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As president, Truman was an impulsive and not very bright man.  He still holds the record for the lowest approval rating (only 23% of the country approving of his performance) in his last year in office (1952).  When there was an ugly strike against a steel company, he impulsively ordered a government takeover of the entire company (the Supreme Court later invalidated his action).  When a reporter wrote a negative review about his daughter’s piano recital, Truman said he wanted to punch the reporter in the face for it.  When General Douglas MacArthur wanted to be more aggressive in the Korean War, Truman simply fired him.  Drop the atom bomb on Japan?  Do it, Truman decided quickly, and later said he slept a good night’s sleep the night he decided.  Truman’s impulsiveness may remind you of President Andrew Jackson.

As president, Truman was an impulsive and not very bright man.  He still holds the record for the lowest approval rating (only 23% of the country approving of his performance) in his last year in office (1952).  When there was an ugly strike against a steel company, he impulsively ordered a government takeover of the entire company (the Supreme Court later invalidated his action).  When a reporter wrote a negative review about his daughter’s piano recital, Truman said he wanted to punch the reporter in the face for it.  When General Douglas MacArthur wanted to be more aggressive in the Korean War, Truman simply fired him.  Drop the atom bomb on Japan?  Do it, Truman decided quickly, and later said he slept a good night’s sleep the night he decided.  Truman’s impulsiveness may remind you of President Andrew Jackson.

Let’s turn to a topic in the news:  immigration.  Immigration was free and unlimited for most of our history.  William Penn actually advertised in Germany for immigrants to settle in his colony of Pennsylvania in the late 1600s.  There was some hostility to immigrants in the early United States, as illustrated by the “Alien and Sedition Laws” (1798) which authorized the deportation of subversive “aliens” or immigrants who had not yet become citizens.

Let’s turn to a topic in the news:  immigration.  Immigration was free and unlimited for most of our history.  William Penn actually advertised in Germany for immigrants to settle in his colony of Pennsylvania in the late 1600s.  There was some hostility to immigrants in the early United States, as illustrated by the “Alien and Sedition Laws” (1798) which authorized the deportation of subversive “aliens” or immigrants who had not yet become citizens.

What is your view?

What is your view?

After our dropping of the atom bombs on Japan ended World War II, nations came together to form the United Nations, first in San Francisco and ultimately in New York, where it exists to this day.  Alger Hiss, who was secretly a communist but served as a top aide to President Franklin Roosevelt, played a key role in founding the UN.

== Post World War II ==

   

   

Meanwhile, President Truman kept government controls on wages and prices in effect even after the war ended.  This infuriated voters, who wanted to return to normal life as quickly as possible.  In the fall elections of 1946, voters dealt President Truman a huge loss and returned the Republicans to control of Congress for the first time since before the Great Depression.

President Truman kept government controls on wages and prices in effect even after the war ended.  This infuriated voters, who wanted to return to normal life as quickly as possible.  In the fall elections of 1946, voters dealt President Truman a huge loss and returned the Republicans to control of Congress for the first time since before the Great Depression.

The Republicans then moved quickly to pass important legislation.  They passed (and the states ratified) the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution in order to limit future presidents to two full terms in office, so that no one could ever again repeat what President Franklin Roosevelt did in dishonoring President Washington’s precedent of no more than two terms.  President Roosevelt died in office during his fourth term as president.

The Republicans then moved quickly to pass important legislation.  They passed (and the states ratified) the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution in order to limit future presidents to two full terms in office, so that no one could ever again repeat what President Franklin Roosevelt did in dishonoring President Washington’s precedent of no more than two terms.  President Roosevelt died in office during his fourth term as president.

For the purposes of American history, simply remember that the Taft-Hartley Act finally ended the unions’ enormous power.  And not a moment too soon, because crippling strikes hurt the country’s economy in 1946 after the end of World War II.  Ever since passage of the Taft-Hartley Act, Democrats have tried to repeal it, without success.

For the purposes of American history, simply remember that the Taft-Hartley Act finally ended the unions’ enormous power.  And not a moment too soon, because crippling strikes hurt the country’s economy in 1946 after the end of World War II.  Ever since passage of the Taft-Hartley Act, Democrats have tried to repeal it, without success.

 

The United Nations has remained controversial to this day.  In the 1990s, an American soldier named Michael New was ordered to fight under command of the United Nations.  He refused, and was court-martialed (harshly punished) for it.  He then sued, and lost.  Many complain that the United Nations encroaches on the right and duty of nations like the United States to remain true to their own principles.  Defenders of the United Nations say that it provides an important meeting place to discuss and defuse tensions before they escalate into wars.  The United Nations did arrange for many countries to send troops to defend South Korea against invasion by communist North Korea.  But as in Vietnam and most major international wars since World War II, the United States sent the vast majority of the soldiers to the battlefront.

The United Nations has remained controversial to this day.  In the 1990s, an American soldier named Michael New was ordered to fight under command of the United Nations.  He refused, and was court-martialed (harshly punished) for it.  He then sued, and lost.  Many complain that the United Nations encroaches on the right and duty of nations like the United States to remain true to their own principles.  Defenders of the United Nations say that it provides an important meeting place to discuss and defuse tensions before they escalate into wars.  The United Nations did arrange for many countries to send troops to defend South Korea against invasion by communist North Korea.  But as in Vietnam and most major international wars since World War II, the United States sent the vast majority of the soldiers to the battlefront.

Several in our class have described communism as being good in theory, but bad in practice.  But consider that communism requires coercion and force to enforce its requirement of equal wealth regardless of talents and efforts.  That is anti-Christian in several important ways, starting with free will and ending with the unimportance of wealth to God.  Also, communism inevitably requires suppressing religion, churches, private schools and even homeschooling in order to ensure conformity of beliefs.

Several in our class have described communism as being good in theory, but bad in practice.  But consider that communism requires coercion and force to enforce its requirement of equal wealth regardless of talents and efforts.  That is anti-Christian in several important ways, starting with free will and ending with the unimportance of wealth to God.  Also, communism inevitably requires suppressing religion, churches, private schools and even homeschooling in order to ensure conformity of beliefs.

[[Category:American History lectures]]

[[Category:American History lectures]]

{{DEFAULTSORT:American History Lecture 11}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:American History Lecture 11}}