Lynn

=Semester 2 = 5/26/09

I can conclude that Republicans and Democrats generally follow the stereotypes that people have. Republicans tend to be conservative and moderate, and consist much of the pro-life, low taxation, and free-market supporters. They believe in cutting back in social programs and government spending and promote the state's sovereignty. They are for guarding borders and have strict interpretations of law. The environment that they lived in lean towards the South, and the religious belief tens towards Christianity.

The Democrats too follow much of the stereotypes. They have pro-abortion, pro-civil rights, and "empathy" in communicating with other nations. They believe that in order to deal with larger problems such as climate issues should be dealt with collective awareness. They also tend to be more skeptical about using military force in international affairs.

I was surprised to see that the Republican supported gun-control and less military use in international affairs. I was also surprised to find that he thought that rural America was dead and that investment should be focused on the urban areas. The Democrat seems to follow the stereotypes, but the Republican is a bit different from the typical in this aspect.

5/14/09 Free press is the only method that can ensure the honesty of authority figures. In reality, there is no way by which the public can check upon the private lives of authority figures through legitimate means. Allowing free press leaves room for the media to investigate into these matters that the public should know, such as the Watergate scandal or the Pentagon papers. In other words, it is important to ensure the freedom of press in a democracy for the sake of the public safety.
 * How important is a free press in a democracy?**

The press and the authority figures generally maintain a love-hate relationship. While the press can be a powerful media in propelling an authority figure's career, it can have an adverse effect on it as well. In other words, the press can advertise the good deeds of the authority figure or contribute to his or her political campaign, but can also damage his or her fame should a scandal like Watergate be leaked. Nixon's fall is an example that reflects this, as the leak of the Watergate scandal in the Washington Post led to his resignation.
 * What do you think the relationship is between the press and authority figures? Think about Watergate and the Washington Post, also the reading we did in class.**

There should be some restrictions on the report material in the newspapers based on the general ethical guidelines of the community. Ethical guidelines vary among people, but the government should be able to find a general consensus from the public on what is acceptable and unacceptable. Private matters such as personal relationships or illnesses should have some restrictions in order to protect the rights of the people being reported.
 * Should there be any restrictions on what newspapers can print?**

Newspapers should be able to report without mentioning sources because certain issues are too sensitive or private. The Watergate scandal demonstrates that this issue is important because the Washington Post reporters would not have been able to reveal the scandal if they had been forced to reveal their sources. Because the public needs to know the dishonesty that was directed at them, the newspapers should be able to publish information from anonymous sources.
 * Should newspapers be able to report without revealing their sources? Why or why not? Is this important?**

The media was the beginning of this scandal. Had the media not dug into the Watergate break in and traced the money that circulated FBI and other CREEP members, Nixon would have gotten away with his dishonesty. The media contributed to the public's enrage with Nixon and eventually led to the buildup of tension and to resignation.
 * How important is the role of media in this scandal?**

5/12/09 In reality, there is no legitimate way to keep authority figures honest. Constant media reports about their dishonesty could keep them on their toes, but there are issues of journalistic privacy invasions.
 * How can you keep authority figures honest?**

In real life, because of the risk of losing grades and lack of solid evidence, it is hard to go against authority figures in school. However, given that we have solid evidence, we could appeal to higher authorities such as the principal or the PTO.
 * What do you do if an authority figure in your life is abusing their power?**

5/6/09 Nixon's memoirs express the shift in the government's political leanings. In other words, his memoirs depict the shift from democratic values to republican values, which were more conservative and not supportive of government spending. His scolding of the social welfare programs conducted under Kennedy and Johnson express his concern about the people becoming too dependent on the federal government. Moreover, those social welfare programs were pricey and inefficient. Contrary to Kennedy's or Johnson's policies of social welfare programs such as the New Frontier and the Great Society, Nixon instead cut back welfare programs by giving direct aid to the poor via the Family Assistance Plan.
 * What values and views of government are expressed in this excerpt from Nixon's Memoirs?**

The social turmoil of 1968 caused much of the American public to want law and order.
 * Nixon is considered a "Law and Order" president. How would the events of 1968 make Nixon an appealing candidate?**

4/8/09

1. How does the US justify escalation? -US is promoting "peace and security in southeast Asia" not its own interests -U.S. has no territorial, military or political ambitions--it will allow self-determination for Vietnam -U.S. has the obligations of protecting protocol states under the South-east Asia Collective Defense Treaty requesting assistance in defense of its freedom.

