to the Presidential race, as discussed...

Online America

22 Sep 1995

Contributed by Lukas

The dangers of an online America, the importance of considering a sentence before committing it to paper, and the possible return of the Luddites are ...

Senator Robert Packwood

14 Sep 1995

Contributed by Lukas

The events which led to the resignation of Senator Robert Packwood, and what Packwood's diary tells us about the lobbying system are explored by Alis...

Labor Day 1995

08 Sep 1995

Contributed by Lukas

Labor Day 1995, the continuation of the OJ Simpson murder trial, and President Clinton's promises for campaign for re-election in 1996.

Third parties

01 Sep 1995

Contributed by Lukas

Senator Bill Bradley's decision to not run for re-election to the Senate, the 'broken' nature of American politics and the role of a third political p...

Political vacations

25 Aug 1995

Contributed by Lukas

As President Clinton takes his summer holiday, Alistair Cooke explores the way in which presidential vacations have become less about relaxation and m...

The American aqueduct scandal

18 Aug 1995

Contributed by Lukas

The concept of local identity and blurring of state lines, the delivery of water to 19th century farmers and environmental policy are examined by Alis...

The atomic bomb

11 Aug 1995

Contributed by Lukas

A recollection of the events leading up to the use of the atomic bomb to end the Second World War, and an examination of the thirty year controversy t...

The American relationship with tobacco

04 Aug 1995

Contributed by Lukas

As the American relationship with tobacco changes, should President Franklin D Roosevelt's memorial statue still include his omnipresent cigarette?

George Romney, Mitt’s father

28 Jul 1995

Contributed by Lukas

A discussion on the difficulty of predicting the results of the 1996 election, and a recollection of the mistake that dashed the presidential hopes of...

Smith-Corona typewriters

21 Jul 1995

Contributed by Lukas

The Smith-Corona Company application for bankruptcy, the demise of the manual typewriter, and the response of the American public to the conflict in B...

Clinton and Tiberius

14 Jul 1995

Contributed by Lukas

United Nations intervention in Bosnia, the failure of Bill Clinton to act on the crisis, and the inspiration the president may draw from Roman Emperor...

Porgy and Bess

07 Jul 1995

Contributed by Lukas

The politics of the Gershwin opera Porgy and Bess, the effectiveness of affirmative action and the current trend of conservatism in America are explor...

St Patrick's parade ban

30 Jun 1995

Contributed by Lukas

The ruling allowing a group of Boston war veterans to ban homosexuals and bisexuals from the St Patricks Day parade, and the division it has caused in...

The first UN Conference

23 Jun 1995

Contributed by Lukas

How Field Marshall Jan Smutt and Lord Halifax were led astray by wild flowers at the first United Nations Conference in 1945 in San Francisco.

American farmers

16 Jun 1995

Contributed by Lukas

The evolution of medicine bottles, the problems affecting American farmers, and why private restaurants are a symbol of change in Cuba.

Bob Dole and the fall of Rome

09 Jun 1995

Contributed by Lukas

The work of historian Edward Gibbon, the parallels between modern-day America and the fall of Rome, and Bob Dole's credentials as a presidential candi...

Objectives in modern conflict

02 Jun 1995

Contributed by Lukas

President Clinton's speech on the relationship between the American armed forces and NATO, and the public perception of the lack of a clear objective ...

The White House

26 May 1995

Contributed by Lukas

Great American inventions, Jackie Kennedy's overhaul of the official rooms of the White House, and the closure of Pennsylvania Avenue to the public in...

Rockefeller and Britannica

19 May 1995

Contributed by Lukas

With the Encyclopaedia Britannica and the Rockefeller Centre both experiencing financial difficulties, Alistair Cooke looks at the problems faced by b...

Equality in New York, Clinton in Russia

12 May 1995

Contributed by Lukas

The development of equality in New York City, and President Clinton's mission to dissuade President Yeltsin from sending nuclear aid to Iran, as discu...

VE Day, fifty years on

05 May 1995

Contributed by Lukas

The American press reports on the end of the war in Europe, and the comparatively minor celebrations in the US, as remembered by Alistair Cooke, fifty...

Oklahoma City bombing

28 Apr 1995

Contributed by Lukas

The impact of home-grown terrorism, and the conflicts that arise when discussing the First Amendment, in the wake of the Oklahoma City bombing on 19th...

US taxation in 1995

21 Apr 1995

Contributed by Lukas

Are taxes one of only two inevitabilities in life? Alistair Cooke explores how have they have been reduced and simplified in modern-day America.

Remembering FDR

14 Apr 1995

Contributed by Lukas

The passing of Franklin D Roosevelt (1882 -1945) and FDR's legacy 50 years after his death, the evolution of the breaking news story, and the only thi...

The Christian right in politics

07 Apr 1995

Contributed by Lukas

The role that the extreme Christian right play in American politics, and whether any religious group has the power to bring a politian down are explor...

The OJ phenomenon

31 Mar 1995

Contributed by Lukas

Why Americans are obsessed with the OJ Simpson trial, the viewing habits of a sequestered jury member, and the real winner of the Oscars, are discusse...

Rudolph Giuliani's New York

24 Mar 1995

Contributed by Lukas

School dinners, gangsters, snow ploughs and the other problems faced by the Mayor of New York City, Rudolph Giuliani, are explored by Alistair Cooke.

Gingrich and Roosevelt

17 Mar 1995

Contributed by Lukas

With a Republican majority in both houses of the Senate for the first time in 40 years, Cooke explores the parallels drawn between Newt Gingrich and P...

Ringers

10 Mar 1995

Contributed by Lukas

The role of 'ringers' to gain unfair advantage in both sport and business, as the baseball strike continues.

The American deficit

03 Mar 1995

Contributed by Lukas

The beginnings of the American deficit and how the gap between the national income and outgoings has been allowed to widen are explored by Alistair Co...

The secrets of a long life

24 Feb 1995

Contributed by Lukas

What is the secret of longevity? Alistair Cooke investigates the factors that have been attributed to elongated lifespans and profiles the world's old...

William Fulbright (1905-1995)

17 Feb 1995

Contributed by Lukas

Senator William Fulbright (1905-1995) is remembered by Alistair Cooke, including his work as a tenacious young politian and as an ambassador for Ameri...

Baseball strike 1994-5

10 Feb 1995

Contributed by Lukas

The events leading up to the 1994-95 baseball strike in America and the role that Congress could play in bringing the national pastime back from the b...

George Abbott remembered

03 Feb 1995

Contributed by Lukas

George Abbott (1887-1995), the Broadway producer and director, is remembered, from his humble beginnings as a messenger through to becoming one of Ame...

Dependency on red tape

27 Jan 1995

Contributed by Lukas

With the jury selection for the OJ Simpson trial taking longer than expected, Alistair Cooke explores American dependency on red tape and the 'death' ...

Montgomery bus boycott

20 Jan 1995

Contributed by Lukas

During the week of Martin Luther King's birthday holiday, Cooke remembers his 1956 visit to meet with people from both sides of the Montgomery bus boy...