The Iranian Hostage Crisis: Analysis of David Farber's Taken Hostage
Iranian Hostage Crisis
The relationship between the American people and their government drastically changed in the 1970s. The people began to distrust their government after The Watergate Scandal, oil prices, and the falling economy. President Jimmy Carter, elected in 1976 was seen by the public as an honest man that was working for the people not for the evils of Washington DC. Carter, being an outsider, grew very popular with the American people. His lack of insider perspective became troublesome when he could not explain his clear motives and direction he was taking America. This not only caused tension within his own administration, but also caused the American people to regain the feeling of mistrust they once felt with Nixon during the Watergate scandal. Carter was unable to help with the economic problems nor properly able to negotiate the release of the American hostages in Iran, sealing his fate for a second term. Taken Hostage written by David Farber gives an adequate and well-researched report on the Iranian Hostage Crisis. He explains exactly how and why the hostages were taken as well as many of the issues of the time. One of these issues included the people’s portrayal of President Carter as incapable and ill equipped to help improve American life style as well as his powerless attempts at negotiating for the American hostages. Farber also discussed the reactions of both the American and Iranian people during the crisis, and how the media played up these reactions and events in order to get people more hyped and involved in the crisis. Carter ran on a campaign of honesty and his clean hands of Washington politics. This greatly appealed to the American people after the disappointing news of the Watergate scandal. Farber depicted Carter for what he truly was, a talented and sharp individual who was inept to help America during his presidency. His inability to help was not due to lack of effort, Carter was simply unsuccessful in finding a way to
The relationship between the American people and their government drastically changed in the 1970s. The people began to distrust their government after The Watergate Scandal, oil prices, and the falling economy. President Jimmy Carter, elected in 1976 was seen by the public as an honest man that was working for the people not for the evils of Washington DC. Carter, being an outsider, grew very popular with the American people. His lack of insider perspective became troublesome when he could not explain his clear motives and direction he was taking America. This not only caused tension within his own administration, but also caused the American people to regain the feeling of mistrust they once felt with Nixon during the Watergate scandal. Carter was unable to help with the economic problems nor properly able to negotiate the release of the American hostages in Iran, sealing his fate for a second term. Taken Hostage written by David Farber gives an adequate and well-researched report on the Iranian Hostage Crisis. He explains exactly how and why the hostages were taken as well as many of the issues of the time. One of these issues included the people’s portrayal of President Carter as incapable and ill equipped to help improve American life style as well as his powerless attempts at negotiating for the American hostages. Farber also discussed the reactions of both the American and Iranian people during the crisis, and how the media played up these reactions and events in order to get people more hyped and involved in the crisis. Carter ran on a campaign of honesty and his clean hands of Washington politics. This greatly appealed to the American people after the disappointing news of the Watergate scandal. Farber depicted Carter for what he truly was, a talented and sharp individual who was inept to help America during his presidency. His inability to help was not due to lack of effort, Carter was simply unsuccessful in finding a way to