Issue 1 - We The People by The Horace Mann Review

Review

The Horace Mann

We T h

e Pe

ople

The Other Side of Law and Order Anti-Americanism Post-Election Coverage

The

Horace Mann Review

September 19. 2008

Volume XVIII

The Other Side of Law and Order 8 The Aftermath China 23 Behind Closed after the2008 BeijingOlympic Doors Inside Guantanamo Games By Andrew Demas Bay By Zander Daniel 12 Crisis State Hamas vs. Around the World: Fatah By Sam Bauman 31 Ungoverned Tribes 15 An Outdated Sysof the Hindu Kush tem Sharia law vs. human By Wallace Cotton rights By Danielle Ellison 31 Contaminated 21 Turning the Tables Baby Powder Taints The Lucasville Prison Riot China By Ian Antonoff By Jacob Moscona-Skolnik

27 American Far Left SocialismandCommunismin the U.S. By Rebecca Segall

33 Prison at Home Japaneseinternmentcampsin WWII. By Jessica Chi

Anti-Americanism 5 North Korean Sentiment Anti-Americanism in Kim Jong-Il’s regime. By Greg Barancik

35 Trouble in Paradise The United States and DubaiByAlexanderFamiliant

3 Puerto Rico Why it should bepartofthedemocraticprocess 25 Red Flag Anti-Americanism By Daniel Grafstein in Russia By Victor Ladd 9 Going Out of Business Second look at the reces- 26 Bush Effect Anti-Americanism,byBushByEmilyFeldstein sion By Deependra Mookim 29 Anti-Americanism in 13 America’s Evolving Perception and the War on South Korea A Generational Divide By Sarah Swong Terror By Samuel Torres Look for Post-Election 17 America’s Hidden Crisis Are Immigrants taking Coverage on pg. 37! “American”jobs?ByDorinAzerad HM Review December 2008

Letter from the Editor The Horace Mann Review Volume XVIII , Issue 1 A Journal of Opinion on Current Events, Politics, Public Policy, and Culture

Venkat Kausik Editor-in-Chief

Zachary Malter Executive Editor

Alice Kissilenko Editorial Director

Thomas Hwang Managing Editor

William Kim

Jarett Bienenstock

Tyler Holden Photography Editor

Merin Pasternak

Deputy Managing Editor Director of Operations

Nancy DaSilva Will Dubbs Nick Herzeca Kevin Lin Spencer Penn Dan Shapiro Senior Editors

Aradhna Agarwal Katie Dubbs Production Assistants

Photography Editor

Starlyte Harris Henry Hoglund Jason Sunshine Dan Temel Antonia Woodford James Yaro Senior Columnists

Nick Gerard

Director of Technology

Board of Trustees MaximilianD.C.Thompson,ZacharyFreyer-Biggs, Charles Stam, Kunal Malkani Contributing Writers MarioAlvarez,IanAntonoff,DorinAzerad,Gregory Barancik,SamBauman,KatherineCacouris,Jessica Chi, Wallace Cotton, Alexander Daniel, Andrew Demas,DanielleEllison,AlexanderFamilant,Emily Feldstein,JordanFederer,AaronGoldman,Daniel Grafstein, Victor Ladd, William Manning, Jacob Moscona-Skolnik,Deependra Mookim,Rebecca Segall,SarahSwong,SamuelTorres,HillWyrough Faculty Advisor Mr. Gregory Donadio TheHoraceMannReviewisamemberoftheColumbia ScholasticPressAssociation,theAmericanScholastic PressAssociation,andtheNationalScholasticPress Association.OpinionsexpressedinarticlesorillustrationsarenotnecessarilythoseoftheEditorialBoard oroftheHoraceMannSchool.PleasecontactTheReviewforinformationonadvertisementsatthereview@ horacemann.org. © 2008, The Horace Mann Review

For more, visit our website at web.horacemann.org/review/

December 2008 HM Review

It’s finally here! After a long delay, on behalf of the entire Review staff, I am proud and excited to introduce the first issue of Volume XVIII of The Horace Mann Review. In this issue, our theme is We the People; we cover Anti-Americanism, the Other Side of Law and Order, and Election 2008. In our first topic of the issue, AntiAmericanism, our writers examine America’s perception around the world and at home. In our second topic, the Other Side of Law and Order, we investigate the state of things in communities where the established government may not be the true arbiter of what people can and can’t do. Finally, we have our long-postponed election coverage, in which six articles and two endorsements critically evaluate some of the most important themes from the election that may define a generation. This issue, and this year, are very special for the Review. This marks the eighteenth consecutive year The Horace Mann Review has been covering politics and current events for Horace Mann School. Since its inception, The Review has consistently produced issue after issue of informative, interesting journalism, well surpassing its expectations as a high school magazine. And in time, The Review has not stagnated, but rather grown and evolved. This issue, we have the largest staff we’ve ever had, with more writers than ever before. Those of you who are familiar with The Review may have already noticed that there are some big changes from last year. Most obviously, over the summer we’ve undergone a makeover. Gone are the different styles per article, hard to read fonts, and busy layouts; instead, we have taken a step towards professional magazines by giving The Review a distinct style. The Review has always been driven by its content; this year, we seek to take some focus off of the layout and return to our roots. The biggest changes, however, are yet to come. In our next issue, we will be unveiling a new, section-based structure to The Review, in which we will not only cover a featured theme, but also will introduce domestic, economics, editorial,

international, school, and science and technology sections. In addition, we have merged with the Horace Mann Business Report, whose staff will add their expertise to The Review’s new business section. Our new layout changes, which are introduced in this issue, will be complete in the next. We will also come out consistently every month till the end of the school year. This issue is also special in that it would not have been possible without the help of some staff members who volunteered more time than they had signed up for. I would like to thank and commend Starlyte Harris, Henry Hoglund, Dan Temel, Antonia Woodford, and James Yaro for editing this issue. I also have to give special thanks to Executive Editor Zachary Malter for his leadership this issue. Without him, this issue would not have come to fruition, and it is just as much his right as mine to introduce The Review to you this year. As with every Review issue, it is hard to give credit where credit is due. It is hard to find out who found which picture, who caught which spelling error, and who came up with which headline. However, The Review is and always will be a team effort, and I must say that I think this is the best team the Review has ever seen. But finally, as with every Review issue, it boils down to writers and readers. To the writers of this issue, I thank you for your patience in waiting for the issue to come out. You are the present and future of the publication, and truly make the Review what it is. To the readers, I hope you enjoy this first issue of the 2008-2009 school year. It is the first issue of a year that is sure to be memorable. Enjoy. Sincerely,

Venkat Kausik Editor-in-Chief

Features

Anti-Americanism The Other Side of Law and Order

Puerto Rico Why it needs to be part of the United States’ democratic process By Daniel Grafstein

oudroaringawakensmefrom my sleep in Manhattan. I realize it is once again the second Sunday in June, and time for oneofthelargestexpositions of pride in America. Ironically, a parade of this magnitude celebrates a region that is technicallynotconsideredpartoftheUnited States. The National Puerto Rican Day Parade is marched from 44th to 86th street on Fifth Avenue. From dawn until dusk, peoplepackthestreetssportingred,white andblue,one-staredparaphernalia.In2006, more than two million people lined the sidewalks to witness the spectacle. Once I find my brother, we run out the door to join them. In the midst of all the chaos, I pause to gaze at all the floats and enjoy the music surrounding me. It is a showcase that both touchesandoverwhelms.ThePuertoRican Day Parade is the one day where the rich and distinct Puerto Rican culture gets to bask in the public spotlight, but more importantlytheparadebegsthequestionasto 3

whyPuertoRicoplayssuchaninsignificant role in the life of the everyday American. PuertoRicoisanunincorporatedterritoryoftheUnitedStates.Morespecifically, itisaself-governingcommonwealthinassociation with the United States.The chief of stateisthePresidentoftheUnitedStatesof America,butPuertoRicohasauthorityover all of its internal affairs.The current Governor is Aníbal Acevedo Vila. The House of RepresentativesandSenatehavefifty-one and twenty-seven members respectively. Puerto Rico is a culturally mixed region that is as much a part of the United Statesasanyofthefiftystatesthatcompose America,butPuertoRicansdonothavethe same rights as the rest of Americans. However, a close look at Puerto Rico’s elected bodiessuggeststhatthemajorityofPuerto Ricansarenotsatisfiedwiththeircurrentsituation.TheperceivedexploitationofPuerto Rico by the United States leads to a popular local anti-American view. Therefore, although Puerto Ricans have the ability to assimilateintomainstreamAmericabymovingtotheUnitedStates,andalthoughPuer-

toRicanshavecitizenshipandlimitedrights to vote, there is still more the U.S could do toensurePuertoRicoisnottakenforgranted, while maintaining its unique culture. SeveralkeylawsinstitutedbytheU.S governmenthavedefinedPuertoRicoover its history as a U.S territory, yet still more progresscanbemadeinthisarea.Until1825, Puerto Rico was a Spanish colony. In the Spanish-AmericanWar,SpaincededPuerto Rico-- along with Guam, the Philippines, and Cuba--to the United States. In 1917, PuertoRicansweregrantedU.Scitizenship andapopularlyelectedsenate.In1947,the U.SgrantedPuertoRicanstherighttoelect theirowngovernor.PuertoRico’sstatushas notchangeddramaticallysince1947.Residents of Puerto Rico are still not allowed to voteinthepresidentialelection,whichisan issue seeing as the U.S has tremendous authorityoverPuertoRico.BecauseofPuerto Rico’s limited political rights, there is fierce internal debate as to whether it is in Puerto Rico’s best interest to declare statehood. Because Puerto Rico’s interactions with the U.S affect the everyday lives of HM Review December 2008

F. Bucher

The Puerto Rican Day Parade in 2004. Puerto Ricans enormously, party alliances within Puerto Rico depend upon the issue of whether Puerto Rico should remain a commonwealth, declare statehood, or declareindependence.Amajorityofvotes cast in 2004’s election were in favor of the

“

the U.S. Senate. Although Puerto Ricans are continuously willing to work out flexibletermstorefinetheirpoliticalstatus,the U.Sgovernmentisquicktodismissreasonable proposals to incorporate Puerto Rico as a more integral part of the U.S or, alter-

Perceived exploitation of Puerto Rico by the United States leads to a popular antiAmerican view.

New Progressive Party (NPP), which favors statehood. The NPP currently holds supermajorities in the Puerto Rico House of Representatives and Senate. Additionally, the NPP holds 42 of 78 mayoral seats. Because the NPP dominates the Puerto Rican government bodies, it appears that Puerto Rico is largely desirous of becoming a part of the United States of America. In fact, in 1998, HR 856 (The Young Bill), which was described as“a bill providing a processforPuertoRicoself-determination leadingtofullself-governmentthrougheither separate sovereignty(independence or free association) or statehood,”was proposedbytwoavidmembersoftheNPPand pushedbyaRepublicancongressmanfrom Alaska, but it failed to even reach a vote in December 2008 HM Review

”

natively, to allow them the opportunity to eliminate all ties with their parent country. In an interview with Carlos Javier Alonso, a Horace Mann parent and ColumbiaUniversityprofessor,Alonsoexplained hisexperienceasanimmigranttotheUnited StatesfromPuertoRico.Inexplainingwhat his life was like in Puerto Rico and how he benefited in coming to the United States, Mr. Alonso described the perspective of a nativePuertoRican.Headamantlybelieves thatPuertoRicansshouldbeabletovotein presidentialelectionsbecauseofthedirect effect the U.S President has on the island as its head of state. When asked how citizensinsideandoutsideoftheUnitedStates perceived Puerto Ricans, he said: “most people living in the United States have no

clearunderstandingoftherelationshipbetweentheU.SandPuertoRico,”andthatthe samecanbesaidaboutpeopleoutsidethe U.S. However, with the exception of a couple of isolated incidents, he praised the U.S governmentbecause“ithaspromotedpolicies and programs that have improved immenselythestandardoflivingontheisland.” According to Mr. Alonso, The U.S governmentgenerallyactsinPuertoRico’s best interests, yet there is a certain tension andfrustrationonthepartofPuertoRicans relatingtotheirrelationshipwiththeUnited States.There is also a lack of respect felt because most U.S citizens living in the mainlandareunawareofbasicfactsaboutPuerto Rico.AlthoughtheU.Sgovernmenthastoan extentsucceededinthedemocraticprocess ofimplementingeffectivepoliciesinPuerto Rico, it has failed to really integrate Puerto Rico into our political and popular culture. Perhaps because of their frustration withthepoliticalstatusasacommonwealth, many Puerto Ricans have succumbed to anti-Americanism. Anti-Americanism is definedasbeing“opposed or hostile to the UnitedStatesofAmerica,itspeople,itsprinciples,oritspolicies.AlthoughmostPuerto Ricans embrace their free association with the United States, Anti-Americanism does existamongislandersofallpoliticalparties becauseoftheUnitedStates’blatantexploitationoftheisland.Forexample,itseemsillogicalthatwhilePuertoRicoisneitherrepresentedintheU.S.CongressnorcanPuerto Ricans vote for the president of the United States,residentsofPuertoRicoarestillsubject to a draft should it occur. The U.S military controls over 70 percent of the Puerto RicanislandVieques.Ifthemilitarywantsto usethepartoftheislandtheycontrolforany kind of testing, such as bombing practice, it can do so because under U.S law Puerto Ricanshavenoguaranteedrightsprotecting them from U.S. action. Therefore, the only option Puerto Ricans have is to appeal to countriesoverseasthroughprotest.Because, inthisparticularcase,thevoiceofagroupof people abiding by U.S law is not heard, the U.Sgovernmentfailstofollowthedemocraticprocessonwhichtheypridethemselves. The U.S government is not a perfect politicalbody,buttotrulybeamoreperfect unionourcountryshouldrememberthelessons of our own Revolution. Our country was founded on the sacrosanct principle offreedom,equality,andrepresentation.It is wrong to ignore Puerto Rico’s desire to fullyparticipateinthedemocraticprocess.

4 kptyson

North Korea The counterpart of the Republic of Korea has distanced and shut itself off from the world.

17: Trans Fats 19: Fat Transit

North Korean

Eric Lafforgue

While South Korea thrives in the international spotlight and makes significant progress in technology, its communist counterpart North Korea lags behind. How North Korean teaching of anti-Americansim inhibits cooperation within the International Community

HM Review December 2008

By Greg Barancik

Sentiment

December 2008 HM Review

eople’s freedom and rights are being violated by the U.S. imperialists.”This is the kindofstatementonewouldexpecttosee on a radical website or a sign carried by a protester at an anti-American demonstration. Sadly, this is a quote from the government-run newspaper of North Korea from September 18, 2008. It is ironic that the country with the fourth largest military on the globe, a military organization that is disproportionately large for the size of the country, would feel the need to propagandize against the United States. While theNorthKoreangovernmentisunderstoodtobeinopposition to America, the political rhetoric of anti-Americanism plays a particularly large role in the day-today life of the North Korean people. North Korea has been callingtheUnitedStatesnamessuchas“imperialistwarmongers”and“heinous”people on an almost daily basis for the past ten years. The North Koreans detest us as a people because we represent everything that they are not and until North Korea stops consciously rejecting usrelationsbetweenourtwocountrieswillnotimprove. North Korea has historically practiced a policy of isolationism, yet it seems that North Korea hates the UnitedStatesmorethananyothercountryontheglobe. Perhaps it is because the United States stands for, and is, everythingthatNorthKoreaaspirestobe—prosperous, free and strong; yet North Korea rejects as the result of capitalisticevilallthemeansbywhichacountryachieves realandenduringprosperity,freedom,andstrength.The North Koreans accuse us of“cultural poisoning”, and we doseektospreadouridealsbuttheNorthKoreanhatred ofAmericaexistedlongbeforeweinvadedIraq.America morethananyothercountryhasachievedeverythingthat theNorthKoreanswantbutdon’thave.Wehaveapowerfuleconomy,well-regardedstandingintheinternational community, and a successful people. We have achieved this through adherence to the principles of economic freedom,individualrightsandparticipatorydemocracy. North Korea, on the on other hand, practices a soulcrushingformofrepression. Ourpeopleareourgreatest resource. In North Korea, people are not free to succeed. The division of the Korean peninsula into two separateentitiesoccurredaftertheJapanesesurrenderin WWII.Beforetheseparation,theentirepeninsulawasunderJapanesecontrol.ControlofwhatisnowNorthKorea wasgiventotheSovietUnionwhilecontrolofwhatisnow South Korea was given to the United States. Hopes for a unified Korea disappeared when Cold War politics led tothedevelopmentoftwoentirelyseparatenationswith antitheticalphilosophies.Theresultingtensionbetween the two nations culminated in the KoreanWar when the North invaded the South. To this day, there is a demilitarized zone between North and South Korea. After the UnitedStatesdefendedSouthKorea,NorthKorealargely blamed the United States for turning the South Korean peopleagainstNorthKoreanidealsandthusblamesthe 6

