Chapel Hill Political Review April/May 2008
http://studentorgs.unc.edu/thehill
From the outside,
looking in How the world views the U.S. presidential election
also in this issue:
The race to replace oil Dole on the defensive
Volume VII, Issue IV
From the Editor To our readers:
As we enjoy this brief intermission between primaries, The Hill is taking the opportunity to check in with the rest of the world. How do other nations view our presidential process? Our team of writers explores the special connection Kenya has to this election, as well as the British and French perceptions of the contest (see our cover section, p. 12). We also want to hear how you see political events like the 2008 election. Shoot us an e-mail, post a comment on our Web site or submit a guest column with your thoughts on today’s political trends or how we at The Hill could better cover them. My two years as editor of this magazine draw to a close when I toss my cap on May 11, but our new editor, Juliann Neher, is
anxious to hear from you. She and the rest of our returning staff plan to continue and expand The Hill’s mission to engage the campus and broader community in a thoughtful, nonpartisan discussion of modern politics and policy. If you’d like to be a part of this ongoing effort, contact Juliann at thehillpr@ unc.edu. We are proud to offer a mix of content, from a lighthearted peek at Ralph Nader’s resume (Notes from the Hill, p. 6) to a scary look at Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal (The Last Word, p. 22). We hope you’ll find something to make you laugh, make you think and make you talk about the political landscape we live in. Thanks for reading. Enjoy! Leah Szarek is a senior majoring in journalism and political science.
Send us your comments We’re proud to share our work with you, and we invite you to share your thoughts with us. Send us a letter or email - no more than 250 words, please. Include your name, year and major.
thehillpr@unc.edu 208 Frank Porter Graham Student Union UNC-CH Campus Box 5210 Chapel Hill, NC 27599-5210 http://studentorgs.edu/thehill/
The Hill
Chapel Hill Political Review Our Mission: The Hill is a medium for analysis of state, national and international politics. This publication is meant to serve as the middle ground (and a battleground) for political thought on campus where people can present their beliefs and test their ideas. A high premium is placed on having a publication that is not affiliated with any party or organization, but rather is openly nonpartisan on the whole. Hence, the purpose of The Hill is to provide the university community with a presentation of both neutral and balanced analysis of political ideas, events and trends. This means that, on the one hand, the publication will feature articles that are politically moderate in-depth analyses of politics and political ideas. These articles might be analytical, descriptive claims that draw conclusions about the political landscape. On the other, The Hill will feature various articles that take political stances on issues.
2 The Hill
The Hill Staff EDITOR Leah Szarek MANAGING EDITOR Juliann Neher WRITERS Melissa Brzycki Andre Durham Hunter Gray Ellis Caroline Guerra Juliann Neher Michael Parker Ben Piven Will Schultz Alex Smith Clayton Thomas COLUMNISTS William Griffin J. Pattishall ASSOCIATE EDITORS Melissa Brzycki Alex Smith COPY EDITORS Beatrice Allen Nicole Watts HEAD OF DESIGN Jessica Lin ART & DESIGN Diane Esson Rachel Moltz Lindsay Naylor HEAD OF CIRCULATION Andre Durham TREASURER Hunter Gray Ellis FACULTY ADVISER Ferrel Guillory
The publication was paid for, at least in part, by Student Activities Fees at a cost of approximately $.50 per copy.
Contents Features 8 9 10
April/May 2008
Volume VII, Issue IV
The forgotten race Democratic challengers gun for Sen. Dole’s seat with little fanfare Get out yer guns Supreme Court poised to decide age-old 2nd Amendment debate New driving force Controversial biofuels have bumpy road to the pump
Cover 12
Through global eyes How the world views the U.S. presidential process
19
Hitting the right notes NY philharmonic tests the idea of musical diplomacy with trip to North Korea
cover art by Diane Esson
International 17
Declaration of Independence Kosovo’s new freedom has widespread consequences
Left/Right 20
Passing gas Is ethanol the fuel of the future?
In Every Issue
v Notes from The Hill v The Last Word: Pakistan’s nuclear threat
Diane Esson
April/May 2008 3
Notes from the Hill Political Agenda
Diane Esson
April 2008 S
M
6 13 20 27
7 14 21 28
T 1 8 15 22 29
W T F S 2 3 4 5 9 10 6 11 12 16 17 18 19 23 24 25 26 30
May 2008 S 4 11 18 25
M
T W
5 6 7 12 13 14 19 20 21 26 27 28
T F S 1 2 3 8 9 10 15 16 17 22 23 24 29 30 31
Feminism and Free Speech • Thurs., April 10th, 7 - 8 p.m. • Manning 209 Dr. Mike Adams, author of “Welcome to the Ivory Tower of Babel” and “Feminists Say the Darnedest Things” Co-sponsored by the UNC-CH College Republicans, the NCSU College Republicans, Duke College Republicans and the Pope Center for Higher Education Policy
Human Rights Torch Relay • Sunday, May 11th, 1 - 7 p.m. The race starts at 4 p.m. • Durham’s Farmer’s Market Pavilion, 534 Foster Street
Notes from
The Hill 4 The Hill
The Olympics and crimes against humanity cannot coexit in China. Cosponsored by UNC’s Friends of Falun Gong Club.
Events not endorsed by The Hill unless noted. Want your event included on The Hill’s political agenda? E-mail event details to: thehillpr@unc.edu.
