Summary: Chapter12 (Short version)
Page 1: Allies Turned Enemies
The teamwork that defeats fascism is a marriage of convenience, breaking down as soon as the menace is removed, and communism's expansionist nature is revealed, in Korea
Page 2: America on Top
America is the only country left undamaged after the war, and lends a hand to help rebuild Europe, while Khrushchev gets in America's face
Page 3: Envisioning the Future
Disneyland reflects a new fascination with the future, as Americans eagerly buy cars that look like spaceships
Page 4: Untidy Corners
America's hidden underbelly of urban decay is suddenly beginning to show, prompting efforts to eradicate the infestation (which fail), while southern Blacks challenge segregation
Page 5: Surging Vitality
The New York World's Fair brings the future to life, while Feminism gets a new manifesto, Playboy bunnies laugh it up, and the digital era is born
Page 6: Khrushchev, Castro and Kennedy
The Cold War heats up, as a pugnacious Soviet leader joins hands with a guerilla hero to threaten nuclear annihilation, while Vietnam, Civil Rights and assassinations consume America
Page 7: Americans on the Moon
America turns back the Soviet menace, and lands men safely on the moon, while cities continue their downward spiral
Page 8: Vietnam and Arab Oil
Nixon resigns after a humiliating Vietnam withdrawal, while Arab nations join hands to threaten the West by holding back oil, and Soviets get the far more dangerous H-bomb
Page 9: Reagan and Muslim Power
Reagan brings an abrupt conservative tilt to America , while fundamentalist Muslims gain strength in Iran, after seizing the US embassy and taking hostages
Page 10: Shocking Implosion
The Soviet Union suddenly collapses, after over-spending on the arms race, and the Berlin Wall comes down, while America creates a coalition to halt Iraqi expansion
Page 11: One World
With globalists now in control, and strategic oil a focal point of friction, the Global North and South drift apart
Page 12: Dot-com Boom and Bust
Euphoric visions pour from the media, building a bubble around internet stocks which suddenly pops, while terrorist threats culminate in the 9-11 attack, and shock-and-awe response
Page 13: Financial Crisis
The worldwide housing boom sits on top of financial gimmickry, which falls apart, leading to a financial crash only averted by providing $1 trillion of new free money
Page 14: Global Perspective
Computer chips do all the work, while the internet provides the digital backbone that links economies in a world trading network, and nuclear power plants cluster in the Global North
Page 15: Imperfect World
As the world frets over oil spills, nuclear meltdowns and Russian aggression, America has its own private opioid epidemic and diet-related health breakdown
Page 16: Corporate Predators
With global corporations continuously extracting wealth from every corner, and concentrating it in a few financial capitals, America's manufacturing base continues to shrink
Page 17: Ineffective Protest
Ordinary people resist, sparking glimmers of hope in Egypt and Ukraine, while America elects its first black president, and then retreats back into its conservative base
Page 18: War on Liberals
Supreme Court justices deny women abortions (despite previous sworn statements), rape victims rally for recognition, and Trump is back in charge
Page 19: Whose Reality?
With AI fakes in the news, Truth is just a matter of opinion, while social media giants addict teens, and youth influencers gain huge followings
Page 20: Hard Right Turn
Putin tries to restore Russian to its former days of imperial glory, while China rises, and global food shortages get worse
Page 21: Troubling Outlook
The internet connects the entire planet, creating greater wealth in fewer hands, while dire energy and climate issues go unaddressed
Page 22: Technology Timeline Summary
Steamboats and canals, then railroads and blast furnaces, mark the first phase of America's climb to the pinnacle of world leadership
Page 23: Technology Today
Steel and gasoline engines no longer sustain industrial growth, while digital innovations lead to unprecedented wealth, during America's final ascent to world dominance
Page 24: Keeping our Fingers Crossed
Americans have been able to navigate a continuous sea of change, always adapting and growing, but continued success will depend upon making wise new choices today