In the book Culture in an age of Money, the author Nicolaus Mills labels our recent cultural history as "the culture of triumph" In describing its persistence, Mills suggests that, "while the victories of the culture of triumph have been frequent, they have been largely hollow." The author looks at the commercialization of our society in such diverse areas as materialistic things, politics and opinions.
"Nancy Regan wanted new china for the White House. The cost of the china was the problem. The Lenox pattern with a raised gold presidential seal in the center that the president's wife chose came to $209,508 for 220 place settings. At a time when her husband was talking about cutting welfare eligibility and the misery index (inflation plus unemployment) was over 20 percent,... the 1980's would be a culture based on triumph-on the admiration of power and status- and nothing would be more important to the culture than its symbols...new
English: Elvis Presley meeting Richard Nixon. On D...
United States
United Stateschina would be a start in the right direction... Ronald Regan declared. In the 1980's his America would not look or act like a weakling nation. The president and his guests would eat off china that proclaimed, "The era of self-doubt is over". (Mills pg.11-12)
Ronald Regan and his administration thought that the America they had inherited was in shock from a decade of humiliation. We had lost the longest war, a president had to resign in disgrace and the economy was shot. In what better way's to rebuild a Country and its trust in people, then with the purchase of new china for the White House and its guests. I think Ronald Regan had his priorities a little mixed up wanting to reduce welfare eligibility while purchasing new china as an excuse that we are headed in the right direction. I also...