Notes from the Hill For Your Eyes Only
Shh! Government secrets exposed Conspiracy theories. Everybody has heard of a couple— President Kennedy’s assassination, the 1969 moon landing and, most recently, a nuclear-laden satellite falling from the sky. Conspiracy theorists went wild with the February destruction of an American spy satellite. Department of Defense officials maintained it was necessary to prevent harmful chemicals from entering the atmosphere, but some believe the satellite was carrying a small nuclear generator, able to cause a nuclear explosion if it crashed on land. Feeling suspicious? Read on for some lesser-known conspira-
Movie Review
cy theories.
tional has enough space to easily accommodate more than 100 Flying High million passengers annually, but Built on 34,000 square miles, only around 40 million air travelDenver International Airport is ers pass through every year. recognized as one of America’s nicest airports. However, many New World Order conspiracy theorists maintain Conspiracy theorists believe that it is an underground mili- that soon, the United Nations, tary base. Many theorists cite along with its military branch, its vast amounts of seemingly NATO, will topple the world’s unused land, soundproof granite governments and establish one floors throughout the terminal international government. The and the more than 19 miles of New World Order is supposedly tunnels underneath the airport. responsible for every significant The building is also made from event of the past 100 years. This material that makes it undetect- shadow syndicate is even credited able by radar or heat sensors. The with starting the French Revolustrangest fact? Denver Interna- tion. — Anonymous
Oscar’s political side
Any documentary about the war in Iraq can be expected to have two components: an elaborate argument for Bush’s connections to oil and carefully chosen, incriminating quotes from Donald Rumsfeld. When Oscar-nominated documentary “No End in Sight: Iraq’s Descent into Chaos” began with the latter, the reviewer nearly lost hope. It seemed inevitable then that this film would be just another “Fahrenheit 911,” saying much more about leftwing politics in America than the situation in Baghdad. Given a few more minutes, however, “No End in Sight” quickly earned a second look. A base of trustworthy analysts carry the narrative from pre-invasion to present-day occupation.
Many of the people interviewed are high-standing, reputable officials; everyone from ex-Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage to the chairman of the National Intelligence Council is given the chance to explain bits of the story. Other personalities offer insight as well, including Pulitzer Prize-winning author Samantha Power, renowned for her influential coverage of the Yugoslavian and Rwandan genocides. “No End in Sight” is also compelling in a general sense. Though it might be tempting to believe that nothing more can be learned from another hour and a half of photos and footage from Iraq, the film manages to bring more to the table. The screams, cries and expletives normally cut
out or softened during the nightly news are strikingly present in this documentary, and the effect is eye-opening. It is easy to stay detached from quiet footage of roadside bombs, but impossible to do when exposed to the frantic cursing of young soldiers dodging shards of glass and metal. To be sure, “No End in Sight” leaves no room for any conclusion other than disgust with the way the war has been handled. However, one must not immediately discredit the film simply because it has an argument. On the contrary, its credible sources and gripping footage offer plenty of reason to check it out and sufficient justification for its Academy Award nomination. — Caroline Guerra
April/May 2008 5
Notes from the Hill Job Hunters
By the Numbers
Ralph Nader
contact info I don’t own a house. Or a car.
OBJECTIVE
To win the presidential election this time, or to keep others from winning—it’s debatable.
EXPERIENCE
Consumer Advocate • Hates Microsoft, Inc.
Author • “Unsafe at Any Speed” • “Corporate Power in America • “Who’s Poisoning America?” • and many more
Perpetual Presidential Candidate, U.S.A. (1992 - 2008) • Third party • Is the fifth time the charm?
EDUCATION
Undergraduate degree in Arabic Studies at Princeton University
Graduate degree, Harvard Law School
HOBBIES
“Strawberries,” according to an interview with Jay Leno.
FAN CLUB
Nader’s Raiders: a large group of young activists who focus on consumer advocacy and government corruption.
LANGUAGES
Arabic, English
NUMBER OF GOOGLE HITS FOR “RALPH NADER AND EGO TRIP”
More than 200, possibly in the thousands— who has time to count so many pages?
References availabe upon request. —Caroline Guerra
6 The Hill
Meat Recall In February, the U.S. Department of Agriculture ordered the largest meat recall in history. Violations of federal regulations on the treatment of food cattle produced the following set of shocking numbers:
143 million
number of pounds recalled, the largest in history
35 million
previous record for largest beef recall
37 million
number of pounds recalled from public schools
20
number of Beef recalls in 2007
150
number of School Districts who pledged to no longer use beef from Hallmark Meat Packing, Westland partner.
7800
number of Department of Agriculture Inspectors
6200
number of Plants inspected —Michael Parker
Notes from the Hill Up to Date
The new space age
Over the past decade, NASA faced stiff competition from both China and Europe in space exploration. China became the first country to launch a missile into space to destroy a satellite in 2007. Additionally, the European Space Agency emerged as a leader in commercial satellite launches. Since the turn of the century, China has propelled itself to the vanguard of space exploration. In addition to being the first country to send a missile into space, in 2003, China became only the third nation to launch a human into space, joining the ranks of the US and Russia. Furthermore, China recently started its Lunar Exploration Program, with the expectation of moving on to deep space.
1 John McCain Who would’ve thought the second coming of the Comeback Kid would be a 72-year-old Vietnam vet? Once written off as a dead candidate walking, McCain is now the presumptive GOP nominee.
The ESA, a collection of 17 European nations working together in space exploration, has made great strides to catch up to the US. While the ESA has worked with NASA in the past, its Ariane 4 and Ariane 5 rockets propelled the agency to the forefront of rocket launching. Today, the ESA is working on the Aurora Exploration Programmes with Canada. The program’s main goal is to be the first to bring back soil from Mars. With China’s quickly expanding space program, and the ESA’s newfound independence, NASA will have to work harder than ever to remain the preeminent organization for space exploration. —Andre Durham
Hill-O-Meter By Will Schultz
2 Dmitry Medvedev
The 64,000 ruble question: Is Russia’s new presidentelect a potent political power or a Putin-propelled puppet?
Who’s on top of the heap right now? Who has fallen far? We track the up-and-comers and the down-and-outs.
3 Raul Castro
He’s been waiting in the wings since the Eisenhower administration. Now little brother gets a chance to see if he can fill Fidel’s fatigues.
4 Ralph Nader
Ralph would do well to remember that even “The Godfather” was terrible the third time around. He may have swung the race in 2000, but his chances of playing kingmaker this time around currently stand at 0% and dropping.