United States for the failure of their ally free to vote. North Korea may accom- icans more so than other countries and war. This has led North Korea to consis- plishimprovingchangesthroughcoopera- spend so much energy on hatred that they tently attack the United States at every tion. One of the best examples of this type are not able to prosper. Because the North turn and reject everything that the United ofchangeisLibya.In1988and1989,Libyan Korean leadership perverts its people by States has to offer. Even in 2008 while intelligenceofficersbombedPanAmflights teaching them to reject Americans and all America gave over $100 million dollars of withAmericancitizens.In2003,inwhatwas of our ideas, it has become impossible for aid to North Korea, North Korea contin- regarded by the BBC as“Washington’s Lib- theNorthKoreanstoacknowledgethat,deued to assert that America was an evil na- yanfairytale”,Libyarenounceditsdevelop- spite our flaws, America and the American tion.FreedomwithintheUnitedStateshas mentweaponsofmassdestructionprogram system have experienced success. North allowed the U.S. to grow in ways that can and paid almost 3 billion dollars in repara- Korea remains a backwards and destitute only be imagined in North Korea and so tions to victims of the plane bombings. nation which desperately longs for the our growth is attacked as the result of un- UK Prime Minister Tony Blair “hailed” the modern comforts it purports to despise. ethical actions against the Korean people. new Libyan relations and Libya’s progress NorthKoreaalsomakesAmericathe Onthecontrary,asanation,theUnit- towards reintegration in the international scapegoat for all of their problems. When ed States has a higher GDP than any other community.LibyagainedaseatontheSecu- the North Koreans are preoccupied with country. According to theWorld Bank, our rityCouncilthispastJanuary.Condoleezza hating America, nobody has the time or inGDP is over 6,000 times terest to look inwards at higherthanNorthKorea’s. North Korea’s severe inWe are one of only five naternalissues.NorthKorea tions with veto status in hasjustremovedtheseals the UN Security Council onitsnuclearenrichment andweareoneofonlyfive facilities and blames the nationspermittedtohave United States for the failnuclear weapons under ure of nuclear talks. They the Nuclear Non-Prolifsaythattheymustpursue eration Treaty (NPT). In anuclearfuturebecauseof comparison,NorthKorea the United States’refusal has suffered from severe to remove North Korea famineandUNsanctions. from the list of states that North Korean statistics sponsor terrorism. Sadly, putthenumberoffamine this is just an excuse. If related deaths between North Korea was serious 1995and1998at220,000, about normalizing relabut some estimates go tions with the United as high as 2 million. States and the rest of the The United States internationalcommunity, asserted that North Ko- Marcala their first action would rea violated the NPT in betostopnuclearenrichPropaganda: Anti-American propaganda is published in 1993 after aerial photos mentandtostopthespew North Korean newspapers, journals, and textbooks, creating prompted the U.S. to reofanti-Americanismemaquest an investigation deep-rooted anti-Americanism in the North Korean people. nating from the country. into a North Korean faNorth Korea hates cility. After this request, Americans because it is North Korea promptly withdrew from the Rice even went so far as to say that Libya easier to hate us than to envy us, easier to NPT. As talks failed, relations began to de- should serve as a model for North Korea. blameusthantolookinsideitself. Ourcounteriorate further. As the United States ac- Unfortunately, the North Korean leader- tryrepresentseverythingthatNorthKorea cused North Korea of developing nuclear shiprefusestocooperatewiththerestofthe wants but cannot have.When North Korea weapons(whichtheyeventuallydid),North internationalcommunity,choosingtosee is ready to put the past behind it and when Korea in turn accused the United States of onlyinsultwhentherestoftheworldwants North Korea is willing to admit that the being imperialistic violators of freedom. verificationthatNorthKoreahasrenounced UnitedStatesasapowerisnotevil,thenrelaOur culture has spread throughout itsnuclearprogram.Libyastandsaparagon, tionscanimprovebetweenthetwonations. the world not because we are imperialistic epitomizingthebeneficialprogressthatcan Untilthen,everythingwillremainthesame. butbecauseourideasandidealsofpersonal be made by a fledgling nation if it willingly freedom,individualism,andpoliticalpartic- accepts fellow nations. If North Korea folipation are so enticing. The North Korean lowedLibya’sexample,relationswouldmost leadershipfearsthattheywillbeforcedfrom likely improve between the two nations. power if the North Korean people were reNorthKoreansopenlyopposeAmer7

HM Review December 2008

The Aftermath

China has now successfully hosted the Beijing Olympics; the world is waiting anxiously to see how the country develops By Andrew Demas

confidence of the Chinese people. In the minds of the Chinese, theysymbolicallyendedtheirìcenturyofhumiliationîthatsawthe heOlympictorchcontinuestoburnbrightlyforChina countryweakenedbyforeignintervention. Duetotheenormous intheaftermathofthetwenty-ninthsummerGames televisioncoverage,theCommunistPartywasgiventremendousexin Beijing.The 2008 games promoted national and posure,withanastounding840millionpeopleviewingthegames. internationalexcitement,cementingChina’simageas It was a stunning public relations victory for the Communist govarisingeconomicandpoliticalentity.Perhapsoneof ernment, strengthening its international image immensely. T he themosttellingimageswasthatoftheopeningceremonies,during Chinese government understood the necessity of recreating its whichthousandsofperformersdemonstratedthedazzlingpower totalitarian political image; thus the Games became an imporandorderlinessofthenation,throughoutawidevarietyofpresenta- tant political priority in China (hence the $43 billion program). TheChinesehopetomaintainthemomentumthatwascreattions.Theseperformersportrayedanationofstrength,concentraed by the successoftheGames. Oneoftheshort-termbenefitsisthe tion,andreadiness. Asthegamesprogressed,theathletesofChina increase in tourism.Approximately4.5milliontouristsareexpected alsoprovedthattheywereaforcetobereckonedwith.Finishingwith in Beijing this year,undoubtedlybolsteringtheeconomy. Infact,the a staggering record of 51 gold medals, a total medal count of 100, andanincreaseof37medalsfromtheAthensOlympicsin2004,the president of the Beijing Olympic Economy Research Association messageoftheChinesewasevident:winningwastheonlyoption. projects that there will be a combined increase in earnings of $4.9 Visitorswerenotablyimpressedbythehospitalityandefficiencyof billionduetotourism. Itremainstobeseenwhetherthetriumphof the citizens of Beijing, as well as the rich, ancient Chinese culture. the Olympics is enough to increase the confidence of the Chinese JimYardley of the NewYorkTimes states that the Olympics were“a peopletoinstigatefurtherreformsofthecurrentcommunistpolitibridgebetweenChinaandtherestoftheworld.îPoliticsaside,China cal system. The world is waiting anxiously for signs of whether the wasabletouniteunderoneflag;butafterthetremendousinterna- Chinesegovernmentwilltakeadvantageoftheirnew,progressive tionalprogressrealizedduringthesegames,whatisnextforChina? imageincreatingatrulycapitalist,moderngovernment,orwhether The sense of nationalism during the Beijing Olympics was theywillreturntoanindustrialist,totalitariangovernment.Wemust heightened as the Chinese population became more confident therefore presume that it is vital to the safety of the already shaky in itself and its position in the world. For many, it allowed them U.S. financial system that China develops as a capitalist country. to progress past the grievances that occurred earlier in the year, particularly theTibetan crisis and the devastating earthquake in the Sichuan province. The country projected its extraordinary strength and the potency of the centralized power of Chinaís authoritarian system. This totalitarian system facilitated Chinaís ability to host such elaborate games and thrive in athletics and the Opening Ceremonies. In preparation for the Olympics, the government financed a $43 billion development program in Beijing, used for the creation of new athletic stadiums, beautification of the city, control of pollution problems, and in preparation for the influx of millions of tourists. These Olympics propelled both economic and infrastructural developments within China. TheOlympicshaveonlybolsteredtheeconomicchangesthat began thirty years ago in China. Hung Huang, a media executive in Beijing stated that the Chinese ìdonít have a culture that is prochange.China,bynaturehasgottobeprovokedtomakechanges. The economic reforms came about because [China] was desperately poor.îThese changes have stimulated Chinaís growing economicstatus.Since2001,per-capitaincomehasdoubledandthe population has become increasingly urbanized. As a result, it has beguntoinitiatedemandsforbetterservicefromthegovernment. A Close Watch: A Chinese soldier, the definitive Although there might not have been dramatic political changesintheaftermathoftheOlympics,theGamesrenewedthe image of the Chinese regime, stands guard over the

thenma.org

Beijing Olympic facilities.

December 2008 HM Review

Going Out Of

By Deependra Mookim

esilience throughout the history of the United States has kept us on top of the world as a global superpower.TheU.S.hasrecoveredfrom 32recessionssincethemid-1850’s, according to the National Bureau of Economic Research.Wars,terroristattacks,naturaldisasters, assassinations,andnumerousotherobstacleshave testedtheresilienceofthisnationanditseconomy. Thecurrenttestonhand,however,isunprecedented inbothitsscopeandsingularity.TheUnitedStates, oncetheunanimousleadingglobalcompetitor,is losinggroundquickly.America’sglobalinfluenceis undercriticismasothereconomiessurpasstheU.S. ingrowth.Americamustinvestmoretimeandmoneyintechnologicaldevelopmentinordertocompetewithcountrieswithgreatersheermanpower. With globalization on the rise, America is having trouble keeping up with emerging competitors such as China, India, and Russia. The U.S. doesn’thavethemanpowerorgovernmentstructure to maintain its ranks as a manufacturer. Also, Americaislosingitscompetitiveedgeinspecialized andadvancedindustries.WiththeU.S.indeclineas aneconomicsuperpower,othergrowingcountries arequestioningwhytheU.S.ispositioningitselfasif itwerestilltheworld’s“babysitter.”Angeredbythe UnitedStates’continuedinterventionsinforeignaffairs,manynationshavesimplyignoredU.S.pressure andhavestoppedlisteningtoAmerica’spleas.The onlywaytoreclaimourglobalimageistoeffectively

compete,asamanufacturerandaninnovator,with theeconomicallyadvancingnationsoftheworld. A recent survey shows that the global image of the U.S., even in the eyes of America’s traditional allies, has severely tarnished in recent years. In this survey, Muslim countries were the least favorable to the United States. One of the lowest non-Muslim countries was China, which was only 34% favorable to the United States. StudiesbyGlobalInsightpredictthattheU.S. will lose its long-standing rank as the world’s largestmanufacturertoChinanextyear-muchsooner thanpreviousestimatespredictingtheyear2013. GDP, which stands for Gross Domestic Product, has been a global measure for overall growth in the size of an economy. GDP is essentially an assessmentofoutputcomparedtopreviousquarters. Output is defined by all the goods and services produced in a country. To summarize, GDP is the growthinproductionofgoodsandservices.Over the years, GDP has been a good indicator of, not onlyaneconomy’sgrowth,butalsowhetherornot government policies are working. Chinese GDP was10.1%inthesecondquarterof2008,whilethe U.S. grew 1.9%. Although economic growth usuallyindicatesmorejobs,thenumberofemployed peoplemanufacturinggoodsisonanoverallslowdownonaglobalscale,sinceincreasedproductivity andimprovedtechnologyhavecausedadecreasein theworkersrequiredtoproduceagood.Although U.S. exports have been increasing, the fact that other countries are outpacing the U.S. in growth isonereasonAmericaisdecliningasaneconomic HM Review December 2008

9 ScienceSisters

Carmen M. Reinhart

Business

What the US can do to combat the recent economic recession and why it is not as bad at second glance.

Others Suffer: Economic recession is not unique to America. Countries throughout the world have experienced recessions in the past and are suffering economic losses in the present.

Dan Berger

Biggest Fear: Many worry about Americaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s economic standing in the international community. While China has significantly more manpower, a dip in the US economy will ripple to China as well, leaving many of its 1.3 billion people without jobs.

December 2008 HM Review

power.The reality that the United States is losing its ranks as a top manufacturer is not theonlyconcernchallengingoureconomic prowess.The chilling fact is that China and other emerging countries are able to keep their people employed, even during the long-termdeclineinemploymentthrough manufacturing,byenteringindustriesthat the United States previously dominated. Throughout modern history, the field of technology, in a broad sense, has been led by America. The United Statesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; priorities, however, seem to be changing with much less attention on what has allowed our economy to stay on top over the years. Although the decline of the U.S. as a manufacturer is troubling, our inabilitytooutcompetewithgrowingnationson a technological field could have the most detrimental consequences on the U.S. as a superpower. The decrease in federal support for academic research is a key reason why America is falling behind, and it could also be the reason America stays behind in the future. The American Association for the Advancement of Science reports, â&#x20AC;&#x153;[F]ederal support of R&D [research and development]atcollegesanduniversities flattened out in FY [fiscal year] 2005 and then failed to keep pace with inflation in 2006 and 2007, resulting in real declines

Not So Bad: The New York Times published a series of charts in an effort to show the public the magnitude of the most recent recession. The cumulative percentage of jobs lost by recessions (show in the chart to the left) pales in comparison to the percentage lost in previous economic downturns. Narional Bureau of Economic Research

for federal support of university R&D for two years in a row in 2006 and 2007.” Federal support is America’s largest source of funding for scientific research, and while otheradvancingnationsarecapitalizingon the scientific minds of their nation, the U.S. isunabletoevensufficientlyfundresearch. MarkWrighton,ChancellorofWashington University in St. Louis, states,“We’re seeing reallytalentedscientistslosetheirgrants,not becausetheydon’thavestrongproposals, butbecausethegrantmoneyisn’tthere.To sayit’sdemoralizingisanunderstatement.” Increasedsupportforscientificresearchin foreign countries makes the decline of the U.S. as an innovator even steeper. Chris PenttilaofEntrepeneurMagazinereports, “The Chinese government is busy providing an emerging sector of privately operated Chinese companies with R&D grants, favorablebankcreditandotherincentives. Chineseuniversities,meanwhile,areeducatingdesignerswhoyearntocreatetheirown intellectualpropertyinsteadofregurgitating thespecsforeigncompaniesgivethem.”The lack of U.S. funding for the things that keep superpowersontopisevidencethatinternal problemswithgovernmentpolicies,inadditiontotherapidlygrowingeconomiesof othernations,arecontributingtothedecline of America as an economic superpower. WiththeU.S.havingtroublekeeping up as producer and an innovator, seismic shiftsintheglobalstruggleforpowerarelikelytooccur.Insteadofrisingtothechallenge as a global competitor, America is merely tryingtomaintainforeignpoliciesasifitstill 11

hasitspreviously-standingrankoverother countries. With the U.S. defying the traditionalsystemofglobaleconomicmeritocracy,othercountriesareclearlygoingtothink negatively of America. Governments and citizens of other countries do not see a reasonwhytheU.S.shouldstillbeabletointerferewiththeirmattersandkeepitsinfluence whenitdoesnothavetheeconomicdistinctionitoncehad.RecentevidenceofAmerica’sfadinginfluenceanddeterioratingglobal viewispresentinthestrugglebetweenRussia and Georgia. America’s serious pleas to haltfurtherRussianattacksonGeorgiawere essentiallyignoredbytheRussiangovernment. As America’s influence on the world decreases, foreign influence and control of America is increasing. The U.S. DepartmentofTreasuryreports,JapanandChina, collectively,nowhave$1,112,100,000,000 (over a trillion dollars) out of the total $2,676,400,000,000(overtwoandahalftrillion dollars) in foreign holdings of treasury securities,whicharebasicallyfederaldebt. 48%ofallthemoneyallocatedtomilitary spending in the world is spent by the U.S. Our 711 billion dollars, however, has notbeenabletocounterterrorismaseffectivelyaswehadhoped.Thechancesofpulling out of Iraq are increasing as economic struggles at home increase. Our decline as a superpower has far-reaching impacts on America; one of which is our ability to win thiswar.Fundamentalproblemsinthecredit andhousingmarketsprovideglobalcompetitorsanevenbetteropportunitytoriseinthe ranks of power, innovation, and influence.

Although our recent economic declinehasbeensevere,therearestillchanges America can make to regain its global image.Amorebalancedapproachonhowthe U.S.maintainsitsinternationalcontroland still satisfies its allies is necessary to mend foreign views of America. The U.S. should also put more focus on setting right domesticproblemsandfaultsingovernment policies. More investment in research and theproductionofnewenergysourcesarea meansoflooseningourdependenceonoil and foreign countries- many of which are hostile to the U.S. American individuals must manage their personal finance more effectively and with lower risk. Less corporateleveragingandmoreregulationsin certain markets could have stopped, or at leastminimized,America’srecenteconomic collapse. Instead of shrinking away from emergingcountries,Americanindividuals, corporations,andgovernmententitiesmust actively participate in international competition in order to prove themselves as a partoftheworld’sleadingeconomicsuperpower. International views of America will only change if we prove that our economic strengthsestablishthemeritneededtoexert substantial influence on foreign affairs.

