The highs and lows of Richard Nixon in American Political Culture Term Paper

The highs and lows of Richard Nixon in American Political Culture - Term Paper Example That as the Americans repeatedly strive for abundance in material possession, they have inadvertently ignored the gnawing abyss of their spirit. That as the Americans pursue policy of democratization, they have inevitably enforced socialistic and even nihilistic measures to their often defenseless prey. That as the Americans clamor for a much needed change in the nation, they have listlessly stood in the sidelines in hopes of having someone initiate such changes. To this lethargy, Nixon fervently hoped for ethical consciousness to spread amongst the people as he believed that the key to societal revolution can only be found in the hands of someone brave enough to forge it on his own (Nixon’s Inaugural Speech, par. 19). But while Nixon has been adamant in calling for the inherent patriotism embedded in every citizen of the United States, he seemed to have shamefully engineered what has come to be known as the single greatest political scandal of all time. The same person that marched into the southeastern edge of the world to preach about social justice and human rights was the same person who appeared to have ordered for the termination of some government officials deemed as loose ends in the so-called â€Å"operation.† The same head of state who took it upon himself to span the ideological differences of nations to reach the Soviets became the main antagonist in the brewing saga of political warlordism and modern tyranny. However, many are still of the belief that such atrociousness could not have been ordered by a man that the Americans have come to trust and respect. Many people remain adamant in proclaiming that such act could not have been a conscious decision made by a morally upright and virtuous man who spent his entire professional career serving the American people first through the navy, then the House of Representatives, Senate, office f the Vice President and finally, the office of the President. What then could have forced such upright gentleman to condone and even precipitate such malevolent deeds? Could such have been spawned by resentful political advisors out to take the seat away from a political personality that has evolved into a name that became too hot to handle? Or was it caused by nothing more than power begetting power? In Context Richard Milhous Nixon was born to Francis A. Nixon and Hannah Milhous Nixon on January 9, 1913 in Yorba Linda, California. Richard was second in a b rood of five: Harold (1903 - 1933); Richard (1913 - 1994); Donald (1914 - 1987); Arthur (1918 - 1925); and, Edward (1930) (nps.gov). By typical standards, the Nixon family is poor and the family only managed to scrape by through life with the meager income generated by their farm. However, in 1922, the family struggled to make ends meet as the farm that was used to support the family with five sons, was fraught with hardships that soon forced it to close down (nixonlibrary.gov). Francis and Hannah Nixon then decided to move their family to Whittier, California where they envisioned re-building their lost business (nps.gov). Upon arriving at Whittier, the Nixon couple opened a grocery store and a gas station