Diane Esson
April/May 2008 7
State
There’s a Senate race going on? NC
Rachel Moltz
Presidential primaries distract from wide-open contest By Hunter Ellis
F
or all the attention the presidential election has gained since the Iowa Caucus, you would be hard pressed to find someone truly interested in the future governor of North Carolina, much less the United States Senate race brewing in the state. On Feb. 29, the period for North Carolina candidates to file with the State Board of Elections ended. One thing is clear; the Democrats have a lot of work ahead of them to rally behind a clear frontrunner. The Democratic candidates include Kay R. Hagan of Greensboro, Duskin Lassiter of Lexington, Howard Staley of Moncure, Jim Neal of Chapel Hill and Marcus Williams of Lumberton. Only one candidate will secure the May 6 North Carolina Democratic Primary, and there is much speculation about North Carolina’s current governor, Mike Easley. Easley’s departure after two terms and his recent denial of participation in the Senate race despite commanding high poll numbers remain the most newsworthy aspects of this important race. Easley held more than an 8 per-
8 The Hill
cent lead (50-42) over incumbent Elizabeth Dole as of a late October 2007 Rasmussen Report poll. An Elon University poll released Feb. 25 found that only 37 percent say they will vote for Dole’s re-election, but nearly 14 percent said it was too early to decide a potential candidate yet. Around half of those polled either approve or strongly approve of Dole’s performance in Congress. The poll numbers are essentially identical to those from Elon’s September poll. Elon University Poll Director Hunter Bacot said that these numbers reveal ambivalence towards Dole which could benefit her competitors. Dole, representing the GOP, has decided to seek reelection and remains the frontrunner of her party and the race. Dole faces the little-known Pete Di Lauro from Weldon in her party and the surplus of Democrats, including Chapel Hill candidate Jim Neal. Neal, an investment banker who is still new to politics, promised to help North Carolinians “take their democracy back from special interests and career politicians,”
in a late February comment in The News & Observer. In an effort to set himself apart from his competition, Neal promises to return to the state frequently if elected. Neal made a visit to UNC in late January to answer questions posed by students about his campaign. Neal’s “real world” status sets him apart from Dole and places him more in line with presidential hopeful Barack Obama. “If hope has always been a metaphor in elections, the metaphor for the 2008 election is change,” Neal said to the Daily Tar Heel. North Carolina’s other U.S. Senator, Republican Richard Burr of Winston-Salem, has served five terms, yet he will not be up for election after beating out Democratic nominee Erskine Bowles in an open contest in 2004. Burr announced his support of Republican candidate John McCain last May. After essentially securing his party nomination, McCain has thrown Burr’s name out as a candidate for vice president, further stirring up the race. As the May 6 North Carolina primary draws near, each candidate has turned to the Web as to generate grassroots momentum. Kay Hagan’s Web site links to whereisliddy.com, a Web site created by NCDP to emulate the feel of a blog for voters. Neal’s Web site even features a blog section for those viewers to read what goes into a senatorial race. Dole’s Web site features a slick layout template typical of an incumbent senator. On March 28, Hagan and Neal will participate in a debate in New Bern at Craven Community College. Neal hopes to conduct six debates with Hagan before the May 6 primary. Right now it’s anyone’s guess what the outcome will be. Hunter Ellis is a junior journalism major.
Rachel Moltz
National
Gun Control T
By Juliann Neher
his spring, the United States Supreme Court will give significant consideration to Second Amendment rights for the first time in history. The grant of certiorari for a gun ban case from the District of Columbia will require the court to answer the question of whether individual citizens have a constitutional right to keep handguns and other firearms for private use in their homes. For 31 years, a D.C. statute prohibited private citizens from keeping handguns. In March 2007, the U.S. Court of Appeals for D.C. ruled that law unconstitutional as it dealt with individual rights. The ruling came after the Cato Institute, a prominent libertarian research institute, gave its blessing for one of its senior fellows to finance a Second Amendment case. Robert A. Levy recruited six plaintiffs, one of whom was able to take his case through the appeals system. The plaintiff, Dick Anthony Heller, worked as a security guard at the federal judicial system’s administrative offices, where he carried a handgun while on duty. His application to keep the gun at home was denied, giving him legal standing for an appeal. After the appellate court made its ruling in Heller’s favor, D.C. ap-
pealed for a writ of certiorari to the U.S. Supreme Court. According to legal experts, much is at stake for gun-rights supporters in the Heller case. A decision rejecting the appellate court’s ruling would virtually repeal the Second Amendment, even though a decision to uphold may have no immediate effect. It might even take years for the court to clarify a position in favor of an individual’s right to bear arms or for that decision to trickle down through the court system. Most importantly, perhaps, is the fact that for millions of Americans, the court’s decision will affect its interpretive supremacy. Currently, the court is hearing the attorneys’ arguments regarding the case. According to tradition, the decision will most likely be announced in the summer, when the current Supreme Court session is brought to a close. However, several members of the court, particularly those more conservative in their interpretations of the Constitution, are expected to rule in favor of individuals’ right to keep firearms for private in-home use. Juliann Neher is a sophomore majoring in journalism and political science.