2. What are the stated US goals? -Promote "peace and security in southeast Asia" -Repel North Vietnam's further aggression

3. What does it authorize the President to do? -The President can take all necessary measures to repel any armed attack against the forces of the United States and to prevent further aggression.

4. Does the resolution have a firm expiration date? No. The resolution shall expire when the President decides that the peace and security of the area is reasonably assured by international conditions set by UN. It also may be terminated earlier by concurrent resolution of the Congress.

4/2/09 JOURNAL The potential risks involved physical violence to the protesters and their families such as being hosed down and threatened with dogs and police forces. Though difficulties surfaced, these risks were ultimately valuable to the civil rights movement as they brought public attention to the issue. I personally would have too involved myself in the protest, because it is for a cause that concerns an entire race even if it puts myself and my family in jeopardy.
 * What were the risks and resistance black activists faced in working to get the vote? Was it worth it? What would you do in this situation?**

3/30/09 CLASS WORK
 * Is it ever justifiable to treat people differently based on race, religion, gender, handicaps, etc.?**

In general, it is a violation of nautral humans rights to be treated differently for one's race, religion, gender, or handicaps, because they are characterisitics that one is born with, rather than acquired. However, should the disparity in race or other factors cause severe strife (for example: Hinduists and Muslims may clash for their religious differences), or cause personal difficulties (such as requiring handicapped students to complete the same physical education course), they should be treated differently.

1)Compare CIA intervention in Guatemala and Iran to Eisenhower's handling of the Suez Crisis? Did the US act justly and according to its values? What were the motivations in each case? Which one do you think was handled better and why?**
 * 3/10/09 DUE

The CIA intervention in Iran and Guatemala differ from Eisenhower's diplomatic approach to the Suez Crisis in that the CIA intervention involved covert methods that often violated U.S.'s stated principles of self-determination and democracy. The CIA intervention in Iran involved a military coup against the allegedly Communist Mohammad Mosaddeq and the establishment of a pro-American government in Iran. Similarly, the intervention in Guatemala also involved a military aggression against a suspected Communist Arbenz Guzmán, who nationalized plantations to redistribute them to the poor. Though there is no clear evidence that the two leaders were Communist, these clandestine military coups were carried out by the CIA and the U.S. government in order to persist in U.S.'s policy of containment and promulgating democracy. Ulterior motives also include the oil fields in Iran, which the U.S. wished to gain influence over. However, these motivations do not justify U.S.'s actions, as it clearly goes against its stated values of achieving self-determination in the world. While U.S. may have succeeded in extending democracy to Iran and Guatemala, it has clearly violated their right to decide which political system they wish to pursue.

On the other hand, the Suez Crisis separates itself from the interventions in Iran and the Guatemala as Eisenhower practiced diplomacy rather than covert actions. When tension rose between Britain, France, Soviet Union, and Egypt over Israel's attack of Egyptian territory near the Suez Canal, Eisenhower proposed a UN resolution that insisted immediate cease-fire and withdrawal of troops. The motivation behind this diplomatic approach was to ease tension without further military aggression and to prevent the blockade of trade routes by Egypt, rather than containment. In this case, U.S. values of self-determination and democracy were well-preserved and well-represented, as U.S. gave room for other nations to negotiate and settle the matter. However, this difference between the Suez Crisis and the interventions in Iran primarily results from the difference in motivations. In other words, though the economic motivations were the same, U.S. values were only achieved in the Suez Crisis because its goal of stopping Communism was weaker.

I personally think that the Suez Crisis was handled the best, as U.S. was able to preserve its goal of spreading self-determination and democracy in the world. While the situations in Guatemala and Iran were perhaps momentarily beneficial to the U.S., they have considerably exacerbated anti-U.S. sentiments in Latin America and Iran. These sentiments have continuously hindered U.S. from establishing friendly relations with Latin American and Middle Eastern countries in international relations. Had the U.S. searched for a non-covert and diplomatic solution to the problems in Iran and Guatemala, it would have represented itself better as the patron of democracy and self-determination.