HM Review December 2008

Crisis State:

the right to declare a state of emergency and dismiss the Prime Minister, but the emergencystatecanonlylastamonth.To extend it further would require the support of the (Hamas-dominated) Legislative Council, which also puts limits on thePresident’semergencypowers. Fatah also carried out a takeover in the West Bank similar to the one in Gaza, forcing Hamas out. In effect, Abbas carried out a coupd’etatbythegovernmentagainstthe the Islamic holy city of Mecca and reached government,seizingpowerasanautocrat. By Sam Bauman a ceasefire.This was not to be of much help, Thisinstabilitytotallyunderminesthe n January of 2006, in Palestine’s though; in May fighting broke out again, frameworkofthePalestiniangovernment. first free election, the Islamist with over 50 killed in less than 20 days. Palestine has become a regionally divided groupHamaswonasurprisevic- On June 10, the conflict resurfaced. It be- state,withHamasexertingcontroloverthe tory over Fatah, the main party ganwhenHamasmilitantscapturedseveral GazaStripandFatahdoingthesameforthe in the Palestine Liberation Or- wFatahmembersandthrewoneofthemoff West Bank, and both parties unwilling to ganization. Until then, Fatah had been the the tallest building in Gaza. Fatah retali- tolerate the other. On November 12, 2007 governingpartyinthePalestinianAuthor- atedbykillingtheimamofthecity’slargest ademonstrationwasorganizedbyFatahin ity, Palestine’s national government. Mas- mosque, and opening fire on the house of Gaza City in memory of Fatah leaderYasser siveviolenceeruptedasPalestinianslooted the Prime Minister. Over the next five days, Arafat. It was to have over 200,000 people, makingitthelargestFatahdemFatah’s official buildings and onstrationsincetheHamastakebothsecurityforcesengagedin over. The demonstration was battle. Three periods of fightforcibly dispersed by Hamas ingensued,endingwithHamas’ gunmen, who killed at least six takeover by force of the Gaza demonstrators. Bothsideshave Strip, a region along the Medicommittedotheractsofviolence. terranean. In response, Fatah The Palestinian government, president Mahmoud Abbas even if it refuses to admit this seized power in the West Bank, truth,hasacivilwaronitshands. Palestine west of the Jordan Palestine is crippled unRiver, declared a state of emertil this conflict is resolved. Ingency, and formally dissolved ternal rottenness and fighting the Palestinian government. Sporadic violence has erupted Civil War: Fatah and Hamas engage in a destructive will destroy an establishment just as soon as an invasion. If in theWest Bank and Gaza since war, destroying each other and the Palestinian state. Palestine and Israel have their then,andneitherpartyhasmade own best interests at heart, headwaytowardrestoringproper Hamas carried out a violent takeover of the both of them should work towards reunitgovernment,althoughbothhaveagreedto stop arresting each other’s leaders. If the GazaStrip,forcingFatahoutandestablish- ingandlegitimizingthePalestiniangovernPalestiniangovernmentistornapartinthis ing what it claims is the legitimate government,asnothingatallcanbedonetowards manner, Palestinians cannot expect Israel mentofthePalestinianNationalAuthority. a two-state solution until then. Neither Shortlyaftertheseevents,onJune14, government,atthemoment,isabletoproto treat the government as one worth ne2007, President MahmoudAbbasdissolved vide basic services to its people, such as gotiating with. There can be no progress the current government anddeclaredastate water, welfare, guarantee of law, or meditowardpeacebetweenPalestineandIsrael of emergency. He dismissed thePrimeMin- cal care, during a time of extreme poverty. untilPalestinehasafunctionalgovernment. On December 15, 2006, Fatah secu- ister,proclaiminginsteadthathewouldrule rity forces opened fire on a Hamas rally in theWest Bank by Presidential Decree. One Ramallah. Itisspeculatedthattheshooting Hamasspokesmanrespondedbyasserting was a retaliation to Hamas’accusation that that the President’s decision was“in practiFatah was behind an attempt on the life of cal terms…worthless…[the Prime Ministhe Palestinian Prime Minister. At least 20 ter]remainstheheadofgovernmentevenif peoplewerewoundedandfightingcontin- it was dissolved by the President.” Nathan ued through January of 2007. In February Brown of the Carnegie Institution for Inofthatyear,Palestinianpartyleadersmetin ternational Peace declared that Abbas has

As Palestine withers, Fatah and Hamas must come together to unify the country.

December 2008 HM Review

American’s Evolving Perception How The War On Terror Has Changed American’s View of America. By Samuel Torres hat is the War on Terror? It is a phrase that theBushadministration started using after the September11attacksto refer to the United States’ war in Afghani-

mentalityhasledmanypeopletobelievethat the War on Terror includes other actions taken by the US, like wire tapping, torture at Abu Ghraib, a prison in which America keptitswarprisoners,andperhapsevenarrests at peaceful protests in NewYork, Minneapolis/St. Paul, and elsewhere in the US. A review of polls taken since the war

respondents felt that the loss of respect is a major problem for the U.S. ”In 2004, more Americans felt that the US had “not done enoughtoprotectthecountycomparedto thenumberofAmericanswhothoughtthe governmenthadgonetoofarinrestricting civilliberties”inordertomakepeoplesafer. Two years later, in September 2006,

stanagainsttheTalibanandAlQaedainfall 2001. By March 2003, President Bush used the term in a radio address to describe importantdevelopmentsthatwerehappening on “two fronts on our war against terror.” Oneofthesewasthecaptureofa9/11mastermindbyAmericanandPakistanisoldiers. TheotherimportantfrontwasaUnitedNationsresolutionorderingSaddamHussein to disarm Iraq.These meanings imply that the “war on terror” or “war against terror” applies to the disarming of Iraq in addition to the war in Afghanistan. However, it seems that because the US is in occupying twocountriesthegovernmentfeelsitcando what it wants as long as they can tie it in the wars.This“we’ll do what we feel necessary”

in Iraq began in March 2003 shows that increasing numbers of Americans are displeased with the direction that their country is taking. The broadness of this question allowed for people to express how they feel about the US without having to pick specific issues. Problems that would haveconcernedpeoplearoundthetimeof this poll were the start of the war on Iraq, the number of employed Americans was rising, and the economy was unstable. In a poll published on August 18, 2004, 67% of all respondents said that the “US is less respected by other countries than in the pastNearly87%ofthosewhothinkthewar was the wrong decision say the U.S. is less respectedinternationally,andmanyofthese

an analysis of a New York Times/CBS poll showedthat39%ofAmericansfeltlesssafe compared to five years ago (2001). The analysisalsostates“byafour-to-onemargin (48percentto12percent)Americansthink thewarinIraqhasmadethethreatofterrorism against the United States worse rather than better.” When this was conducted, 21% of people thought that the terrorists werewinning.In2008,anIpsos/McClatchy poll found that that Americans are close to evenly divided on whether the US can win the war on terror. 46% felt the US was winningthewaronterrorand54%saidthatthe US was not winning it. The poll noted that youngpeople,peoplewithcollegedegrees, and people in the Northeast were most

HM Review December 2008

likely to feel that the US is not winning the waronterror.Itisinterestingthattheresults are so close because of the many different aspects of the war on terror. One person could believe that the US is losing in Iraq butthatwearealsowinninginAfghanistan. This shows that though the war on terror is addressedallthetime,whatpeoplethinkit meansvariesfromregiontoregion.Northerners may be more inclined to think that the US is losing the war on terror because eventhoughitwasalongtimeago,thesplit inopinionsthecivilwarandantebellumperiod created still holds. Most of the Americans in the south are republicans, and feel thattobepatriotic,theymustbeoptimistic aboutwarstheircountryisinvolvedin,and also that they must feel the same way their partyfeels.Sincetherepublicanshavebeen inpowerforthelasteightyearsandtheyare responsibleforthewar,theywouldnotwant to say they are losing the war.The opposite holds true for the north, where most of the voters are democrats. Had the democrats been in power for the last eight years, they

cause it shows what the candidate would dowiththecountryshouldtheybeelected. At the beginning of his campaign, McCain saidhewouldkeepsoldiersinIraqforavery long time. At the same time, Obama would like to see a timeline and controlled withdrawaloftroopsfromIraq.Thesedecisions andotherconcerningUSsecuritycouldbe decided points for families with children fightingabroad,andmanyotherswhofeel that the soldiers should be brought back.

Eric Lafforgue

mighthavedecidedondifferentmethodsof persuasionthanwar,andiftheydidchoose war, they would not want to say they were losingeither.Alotdependsonwhichparty you belong to, and which party is in power. Atendofthefirstpresidentialdebate, McCainsaidthathethinks,â&#x20AC;&#x153;Americaissafer today thanitwason9/11.â&#x20AC;?Hefollowedthat withacommentabouthoweventhoughhe thinks we are safer, we still have a way to go beforeAmericaiscompletelysafe.Obama, however,thinksthatthoughwearesaferin someways,westillhavealongwaytogo.He bringsupissuessuchastransitsafety,ports, andmostimportantly,thethreatofnuclear missile being launched at the US.What the candidatessayaboutthewaronterrorand the safety of the country is important, beDecember 2008 HM Review

An Out dated System

When Islamic Law Dominates, Human Rights Suffer By Danielle Ellison

hat happens when religious beliefs control a legal system? In some countries governed by IslamicSharialaw,women can be killed for committing adultery whentheywereinfactraped,andthepenalty forstealingistheamputationofone’shand. This is understandably shocking for Americans not only because such treatment is “cruel and unusual punishment,” but also because one of the fundamental principlesoutlinedintheFirstAmendment of the U.S. Constitution is the “separation of church and state,”which keeps religion out of government and government out of religion. The separation of church and state doctrine not only allows the governmenttofunctionwithouttheintervention of religious law, but also leads to a country where religious liberty flourishes. However,theseideascouldnotbemoreforeign in many Islamic countries in Northern Africa and the Middle East, where religious views form the basis of the legal system. Although today Americans generallyconsidertheshapingoflawsbyreligious views to be unacceptable, it certainly has not been this way throughout most of history.UntiltheEnlightenmentandindustrial period in the western world, most governmentsdidcontainmanyaspectsofreligion intheirlegalsystems.Interestingly,theTen CommandmentsgiventotheancientIsraelites are believed to be the first historical exampleofasocietygoverningitselfbythe ruleoflaw,albeitreligiouslaw.LawsofJudaism, Christianity, and Islam stemmed from theseprinciplesandsuccessfullygoverned societiesforthousandsofyears.Further,untilmoderntimesmanygovernmentssuchas theEuropeanmonarchiesofthe12ththrough the 19th centuries had strong elements of religion integrated into their laws. However, by now most modern societies agree 15

Times Online

Sharia in Malaysia Malaysia is one of the number of countries whose citizens live under a parallel system of state and Sharia. that religion no longer should have such a prominent place in laws and government. Despite this, many Muslim countriesinNorthernAfricaandparticularlythe Middle East still maintain fervently strict religiouslawsasthebasisfortheirlegalsystems. Islamic Sharia law allows polygamy and the complete subjugation of women. The law severely limits human rights and oftenrequiresbarbaricpunishments.When religiouslawissoharshandcruelitmustbe agreed that there is no longer a place for it in modern, enlightened, civilized society. Islamic religious law, or Sharia law, dates back to the Muslim prophet Muhammad, and is based on the Qur’an, the most sacred religious text in Islam. It is not an exact set of laws, but more a system of thought regarding every aspect of life including human rights, politics, business, social issues, and family life. Sharia law was the official legal system in early Muslim communities. In addition, during the Islamic Golden Age governments using this system prospered, and in fact, Sharia law had some indirect influence over the development of modern legal systems such as English common law and even the constitutional law of the United States. However,duringthe19thcenturyasthewestern world moved through the Enlightenment and industrial revolutions and developed new political and social ideas, the Muslim world began to be increasingly pressured

andsometimesevenforcedtolimittheimpropercontrolofreligionovergovernment. Inmoderntimes,differentMuslim societiesallowvaryingdegreesofSharialaw intheirlegalsystems.Some countries with large Muslim populations such as Indonesia, Bangladesh, and Pakistan have constitutions and laws that are predominantly secular, with only a few Islamic principles maintainedregardingmarriageandfamily law. In fact, Turkey prides itself on a virtually secular system of government dating back to the formation of Modern Turkey after the fall of the Ottoman Empire. However,mostMuslimcountriesinNorthAfrica and particularly the Middle East maintain both secular and religious courts. In many Islamic nations including Jordan, Kuwait, Pakistan and Yemen, criminal law reflects traditionalIslamicpractice,butcourtsgenerallydonotmandatecruelcorporalpunishments.However,inmorereligiouslyfervent countries, Sharia strictly governs all areas of national law. Particularly in Saudi Arabia andIran,Islamiclawcompletelygovernsthe country; religious courts decide all cases, andrelentlessreligiouspoliceenforcesocial cvompliancetoallIslamiclaws.Shariacourts alsostrictlygovernAfghanistan, Libya, Sudan, and some states in northern Nigeria. There are many problems with Sharialawsgoverningcountriesinmodern times. One of the worst is the continued useofharshcorporalpunishments such as HM Review December 2008

amputation of hands for theft and stoning for adultery. This clearly violates the basic principle of prohibiting“cruel and unusual punishment”practicedintheUnitedStates and most modern civilized countries, as well as in international courts. These punishments are often administered without proper evidence, violating another bedrock American principle, “innocent until proven guilty.” Although there are many examplesofthesetypesofpunishmentsin ancienthistory,particularlyintheBible,the modern Western world, and in particular the European Court of Human Rights, has sincecondemnedthem,andtheytherefore havenoplaceinmoderncivilizedsocieties. AnotheroftheworstaspectsofSharia law is its discrimination and often directly hateful persecution of women. Sharia social and family law contains many rules thatexplicitlywithholdrightsfromMuslim women.Forexample,Shariamarriagelaws require that women gain permission of a guardianbeforemarriageandmaybemarried under age and without personal consent. Sharia divorce laws prevent women from divorcing even in the case of physical abuse or rape, and additionally women are not allowed to remarry without losing custody of their children. Sharia law often causes women to live at great political, economic, and social disadvantage, not to mention terrible fear. Another example of theunjusttreatmentofwomenisincasesof rape, when some interpretations of Sharia law require as many as four witnesses to testify for the women, without which she can be charged with fornication or adultery,bothofwhicharepunishablebydeath. Further,internationallyaccepted human rights practices are not followed in countriesgovernedbySharialaw.ManyIslamicleaderscriticizetheUniversalDeclarationofHumanRightspassedbytheUnited Nations after World War II expressing the international rights of all human beings. Iran claims that that this declaration was a secularversionofJudeo-Christiantradition, and therefore directly violates Islamic law. Inreaction,agrouprepresentingthemajor Islamic nations called the Organization of theIslamicConferenceadoptedadifferent human rights declaration, the Cairo Declaration on Human Rights in Islam stating that Sharia is the source of all human rights laws.Thisdeclarationisdramaticallydifferent and allows for intolerable discriminaDecember 2008 HM Review

tionagainstbothwomenandnon-Muslims. The attitude of Sharia law towards non-Muslims in these countries is also particularlyinterestingandproblematic.Technically, Sharia law is only supposed to be applied to Muslims; non-Muslims living in Islamic countries governed by Sharia law should be exempt from certain laws and particularly extreme punishments. However,thispracticeisoftennotfollowed,and non-Muslimsarefrequentlyforcedtoobey Islamic law that they do not believe in, and often cruelly punished when they do not. Additionally, there is a principle in Sharia law that states that the life of a non-Muslim isworthlessthanthelifeofaMuslim.Grant-

Finally, Sharia law expressly prohibits homosexuality. The reason for this is that Sharia law does not recognize sexual self-determinationasahumanright.Many countries such as Iran, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Yemen, Sudan, Nigeria, Somalia, and Mauritania allow the death penalty as a punishment for homosexual activities. Additionally, this intolerance andpersecutionofhomosexualswashighlighted by Iran’s president asserting in a fall 2007 appearance at Columbia University that there are no homosexuals in Iran. WhyisitpredominantlyIslamiccountriesthatfailtoseparatereligionandsecular laws?ThisisbecauseundertraditionalIslamWordPress

Stoning A woman accused of adultery is prepared for stoning in Afghanistan. ed,manypunishmentsunderSharialawdo not express a general value for life, but this statementexplainsmuchoftheharshintolerancetowardsnon-Muslimsthatisexhibited in many stridently Islamic countries such as Iran and Saudi Arabia. The treatment of non-Muslims in thesecountriesrelatestotheissuewithSharialaw’ssharplylimitingoffreespeech.Sharia lawprohibitscriticismofMuhammadorany formofreligiousblasphemy.Insomecases, violationsofthislawareevenpunishableby death.This lack of freedom of speech is especiallydifficultforanynon-Muslimsliving inthesecountries,ascomplyingwithIslamic religious sentiments may actually force them to violate their own religious beliefs.

icinterpretation,“thereisnoseparationbetweenthesecularandthesacred.”Although many countries around the world do not maintainthecomplete“separationofchurch and state”that governs the United States, religiouslawsmustbeseriouslyquestioned when the rights and liberties of citizens are jeopardized or altogether eliminated.

Adliterate

Intellectual Fortress Sergey Brin, a self-made Russian immigrant, co-founded Google. The Googleplex, its corporate headquarters, is shown above.

Americaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hidden Crisis

By Dorin Azerad

Are immigrants taking American jobs? 17

s the economy turns to a state of confusion and the unemployment rate continues to rise,peopledesperatelysearch for a job to pay the bills. Thousands of job applications come pouring into businessesalloverthecountryandtheinevitablequestionofthesecircumstancesarisesonce again: Will I get the job? Due to thesev sorts ofsituations,animosityhascontinuedtogrow towards immigrants. The common misconception that immigrants take American jobs away fromâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;real Americansâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;seems even more

applicableinthisdayinage. However,therealityofthesituationisthatimmigrants,through their labor, open up more job opportunities. It is thought that immigrants entering the United States do not have the qualifications that an American worker has; while in reality25%ofthechiefexecutiveorleadtechnologist engineering and technology based companiesareinfactimmigrants. Due to this employment, 2,000 companies did not lose earnings but instead brought in a total of $52 million in sales from the 450,000. This increase in profit has lead to new job openings. In fact, the amounts of job openings would alloweveryimmigrantengineerintheUnited States to be hired with job openings to spare. One might think that the only businesseswhereimmigrantsareexecutivesarethe small, unknown companies. However, some oftheseimmigrantsruncorporationsarewell HM Review December 2008

known. Although typically in these situationtheseimmigrantscomewillinglytothe UnitedStatesinhopeofstartingsuchabusiness. According to Robert E. Litan and Vivek Wadhwa of“Forbes”Yahoo!, eBay, and Googlewereallstartedandareexecutively owned by immigrants. The co-founder of Yahoo!, Jerry Wang, was born in Taiwan and moved to the United States at the age oftenwithoutanyknowledgeoftheEnglish languageorAmericancultureexceptforthe word“shoe.”PierreOmidyar,aFrench-born entrepreneur,madehislivingasaco-founderofeBay. Finally,SergeyBrinisaself-made

CNet News

eBay’s Immigrant Entrepreneur

Pierre Omidyar, eBay’s founder and a French-born entrepreneur, speaks at the eBay’s Developer’s Conference. Russianimmigrantco-foundedGoogleInc. Then, why are the “real Americans” sosetonthe idea thatimmigrantsarehurting the job market for American citizens? It almost seems as if the “real Americans” shouldbethankingimmigrantsforexposing theselargecorporationstonewideasabout economics. After all, the basis of the UnitedStatesgovernmentcomesfrompeople in hope of immigrating to a new land for a better way of life. In addition, the“American Dream” is supported by the idea that people from other countries can come to theUnitedStatestoestablishaself-madelife as well as contribute to American culture. Therefore, if one is not a descendant from Native Americans, at one point or another, one’s ancestors immigrated to America. In a sense the whole notion of “real Americans” taking priority over the new immigrantsgoesagainstthe“AmericanDream”. The reason for the ill feelings toward immigrants is that it is always easy to single out the minority. Lately, minorities have December 2008 HM Review

beensingledoutduetocurrenteventsoften timesleavingthemdisgracedintheeyesof Americans. In 2004, House Representative Virgil Goode of Virginia declared that America needed“strict immigration policies”so that in the coming century we will nothavemoreMuslimsintheUnitedStates.

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States, then these people will go to other countries,leavingothercountriestogainthe benefitsoftheseentrepreneurialenterprises. Since the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, it has become overwhelmingly difficult for foreign students to obtain student visas. Due to this, other

[W]hy are the “real Americans” so set on the idea that immigrants are hurting the job market for American citizens?

Sincethen,Goodehasstatedthathewishes todecreaselegalimmigrationaswellasabolish the Diversity Immigrant Visas. He arguesthattheDiversityImmigrantVisaswill allowpeople“notfromEuropeancountries” or from“some terrorist states”to enter the UnitedStates. RepresentativeVirgilGoode isjustoneofthemanypoliticiansinfavorof keepingimmigrantsoutoftheUnitedStates. Consequently, it is important that politicians like Virgil Goode understand theadvancementsthatimmigrantsbring to the United States. Although, lawmakers may feel pressure from the American peopletonotwelcomemoreentrepreneurialimmigrantssothatAmericangraduates will have more job opportunities for them, itisimportantthattheselawmakersunderstandthefundamentaladvantageofthese skilled immigrants. If job-creating immigrants are not welcomed in the United

”

countries are welcoming in more skilled immigrants. In this day in age, almost 60% of the PhD’s and 40% of master’s degrees in technology related fields are awarded to foreign nationals. In regards to our long-term economic growth, this will be a hazard as a large percentage of our economy is reliant on the technology industry. The crucial task for the United Stateslawmakersisrealizingthattheycannotoverseethehighlytrainedimmigrants that wish to come to the United States legally because of the low-skilled illegal immigrants. By maintaining a strong innovation industry in America, lawmakers have the ability to support future growth in our economy as well as create more jobs. The American industries expansion will allow more wealth and prosperity for those who strongly identify with America.

CNet News

Yahoo! Entrepreneur Co-founder Jerry Yang of Yahoo!, born in Taiwan, cracks a smile after chatting with reporters at Georgetown University.

Global U.S.A. The Many Faces of the Nation throughout History

Wikispaces

By Will Manning

uringthecurrentPresidential administration, America’spopularityoverseashas declinedtoremarkablylow levels, which are about on numericalparwithAmericanapprovalofits leadership.Today,American’stravelingoverseasoftenfindthemselvesvictimstocultural scorn, fear, and opposition to American policies,eveninoncefriendlyplaces,suchas theUnitedKingdom.Americansconcerned aboutthistrendmayeithertakecomfortin the prospect of another election, or in the fact that U.S. popularity, if only on occasion,hascertainlybeenaslowasthecurrent level.ForeignviewsoftheU.S.havechanged

basedontheindustrialdevelopmentofthe worldinrelationtoAmerica’sdevelopment, improvedcommunication,andbecauseof beliefs in international justice and human rights.Humanpsychology,however,appears to dominate all individual factors affecting the international worldview of the U.S.

During Colonial Times AsafledglinggroupofEuropeancolonies, the 13 original British colonies were considered inferior outposts of their European overseers.Their British overlords ex-

pectedmanycolonists,suchasthoseofVirginia and Georgia, to come form the lower ranks of British society, including debtors, theunemployedandotherdesperateseekers offortune.TheNortheasterncolonieswere abodesforreligiousdissidents,andequally scorned by respectable British society for theirrefusaltoacceptAnglicanism.Though theFrenchhad,amongothernations,seen theEnglishcoloniesasacompetitivethreat totheircolonialprospects,theFrenchwere willingly supported the American War for Independence.Thoughthisunlikelypolitical alliance between a Colonial power and a fledgling republic came out of geopolitical convenience, many French aristocrats and intellectuals fancifully embraced the culture of the American colonies, adopting headwear a la Franklin, with beaver pelthatsandunusualhairstylesforwomen. The American Revolution was also a major inspiration for the French revolution.

During the Industrial Age Well into the beginning century of theAmericanRepublic,Europeanscontin-

Revolutionary America The most well-known events of colonial American history, the Revolutionary War defied precedent.

Sharia law The number of people under Sharia law filler filler filler filler text..

Architect of the Capital

HM Review December 2008

uedtodefineandanalyzethenationinways oftenexceedingAmerica’sself-analysis.The French sociologist, Alexis de Tocqueville, predictedtheoptimalsocialconditions,of a strong and associative middle class, under which the democratic system could thrive.Asiftoprovideexternallegitimacyto Americanexceptionalism,TocquevillehimselfdescribedAmericans’strangerefusalto defer to politicians of intellect exceeding that of the average voter. His book DemocracyinAmericahasbeenparaphrasedmore than the combined works of many men regarded as the political and philosophical founders of America, and while today’s campaigns may refer to the“dreams of the founding fathers,”they more often refer to TocquevillerealityoftheAmericansystem. The impact of the wars of mid to late 1800’s had great influence on foreign perception of the U.S. that seem to have le-

gitimized, over time, the existence of the U.S. as a power comparable to the European colonial powers. The Union victory in CivilWar left no doubt of the permanent political unity of the United States, and the enormous territorial growth of America addedtoitsimageasaconsiderablepower. The moral victory of the abolition of slavery removed a philosophical tarnish from Europeanromanticsandfurtherdistanced the U.S. from its colonial past.Though persecutionanddiscriminationagainstformer slavesthroughsegregationwouldcontinue todamageAmerica’soverseasreputation, Europeans contemporary to the end of Presidential Reconstruction (1863-1866) were probably sufficiently discriminatory themselvestoavoidfindinggreatfaultwith the evils of racial segregation.The Spanish American War demonstrated to Europe, thoroughitsdisplacementofSpanishinflu-

Flatrock

smintheus

December 2008 HM Review

Industry and War America’s industrial period brought about great change and economic growth, above. However, this growth would become a factor in the nation’s involvement in many wars in present times, left.

ence in the Philippines and in Cuba, that America could and would expand into the territory of former colonial powers on the mutually contradictory premises of imperialism and opposition to colonization. It is unlikelythatEuropeanimperialwouldbein apositiontocriticizemilitaryactionbyone Imperialpower,againstanother,agingone.

During Contemporary Times The United States, perhaps a victim ofitsownformergeopoliticalsuccess,now finds itself widely unpopular around the world. Having aroused world sympathy after the attacks of September 11, 2001, it hasinvadedthenationsofAfghanistanand Iraq , at great political expense, while serious threats such as Iran are ignored due to lack of political capital. The recent subprime mortgage and debt crisis, of Americanorigin,hascontinuedAmerica’sdecline in global prestige.The German Minister of Finance has described the U.S. as “losing its financial leadership,” now leading the way for massive global losses. He claimed, perhaps arrogantly, that the lack of transparency in the American financial system was“anAnglo-Saxondrive for double digit profits.”Thebankrunsandglobalrealestate declines,FinanceMinisterPeerSteinbrück says, will cause America to lose“its superpowerstatusintheworldfinancialsystem.” Havingexhausteditsglobalmonetaryand militaryinfluence,theUnitedStateswillbe facedwithincreasinglycomplicateddiplomaticchallengestosecureitsowninterests. Thenewopportunitiesthatcomewith the recognizable decline of U.S. influence areachancetofundamentallyreformAmerica’s relationship with its trading partners andallies.Itmaybeparticularlyhumiliating for the U.S. to submit its financial institutionstoasystemofinternationalregulation, potentiallywithahighlyspecializedinvestmentwatchdog.Hedgefundinvestments, for example, are subject to the indirect regulationbymultiplegovernmentbodies, and though there is currently one internationallytranscendentbody,itcanhardlybe consideredmorethanaregulatorysociety.

Turning the Tables Against Justice:

Inside The Lucasville Riot “When our own trusted justice system is hidden from the public eye, the justice system itself can be unjust. The “other side of law and orderthe side that we don’t see- can conceal the guilty and devastate the innocent.” Marcus Marshall

By Jacob Moscona-Skolnik

n April 12 1993, riots erupted in the high-security Lucasville prison in Ohio. Many of the tragic aftereffects of the uprising,though,werenotcausedbytheprisoners’riot, but by features of the authorities’ response. Since the controversial trials that followed the Lucasville prison riots, five men have languished on death row, and our justice system has proved itself capable of injustice. The story of this riot, 21

of the trial and of the five men on death row, shows that facets of our justice system that are invisible to the public can be unfairandbrutal.Innocentmenmaybeunfairlypunishedwhileguiltymenmaybeset free, all to preserve the image of authority. The Lucasville inmates rebelled in an effort to obtain a better quality of life in thejail. Prisonerswerebeatencruelly,and their racial and religious differences were notrespected.Therehadlongbeentension buildingbetweentheprisonauthoritiesand theinmates,butthetriggerfortheuprising waswhenMuslimprisoners,alongwithall

theotherprisoners,wereforcedtoaccepta tuberculosistestthatinvolvedaninjection. TheMuslimprisonersbelievedthattheinjectioncontainedphenol,aformofalcohol, not permitted in Islam. This small religtttion-based conflict evolved into a chaotic riotthatunitedalltheLucasvilleprisoners. Menfromdifferentviolentgangs,religions, racesandbackgroundswhohadpreviously been at war, demonstrated a remarkable unityacrossracialandreligiousboundaries. The first course of action taken by the authorities, instead of trying diplomacy, was to shut off water and electricity HM Review December 2008

in the prison. This caused anger, disorder anddangerwithintheL-Blockwing,which had been taken over and controlled by the inmates. The lives of the few guards who had been taken hostage in the L-Block at the start of the uprising were also put at stake by the inmates’anger and the living conditions. The authorities thus deprived the inmates of necessary resources for life and for maintaining order and sanity within the prison. Imagine the chaos, fear and stenchofhundredsofmenlivinginapitchdark room, without water. In their effort to force an end to the prisoners’rebellion, andtopreventthemfromexposingthebrutal treatment and poor living conditions in the prison, the authorities tried to stop the wholethingasquicklyaspossible,keeping theuprisinghiddenfromthemedia,evenif it meant torture. As long as these acts were hiddenfromthepress,theauthoritiesexercisedfreereignoverthehelplessprisoners, and made little or no effort to take humane andmoralstepstoaddressthehumanrights grievances.Whentheriotswerefinallyover, one guard and several inmates were dead Five inmates were put on trial for the murder of OfficerVanVallandingham, the guard who had been killed in the L-Block. Theprosecutionwaseagertoconvictthese particular five men, and to put them on trial, because they had seemed to be leaders in the revolt. The murder took place in awhirlwindofconfusionandchaos,abetted by the disorder and rage of men who were deprivedofwaterandlightandbannedfrom voicing any of their views to the public. Instead of working to find the real culprits in the killing, the prosecution chose the five men who had been the most outspoken, who had the most contact with the authorities during the uprising during failed attemptsatnegotiation,andthuswerethe most visible to the public.The prosecution thenframedthemento“prove”themguilty. The five men were not clearly linked to the murders of the officer, but they had been spotlighted by the media during sporadic efforts to document the uprising. If these five, who came to be known as the Lucasville 5, were proven guilty, it would create an impression that the authoritieshaddealtsquarely,convictingand punishing the real criminals. Image mattered, while morals and fairness did not. Prisoner KennethLawwasrecruited as a witness by the prosecution team. Law December 2008 HM Review

provedtobeatraitortohispeers, whoonlyrecentlyhascomeforward with the truth about his testimony. Law has now admittedthathewasthreatenedwith trial for murder, unless he testified for the state. When he told the prosecutor that the murderer was Anthony Lavelle, a “less prominent”prisoner who was not one of the five convicted, the prosecutor responded that Law’s“story would have to change,”and they gave him the names of the Lucasville 5. In court,then,Lawfalselytestified againsthispeers. Realizingthat Lavelle,likelythetruemurderer, would be an excellent witness because he would surely provide false testimony for his own sake, the prosecution brought him too forward as a witness, and told him there would be no criminal charges against him if he agreed to speak as instructed in court. The five men wereframed.Theevidencewas false. The two false testimonies arewhatputfivemen--Siddique Abdullah Hasan, Jason Robb, Namir Abdul Mateen, George W. Skatzes, and Keith LaMar -- on death row. In light of emerging evidence that thewitnesseshadliedandthatatleastsome of the evidence was false, the case should have been resurrected and retried. However, 15 years later, the Lucasville 5 are still on death row. While the media overlookedtheseevents,crimeswerecommitted against five men. The injustices of this story continue in large part because they werecommittedwhilenoonewaswatching. Fourteenmoreprisonershavecome forward since the time of the trial, saying thatthefivemenondeathrowarenotthose whokilledtheguard. Inaninterviewabout the case, Staughton Lynd, ACLU of Ohio Cooperating Counsel, said: “Mr. Hasan wasconvictedandsentencedlargelybased onevidencewhichnowhasbeenshownto be unreliable.” Lynd later stated that,“The deathpenaltyisahorriblepracticebutifthe state insists on imposing it, they should be sure that the person is guilty.”1. While substantialevidencesuggeststhatthefivemen areinnocent,thestaterefusestooverrulethe

Arcabaezzi

originalconvictions.Secrecyinthedealings ofthejusticesystemmakesitimpossibleto know that it is operating correctly and that decisions are just. If a person or group of people can be framed sentenced them to death,thequestionofthelegitimacyofthe death penalty takes on yet another layer of uncertainty. One key role of the media in such events is to provide authorities with an external motive to act correctly; they know their image is at risk. However, when transparencyislost,itbecomespossiblefor authorities to act unfairly and ruthlessly. Thepressiseverywherenow,andhidingfromthepubliceyehasbecomeharder and harder. Through the media, the public can evaluate many actions of politicians or the government. However, when the authoritiescanhidetheiractionsfromthemedia,astheydidsotragicallyintheLucasville prisonuprising,thesideofgovernmentthat people don’t see can be unfair and cruel. Whenourowntrustedjusticesystemishiddenfromthepubliceye,thejusticesystemitselfcanbeunjust.The“othersideoflawand order”- the side that we don’t see - can concealtheguiltyanddevastatetheinnocent. 22

Behind Closed Doors

The hidden inhumanities of the Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp By Zander Daniel

fter Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan began on October 7, 2001, the Bush administration devised a plan to hold suspected terrorists or “enemy combatants” at the Guantanamo Naval Base in Cuba. In April2002,theBushadministrationopened tention center on the Guantanamo Naval BaseinGuantanamoBaytohousesuspected enemycombatantsrecentlydetainedinAfghanistanandotherindividualsconsidered tobeathreat.ThePentagonandtheDepartmentofDefenseauthorizedinterrogatorsto use,accordingtoaPentagonofficial“militarilynecessary”formsoftortureondetainees. HowevertheUnitedStateshasdisregarded variousprovisionsofinternationallawpertainingtothetreatmentofprisonersofwar. Approximately775individuals(Asof September2,2008,accordingtotheDepartment of Defense) have been held at Guantanamo Bay since the Bush administration declared “the war on terror”in the Middle East in 2001 and again in 2003 with the Iraq War. Since it is very difficult for the DepartmentofDefensetopresentenoughevidence toconvictterroriststhroughtheU.S.justice system,theDepartmentofDefensehascontinuallytriedsuspectedterroriststhrougha

“

www.dailylife.com

Jailed One of the many protests against Guantanamo Bay. the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Salim AhmedHamdan,OsamabinLadin’sformer driver, stating the provisions of Common ArticleThreeappliedtosuspectedterrorists. TheThirdGenevaConventionisaninterna-

“Since it is very difficult for the Department of Defense to present enough evidence to convict terrorists through the U.S. justice system, the Department of Defense has continually tried suspected terrorists through a biased military court up until June 29, 2006. biasedmilitarycourtupuntilJune29,2006. ThisprejudicedjudicialsystemviolatesArticleThreeoftheGenevaConvention,which statesthatprisonersofwarshouldbegiven afairtrial.IntheHamdanvs.Rumsfeldcase, 23

