Scandals and Abstraction

The Long 1980s could be summed up handily in the annals of U.S. cultural history with the enduring markers of Ronald Reagan''s presidency, Oliver Stone''s film Wall Street, and Dire Straits''s hit single "Money for Nothing." Despite their vast differences, each serves to underscore the confidence, jingoism, and optimism that powered the U.S. economy throughout the decade. Mining a wide range of l...