 * 2) What was the significance of the Gary Powers incident on page 850?**

Gary Powers was the pilot of an American spy plane U-2 who admitted that he had been on a spying mission upon his capture by the Soviet Union. Khrushchev demanded that the U.S. apologize for past U-2 flights and not to conduct any further spying missions. However, Eisenhower only promised that further U-2 missions would stop, and did not apologize for the past flights. This incident, known as the U-2 incident, caused the brief détente--or peace--in the Cold War to end.

Research Question:
How did the Prohibition Act contribute to the criminal success of mafias in the 1920s?

2/13/09: Internment primary source notes

1. Letter to delegate king

Who: Lawerence Kagawa When: March 12th, 1942, during WWII, after U.S. involvement. After internment act. →Time of war: reactions of Japanese against U.s. prejudice Main points: some loyal Japanese are not pleased with the internment. Kagawa is trying to plead the U.S. delegate that he is a loyal citizen. Information: what the Japanese Americans thought of the internment--discontent that they were forced into detention camps because they knew they were loyal Significance: explains the situation in detail, could possibly alter the government’s decision of internment

2. Question of Japanese Americans Who: W.H. Anderson When: February 2nd, 1942, before executive order Main points: Japanese Americans have Japanese ideals and thoughts despite the fact they were raised in the states. Therefore, they can be dangerous. Trying to justify executive order and persuade people that it is just. Significance: describes the internment as safe and proper treatment--trying not to be biased.


 * What was internment like?

Despite the fact that the interment was popular among the government officials and the public due to the growing anti-Japanese sentiments during the WWII, the internment was ironically undemocratic in that it forced “loyal” Japanese citizens to move to detention or internment camps. Although its exterior purposes were to protect American citizens from spies, it only contributed to the injustice done to the Japanese-Americans who were in fact loyal citizens. The internment was ironic in the fact that it only protected only “some” of the citizen’s rights--and oppressed that of the Japanese American citizens.

2/11/09 Political cartoon: Pearl Harbor/Anti-Japanese sentiments -Fifth column: group within that are spies -->Japanese-Amercians suspected as spies

2/6/09

__Characteristics of Propaganda__ -Appeals to emotions -Persuades and is biased -Pride, loyalty, support -Exaggeration -Drawings, slogans, songs, movies
 * In-Class Notes**

__Portrayal of the Enemy__ -How do posters from various countries portray the enemy? -What images do they use? -What emotions are they trying to elicit?
 * Brutal and violent: bloody knife, Child on the ground
 * “Jap Trap”: Japanese portrayed as snakes and rats
 * Germans putting a knife through the Bible
 * Fear, anger, sympathy for the victims

__Portrayal of the Women__: -Often portrayed helpless and weak -Angelic and "holy" -Strong and capable

Different images?
 * Feminine women in navy suits: “Gee! I wish I were a man. I’d join the Navy.”
 * Women portrayed holy nurses
 * Ads to preserve perishable food: canned food promotion
 * Secretary/sonographers
 * What activities do the posters encourage women to do?
 * Join the land army (farming)

__Encouraging actions for people and the soldiers__
 * Conserve gas (Carpool), food
 * Don’t talk about war products
 * “It is far better to face the bullets than to be killed at home than by a bomb.”

2/5/09

A change in women's roles came about with WWII as the women filled up the positions that males had occupied prior to the war. As U.S. mobilized for war, a need for a labor force created by the absence of men--who had been called out to the battle fields--had provided an opportunity for women to improve in their social status by taking up economic and production responsibilities. Reflecting on the effects of WWI on the status of women, it can be presumed that women enjoyed increased opportunities.

p. 809 a) There are occupations such as farming, milking, oiling, cleaning, and sewing represented in the picture along with some unidentifiable objects. About 6-7 occupations seem to appear in the image.

b)The picture "Liberty Girl" depicts a woman carrying various tools and gadgets, walking busily towards somewhere. She is wearing Uncle Sam's modified version of the uniform, and is wearing male-like shoes as well. This representation in the picture reveals the increasing opportunities for women in society as they contributed to war efforts. It represents a clear shift of perspective on women, who were previously only limited to domestic roles--now they are even taking over male roles of production for the sake of their country and for themselves.