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tionalagreement,pertainingtotreatmentof prisonersofwar.However,Congressreconstituted the organization of the detention camp and its legal premise. After Defense officialsspentyearsattemptingtoextortin-

formation from Mr. Hamdan, he faced trial inGuantanamoforconspiracychargesand providingsupporttoalQaeda.OnAugust7, 2008,amilitarytribunalfoundMr.Hamdan guilty of“providing assistane”to al Qaeda and was sentenced to five and a half years. According to Human RightsWatch, an impartialorganizationwhichadvocatesforhuman rights, Mr. Hamdan was “held in solitaryconfinementinawindowlesscell”and “wassexuallyharassedbyinterrogatorsand subjecttosleepdeprivation.”Outofthe775 detainees,whohavespenttimeatdetention centeratGuantanamoBay,onlytwo,includingSalimHamdanhavebeenconvictedby military tribunals. David Hicks, the only other individual held at the Guantanamo Baydetentioncenter,spentatotalofsixyears incustodybetweenhistimeatGuantanamo BayandinahighsecurityprisoninAustralia. The torture methods used on “unlawful enemy combatants”are inhumane andhavepushedsuspectedterroriststothe breakingpoint,wheretheynolongerwant to live. According to aWashington Post articlein2004,thePentagonapprovedtwenty torture techniques including“sensory assault” and “invoking feelings of futility.” A FBI agent interview inThe NewYorkTimes stated:“On a couple of occasions, I entered interviewroomstofindadetaineechained handandfootinafetalpositiontothefloor, withnochair,foodorwater.Mosttimesthey had urinated or defecated on themselves and had been left there for 18, 24 hours or more.”One troubling case of torture at the detentioncenter,whichhasbeenrevealedto the public, is that of Mohamed al-Kahtani, the accused infamous “20th hijacker” on 9/11 unable to enter the country. In 2003, after being unsuccessful in extorting any information from Mr. Kahtani, Defense officials decide to try harsher tactics. An interrogation log leaked by the Department ofDefensetoTimeMagazinedescribesthe following techniques used on Mr. Kahtani: restraint on a swivel chair for long periods oftime,waterboarding,sleepdeprivation, the injection of drugs and enemas, loud noises and bright lights, and intimidation byusingathreateningdog.Chargesagainst HM Review December 2008

www.dailymail.co.uk

Mr. Kahtani have been dropped. BBC Newsreportsthatinterrogatorshaveacted provocatively toward Muslim detainees by dropping and stopping on the Qur’an. AsaresultofthevolatilecruelbehaviorbyinterrogatorsandAmericansoldiers at Guantanamo, many inmates have attemptedorconsideredsuicide.Therehave been four cases of suicide by prisoners of waratthedetentioncenterandhundredsof moreattempts.Thedespicableinhumane treatment on prisoners, who have yet to beenprovenguilty,hasdefamedourcountry’scredibilityabroad.Despitethefactthat the United Nations and European Union,

www. msnbcmedia.msn.com

“myownviewisthatbecauseofthingsthat happened earlier at Guantanamo there is

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Fair Trial A caricature of Salim Ahmed Hamden’s trial, where the Supreme Court ruled that Hamed had the right to fair trial. alongwithhumanrightsorganizationssuch Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have denounced our methods in

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“Despite the fact that the United Nations and European Union, along with human rights organizations such Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have denounced our methods in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, this administrations has continued to ignore international law.”

a taint about it.” However, President Bush hasbeenreluctanttoclosedownthecamp because he still firmly believes that “un-

[T]he United States has disregarded various provisions of international law pertaining to the treatment of prisoners of war.

GuantanamoBay,Cuba,thisadministrations has continued to ignore international law. After the Supreme Court case Boumedienev.Bushstrippedthelegalpremise oftheGuantanamoprisoncamp,bysaying thatterroristswereentitledtorightsunder the United States Constitution including terrorists’ right to a fair trial, the Bush administration has discussed closing down GTMO. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said before the House of Representatives: December 2008 HM Review

Under Cover An inside look at the Guantanmo Bay Detention Camp.

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lawful enemy combatants”should be manipulated for any information that would be “in the interest of homeland security.” The future of the existence of GTMO is dim. Both Sen. Obama and McCain vow to close down the camp during their presidencies.TheStateDepartmentwouldcontinuetoseeknationstoextraditeprisoners, which the Department of Defense deems innocent. Terrorists will start being able to have trails in front of civilian juries and

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now have the right to appeal their cases. Although the Bush administration and the Pentagon may be capable of gettingawaywiththetortureof750someodd suspected terrorists, their inhumane actions now reflect upon our nation in eyes of world. Since our conception as a free nation the United States has vehemently opposed the use of torture techniques when holdingandinterrogatingprisonersofwar. Even when the Japanese in World War II, theVietcong in theVietnamWar, and radical Islamic extremists in the Middle East overthelastdecadesemployedgrotesque methodstoextortinformationfromoursoldiers, we did not seep to their lowness. Our governmentcouldlearnfromGoldenRule..

The Red Flag

Anti-Americanism in Russia has flourished as of late under Putin’s rule, and while the Cold War is behind us, the relationship is still By Victor Ladd

img.timeinc.net

n many countries, resentment provokedbyactionsoftheUnited States has become more noticeable,especiallyinsituationswhen theseactionsresultinpoliticalunrest.Althoughnightlynewsstoriesanddaily articlesinperiodicalsmayhavetheAmerican peoplebelievingthatthishatredtowardsthe UnitedStatesoriginatedintheMiddleEast, thesereportersarenotaddressingtherecent revivals of Anti Americanism in Russia.The crisis in Georgia has sparked a rebirth of an attitudetowardstheU.Sthatisreminiscent of the Cold War era. Anti-Americanism in Europe, which most people believed was in decline since the end of the Cold War, hasre-emergedwhitavengeanceinRussia. In order to understand where this current harsh attitude towards Americans in Russia originates, it is necessary to focus on the series of events following the final years of the Cold War. With the fall of the Soviet regime in the 1980’s, many Soviets believedthattheadoptionofwesternvalues would increase the quality of life in Russia. The resulting reforms, such as the removal ofSovietcurrencycontrol,anideathatwas suggestedbywesternpowers,broughtRussia to the brink of bankruptcy. The reforms backfiredandcausedunprecedentedinflation, leaving thousands of people without any of their life’s savings. The popular reactionagainsttheeffectsofthereformscaused theUnitedStatesandliberalpartiesinRussia to lose face among the Russian people. Suchwesterninfluencesandideasbecamea focalpointforthedevelopmentofthewide spreadanti-AmericansentimentinRussia. Events in past seven years have not made the situation any better. In 2001, formerPresidentVladimirPutinmetPresident Bushongoodterms,apotentialbeginning for“warmrelations”betweenthetwosuper-

powers.The United States invasion of Iraq in2003,however,markedthebeginningof aseriesofAmericanactionsthatwerewidely unpopular in Russia. Actions such as plans to spread NATO to the east and a plan, proposed by the US, to install a missile system inEuropethatwouldcloselyborderRussia. Thesenewinternationalproposalswereunpopular among Russians and not only did manybelievethattheUnitedStatesforeign policywasminimizingRussia’simportance onglobalaffairsbutRussiathreatenedtotake military action if the plans were installed. TheconflictinGeorgiahasgivenRussian politicians one more reason to view the United States’interactions with Russia as interference. Condoleezza Rice visited Georgiainahumanitarianeffortintendedto show American support for Georgia in the conflict. In addition, President Bush condemnedtheattackbyRussiaonthegrounds that it put“Russia’s post-ColdWar relations with the West‘at risk.”In response, Russia’s DeputyMinisterAlexanderGrushkoargued that the United States’disapproval of Russia’sactionswasduetothefactthatAmerica hadbeenleftoutineffortstoestablishasettlementbetweenthetwowarringcountries. Unfortunately, it appears that even theoutcomeoftheupcomingPresidential election in the United States has no prospectsofimprovingtherelationshipbetween Russia and America. In the first of their three scheduled debates Senator Barack Obama and Senator John McCain agreed that Russia is“a threat to the peace and stabilityoftheregion.”Suchstatementslessen thechancethatpositiverelationswithRussiacanbeestablished.InthedebateMcCain described Russia as a “KGB apparatchikrun government.” Obama went as far as to identify Russia as a rogue state, one that is acting like a 20th-century dictatorship.The future of the relationship between Russia and America is dim. Senator Obama wants

Old Rivals Russian and United States relations are tense.. to enlarge NATO, insisting that it includes countries bordering Russia, such as Georgia and Ukraine. This would, potentially, make Anti Americanism in Russia worsen seeing that the previous enlargement of NATO into in Eastern Europe caused anger inRussia. ObamaalsomentionedthatRussia’s actions in Georgia,“demands a sharp response from the international community and our allies.” With the current tension between Russia and America, a sharp responsewouldaggravatethesetensions. The outcome of the relationship between Russia and America will affect the global community. Neither country can return to Cold War posture, yet there is no feasible solution in sight. It is imperative that the newly elected President of the United States realizes that America’s involvement in international political issueshasoftenbeenunwanted and that future involvement in Russian affairs should be limited. Anti-Americanism in Russia is strong and, to a certain extent, justified. Over the years, America has been minimizing Russia’s influence on the international level. The answer lies in the future. Although the relationship between Russia and America in the past have been very bitterandseenaspowerstruggletheneed for the two superpowers to come to good termsandfindacommongroundiscrucial. HM Review December 2008

Ban Bush Many Protests like this have sprung up around the world showing their hatred of President Bush.

www.londonist.com

The Bush Effect How President Bush has furthered anti-

American sentiment throughout the world By Emily Feldstein

hat do you call someone who knows three languages? Trilingual. What do you call someone who knows two languages? Bilingual. What do you call someone who only knows one language? American.”These types of jokes are representativeoftheimagethatPresidentGeorge W. Bush has reflected upon the American people. PresidentBushisareflectionofthe AmericanpeoplebecauseAmericanselectedhimintooffice;everytimehelosesothers respect,Americalosesrespect,causingBush toincreaseanti-Americansentimentabroad. Perhapsthishassomecorrelationtothefact thatBushhada17%approvalratinginEuropeancountriesasof2007.“Acomprehensive surveyofpublicopinioninadozenEuropeannationsandtheUnitedStatesfoundthat things have gone from bad to worse when it comes to disdain for the administration anditsnationalsecuritypolicies,”saidChris Cillizza and Zachary A. Goldfarb in their articleconcerningBush’sapprovalratingin Europe for the Washington Post. Abroad, many people consider President Bush a “buffoon”whoabusedhispowertoengage the United States in a war that should not December 2008 HM Review

have occurred without sanctions from the United Nations. Bush, and, by association, Americans, are disliked for a few reasons. As a friend from Australia said,“The first [reason] is obviously the Iraq war.” Bothanti-Americanandanti-Bushfeelings arose when the United States invaded Iraq inpursuitofseeminglynonexistentweapons of mass destruction. He abused his power by misleading both Congress and the American people. He stated that there were weapons that could endanger the American people, but there has not been any proof of their existence. The countries that supported the initial invasion of Iraq now have an ever-rising death toll. A lack of respect for Bush, as he continues a futile war during which so many lives are lost, is prevalent in Europe and in many other nationsconsideredalliesoftheUnitedStates. TheBushAdministrationmadeanerrorinjudgmentwhenenteringIraq,butnow manyinthiscountrywillnotacknowledge it.ThisobstinacyjustreinforcesthestereotypeofAmericansasobnoxious,egocentric, andignorant. PresidentBushdoesnothing to help dispel such ideas. He epitomizes the American depicted in stereotypes, the Americanwhodoesn’tworryaboutthedelicaterelationshipsbetweennationsandthe customs of other cultures. Perhaps his ignorancewasbestdisplayedattheG-8Sum-

mit in 2008, an annual meeting amongst world leaders, when he cried out “Amigo, Amigo!”to the Italian Prime Minister, clearly unaware that he was speaking Spanish. In countries where the ability to speakeloquentlyisexpectedofeveryleader, there is little respect for a man who so commonlymakeslinguisticmishaps.Bush cannotredeemhimselfandAmericainthe eyesofEuropebecausehesoundsunintelligent, uneducated, and foolish when he speaks on behalf of all Americans. A British friend, Tim Frost, said,“President Bush doesn’t help himself because he is not a goodcommunicator.Britishcultureisvery languagebased…SoPresidentBushcomes over really badly.” Instead of conveying leadership and intellect in a tumultuous time,PresidentBushcomesacrossasnothing more than a fool who is not equipped to handle the crises of the modern world. Some of the United States’ policiescauseittobeseenasaplaygroundbully who does not know how to use the power it has. As stated by Areti Loizou, a friend from Greece, “… the term “sovereign bullying” [is often used] to describe some of the George Bush foreign policy decisions.” HoweverunwiseBushmayseem,hewields tremendous power as the country’s president. Also, the impulse of Americans to display our country’s military power is not understood by other nations. “Given that enormous power telling other countries in the world publicly: ‘it is my way or the high way – or the US way is the only way’ can only create an emotional counter reaction, which although irrational is real,” said Gery Sampere, a friend from France GeorgeW. Bush has caused ill will overseasbecauseoftheongoingwarinIraq and,throughhispersonalbehavior,hasreinforced anti-American stereotypes. He representsthenationthatelectedhim,but he does it poorly in the eyes of the world. Although, Bush may have difficulty redeeming himself, there is still a chance for Americans. Abroad, there is a distinction betweenanti-AmericanismandhatingBush.

The American Far Left

Seeing through the preconceived notions about socialism and communism in the U.S.

www.wikimedia.org

By Rebecca Segall

t’s no secret that the U.S. has a strong aversion to socialism, or, more specifically, communism. Wehavehadatradeembargoand a tight immigration policy with Cuba, a former friend, since it established a communistgovernmentintheearly1960’s. Our country, throughout the last century, hasbeentremendouslysuspiciousofcommunist activity both inside and outside of our borders. Since the Red Scare and the days of Senator Joe McCarthy’s investigationsintoallegedcommunistgovernment workers,theU.S.hasseencommunism,and its roots in socialism, as a threat, or at the veryleast,un-Americantoanextreme.How hasthisnotionbeenshaped?Canwereally assumethatthesocialistandcommunistenclaveslivingintheU.S.todayareunpatriotic,duetothefactthatwehaven’thadstrong relationswithmanysocialistcountriesinthe 27

past?Thesocialistandcommunistpartiesin the U.S. are perceived by the public to be anti-American,wheninfact,theyadvocate bringingthecoreAmericanvaluesofdemocracy and equality to the American people. The U.S. has developed this false understandingofthemodernCommunistand SocialistPartiesthroughthewaymediafiguresandpoliticiansportraythem.Newspunditsdemonizesocialismallthetime,claiming thatanyonewhoseviewsarefartothelefton thepoliticalspectrumisunpatrioticorsupportscommunism.Whilethesemythsmay bespreadforthepurposeofattackingaliberalopponent,theysimultaneouslydegrade the views of the Socialist and Communist parties.This instills a negative preconceptionoftheparties,leadingonetobelievethat theymustbedangerousandun-American. AttheRepublicanNationalConvention in late August, Fox News pundit Bill O’Reilly interviewed and explained to formerDemocraticcandidateDennisKucinich thattheonlywaytoprovideeconomicwel-

fareandhealthcareforallAmericancitizens wouldbetoimplementthesocialistsystem of universal health care, which, O’Reilly added,mostAmericanswouldanddoobject to. Kucinich defended his stance as mainstream; that with the current state of taxes, energypolicies,andhealthcareAmericans would eventually recognize the need for change. O’Reilly’s rebuttal was the simple statement,“most Americans don’t like socialism.” Blunt declarations like this one unfairly depict socialism to be against the wishesoftheAmericanpeople,withoutreallydelvingintotheviewsofthepartyitself. To go even further, we must look at howcertainpoliticalfigureshavereactedto therecentfinancialcrisisonWallStreet,and the eventual bailouts for companies such as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The governmentishopingthatloaningtax-payer’s moneytoinvestmentbanksandmortgage companies will stimulate more economic activity and ultimately benefit investors, home-owners,andcitizensinneedofaloan. The total cost of this plan would amount to close to 700 billion dollars. As the SocialistPartybelievesthateconomicsshouldbe regulatedandcontrolledfederallytoserve thepublic’sbestinterests,nationalizinginsuranceandfinancialinstitutionsisasocialist view. However, it is has been put into use byourdemocraticsystem.Somepoliticians, unfortunately,refusetosupportthefinancial aidgiventothefailingbankingcompanies onthebasisoftheconceptbeingasocialist belief.Forexample,SenatorJimBunningof Kentuckyvoicedhisdisapprovalrecentlyby rejectingtheplantofederalizethefinancial industry,saying,“Itsfinancialsocialism,and it’s un-American.”Not only do statements suchasthisonegrosslyoversimplifysocialistfiscalbeliefs;theysay,loudlyandclearly, that at its core, socialism is not patriotic. While their names may be casuallyinsultedanddemonized,however,few peopleareactuallyfamiliarwiththebeliefs of the Socialist and Communist Parties. It’s not as if they’re disorganized groups of peoplewhosharethesameviews;thereare many official, legitimate outlets for these parties. For instance, Socialist International, a worldwide group of socialist political parties and labor organizations, has much representation in the U.S. One such example is DSA, or Democratic Socialists of America. DSA began in 1982, when Socialist parties New American Movement and HM Review December 2008

http://www.spmichigan.org/

Democratic SocialistOrganizingCommitteemergedtogether.DSAreachedwellover 7,000membersinthe1990’s,andreported in 2005 to have increased by at least 13 percent. DSA also has a youth movement, called YDS, or Young Democratic Socialists. Currently, DSA is dissatisfied with, and advocatingrenegotiationofNAFTA,orthe North American Free Trade Agreement, a trade block between the U.S., Mexico, and Canada, which promotes capitalism. AnevenmoreinfluentialrepresentationofsocialistinterestsistheSPUSA,orthe SocialistPartyoftheUnitedStatesofAmerica.Itsplatformisbasedonequality,regardlessofrace,gender,age,sexualorientation, economicclass,nationalorigin,ordisability, and also on the belief that life’s necessities, suchashealthcare,education,food,shelter, child care, and social services should be in thehandsofthe people,andshouldbedistributedorcreatedthroughvariouspublic democratic agencies.The SPUSA believes the U.S. should withdraw from NAFTA as well as CAFTA (Central American Free Trade Agreement), and should not go through with the agreement FTAA (Free Trade Areas of the Americas). NAFTA, which took effect in 1994, privatizes and limitsregulationoncompaniesproviding essentialssuchasfood,water,energy,and healthcare. CAFTA, which was signed in 2005, extends NAFTA to Central American Countries. Negotiations for FTAA, intended to be a larger-scale version of NAFTA, havebeenstagnantinCongressforseveral years now. SPUSA feels the U.S. should pull out forces from Iraq, end U.S. Imperialism (i.e. theWar onTerror) and should use only diplomaticstrategieswhendealingwithother countries, especially when dealing with Iran.Itcallsforhigherminimumwage,more welfare,theencouragementoflaborunions, same-sex marriage, instituting the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) to help the disabled, and investing in alternative energy and recycling.The SPUSA opposes GLBTQ-restrictions, fur-trade and animal testing, trading with nuclear material, and using nuclear plants and open-pit mining effortsasameanstosolvetheenergycrisis. The SPUSA, like DSA, is one of several organizations with roots in the Socialist Party of America, led by Eugene Debs, which lasted from 1901 to its eventual split in 1972. The SPUSA currently has around

