The Cold War is a fascinating time to look back on. The politics of the world shifted as countries gained and lost power, and the way that technology evolved and changed has ramifications that are still felt today.

Of course, while we discussed the Cold War in class, we began with a recap on the differences between Idealism and Realism, a discussion that we had in the last class. It was more of a reminder of what we discussed, and then we moved on to the topic of rationalization, which was guided to us by a German philosopher named Max Weber. Weber described rationalization as the process that one goes through when they grow up in the modern world. The more we learn and grow, the more modern life drives away superstition and magic.

What interested me was what we talked about next. Weber said that the key instrument that shaped the modern world is record keeping. As a History major, it always makes me perk up when the importance of recording history, regardless of the topic, is brought up. We also talked about Montgomery Meigs, and his role in developing a rather complex system in the Pension Office for moving around pensions and such in the aftermath of the Civil War. What got my attention was discussing how the system he created was really practical, but he was trying to use a system that wouldn’t be in use for another few years. Trying to essentially see the future would be a near-impossible task for anybody.

We went into the history of the Cold War, from how the United States and the Soviet Union came into conflict after being allied in World War Two, to how they had proxy wars in Vietnam and Korea, with the countries being split into North and South.  We also discussed the videos that we were required to watch for the class, with Professor O’Malley talking about how he enjoyed seeing the workings of computers during the Cold War.

We also talked about Eisenhower and his Military Industrial Complex. A Military Industrial Complex mainly refers to how the United States had become far more focused on military might in the aftermath of World War Two, especially in the Cold War. It was certainly surprising when we brought George Mason into the mix, as Professor O’Malley explained that a surprising amount of money is put into George Mason’s defense.

One topic that I am still trying to learn is the idea that we become less free the more individuality we have. I suppose the idea is that the more interests and characteristics we have that define us, the easier it is for the government to put us under a label and keep track of us. It’s something that I hope we discuss more in depth in the future.