April/May 2008 9
Technology
Start your engines
F
E
Rachel Moltz
In the race to replace oil, plant-based options are picking up speed
B
By Will Schultz
iofuels—fuels made from that can be burned for heat is a with fossil fuels, the burning of
plant or animal matter— are often pointed out as the inevitable replacement for pollutive fossil fuels like oil and coal. A number of countries have taken steps to wean their citizens off fossil fuels in favor of biofuels. American politicians like Al Gore and Arnold Schwarzenegger have repeatedly sung its praises. Yet new studies have cast doubt on whether biofuels are really the environmental panacea that some claim. They may be doing more harm than good. The Facts of Biofuel According to Douglas Crawford-Brown, director of the Institute of Environmental Studies at UNC, biofuel is “any fuel that makes use of the energy stored in molecules of organic material.” Any natural product 10 The Hill
biofuel. The two most common varieties are ethanol, a fermented sugar often made from corn, and biodiesel, derived from vegetable oils and animal fats. Recent years have seen tremendous advances in biofuel production. New techniques can break down cellulose, a material found in plant cells, turning useless waste like wood chips into fuel. In 2007, MIT scientists discovered a way to produce propane from corn and sugarcane. Advocates of biofuel are quick to list its benefits. It helps to offset the production of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide. Crawford-Brown describes how biofuel “closes the cycle” of carbon dioxide production, “recapturing much of the emissions in new plant growth that will provide the next round of fuel.” This contrasts
which frees carbon dioxide stored millions of years ago. Biofuels, unlike fossil fuels, are renewable. It takes millennia for coal to form, but only a few months for biofuel-producing crops to grow. Subsidies and Support These advantages have led a number of countries to embrace biofuel as the wave of the future. The American government, for example has been generous in subsidizing biofuel. A 2002 energy bill granted a $1-per-gallon subsidy for biofuel produced from cotton, soybeans, and other crops. The 2004 American Jobs Act also provided $1 per gallon for producers of biodiesel blend, a mix of biofuel and diesel. It is estimated that American subsidies for biofuel will be worth $8.7 billion by 2010. As a result,
Technology
It is estimated that American subsidies for biofuel will be worth $8.7 billion by 2010. the American biofuel industry, as it turned out 6.5 billion gallons of ethanol. European nations have also been open-handed to biofuel manufacturers. According to the Land Use and Food Policy Intergroup, in EU countries, “farmers are awarded a 45-euro premium for each hectare of land used for bio-fuels production.” The EU’s plan pays for up to 2 million hectares of farmland devoted to biofuel, a limit reached for the first time in 2007. These subsidies have driven an extraordinary increase in Europe’s production of biofuels. In 1997, Germany and France put out 350,000 metric tons of biodiesel. Only five years later, that number nearly tripled to 916,000 metric tons. Europe currently produces nearly 90 percent of the world’s biodiesel supply. The Perils of Biofuel A few skeptics have warned that biofuels may be an environmental fad as opposed to a real solution. Two recent studies, published in the journal Science, seem to support these claims. They argue
to grow biofuels releases massive amounts of carbon dioxide; Joseph Fargione, the author of one of the papers, said, “The clearance of grassland releases 93 times the amount of greenhouse gas that would be saved by the fuel made annually on that land.” Vast quantities of greenhouse gases are also emitted in the process of converting crops into fuel. The impact of growing biofuel goes beyond an excess of carbon dioxide. Third-world nations, eager to take part in the biofuel craze, are converting large swathes of cropland from producing food to biofuel. Many economists have warned this may lead to a spike in food prices, as less and less land is available for growing edible crops. Regarding the cultivation of biofuel, Crawford-Brown said, “There is competition for the materials as a source of food, so food prices can go up due to biofuels.” These new studies have led some nations to rethink their support for biofuel. Australia,
Turn to page 21 for two opposing views on the merits and flaws of one of the most popular biofuels, ethanol.
the United Kingdom, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Canada have all rolled back biofuel incentives, while the European Union now requires biofuel manufacturers to submit a statement on the environmental impact of their product before they can receive subsidies. The EU has also banned any biofuels grown on land that was formerly rainforest. The Future The shift from biofuel to fossil fuels seems to have stalled, in part because of these new findings. However, CrawfordBrown expressed optimism about the future of biofuels “because fossil fuels will simply run out, or become too expensive due to scarcity, at some point.” If the change really is inevitable, it will be crucial to further explore the environmental ramifications of biofuel. Will Schultz is a sophomore majoring in political science.
Diane Esson
America has become one of the that the environmental benefits world’s leading biofuel producers. of biofuel are outweighed by its Last year was a record year for costs. Clearing and plowing land
April/May 2008 11
Diane Esson
Cover
12 The Hill
Cover
From the outside, looking in To say that the U.S. image around the world has suffered over the past several years is a huge understatement. Innumerable polls conducted in foreign countries, to say nothing of diplomatic relations and anecdotal evidence, show that people of most nations view the U.S. with a mixture of distrust, anger and aversion. This fact is made more tragic in light of the massive goodwill accorded to the U.S. in the wake of 9/11. Much of the animus from abroad stems from the U.S. occupation of Iraq, one of the defining issues of the upcoming presidential race. It is no surprise, then, that many countries are paying particularly close attention to the course and potential outcome of this long and complicated election cycle. The case studies here, from the U.K., France and Kenya, show the variety of international interest in the election. Although impressions are very much shaped by the unique connections each country has to the race, the general sense from abroad is relief and excitement. The end of eight long years of the tremendously unpopular Bush administration is awaited with great anticipation abroad, regardless of the outcome. —Clayton Thomas April/May 2008 13
Cover
A story of two elections Kenyans cheer for Obama while contending with their own problematic election process by Clayton Thomas
I
t is understandable that most foreign countries haven’t closely followed the already extraordinarily long American presidential race; indeed, many Americans are either “electionfatigued” or have not yet tuned in on a race in which one major party’s candidate, after over a year of campaigning, is still not decided. But one country on the opposite side of the globe has followed the race with considerable interest from its beginning: Kenya. In an election cycle characterized by historical firsts, Kenyans claim the first black candidate, Barack Obama, as one of their own. As Kenyans celebrate the remarkable electoral achievements of a man whose father was Kenyan, they must also confront the aftermath of their own flawed presidential election. With a February power-sharing deal, hopes are high that the violence that left more than 1,000 dead has finally ended. Having successfully restored the rule of law in their country, many Kenyans have turned their eyes back to the U.S. What an Obama 14 The Hill
presidency means for America’s race relations--and, more specifically, Kenyan-American relations--is an issue debated in both countries and one that increases in relevance as Obama’s candidacy grows in viability. Barack Obama’s father, Barack Hussein Obama, Sr., was born and raised in a small town in southwest Kenya. He moved to Hawaii, where he met his second wife and Barack’s mother, Ann Dunham. The two divorced in 1965, when Barack Obama, Sr., went to pursue graduate study at Harvard. He died at age 46 in a car crash in Kenya in 1982. Sen. Barack Obama has visited his family in their hometown of Kogelo three times. The first two, in 1987 and 1992, were private family visits by the young law
student and community organizer. But the third, in August 2006, resembled the arrival of a rock stars. The senator was greeted by throngs throughout the country and received global media attention, not least of all because of his decision to publicly take an AIDS test to raise awareness of the disease in a nation where infection rates are around 7 percent. In short, the visit was a sensation around the world, but particularly in Kenya. Kenyan journalist Juma Kwayera, in an email to The Hill, gave an example of Obama’s popularity. In the wake of his 2006 visit, a popular beer called “Senator” was renamed “Obama,” and Obama’s “admirers talked of how potent in speech he is, just [like] their favourite drink.”