December 2008 HM Review

1,700 members in the U.S. It works through the SNC, or Socialist National Committee, to nominate presidentialcandidates.TheSNC has had official legal status as a political party since 1980. For thecurrentpresidentialelection, the SPUSA nominated Brian Moore, withVice Presidential candidate Stewart Alexander, at their National ConventioninOctober,2007. Brian Moore is new to the Socialist party but has grassroots experience from holding variousmunicipalofficesandworking within his community in Spring Hill, Florida. In the 2008 election, he will appear on the ballot on 12 states.This is the 8th presidentialnomineeSPUSAhasadvocated for, and although it may have a diminutive role in the classic two-party system, the SPUSA works much in the same way that the Democratic and Republican Parties do when picking a presidential nominee.

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political part i e s , the CPUSA has youth movements, meetings, and fair democratic representation. The SPUSA and CPUSA, along with other Socialist organizations in the U.S., have long been ignored or even degraded

The average American is quick to associate socialism and communism with treason or sedition, not as legitimate political parties.

WhileCommunismandSocialismare sometimesperceivedasoneandthesame, thepartiesshareverydifferentviewpoints. Themostpredominantcommunistorganization in the U.S. is the CPUSA, or Communist Party of the United States of America. While the CPUSA, whose slogan is“people beforeprofits.”seesitselfasasocialistparty and affiliates itself with the SPUSA, most U.S.SocialistpartiesdenounceCommunism alongwithCapitalismforbeingoppressive and totalitarian. However, the CPUSA’s aspirationsforequalityforall,governmentrun social services, and the abolition of misogyny,racism,homophobiaandotherprejudicesarealignedwiththoseoftheSPUSA. The CPUSA is run very democratically. Although it may not have as large a memberbaseasitssocialistcounterparts,it’srun at the local level, working its way up to the highestlevelofauthority.TheNationalConvention,whichleadstheCPUSA,ismadeup ofdelegatesvotedfromlocalandstate-wide enclavesofCPUSAmembers.Justlikeother

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by the American public. Their views are fodder for attacks on political rivals or for thebasisforcallingleft-wingpoliticiansunAmericans. Since the end of the Cold War andthepresidencyofRonaldReagan,who is credited for securing America from the threatofcommunism,thecountryhasseen SocialismandCommunismasataboo.The average American is quick to associate SocialismandCommunismwithtreasonorsedition.Peoplebarelyrecognizethattheseare legitimatepoliticalparties,workingwithin thesystem,whopassionatelyadvocatetheir beliefs. At their cores, the Socialist and Communist Parties believe in democracy, unitythroughdiversity,andequalopportunity;allofwhichareundoubtedlyAmerican principles.Whiletheymayhaveleft-leaning doctrines,andareveryanti-free-trade,the credibility and validity of their values don’t deserve to be dismissed as un-American.

Anti-Americanism in South Korea One generation of South Korea remembers America as allies from the Korean War. Another sees America as the country that invaded Iraq. Which view will overtake the country? By Sarah Swong

ackground: AsWorldWar II came to a close in 1945, Korea split into two regions, officially called the Democratic’s People Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the Republic of Korea (ROK) in 1948, and the SovietUnionhaddecidedtooccupyDPRKinorder tofighttheJapanese,whowouldsoonhavecontroloverallofKorea. Ageopoliticaldivisionoccurredaswell;withDPRK’sleader,withinfluencefromtheSovietUnion’ssocialistregimes,advocatingextreme left-wingCommunistideassuchastheequalredistributionofland in1946,whileROKwasledbyauthoritarianpowerthatwaseventuallyoverthrownfordemocracy.TheNorthKoreanarmylaunched anattackonJune25th,1950,andquicklycorneredtheSouthKorean forcesandoccupiedSeoulwithindays.TheU.S.andUNimmediatehttp://cache.daylife.com/ lyintervenedinfearofpossibleSovietpoweroverKoreaandhelped SouthKorea’smilitarystrength.Thewarendedinastalemate,and resents the US, and the bitterness can be sensed in influential thoughatemporaryarmisticeceasedfire,noformalpeacetreatyhas figures, such as former President Roh Moo-hyun, pop culture, beensignedtodate.Rumorsofnegotiationforreunificationhave and educational systems that shape the minds of future Korea. onlybegunrecentlyandmaynotseriouslyhappenfordecades.and Although Roh, who only completed his term earlier this the DPRK year, eventually made continues US friendly decisions, As Chosun Daily puts it, “When the U.S. to enforce he held anti-American invaded Iraq, the world distanced itself from their usage of views pre-election, and nuclearweapit did not hurt his camAmerica and began looking at it from afar. ons under paign in 2002. This is a a Commuclear reflection of the nist governpublic antagonism toment, hindering the jagged gash from closing up and healing. wardstheUS.Thishostilitycamefromanumberoffactors.Recently As long as reunification and peace has not been formal- before then, a U.S. military truck crushed two middle school girls ized, the US occupies ROK as the United States Forces Korea andwhenPresidentBushfailedtodirectlyapologizeandconvictthe (USFK) prepared for military retaliation if DPRK begins a sec- drivers,thepubliccriedinoutrage.Theyalsohadnotforgottenofthe ond Korean War. Without the U.S. military support, ROK would GreatDumpingScandalof2000,duringwhichanAmericanworker have lacked the “shield of alliance” (General B.B. Bell, Com- of the USFK ordered an illegal dumping of toxic materials into the mander of the USFK) that has allowed Korea to blossom into Han River, which provides the drinking water for millions in Seoul. the prosperous country it is today, with a strong democracy and Bothincidentsrousedangeragainstthe“murderous”Ameritrade-based economy. In this military dependency is where ROK cans, but even greater was the an ongoing love-hate, paralyzing

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HM Review December 2008

Anti-FTA South Korean Farmers shout anti FTA slogans outside of the Government house in Seoul, South Korea. The protesters’ signs read “Stop FTA talks between South Korea and the USA.” unilaterally,withoutpersuadingtheworld,theworlddistanceditself from America and began looking at it from afar.This presents a problem now, as the United States tries to get the United Nations on board to help it deal with the problems of Iraq.” It also mentions“in the economic power department, the United States is also without competition. The rest of the world resents this in

relationship between the US and ROK: The society coldly criticizes the current foreign occupation that vows to protect it come a possible North Korean nuclear attack, yet when President Bush deployed ¼ of USFK troops to Iraq after the 9/11 attacks, it went intoastateofpanicandprotestedagainstthewithdrawal.Though theyunderstandablydependedontheUStheimmediateyearsafter the economically depriving war, now, as one of the most prosperous countries in the world, where is the necessity for the US military? What is preventing Korea from filling the USFK’s spots with its own military? And if they cannot provide its own military,whydotheyharborharshindignationagainstitsprotectors? It is no more than an issue of pride and prejudice. The nationalisticsociety,thoughmostlypro-America,hasasmallpercentage that still recalls the feeling of constriction under the foreign rule of Japan, and dislikes its own reliance on foreign powers once again. Only recently has ROK taken the NK reunification questionintoitsownhands,inattempttobecomemoreindependent. Without doubt, the current anti-Americanism in Korea has beengreatlyaffectedbytheBushAdministration.Thedecisionto invade Iraq not only minimized the troop numbers in Korea, but as Chosun Daily puts it, “When the United States invaded Iraq, December 2008 HM Review

their hearts even while acceding to be dragged along by the United States. Second-rate countries in terms of power, such as China, France and Germany, exploit these circumstances to increase their influence,”another criticism of the self-alienation of the US. Not only is the resentment seen in politics, but also in the moreinfluentialpowersofpopcultureandeducationalinstitutions. Singerandanextremelyanti-American/anti-BushAdministration activistYoon Min-Suk wrote a song called“F***ing USA,”in which headdressesApoloOhno’s2002Olympiccontroversy(hewasdisqualified while the US won the gold), and goes on to describe the US as a“bully”, questioning whether it is still a fair and true country. The end of the song talks of reunification, how the US will wait and seewhatwillhappen,withoutitsintervention.TheHost,ascience fiction movie released in 2006 that became South Korea’s highest grossingfilmofalltime,loudlyechoesthetoxicdumpingincident as a similar toxic dumping formulates a monster in the Han River. In education, the obvious bias against the US is clear as well, especiallyprevalentinyoungpeople.Apollreleasedin2002showed that about 51% of Koreans from age 18-21“disliked”America, and onlyayearlater,thatpercentagespikedupto71%.Theeducational institutionsdangerouslyfeedanti-Americanideasintomindseven younger–whensurveyingelementaryschoolstudents,overallthey ranked President Bush as the world’s biggest villain, and North Korean President Kim Jong-Il as second. What’s more is that the anti-US Korea Teachers Union, which is not a government sponsored organization but“works to improve educational systems”, promoted a video in order to offer an “alternative view on globalization.”The video played raw clips of planes crashing into the TwinTowers while playing Louis Armstrong’s“What aWonderful World”as background music. This is not to be misinterpreted – it isonlyatiny,veryextremeview,andmanyparentsareoutragedby thepropagandisteducationthatinactuality,isnoteducation,but anarrow-mindedideologythatbrainwashestheKoreansoftomorrow.Buttheideathatthisunionof90,000hasnot been disbanded yet, though its effects are limited, is frightening.There are similar unionsthatrouseanti-Americanmovements,suchasthebanagainst American beef in 2003 that was lifted earlier this year by the new Koreanpresident.Ontheotherhand,Koreansover60yearsoldare generallypro-America,astheyareofthegenerationthatremembers theUSastheundeniablenecessaryelementthatpreventedatotal collapse of the ROK during the KoreanWar, and their rescue from Japan’s rule. Hopefully, the new Korean president who is very proAmerica,LeeMyungBak,willhelptorestoreapositiveimageofthe US, because it is crucial for the US-Korean alliance to be effective.

Around The World The “Ungoverned” Tribes of the Hindu Kush Jurangeo

By Wallace Cotton While the Pakistani government has control over much of the people in the country, there exists an ungoverned part of Pakistan, devoid of law and established authority.Foranumberofreasons,remote areasofPakistanseemhavecomeunderthe control of Al Qaeda rather than the established government. First, these areas are in the mountains known as the Hindu Kush between Afghanistan and Pakistan (The FATA), distant from the capital of Islamabad, so it’s difficult to provide services to them.Secondly,triballordshavegoverned them for hundreds of years, so they have no tradition of contact with a centralized government. Themostremotetribes,ruledbytriballeadersorwarlords,liveinthemountains

that border Afghanistan. These warlords have control of various parts of the terrain and rule their tribes with laws that may not reflecttheactuallawsofthecountry.Traditionally,peoplecarryweaponseverywhere, and as farmers they are very protective of their land. These Pakistani tribes may not seem differentthanmanysimilarMiddleEastern tribes. But their strategic border location makesthemcriticaltotheUSgovernment, engagedinmilitaryoperationsinAfghanistan and a “War on Terror”. If the US asks Pakistanfortheircooperationonamilitary mission, such as searching for Bin Laden or locatingAlQaedaterroristtrainingcamps, thetribeswillpreventthePakistanimilitary fromenteringtheterritory,thusthwarting any military progress. When Al Qaeda apprehends these

tribes and asks for help, they swing their doorsopenandwelcomethemin,because AlQaedaisabletoofferprotectionandsupportthatthegovernmentisoftenincapable of providing.They even build schools and placestoworkwhichareotherwisemissing. In return, Al Qaeda uses the tribal region as a haven and hide away from the government, and a site to plan terrorist attacks. The tribes also share religious beliefs with Al Qaeda, both fundamentalist Muslims. Theinternationalcommunityneeds to find ways to communicate with these tribes and help build their trust with the Pakistanigovernment,presentingaviable alternative to Al Qaeda. Undermine the Al Qaeda connection will drive the terrorists out of the region and restore centralized authority.

Contaminated Baby Powder Taints China By Ian Antonoff A recent outbreak of contaminated baby milk powder made in China has caused the death of at least four babies, whileover6,200havebeendiagnosedwith kidney stones. Chen Zhu, the Chinese minister of health, recently announced that melamine, a chemical used to make fertilizer and plastic, has been found inside milk powder that is given to babies to drink. Melamine, an organic base, is rich in nitrogen and can be used to artificially improve the protein-ratings of a type of food when tested. There is a distinct possibility that melamine is the chemical behind the incidences of contaminated milk powder. Thisnewsoftaintedmilkpowderisnot the first time that plastic and fertilizer were foundinfoodsproducedinChina. Lastyear, melamine-tainted pet food made from ingredientsexportedoutofChinakilledthousands of cats and dogs in the United States 31

which had eaten the contaminated food. SanluGroup,aleadingChinesedairy products company, has publicly admitted responsibility for producing the tainted baby powder and recalled more than 700 tons of baby powder made before August 6th. To date, tests have shown that over twentyChinesecompanieshavesoldfood productscontaminatedwithmelamine,and as a result, over 3,244 tons of milk powder have been removed from stores throughout China. In addition, dozens of Chinese dairy farmers and milk station operators have been arrested in Shijiazhuang, the Chinese province where the Sanlu Group hasitsheadquarters,reportedlyduetoconnectionswiththescandal.Numerousdairy farmershaveclaimedthatgovernmentprice controls,enactedlastyeartofightinflation and rising food costs, forced dairy farmers and manufacturers to use chemical substitutes in an attempt to cut expenditures. In an attempt to resolve the issues

ofmelamine-contaminatedfoods,China’s HealthMinistryhasbegunanationwideinvestigationtofindoutifthedeathsanddamagedkidneysofinfantscouldhaveanything to do with the milk powder. As a stop-gap, they have made attempts to convince the publicnottofeedbabiesformulamilk,and totakeallsickbabiestosee a doctor. Meanwhile, they are also seeking to develop a treatmentforthebabieswhohavebeenexposed to melamine. The General Administration of Quality and Supervision has sent a team to Sanlu and to Hebei, Guangdong and Heilongjiang provinces and the Inner Mongoliaregioninanattempttoascertain whytherewasmelamineinthemilkpowder and to check the milk powder’s quality. In thefuture,thegovernmentshouldprovide monthly inspections of food products to make sure they are not harmful. In a global societywithever-developingfoodtechnology,wecannotpolluteourfoods,killourchildrenandendangerthefutureofourworld. HM Review December 2008

NCCJ: The National Conference for Community and Justice is a social justice organizatino dedicated to combating prejudice and oppression in society.

