Los Angeles in the 30's & 40's versus today Essay

Los Angeles in the 30s & 40s versus today - Essay ExampleAlthough LAX is currently a world renowned airport, it wasnt always the center of attention. Prior to its inception, the primal airports for Los Angeles were Burbank and Grand Central Airport in Glendale. It wasnt until 1946 that they started serving LAX, because it was just too far out of the way. At that time, it was located east of Sepulveda Boulevard, which ended up being rerouted to the west to loop around the new inclineways that were created in 1950. Nowadays, LAX is considered one of the busiest airports in the world, with nearly 60 million passengers using the airport each year. They also nurture a dual function as a civil-military base, providing the U. S. Coast Guard an area to launch, operate and repair their HH-65 Dolphin helicopters. (Delta Mike Airfield, 2008). Although the drive home of LAX is a notable part of history in L.A., it was only the beginning of many not-so-good firsts for the city. In 1934, Upton Sinclair decided to run for the governors poop of California. He was a famous writer and activist, but he was also a socialist who happened to be Californias first celebrity politician. It gave contain to smear politics on a grand scale. Sinclair easily gained the Democratic primary for governor, after which the L. A. Times criticized his maggot-like horde of supporters (Huffington Post, 2008), while others warned that if elected, the state would become communist. This actualisation ignited an all-out political revolution. With help from Hollywood and the papers, Sinclairs opposition practically invented the modern media campaign. They made unparalleled use of mail, radio, film, fund raising and depression polls to create the most astounding smear campaign ever seen. The best was the new ability to manipulate film, using fake newsreels with Hollywood actors to bring down Sinclairs candidacy. The L.A. Times had attacked Sinclair unmercifully for weeks, which ultimately destroye d his chances. President Roosevelt couldnt do anything to help him as he was barely into his New Deal and was fight himself. He couldnt endorse him, because he would be seen as endorsing socialism, but on the same token, if he didnt endorse him, others would call him cowardly for not endorsing a candidate of his companionship. With FDRs refusal to endorse him, and the fake newsreels hit the big screen, current Governor Merriam won his re-election. This was the precursor to a variety of things that we now induct in use across the country. Sinclair is credited with helping with inspiration to many of FDRs New Deal programs, including Social Security and certainly was the first victim of smear campaigning and dirty politics. Today, when we have any election forthcoming, all of the newspapers, radio stations and television stations carry smear ads, one party against the other to convince us that the skeletons in the other parties closets outweigh their own. Its odd to think that this all started with a well-known author who wanted to run for Governor of California. His muckraking books got the best of him, as while he was for FDRs New Deal, he also led a movement called EPIC (End scantiness in California), the platform on which he was running for Governor. This also helped to move the Democratic Party further to the left where they continue to be today. Most Californians have at