A popular beer in Kenya called “Senator” was renamed “Obama,” and his admirers say his speech is potent, just like their favorite drink.
Cover Diane Esson
While in Kenya, Obama praised the country’s economy and government, among Africa’s most successful. But a little over a year after his visit, east Africa’s model of stability had collapsed into the cycle of disputed elections and ethnic violence so familiar throughout the continent. The presidential election of Dec. 27, in which President Mwai Kibaki achieved a narrow victory over opposition party leader Raila Odinga, was widely seen as rife with electoral manipulation. What began as nonviolent protests by Odinga supporters quickly escalated into strikes against Kikuyus, the tribe of Kibaki and many of his supporters, along with some Kikuyu retaliations against Odinga supporters, mostly the Luo and Kalenjin peoples. The rapid escalation in the brutality and scope of the fighting, especially in what had been
one of Africa’s few bastions of peace and stability, quickly drew international concern. Former U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan was one of a number of prominent African statesmen who attempted to mediate the conflict, beginning in midJanuary. But another politician, who had perhaps a larger stake in the conflict’s peaceful resolution, stepped in to act as peacemaker. Barack Obama, in between the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary, phoned Odinga personally, urging him to meet with Kibaki. There was some speculation among political circles that this was a calculated move on the part of the campaign to solidify Obama’s foreign policy credentials, but for the most part, any role he played in the conflict has been overlooked in the U.S. as well as Kenya. Overall, his profile remains
high in Kenya, growing with each primary victory. Another Kenyan journalist, Jeeh Wanjurah, described how Obama is viewed in Kenya, “a country where every issue is viewed [through] an ethnic prism.” Obama’s father was a tribesman to Raila Odinga, and thus “whatever negative feelings other communities have against Odinga are being directed at Obama.” Nonetheless, the vast majority of Kenyans are solidly behind him. One interesting explanation Wanjurah gave for Obama’s wild popularity is the “the misplaced expectation that a President Barack Obama would consider and act like Kenya were a satellite state of the U.S. and shower the country with development largesse.” Whatever the reason, it is clear that Obama’s presence in the race has aroused Kenyans’ interest in the U.S. presidential race, and many Kenyans show a surprisingly sophisticated knowledge of the candidates and the primary system; Mr. Wanjurah said that Obama’s Kenyan supporters anticipated March, the month of the Ohio and Texas primaries, “with bated breath.” In a 2006 speech at Nairobi University, Barack Obama told Kenyans that “as your ally, your friend and your brother, I will be there to help in any way I can.” It is doubtful, however, that Kenya would become a foreign policy priority in an Obama administration simply on account of his ties there. Nonetheless, for the Obamas of Kogelo and their countrymen, Barack’s election as president would be an incredibly symbolic, if not strategically significant, moment. Clayton Thomas is a first-year student majoring in history. April/May 2008 15
Cover
Hungry for change by Ben Piven
W
hen it comes to the U.S. presidential race, Europeans aren’t exactly glued to political news coverage, but they nonetheless keep an interested eye on the race. So what is the buzz from across the pond? Many Europeans seem to be glad to see the end of the Bush era. “The time of liberty fries is over, but people do not yet know what will take their place,” said Richard Beardsworth of the American University of Paris. “There is hope for a new kind of leader, but also a pragmatic desire for a problem-solving presidency given the incompetence of the present regime.” Hall Gardner, a political scientist at the American University of Paris told The Hill that the French predict dim prospects for the Republican Party. “The French can’t believe another Republican can win after Bush, so they do not expect McCain to win,” he said. Others agreed, noting that many Europeans know next to nothing about McCain. “He is a complete unknown,” says Oleg Kobtzeff of the American University of Paris. “They have no clue as to who he is…or as to what he stands for at present.” Kobtzeff also responded to the feelings of excitement about the election emanating from the U.S. public. “The excitement [among Americans] that is obvious to 16 The Hill
Europeans are optimistic about a new U.S. president French newspaper readers is a reflection of a very intense and civic political process that many thought was long dead in American political culture.” Many of those interviewed expressed genuine interest in the democratic prospects. “People are enthusiastic about Barack Obama and his articulation of change,” says Beardsworth, “but [they] are also aware that Clinton is tough and has a precedent.” He also noted that the ongoing internal debate among Democrats, while necessary, might be repelling voters and directing their attention to McCain and an increasingly unified Republican party. One professor at the American University of Paris spoke with some ambivalence about Obama’s foreign affairs experience. “I get a general sense from the media and colleagues that people are waiting to see, but that a black man or female Democrat in the White House would be a good thing for the world at the moment,” says Douglas Yates. “But people are still undecided as to whether Obama is ready to be a world leader.” Chris Brown, a political science professor at the London School of Economics also mentioned British interest in Barack Obama. “International politics is, of course, about much more than personalities, but it would be difficult to underestimate the im-
pact on the image of America in the world of an African-American U.S. president with Senator Obama’s grace and presence.” Perhaps most striking was the sense of genuine optimism echoed by many of foreign residents. Professor Brown expressed this feeling by writing, “It seems quite possible that in November you will indeed have a choice between two thoroughly decent candidates each of whom, in their different ways, will be able to transcend the extreme partisanship of the last 15 years, neither of whom seems to have been infected by the bitter aftertaste of the 1960s and Vietnam.” Brown continued in this optimistic vein, saying that “the hold on America of the baby-boomer culture-wars seems to be slipping, and for those of us who wish America well this is a very attractive prospect, whoever wins.” In terms of the actual process, some French lamented that the public found the entire U.S. election system “extremely confusing” and said that most people still “have no idea what superdelegates are.” Others criticized the “emphasis on form over substance, and of course, the role that money plays [in campaigns].” European voters can only watch and wait while American voters choose their next president. Ben Piven is a senior majoring in international studies.