VE UN RT PA IS ID EM EN T

UPDATE: The HM Review has joined with the HM Business Report, encorporating the HMBR as its new economics section. The new section, along with a new sectionbased format, will be unveiled in the Janu-

www.nccj.org www.nccjny.org

December 2008 HM Review

Prison at Home What we can learn from the Japanese internment camps in World War II By Jessica Chi

ome people are imprisoned for burglary. Others are locked up for murder. In 1942, though, more than 110,000 men, women, and children were incarcerated not for any punishable crime but for their ancestry; they were Japanese Americans. While it now may seem appalling that thousands of people, most of whom were American citizens, could be treated so harshly in the U.S., Japanese internment was an existent and seemingly justifiable breach in law and order less than only 70 years ago. Anti-Asian sentiment, or “yellow peril,”was prevalent in America prior to the start ofWorldWar II. In the 1800’s, Japanese immigrantswereatfirstseenascheaplabor sources and then were feared as threats, as theyweregainingmorepowerinbusiness. They were not allowed to own land and couldonlysendtheirchildrentosegregated schools in the early 20th century. In addition, they were prohibited from becoming American citizens and could not marry non-Japanesemenandwomen.Thecessation of all Japanese immigration occurred in 1924. While discrimination was not a prime cause of the internment, it certainly aggravated the frustrations of many JapaneseimmigrantsandJapaneseAmericansas theyweretryingtoliveintheUnitedStates. TheU.S.startedtobecameentangled in World War II after it decreased its sales to Japan.The Japanese increased the tensionbetweenthetwocountriesbysigning atreatywithGermanyandItaly,thenations opposingEnglandandFrance,ofwhomthe UnitedStateswasmoresupportive.OnDe33

Ohio State

cember8,1941,thedayafterJapan’sattack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, the United States declaredwaronJapan.WhenGermanyand Italy declared war on the U.S. a few days later, America plummeted intoWorldWar II.Thepreviousprejudicethatmanypeople hadheldagainsttheJapaneseimmediately exploded; all those of Japanese ancestry werenowseenasthreatstoAmerica’ssafety and security. This speculation was only exacerbatedbythemedia,politicians,and activist groups, who demanded that the

JapanesebeevictedfromtheUnitedStates. When President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, Japanese Americans were given“evacuation”orders and transported to the internment camps. Most of the roundups occurred on the West Coast of the United States, while few occurred on the East Coast or in the Midwest. FBI agents, who, insomecases,didnothavearrestwarrants, begansearchestolead1,212Japanesefirstgeneration immigrants from their homes HM Review December 2008

fied.TheJapanesealiensandevenAmerican citizens were uprooted from their homes with no charges against them or information on where they would be going and for how long they would be held. In fact, this abruptdisplacementcausedmanyinterneestohavetounexpectedlyselltheiritems

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Innocent Victims These young children suffered the consequences of Japanese internment camps in World War II. to the internment sites. In the following days,first-generationimmigrantsfromGermany and Italy, too, were considered“enemy aliens.” As the restrictions placed on Germans and Italians eventually relaxed, however,thoseontheJapaneseonlyintensiDecember 2008 HM Review

sabotage or espionage has taken place to dateisdisturbingandconfirmingindication that such action will take place.”There was, however, never an instance of espionage. On December 17, 1944, after the Supreme Court had been faced with several cases challengingtheconstitutionalityofJapanese

All throughout the war, though, there had not been even a single instance of a Japanese person’s disloyalty or espionage.

andbringwiththemonlypersonalbelongings. Many men and women lost their jobs, possessions, and homes in the upheaval. Japanesemen,women,andchildren werefirstbroughttomorethantentemporary detention sites, in which they lived in eitherhorsestallsorslapdashbarracksand usedcommunalbathrooms.Surrounding thesecampswerearmedguardsandbarbed wire fences to make the detention centers truly prisons. By the middle of the summer, thedetaineeswereagainrelocatedtopermanentconcentrationcamps.Inthesecamps, the WRA, or War Relocation Authority, worked to provide the prisoners with recreationalactivitiestodiscouragethemfrom trying to revolt or resort to violence. Family life declined; as communal activity was stressed,childrenbegantostrayawayfrom their parents.Temperatures at the camps, whichwereinisolated,distantareas,could reach over 100° during the day and below 0°duringthewintersatcampsinthenorth. Becausethecentersweresocrowded,food was poorly rationed.The harsh conditions in the camps triggered a rightful resentment among the detainees; in time, riots broke out in come of the camps, but they were soon dissipated by military police. Allthroughoutthewar,though,there had not been even a single instance of a Japaneseperson’sdisloyaltyorespionage. Commanding officer of the United States Army’sWesternDefenseCommand,General John L. DeWitt, was adamant about pursuing the expulsion of all Japanese people from the country. Rather than citingaspecificinstanceofbetrayaloruntrustworthiness from a Japanese spy, DeWitt justified his internment of the Japanese by writinginFinalReport:JapaneseEvacuation from theWest Coast,“The very fact that no

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internment, the government released the captives and ruled that it could not detain loyalAmericansagainsttheirownwill.This liberationcausedsomedetaineestohaveto readjusttotheirfreedom,forprejudicewas stillrampant.PresidentReagansignedThe Civil Liberties Act of 1988 into law on August 10. The Act offered an apology to the living internees, yet almost half of the prisoners had died before the bill was signed. The Japanese internment during WorldWarIIisaquintessentialexampleofa violationoflawandorder.Partiallybecause ofthepersuasionbydemonstrativegroups andjournalism,thegovernmentabandoned thepoliciesprotectedbytheUnitedStates Constitution in favor of isolating possible threats of peace. Even when the Supreme Court was approached with cases, such as Hirabayashivs.U.S.andYasuivs.U.S.,thatallegedthatthegovernmenthaddeniedcivil liberties, the Court ruled that the rejection ofconstitutionalrightsbecauseofracewas, in fact, legal.The notion that, after all of the traumatheJapanesehadenduredafterbeing intheconcentrationcamps,therewerenever any known spies makes the internment altogether outrageous. AsThe Civil Liberties Public Education Fund, established by The Civil Liberties Act of 1988, states, “… theeventssurroundingtheexclusion,forced removal and internment of civilians and permanentresidentaliensofJapaneseancestry will be remembered, and so that the causesandcircumstancesofthisandsimilar eventsmaybeilluminatedandunderstood.”

Trouble in Paradise

Dubai looks like the perfect getaway, but it has hidden secrets in the shadow of its skyscrapers. What does this mean for the U.S.? By Alexander Familant

t was just 20 years ago that Dubai (thelargestcityintheUnitedArab Emirates)wasaminiscule,undevelopedfishingcitywithaneconomyheavilydependentontheoil it exported. Today, it is a utopia where one canmakeafortuneridingitsboomingstock market, enjoy skiing inside a 2.4 million square foot mall, or relaxing on Jumeirah Beach in 110ºF. The immense reformation of this once insignificant city is mainly the resultofthehighoilpricesduringthe1990s and2000s.Thesefinancedtherelocationof banksescapingtheGulfWartoDubai’sstrategicportcentrallylocatedbetweenEurope, Asia, and Africa. During this period, Dubai has been less and less dependent on its oil revenues and has developed a diversified economywheretourism,realestate,trade, andfinancemakeupmostofthecity’sGDP. With these developments, Dubai has attracted a dizzying array of international corporations setting up their regional headquarters there. Unlike most of thecountriessurroundingtheUnitedArab Emirates, which suffer from terrorism and government instability, Dubai is safe and friendly toWesterners. Another benefit of the city is the economic free zone Jebel Ali, the largest man-made harbor in the world and the largest port in the Middle East. As a major refueling center for American ships involved in the Middle East, Dubai is crucial for the American military as well. Both a business hub and a bridge between the Middle East and the West, Dubai is playing a significant role in the 21st century. Sadly, it is unclear how long this prosperity will last. Located only 70 miles across the Persian Gulf from Iran, Dubai is surrounded by several countries withstronganti-Americansentiment.With companies like Microsoft and CNN sending workersandmericantouriststraveling 35 fassinoimmobiliare.com

to Dubai yearlong, both CEOs and government officials are asking the same question:“Is there a threat towards Americans in Dubai, and if so, how imminent is it?” Sayyid Qutb, a strongly anti-American Egyptian Islamist writer said to have shapedtheviewsofAl-Qaedahasdeemed theWest as“evil and corrupt.”Qutb specificallyemphasizedthatWesternimperialism is partially for economic purposes, but it is used to mask “pronounced…enmity” toward Islam. Moreover, Qutb believed that WesternerswereschemingagainstIslamand that it was the duty of all Muslims to rid the worldofWesterninfluencethroughmeans ofterrorismandviolence. Qutb’steachings make it difficult to believe that there have been no major Al-Qaeda attacks in Dubai, a place where Western women in bikinis, prostitution,andthesaleofalcoholandpork (both forbidden by Islamic law) coincide withDubai’spopulationthatis76%Muslim. Witha75%foreignpopulation,Dubai isaneasyplaceformembersofAl-Qaedato blend in. In fact, more than half of the 9/11 terrorists flew from Dubai to the United States in their final planning phase before the attacks. Two of the 9/11 terrorists also hadclosetiestoDubai. Furthermore,Dubai hasbeeneconomicallyattractiveforterroristorganizationsforthesamereasonsthatit hasbeenformajorcorporations—lowtaxes, openbordersandlowgovernmentregulation. In a list of worldwide groups and individualssuspectedofterroristtiescomposed byUSATodaytwomonthsafter9/11,about 1/3 of the entire list was either from or had connections to Dubai. It is not surprising then that half of the $250,000 used to orchestratethe9/11attackswaswiredthrough Dubaibankswithoutgovernmentawareness. The 1998 bombings of the U.S. embassies in Tanzania and Kenya were also financed by wire transfers through Dubai banks. Another issue concerning American security in Dubai is Dubai’s proximity to Iran. Iranians make up 25% of Dubai’s

population, several of them with ties to the Iranian government and terrorist organizations. Dubai, which exports $790 million worth of goods to Iran, has a long history of economic and cultural ties with its dangerous neighbor across the gulf. Many Iranian businessmen in Dubai are tracking down goods traded by American companies that could have potential military use such as specialized metals, aircraftparts,andgasdetectors. Afterfinding them,thetradersre-exportthemtohostile countries such as Iran and Syria or even terrorist organizations. Not all of these traders are Iranian either. Abdul Qadeer Khan, a Pakistani engineer, confessed to supplyingnuclearcomponentstoIran,Libya,and North Korea with the help of a Dubai company. Similarcaseshaveshowncircuitchips made by American companies that were traded to Dubai to be found in roadside bombs in Iraq. In a criminal investigation into American products being diverted to Iran,morethanhalfofthetotaloffenseswere in Dubai. Dubai is trying to enforce harsher trade regulations; however, several of the Iraniansinvolvedinthediversionofpotentially dangerous products were not even aware that they were committing a crime. RelationsbetweentheUnitedStates andDubaihavealsobeenparticularlycontroversial at times. In 2006, Dubai Ports World’s acquisition of the British ports company P&O sparked a heated debate about how such a deal could compromise American national security. The agreementgavetheDubaicompanycontrolover 22 U.S. ports. Many members of congress and journalists argued about the possible dangers that handing control of U.S. ports to a country with a constitutional monarchy could bring. Although Dubai’s current prime minister, Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, was supportive of the West, if he died and an unsupportive monarch took over, American security would be in the wrong hands. Others, who supported HM Review December 2008

thedeal,emphasizedtheimportanceofnot backing out of the transaction in order to maintainthehealthyrelationshipbetween the two countries. Canceling the contract could be construed as anti-Muslim sentiment in the United States government. Eventually, the deal was passed; however, D.P. World eventually sold its American portstoA.I.G.’sassetmanagementdivision. Terrorism and trade with hostile countries are not the only problems facing Dubai today. Dubai’s prospering at a considerable magnitude comes at the cost of the250,000expatriateworkersbuildingthe architecturalmarvelsofthefutureinDubai. Eachyear,thousandsofSouthAsianandAfricanmenare luredtoDubaibyfalsepromises. Once they arrive in Dubai, many of themmustgiveuptheirpassportstoprevent their escapes. These emigrants are forced to work on construction sites for at least 12 hoursadayinDubai’sstiflingclimate. After dreadfulworkdays,themenfightforaspace onthepackedbusesthattransportthemto the middle of the desert where they sleep in labor camps. These labor camps have beendubbedbysomeasmodernday“concentrationcamps”fortheterriblequalityof life that exists in them. At the camps, each tiny apartment houses about eight differentworkers;thisrequirementleavesbarely enough space for the men to sleep. These workersarenormallyboundtosix-yearcontracts and their salaries, which are significantlybelowminimumwage,arenormally senttotheirfamilyintheirhomecountries. Such abuses have been a major concern of the Human Rights Watch and various worker-led riots have occurred in retaliation. Unfortunately, the Dubai governmenthasshownlittlesympathytotheir cause. In many of the riots, the workers are just imprisoned. This form of practically slavery could result in a major revolution by the indentured servants. Such abuse by theWestern-influenced governmenttowardstheexpatriatesmustgivethe workerslargelynegativesentimenttowards the Dubai monarchy as well. Such people could be potential recruits for Al-Qaeda. Dubai’s growth in the past two decades, especially given its geographic location, has stunned the world. Dubai’s strictertraderegulationsandtheAmerican government’s recently increased military spending in the region may help prevent terrorism. Nonetheless, Dubai has a long December 2008 HM Review

way to go before it is completely safe and until then, major threats to American lives could arise. Although frightening, the United States’ use of Dubai as a regional

militaryandbusinesshubcomesdownthis: It should not be worth endangering thousands of American lives so that a few companies can make quick and hefty profits. 36

Post-Election

gatewaynyc.com

Obama Wins!

Post-Election Coverage:

- What Happened to Hillary? pg. 38 - Mr. President pg. 39 - Immigration Sensation pg. 41 - The Fourth Wave of Feminism pg. 43 - Normal President pg. 47 - Negative Campaigns pg. 49 - Endorsements pg. 51 37

Note: Please keep in mind

that these articles were written before the election on November 5.

HM Review December 2008

What Happened to Hillary?

The Former Frontrunner Shakes Things Up By Jordan Federer

December 2008 HM Review

Arpan Patel

n June 7th, 2008, Hillary Clinton announced that sheconcededtoherdemocratic opponent, Barack Obama, after a hardfoughtbattlefortheDemocraticnomination.Sheisnowsupportinghimonhispath to the White House. While it seems likely that Hillary has a backup plan since she is no longer the Presidential candidate, she may also be running out of steam. In the final hours of campaigning, Hillary continued to jointly walk the campaign trail urging voters to bring the Democrats’victory. Nothing ever seems to stop her but I think, this time around, she shows indication of a desire to settle into her Senate position and continue to fight for the State of NewYork. Irrespective of who is elected as the next President, so much has happenedoverthecourseofhercampaignthat will determine her future political office. After Hillary’s disappointment in Barack’s selection of his Vice Presidential running mate, it must have been difficult toannounceherendorsementforObama. However, Hillary’s decision to endorse Obama was clearly a win-win for both ClintonandObamasupporters.Obamaneeded to secure the female vote and Hillary could do just that. She also carries many years of experience under her belt both in the White House, in the Senate, and in politics in general. Her powerful experience and strongvoiceareinvaluableandessentialto her supportofBarackObama. Herpolitical andlegalexpertisecombinedwiththefact thatsheisawoman,doesindeedrepresent “change”– a word that Obama’s campaign isfundamentallybasedon.Thereisjustone other woman on the Supreme Court - Ruth Bader Ginsburg, therefore due to this era of change, Hillary might be able to make push for a position in the Supreme Court. In her mind, Hillary’s support for Obama would only further her chances of a future role in his potential Presidential cabinet.

What Happened? Hillary Clinton (D-NY) was regarded as the Democratic favorite, but Obama (D-IL) ended up winning the presidency. While Hillary is qualified for many positionswithinSenatorObama’scabinet, it seems unlikely that Hillary will land a role inthenewWhiteHouseshouldObamawin. ThereweremomentsinthecampaignofBill Clinton’s anger and resentment towards Obama.Billmadesomeharsh,controversial commentsabout“apoliticianbeingableto deliverhispromisesaftervictory”andhisinsinuationsthathedoubtsthe“rookieSenator”has the ability to deliver his promises. While they all seem friendly in the media, I wonder just how friendly they really are whenthecamerasareoff.Somebelievethat these words were detrimental to both his wife’scandidacyandBillClinton’slegacyas President. Even if Hillary is given a position inthenewcabinet,itwillbeinterestingtosee howmuchpoliticsandbadbloodremains. Irrefutably, Hillary brings a political astutenessanddedicationtotheDemocratic cabinet. She served 8 years as the first lady, sheimmersedherselfinsolvinghealthcare issues(althoughunsuccessfulitwasalearningexperience)andshehasbeeninvolved in politics for a great part of her life. There has been chatter of her becoming the Sen-

atemajorityleader,SupremeCourtjustice, Secretary of Health and Human Services, orevenrunningagainforPresidentin2012. While Hillary may be bright enough to be President, she may be in difficult circumstances to return to the White House. If Obama wins, he will most likely serve two terms, which brings Hillary to the age of 69 and might be construed by some as too old to run again. On the other hand, should McCain win the election and serve 4 years, Hillary could potentially run again in 2012. This, however, does put her in an awkward position within her own Democratic party should she decide to change her political party and run again. No matter what Hillary ultimately decides to do post-election, she is extremely capable of filling a large role in government. To date, she maintains that, “I’m not seeking any other position than to be the best senator from New York that I can be”. I guess only time will tell. Update:Sincethewritingofthisarticle,HillaryClintonhasbeenappointedastheincoming SecretaryofStateinBarackObama’scabinet. 38

Barack Obama: Mr. President

ggpht.com

As the election draws to a close, Barack Obama emerges as the clearly better and more electable candidate, while the policies of the Bush era come to a close.

