Croft Commentary

The history of China during the 20th Century has been defined by internal conflict: first with China falling under Japanese control before the Second World War, second with the nationalists and communist uniting to overthrow that Japanese control. Eventually Chiang Kaishek and the Chinese Communist Party engaged in a civil war in which the nationalist government was forced to flee to Taiwan, but the internal feuding did not end there. Within the Communist Party there were many disagreements, between those who agreed with Mao Zedong, and those that did not. It was those disagreements that eventually led to Mao catalyzing the 100 Flowers Movement, the Anti-Rightist Campaigns, and eventually the Chinese Cultural Revolution. The most effective of these campaigns - in terms of mass mobilization - was the Chinese Cultural Revolution of late 1965. The Cultural Revolution had four phases, according to Hong Yung Lee, the author of The Politics of the Chinese Cultural Revolution:...

Croft 1 James Croft 4/29/08 American Foreign Policy TR 1:30pm Power, Principle, and Insolvency American Foreign Policy is rooted in two distinct ideologies, realism and idealism. In the realist tradition of foreign policy there is no need or reason to justify the use of power morally. American’s however tend to require that moral justification before popular opinion gets behind the policies. American foreign policy cannot simply be defined as being one and not the other, however. Our political system is too dynamic to be dominated by one single ideology. Every time we elect new leaders, we put into power new policies and ways of thinking. Foreign policy instead is defined by the struggle between realism and idealism, or power and principle. It is when there is a good balance between the two that American foreign policy works the best. It is when we lean to far in one direction that the policies become insolvent, or when our actions do not accurately reflect ou...

James Croft Politics and Media 4/21/08 Journal 4: Hard Questions? The day after the debate between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama in Philidelphia, conservative radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh praised the moderators for their “tough questions”. He exclaimed how it was about time that Obama faced some tough questions in this campaign, and that Hillary was getting what she deserved. But were the questions really all that tough? Were they even relevant? So Hillary didn’t exactly dodge a bullet in Bosnia, who cares? I want to know about her health plan and how it will benefit myself, my daughter, and fiancé. So what if Obama doesn’t put his hand over his heart for “God Bless America” or wear a lapel pin of an American flag, I want to know his stance on plummeting housing markets and why real estate prices are still so high. The questions asked were on trivial matters and not on actual substance and policies. They were questions...

James Croft Politics and Media 4/21/08 Journal 3: Wedge Issues and Elitism I find it interesting how easy the media and politicians are to point fingers at each other. Recently, Obama made a PR blunder saying that blue-collar workers in Pennsylvania “cling” to their bibles and their guns, and that they are disenchanted with the political system. Because of these words, his opponents both on the democratic and republican sides have labeled and portrayed him as an elitist. With the way the media has portrayed the situation it is easy to assume such. In reality, Obama was talking about a real phenomena studied in political science circles. The phenomenon is the Wedge Issue. A wedge issue is any issue in which the public is emotionally attached to, and tends to polarize the electorate. Campaigners and politicians will often use these issues to build up a base of voters to their campaigns and bolster their support. Some issues identified as wedge issues include abortion, gun control, ...

James Croft Politics and Media & Courts and Constitution Professor Baker Tallahassee Trip I personally found the trip to Tallahassee very enjoyable. Having focused mainly on national politics in my studies, it was refreshing and enlightening to see and experience state level politics. I had never visited the State Capitol before, and I was not disappointed. It was a beautiful building. I also enjoyed visiting the various office holders in the State House and hearing what they had to say. And it was inspiring top sit on the actual floor of the State House, and in the big chair in one of the Committee Rooms. Now where sitting in the chairs in the House and the Committee Room was all well and good, my favorite aspect about going to Tallahassee was with visiting and corresponding with the Representatives. Although Jennifer Carroll was not in attendance for our visit, I did send her an e-mail when we returned to Jacksonville thanking her for the opportunity to visit...