International Diane Esson
A controversial independence Kosovo’s future as a nation looks bleak by Melissa Brzycki
R
iots are still flaring in Kosovo one month after it declared independence, particularly in the areas where the Serbian minority is concentrated. Kosovo’s independence sparked much international controversy, in contrast to other Balkan states like Montenegro, which seem to have had a much easier process. The reason for this disparity lies in the fact that prior to Feb. 17, Kosovo was never an independent state: it has always been a province of Serbia. Kosovo shares much more in common with its neighbor Albania than with Serbia. Most Koso-
vars are ethnic Albanian Muslims, unlike predominantly Christian Serbia. Though Kosovo’s population is majority Albanian, there is a Serb minority, which for the most part does not support Kosovo’s separation from Serbia. The majority of the Serbian population in Kosovo lives in the Northern provinces, the area of contention for the new state. This region has seen the most violence, and Serbia instructed ethnic Serbians living in Kosovo to ignore the declaration of independence. Kosovo’s prospects as an independent nation are not particularly promising. Two veto-wielding April/May 2008 17
International members of the U.N. Security Council, Russia and China, contest the legality of Kosovo’s independence and may block the necessary approval of the Council to allow the small nation into the U.N. A Feb. 21 article in The Economist adds that unemployment is high, affecting twothirds of Kosovo’s youth, while the population relies heavily on remittances. The atmosphere for business and industry is also discouraging, mostly because of high tax rates. While the U.S. and many European countries support Kosovo’s independence, Russia is strongly opposed. President Vladimir Putin was always against to the prospect of an independent Kosovo, and the new Russian president, Dmitri Medvedev, has reiterated that position. Compounding the problem, the U.S. decided to sell weapons to Kosovo for defense purposes, likely to make its sup-
According to Muller, modern life led to the rise in ethnic nationalism. Many countries tried to provide opportunities for citizens by emphasizing national cohesion and efficiency over cultural or lingual differences. This often promoted one group’s language or culture, which offended many secondary ethnic groups. For example, these groups resent having their children educated in the dominant language. This discomfort can lead to a greater desire for autonomy, Muller says. Events immediately following Kosovo’s announcement reinforce Jerry Muller’s position, and also lend credibility to Russia’s fears that Kosovo’s independence will encourage other separatist movements. Since Feb. 17, both Abkhazia and South Ossetia in Georgia announced their own intentions to achieve independence. Ironically though, Russia supports the independence of these two
Worldwide, ethnic nationalism is a growing force behind the attempts to create new nation-states. port of the new country all the more divisive. Additional controversy has arisen about the precedent Kosovo’s independence might set for other aspiring nations. In a recent Foreign Affairs article, Jerry Muller, a professor at the Catholic University of America, argues that ethnicism will remain an important factor in global politics for decades to come. He posits that ethnicism will cause increased attempts at independence by minority ethnic groups. 18 The Hill
Sub-Saharan Africa is also a potential powder-keg. For years, African countries have struggled with artificial, post-colonial boundaries that ignore cultural, linguistic and ethnic boundaries. Yet for the most part, the map of Africa has not been redrawn. Many ethnic groups who desire autonomy, such as the Katanga province of the Democratic Republic of Congo, have been thwarted. Most African leaders agree that aspiring groups within national boundaries should not be allowed to secede. They think the great number of ethnic groups and arbitrary boundaries of nearly every modern African nation would lead to endless warring and redrawing of the African map. The successful independence of Kosovo may give the secessionist groups in Africa new hope and revive their struggles. While Kosovo’s path to independence looks rocky, the continued support of such wealthy, influential nations as the U.S., Britain and France gives Kosovo a decent chance of becoming a functioning, recognized nationstate. Many other independence movements do not have the same chances, yet this type of movement seems only to be proliferating. Just as there has been a transition in the world from wars among states to wars within states, the newest trend in the international arena may be the desire for ethnically homogenous, independent states.
regions, as relations with Georgia are tense and Russia is currently trying to block Georgia’s pending NATO membership. Worldwide, ethnic nationalism is a growing force behind the attempts to create new nationstates. In China, Tibet’s unrest broke out in protests and violence Melissa Brzycki is a junior political after simmering for decades. science major. Near Kosovo, violence erupted in Nagorno-Karabakh, a predominantly Armenian region in Azerbaijan, which also wants increased autonomy.
