The Eagle A Symbol Of American Culture - 987 Words

The Eagle: A Symbol of American Culture The founding fathers of the United States of America chose the Bald Eagle to represent the country and all that it stood for. The Eagle’s Cultural significance has changed drastically in the past 20 years alone as people collectively change their thoughts on subjects that are associated with the Eagle. The Eagle today is most associated with Militarism and Patriotism, and to compare cultural views on Militarism or Patriotism, one must examine two long standing measures of cultural significance. In this case Military Spending, and the Space shuttle program. Two extremely relevant parts of life in the 1980’s and today. The Space Shuttle Program s birth and subsequent demise are representative of the†¦show more content†¦The Eagle has come to be associated with many things, in addition to becoming a symbol in its own. The Eagle as a Symbol. The Eagle, to the American people, represents a mixture of Patriotism, and Militarism. The change in Military spending over the past 20 years reflects the change in the Cultural significance of a strong military, and the capital required to upkeep such a force. The Presidency of Ronald Reagan brilliantly exhibits the mentality that self defense was chief among a long list of concerns for American Citizens. â€Å"He [Reagan] created a war-machine economy †¦ with defense spending in amounts not seen since the heights of the Korean and Vietnam conflicts.† (Schneider Merle, 2004, p. E01). At this time in history, the United States was engaged in a Cold War, one with no end in sight. The American people were restless and it was this collective restlessness that caused one of the largest periods of Militarism the United States had ever seen. Reagan spent so much money, that the Soviets could no longer keep up, ending the Cold War. (Schneider Merle, 2004, p. E02). Throughout history, The United States has had a reputation for incredible military endeavours and powerful Armed Forces. The cultural view on militarism throughout this history, was that it was necessary