Paper Tiger’s coverage of the 1984 American Presidential elections from Taiwan. Includes an interesting cross-section of the Taiwanese media storm around election night and talks with David Hess, President of the American Institute in Taiwan, among others. Never one to miss an opportunity, the United States government capitalized on the tense relationship between China and Taiwan during the Reagan era. The majority of Taiwan’s military purchases during the early 80’s were coming from the United States, as well as an array of consumer goods and lifestyles. Reagan’s role in expanding this relationship and his anti-Communist stance (sometimes, as one commentator notes, labeling countries Communist that were not, as in Central America) made the Taiwanese “comfortable” with his presidency. There are interviews with American ex-pats both in support of and against Reagan that offer an especially acute view of the cultural climate at the time. A fascinating example of how U.S. hegemony has expanded by manipulating consumer markets, economic dependency and reactionary politics. Of particular interest to students and teachers in areas like late-20th century global politics, media studies, Pop Culture, East Asian politics and neoliberalism. 1986