International
Diplomatic chords
Diane Esson
A musical attempt to connect east and west By Alex Smith
I
t was a surreal image: North Korean men and women, perhaps from the upper echelons of Kim Jong-Il’s regime, standing at attention to the performance of the Star-Spangled Banner. Has the Bamboo Curtain been lifted? Not yet. There have been many claims that the performance by the New York Philharmonic Orchestra in North Korea had nothing to do with politics, and that it was purely a cultural interaction. Yet one main underlying reason for the visit apparently was to soothe the tension between the adversaries through a shared experience. Music, however, is not the best experience to share when it comes to being politically neutral. According to the New York Times, the Orchestra played both the North Korean and American national anthems, Dvorak’s “A New World,” Gershwin’s “An American in Paris,” and a Korean folk song called “Arirang.” It’s difficult to establish any meaning behind the selection of the music, and it’s almost impossible to understand how the North Koreans really interpreted the performance. But the selection of the repertoire was not arbitrary. Gershwin’s piece features sounds replicating the noise and bustle of Paris, which represents the confusion of an American visitor. At the end of the piece, the music expresses the visitor’s recovery from homesickness and apprecia-
tion of his new surroundings. The piece could have been symbolic of the visit, a gesture of humility and a recognition by the Americans that North Korea has culture and civilization that can be appreciated. Another work played was Dvorak’s “From the New World.” UNC Music Professor Evan Bonds believes this piece was carefully chosen because it “reflects the convergence of a wide range of cultural traditions in the United States: a Czech composer…using melodies inspired by his encounters with African Americans and with Native Americans.” Supposedly, the performance was broadcast live all over isolated nation. But in light of the abject poverty experienced by the vast majority of the population— GDP per capita is $1900—it is unlikely that many people saw the performance for lack of televisions. Nevertheless, the music seemed to have a sizable impact on the audience at the performance. Despite the reservation from the White House that the performance would have no effect on relations, the audience gave the orchestra a long standing ovation. North Korea’s counselor Pak Chol of the Korea-Asia Pacific Peace Committee expressed his gratitude by saying, “We Koreans fully appreciate the performance this evening by the New York Philharmonic, not just
as an art performance, but as the good feelings of the ordinary citizens of the United States toward the Korean people.” The statement could be full of diplomatic maneuvering, since North Korea has long claimed that the U.S. is threatening its sovereignty with invasion. Mr. Chol may have been trying to capture the moral high ground by isolating the U.S. State Department look cold. Indeed, North Korea proposed the event, as reported NPR. However, the State Department did help arrange the Orchestra’s visit. Despite the hostility, there is still a good chance the performance might at least add some pleasant background noise to the dead diplomatic silence between the two nuclear adversaries. After all, a similar visit by the Philadelphia Orchestra to China in 1973 played a large role in bringing China and the United States together. The performance by the American orchestra provided the Chinese people fresh relief from Mao’s oppressive Cultural Revolution, and a realization that their view of the West as a barbaric bourgeoisie stronghold was too simplistic. Perhaps there is hope for Kim Jong-Il’s regime. Alex Smith is a sophomore majoring in economics. April/May 2008 19
Column
from the Left
All Things Green
J. Pattishall hen questioned in a recent news confer- guzzler.” ence on how the average Joe will cope As with any energy source, ethanol has its drawwith widely-predicted $4 a gallon gas backs. Some Americans wonder whether we can prices, President Bush informed a CBS journalist make enough ethanol with the amount of arable that he simply hadn’t heard that prediction. Such a land we have. Given the current use of farmland remark is more than just a discomfiting display of in America, such as the wildly disproportionate unawareness on the part of our president, it is inuse of land to grow feedstock for meat production, dicative of a general American trend of markets would have to shift somewhere looking the other way on energy issues. to allow for substantive ethanol producFrom here on out, expensive gas is likely tion. Luckily, this kind of shift would be to be the rule, and Americans need to minuscule compared to the catastrophic start acting accordingly. one that would occur if an oil-dependant Consumer and investor interest in world economy were to suddenly find ethanol, a renewable hydrocarbon fuel itself without affordable or abundant oil. made from plant material, spikes during Others point to ethanol production as times of high oil prices, and with good the culprit for rising food prices, which reason. Many owners of personal ethain some senses is true. This ignores the nol stills have been able to produce the fact, however, that food prices will rise fuel at prices well below conventional dramatically with oil prices anyway, as gasoline. In Colorado, E 85 can be purchased at most food on American tables is shipped many the pump for prices a full dollar per gallon below hundreds of miles to reach its destination. It also gas. Ethanol isn’t just cheaper for consumers, eiignores the likely destabilization of world food ther. For nations like America, strapped with huge production under global warming scenarios that and growing foreign trade deficits, the potential predict the flooding of low-lying farmland and development of a domestic energy supply to offset shifting rain patterns, leading to likely famine. oil imports is increasingly attractive. Ethanol cannot solve all of our climate change The first thing to remember about oil, however, problems, nor can it reasonably replace all of is that its cost cannot be measured only in dollars our fossil fuel use. It will, however, have to play and cents. Political tensions in oil producing rea significant role in the crucial period of energy gions, global warming, oil spills and other environ- transition that we are entering. We must begin the mental issues all combine to make oil look more process of dropping our oil-addiction now, and like the ugly option that it truly is. These issues, it ethanol is the best place to start. The technology is just so happens, also contribute to economic desta- there, the investment money is flowing in, and the bilization. environmental benefits are clear. In the long run, Ethanol’s benefits run quite the gamut. It is it is an energy path that we can’t afford to leave renewable (unlike oil), it has the potential of beundeveloped. ing carbon-neutral (unlike oil), it contains far fewer poisonous gasses than conventional oil, it J. Pattishall is a first-year student majoring in English is cheaper, it is largely domestic and, last but not and philosophy. least, ethanol stills can easily be converted to make moonshine, giving a new meaning to the term “gas
W
20 The Hill
Column
Ethanol: Great in Guinness, Horrible in Gas
A
from the right
William Griffin
dvocates of ethanol proclaim that we are going broke importing oil, that purchasing this oil supports vile dictators and that its use has brought us to the brink of an environmental catastrophe. On each point they are correct. America must end its dependence on oil, both foreign and domestic, if we wish to avert serious economic, political and environmental problems. However, support and subsidization of ethanol production is a grave error for one reason that trumps all the rest: it drastically raises food prices, leading to increased human misery. For as long as most students of this university can remember, food has been a relatively cheap commodity. Advances in agriculture have seemed to prove Malthus and the pessimists wrong, yet in the past year, crop prices have skyrocketed. By diverting large tracts of arable land from the cultivation of food to the creation of gasoline, we are fueling this problem. The price of corn, commonly used to distill ethanol, rose by 50 percent between 2006 and 2007, while wheat prices shot up 83 percent this year, according the Economist. Not only does this strain the purse strings of the American poor (who by definition must spend more than 1/3 of their income on food), but it means the difference between health and starvation for hundreds of millions of the world’s impoverished, many of whom spend 80 to 90 percent of their income on food. Already the U.N. and the U.S. are decreasing food aid due to diminishing surpluses and rising costs. We see ethanol as a solution to a problem, yet in the eyes of the starving of the world we are like rich fools using hundreddollar bills to light our cigarettes. There are better solutions to our oil addic-
tion. Hybrid cars can drastically cut American oil consumption while simultaneously furthering the electrical engine (which can be powered by all kinds of clean sources of energy) as a viable alternative to combustion engines in the future. Furthermore, America has not yet begun to conserve. In fact, American demand is increasing. In contrast in the 1970s, when the problem was merely economic and not environmental, conservation caused America’s oil consumption to drop by 14 percent. Critics might say that with the coming environmental catastrophe, the world’s poor are a necessary casualty in the fight against global warming. But as Professor Tad Patzek of the University of California at Berkeley points out, ethanol produces even more carbon dioxide than petroleum when one takes into account the deforestation, soil carbon losses and cultivation that ethanol production requires. A clean and domestic source of energy is an aim all Americans can share, but Americans must consider more than just themselves in the march toward this lofty goal. Our support for ethanol will injure the poor of this world in a far more profound way than it will benefit any U.S. citizen. America would be a nation of hypocrites if we vigorously protest the mass murder of Darfurians while not bothering to carpool in order to stop the mass starvation of Ethiopians. William Griffin is a sophomore majoring in political science.
April/May 2008 21
The Last Word
A new atomic age The nuclear politics of the U.S. and Pakistan Rarely do we look back on the polarized world of the Cold War and sympathize with the fears of the day. As children, we never practiced hiding under our desks at school; we were never fearful of the threat of an equally large superpower. The arms race is over, and the world has averted nuclear destruction. To d a y, globaliza- By Justin Shrader tion has diluted big-power politics and allowed small, rogue non-state organizations to become a threat on an international scale. It is tempting to believe that the largest threat to America lies in Iraq, Afghanistan or even Iran. But to many foreign policy analysts, the country that sparks the most concern is not a member of the so-called “Axis of Evil,” but one of America’s indispensable allies in the War on Terror and one of the world’s most unstable nuclear-armed countries: Pakistan. The existence of nuclear weapons in Pakistan combined with its tentative political and security situation presents a vital challenge to the United States. When I first began meeting with the UNC chapter of the 22 The Hill
Roosevelt Institute’s Center for Foreign Policy, the other members of this student think tank were already deep into discussions about Pakistan, including its relationship to nuclear nonproliferation. The fast-paced nature of our group, however, meant that we were soon moving on to the next issue on the agenda, and any further research on the topic would have to be independent. I sought to supplement my limited knowledge of Pakistan, starting with the complex history that led to the formation of its nuclear program. Pakistan initially sought to develop nuclear weapons to balance the threat posed by its neighbor, India, with whom it shares a volatile relationship. Pakistan has also refused to sign non-proliferation agreements as a result of India’s refusing to do so. To all appearances, the U.S. and Pakistan are strange bedfellows; the first is a staunch supporter of nuclear non-proliferation, the second uncommitted to it. The delicate relationship is further compounded by the U.S.’s close ties to Pakistan’s rival, India. Unlike India, however, Pakistan is mired in political instability. Despite recent elections, the
current government’s tentative hold over the nation is cause for concern. In addition, Pakistan’s refusal to adhere to non-proliferation agreements means it is subject to very little international pressure. Security concerns are further compounded by a large, porous, and mountainous border with Afghanistan and the ease with which terrorists operate on both sides. A January article from the BBC reports U.S. intelligence analysts questioning the ease with which Pakistan’s nuclear knowledge could slip into the wrong hands. The possibility that terrorists seek to acquire a nuclear weapon is all too plausible, and prominent British and American news agencies quote U.S. officials as saying some intelligence even raises suspicions that Osama bin Laden and other members of al-Qaeda in Afghanistan may have ties to nuclear scientists in Pakistan. Combine this possibility with the presence of extremist strains in Pakistan’s own society, and one can picture a frightening scenario reminiscent of the Cold War fears held by our parents, scenarios we have only witnessed in dramatic Hollywood films. Except in this case, the fear stems not from the
To all appearances, the U.S. and Pakistan are strange bedfellows
The Last Word Lindsay Naylor
thousands of weapons we know about, but the one that we do not. Pakistan is the most likely point of origin for black-market nuclear technology. Therefore, actions must be taken to limit the nuclear threat posed by nonstate terrorist groups. The dire consequences of such an attack are, nevertheless, subverted by the lack of an immediate threat, providing the United States with limited options. Immediate military action likely would not be tolerated domestically or abroad. A purely long-term approach is
The Last Word on
The Hill
to Pakistan’s security by training personnel, providing a wide range of equipment, financing nuclear security facilities and providing economic aid. Pakistan, nevertheless, remains reluctant to disclose all details of the nuclear arsenal to the U.S. Perhaps an increase in this indirect assistance could give the U.S. more influence in maintaining the security in Pakistan while still leaving it as a largely national endeavor. Conversely, defensive measures must improved at home in places such as ports and other areas vulnerable to a nuclear attack. The U.S. also needs to enlist the help of Pakistan in order to more actively monitor the Afghan border. Realistically, Pakistan’s rivalry with India suggests that it is very unlikely to agree to anything in the short- or long-term that would weaken it in comparison. It should be a priority in the long term, therefore, to work multilaterally toward getting both nations to agree to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. This would allow Pakistan to become subject to international regulations regarding the nuclear issue and, ultimately, put greater pressure on it to protect its nuclear knowledge. Ultimately, we of the postCold War generation should want nothing less than to prevent a return to such an era.
also undesirable due to the uncertain political future and the scale of the security threat. Instead, U.S. policy must include concrete measures to reduce the security threat as well as a broader strategy to continue to engage the Pakistani society. Support must be provided to President Musharraf ’s government for the sake of stability, and the U.S. must continue to pledge financial assistance to improve the socio-economic situation in the long term. According to a 2007 article in Justin Shrader is a sophomore mathe New York Times, the Bush joring in international politics and Administration has increased aid political science.
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