By Dan Temel

s the 2008 Presidential Election draws to a close, only one electable candidate remains: Senator Barack Obama. While Senator John McCain represents the hardworking American ethos that has kept our country afloat because of his oft-quoted courage to persevere, his lack of judgment regardinghisvice-presidentialchoiceconstitutes an egregious violation of trust between McCain and the American voter. FollowingObama’svictoryoverHillary Clinton in the 2008 Democratic primaries, millions of Clinton supporters initially placed their trust in the McCain campaign, which promised to bring a well of experience to the White House, just as Clinton would have. The McCain campaign was successful in garnering the support of dis39

gruntled Clinton supporters, who viewed McCain’s reputation as a true patriot and a pragmatist as a comforting alternative to Obama’srelativeinexperienceanduneasy economic goals. It appeared as if Senator McCainhadreachedacomfortablebalance between swaying Clinton supporters and

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porters are still struggling to understand how McCain’s choice of Sarah Palin as his running mate constitutes a maverick decision against the demagogues of the Republican Party. In fact, the choice of Palin representsanabsolutedeparturefromthe maverick ideals that allowed the Senator

McCain’s attempt at tapping into Clinton’s constituency by picking Palin as running mate represented disrespect for the American voter.

appealingtohiscoreconstituency.However, McCain’s attempt at tapping into Clinton’s coreconstituencybypickingSarahPalinas a running mate represented a clear disrespectfortheAmericanvoter,andareckless senseofjudgmentthathasgivenhisprized maverick label a negative connotation. A majority of Hillary Clinton sup-

from Arizona to become such a desirable candidate for the change-starved GOP. In choosing Palin, Senator McCain gave into pressures from the Republican Party and shirked his maverick identity. Had John McCain had his true choice for Vice President, he would have likely chosen Senatorial colleague and confidante Joe LieberHM Review December 2008

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man. However, McCain chose Palin, an inexperienced, rhetorically-driven politicianwhorepresentseverythingthatheinitially found so troubling about Obama. Theissuethatisevenmoretroubling is that McCain and Palin have nothing in

admitting that “the issue of economics is not something I’ve understood as well as I should.”For Hillary Clinton supporters still unsureaboutwhomtovote,BarackObama best exemplifies the Junior Senator from NewYork’s ability to understand the complex nuances of politics and public policy. The final characteristic that separates Barack Obama from John McCain is Palin’s troubling attack on voters who do not Obama’s ability to adapt his campaign to agree with her represents a strong departure risingtrendsinpolitics.Obamahasutilized the Internet to appeal to new voters who from McCain’s bipartisan attitude. did not previously participate in the electoralprocess.Obamahasrunonaplatform common, with regards to both their ethics before acting, we will end up in situations ofunificationofthecountryandderisionof andexperience,whichfurtherunderscores causedbykneejerkreactionssuchastheIraq partisanineffectiveness,inspiringvotersto the likelihood that Palin was chosen as a warandthecurrenteconomicbailoutplan. onceagainbelieveinthegoodprudenceof half-heartedappealtoClintonsupporters. The second quality that Barack theUnitedStatesgovernment.Conversely, The contrasts between JohnMcCainhasstuckto McCain and Palin are thesamefear-mongering endless. He prides himpolitics that have charself on being a foreign acterizedtheRepublican policy whiz with both Party from Lee Atwater diplomatic and military to Karl Rove. McCain experience, while she is has called Obama “unan anti-intellectual who certain,”a“socialist,”and has no experience in inan“elitist.”None of these ternational affairs other nameshavebeenableto than her ability to see stick, as the American Russia from the sparsely public is simply more inhabited Seward Penconcerned about their insula and Aleutian Iseconomic health than lands. While McCain fear tactics designed to has remained respectdraw out the ire of voters ful of voters throughout withsuppressedrageand during this campaign, xenophobictendencies. Palin has derided the Senator McCain “anti-American”primarhad the opportunity to ilyDemocraticNorthern wordpress.com run as a fiscal conservaregion ofVirginia. Palin’s The Challenger Barack Obama has marketed his message of tive with moderate sotroubling attack on votcial views, however his ers who do not agree change and hope, while John Mccain has stuck to experience. political pandering and with her “act first, think However, McCain’s choice of Sarah Palin as his running mate misunderstandingofthe later”attituderepresents seems to undermine this message. recent trends in Ameria strong departure from can politics will cost him McCain’s bipartisan attitude and his will- Obama possess that John McCain lacks is a the election. If it appears that the McCain ingness to work across the aisle with Sena- solidunderstandingofthenecessarysubtle- campaign is the campaign of “howevers” torial Democrats such as Russ Feingold ty and nuances of politics. McCain’s world- and unexpected irrational decisions, it is and Independents such as Joe Lieberman. viewisblackandwhite,similartoGeorgeW. only because of the immediate change of While experience is integral to the Bush’s“with us or against us”credo. Sena- direction taken by McCain after receiving successofaleader,theabilitytomakesound torMcCain’sunconditionalsupportforthe the Republican Party nomination. Don’t judgmentsismoreimportant.TheMcCain laissez-faireregulationcharacterizedbythe let another four years of failed Republicampaignhasconstantlyquestionedtherela- Greenspan era in the Federal Reserve fur- can economic and political policies sink tionshipbetweenObama’seducationalpedi- therexemplifyhisignoranceforthesubtlety our nation even further. And come Nogreeandhisabilitytomakesounddecisions, of the economy. As noted by the NewYork vember 5th, John McCain will have a new however the link is clear.While McCain has Times columnist Paul Krugman as early as name to call Barack Obama: Mr. President. demonstratedtheabilitytoactfromhisgut January 2008, McCain has been quoted as

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December 2008 HM Review

(oneexamplewouldbesuspendinghispresidential campaign to take part in the Wall Street bailout talks in Washington earlier this fall), Obama’s diplomatic policies suggestastronglinkbetweenthoughtandaction. If a President lacks the ability to think

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Immigration Sensation thewe.cc

The 2008 general election will be decided on many fronteirs. Of note, however, is the large role that immigrants will play in deciding our next president. Immigrants, and the issue of immigration, need to be given more attention than they are now. By Mario Alvarez “You’re running ads right now that say that I oppose federal funding for stem cell research. I don’t.You’re running ads that misportraycompletelymypositiononimmigration.” -John McCain, October 15, 2008

hose were the only words on immigration uttered in the three presidential debates in thiselectioncycle.Thecontroversial issue has taken a back seat to the economy, health care, abortion rights, and foreign policy, even though the United States is home to about 12 million illegal immigrants, part of 45 million Latinos overall. The Latino voting bloc can be a deciding factor this November, but some of its biggest questions are not being addressed. Democratic nominee Barack Obama favors a “road to citizenship” for illegal immigrants, a promising albeit vague stance. 41

He“supports a system that allows undocumented immigrants who are in good standingtopayafine,learnEnglish,notviolatethe law, and go to the back of the line for the opportunitytobecomecitizens.”Althoughthis plan is fundamentally sound, it does not tell voters how much money illegal immigrants will be fined and what“good standing”specificallyentails.Wheredoesthegovernment draw the line between good and bad standing? If an undocumented person is in “bad standing”,whathappenstohimorher?These unanswered questions are primary reasons whymanyLatinosaredisillusionedthisyear. SenatorJohnMcCain,theRepublican nominee,makesbordersecurityhistoppriority;everythingelsefallsadistantsecond.Ina McCainadministration,anemploymentverificationsystemandaworkerprogramswillbe enactedonce(andonlyonce)bordersecurity hasincreasedtoasatisfiedlevel.Allundocumented immigrants also have to enroll in an ill-described program to resolve his or her HM Review December 2008

Big Bloc American immigrants will play a large role in the general election. Left, a rally from 2006 against the Senate Amnesty Bill.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;status.â&#x20AC;?This is mostly in line with the RepublicanPartyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;sstance,whichhasprovenunpopular amongLatinos.Forseveralyears,JohnMcCain himselfrejectedtheRepublicandoctrineonimmigration,preferringreform.Hecosponsored the Secure America and Orderly Immigration Act with Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA), a bill thatsupportedborderenforcement, but also incorporated a path to legalization. The bill failed but lived on through the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2007, an infamous bill that failed to have even a vote in the Senate. Sen. McCain championed his efforts in immigration reform, but has since downplayedthemsinceflip-floppingonhisstance. So what does this mean for the two candidates?Nationwide,theHispanicpopulation has favored Sen. Obama to McCain 65% to 27% in the latest Gallup poll, a ratio of more than 2-to-1. McCain has made attempts to ameliorate his stance among Latinos, using his maverick image to distance himself from his party. As a whole, however, Latinos see McCain as another Republican, offering no positivesolutiontotheimmigrationproblem. Hispanics have voted Democratic in recent history, and this year looks to be no different. Sen. Obama is leading in the Latino vote in three key battleground states: Nevada, Colorado, and New Mexico, all of which have at leasta10%Latinopopulation.Thesepollshelp giveObamatheleadinthesestates,wherethe races would be much tighter otherwise. Although many Latinos are disillusioned by the lack of national attention on such an essential issue, Latinos are predicted to come in record numbers, in line with all other demographics. With so few days left before November 4th,bothcandidatesneedtomakeaneffortto includeimmigrationintheircampaigns.Many Latinosviewthisastheirnumberoneissueand their votes can heavily depend on.The Latino votecandecidetheelection,anditisbecoming abiggerforceeveryfouryears.Thoseinpolitics should place immigration at the forefront of policydiscussionsandnotattheverybottom.

December 2008 HM Review

The Fourth Wave Feminism A Groundbreaking Presidential Election Challenges Gender Roles and Redefines Feminism

By Aradhna Agarwal

NY Magazine

culture11.com

ver since the 1990’s women activistshavebeenstruggling withtheconflictingfeminist ideologies of theThirdWave and post-feminism. In 1992, RebeccaWalker,aself-proclaimedfeminist defiantly declared in an essay to Ms. Magazine, “I am not a post-feminism feminist. I am theThirdWave.”TheThirdWave of feminism was a response to the post-feminist perception that gender equality had been achievedduringtheSecondWaveofFeminism of the 1960’s and that the ideals of the previouswavesoffeminismhadbecomeexhaustingirrelevancies.Post-feminismideologyisaneasyonetoacceptintoday’sdayand age:morewomenthanmenareenrolledin colleges,typicallyearningbettergrades,and thereareseveralsuccessfulwomengovernors,congresswomen,CEOs,etc.InJanuary ofthisyear,thebeginningoftheprimaryseason, Karen Von Hahn claimed,“It’s official: Feminism is out of style,”in response to her daughter’sindifferencetowardstheprospect of a Hillary Clinton presidency. The postfeminist,thirdwaveclashhasbeenbrought totheforefrontduringthe2008presidential 43

HM Review December 2008

raceleavingmanytowonderwhetherpostfeminismwillreigninthefuture,orwhether afourthwaveoffeminismisonthehorizon. Roughly150yearsofscatteredfeministmovementsproducedagroundbreaking, yet painstakingly controversial leader inHillaryClinton.Eventhoughattimesshe ran an impossibly inept and at times nega-

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it to win it, and she nearly did. She made a myriadofmistakes,butthebiggestonewas underestimatingthefreshmansenatorofIllinois–BarackObama–whohaddiscreetly, under the Clinton radar, created a massive grassroots campaign machine of his own. AftercarelesslysaturatingIowawithheavy swathsofmoneythrustintoadvertisements

It is undeniable that Clinton has shaken the political landscape along gender lines and created a mantle for herself in history.

December 2008 HM Review

andevents,Clintoncameinashockingthird place. In a single night, her protective cape ofinvincibilityhadsomehowbeenwrested from her steel grip only to be thrown over tothetriumphantObama.Howthen,inthe New Hampshire primary, a mere five days later,didshemanagetorecoverfromanear double digit point poll deficit to pull in a comfortablewin?Well,shewasinittowinit. Therewasaquiet,yetmassivemovementofvoters,specificallywomenvoters,in thosefivedaystowardsClinton’scamp.New Hampshirevotersmanagedtomajorlyflip offthemainstreammediapunditswho,with someapparentglee,seemedtoprematurely prance around Clinton’s political grave. Already they were questioning, after merely one caucus state, when her demise would finally settle. “Do you want to know who they’reblamingforwomenvotersbreaking for Hillary Clinton over Barack Obama?”

Women in Politics Senate Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi, left, and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice are two prominent female politicians. wordpress.com

tivecampaign,itisundeniablethatshehas thoroughlyshakenthepoliticallandscape along gender lines and created a mantle for herself in history. Sarah Palin, a direct beneficiary of Hillary Clinton’s struggle, has become the forefront female figure in Americanpoliticsforthemoment,though that could easily change depending on the outcome of the election. Regardless, on both sides of the aisle this election has been filled with unpredictable moments, ragingpassion,andheart-wrenchingspectaclesleavingmuchtoponderforthefuture. It’shardtobelievethatayearagoHillary Clinton was the“presumptive”democratic nominee and that Sarah Palin was nonexistenttomostoftheworld(yes,even to Russia). During the time of Hillary Clinton’sunquestionedinevitabilitywhenshe– awoman–heldtheforcesofthestatusquo, Americans were forced for the first time to seriouslyimaginehoworwhetherawoman presidencywouldaffectthefutureofthenation any differently than if she were a man. Shewastheclose-enough-to-perfectwoman candidateforthethird-wave/second-wave feminists;thoughhawkishandtriangulating in nature, she was also resilient, prochoice, politically astute, and wonkish in policy. To post-feminists however, Hillary Clinton held no dire symbolism. Hillary Clinton wasn’t the first woman to run for president;MargaretSmith,ShirlyChislom, and Charlene Mitchell were among those who had run before, but all failed to win a single primary or pose a significant threat toobtainingthenomination.Chargingfull force into the 2008 presidential race with a mammoth size resume, a campaign behemoth of a machine, and simple, raw ambition, it was clear that Hillary Clinton was in

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quipped Rachel Maddow of MSNBC on the New Hampshire primary night. Pointing a finger at Chris Matthews (a MSNBC pundit as well) she said,“They’re blaming you,ChrisMatthews… as a symbol of what the mainstream media has done to Hillary Clinton.”Many would say that the virulent commentary was a simple dislike for HillaryClintonasopposedtogeneraldislikefor women, but regardless, at times, the vitriol came in a package adorned with stark epithetsofsexism.Itwasofnodivulgencethat there were some nut-jobs and right-wing professionalClintonhatersthathadspewed sexism before with everything from“Bros beforeHoes”t-shirtsto527groupswiththe name Citizens United notTimid.What was astonishing was how the mainstream media was infiltrated with similar (though of course,lessderogatory)sentiments.Several punditsoftendescribedClintoninblatantly offensive language by calling her a “shedevil”, or comparing her to a“strip-teaser”; languagethatwasnotappliedtoothercandidates. “I had in the back of my mind that I would consider voting for her just to piss the media off,”wrote a blogger on theTalking Points Memo website. Feminists of the thirdandsecondwaverose,asifpreviously dormant,tojab“I-told-you-so’s”atthepost-

feminists.GloriaSteinem,theco-founderof being ruthlessly negative, the 3 AM ad had a roaring crowd.“You can be so proud that, the Women’s Media center, in response to restructured the race inTexas to one of na- from now on, it will be unremarkable for a thepost-Iowacommentarywrote,“Women tionalsecurity.TheTexasvotersthensawher woman to win primary state victories, unareneverfront-runners”asthetitleofherop- asmorequalifiedtobecommander-in-chief remarkabletohaveawomaninacloserace ed piece to the NewYorkTimes.There were thanObama–aremarkableachievementfor to be our nominee, unremarkable to think plentyofpivotalmomentsofthosefivedays afemalecandidate.Clintonalsosomehow, that a woman can be the President of the including Clinton being heckled at a rally in the face of impending defeat, managed UnitedStates.Andthatistrulyremarkable.” with“Iron my Shirt”posters and her being to redefine herself as the tough, scrappy, Aroundthreemonthslater,JohnMcaskedduringadebatewhethershewaslik- working-classhero.DespiteFoxNews’Marc Cain shocked the political world by choosableenough(towhichshejokinglyreplied Rudov’s strident harping that“white men ing Sarah Palin, the folksy governor from “Well,thathurtsmyfeelings.”);however,the won’t vote for Hillary Clinton because she Alaska and former beauty queen, to be his primedefiningmomentwaswhenshelost remindsthemoftheirnaggingwives,”itwas running mate. Though she was instantly herusual,rigidcomposureandtearedupin white working-class men and women vot- hated among those of the left, she had an a coffee shop sit down with voters. Head- erswhocontinuouslypropelledClintonto aptitudeforconnectingwiththevotersthat lines and disparaging comthe GOP ticket needed. A mentaryappellationssuchas fervent social conservative “It cries,”“Tears at work not with an 80% approval ratrecommended,” and “Stop ing in her home state, she thepresses,HillaryClintonis excitedtheevangelicalbase arealhumanbeing”flooded of the Republican Party and in only to be rebuffed a day appealedtoseveralindepenlater by the New Hampshire dent voters. However, she voters. It was a stunning and also came gun-shy to press defining victory not just beinterviews, a thin resume, cause it was the first primary andanabusivepowerscandal ever to be won by a woman leavingtheRepublicanParty candidate, but for the way apprehensiveofherabilities in which she won it. After to beVice President.“I didn’t the primary Chris Matthews blinkthen,evenwhenasked muttered on his show,“I will to run as [John McCain’s] never underestimate [Hillrunning mate,”she said conary Clinton] ever again.” fidently in a rare interview The race went on, and with Charlie Gibson of ABC. the media fervor died down In her prime-time convenfor the moment. However tionspeechdebut,Palinmowordpress.com afterClinton’slessthanspecmentarily eased the appretacular showing on Super hensionsofRepublicans,by Tuesday and her 11 straight viciously attacking Obama, lossesinFebruary,itwasclear Feminist Buttons Above, buttons supporting the cause of positioningherselfasaWashthatBarackObamawasdes- feminism. Women have long labored to be treated equally ingtonoutsider,andcasting tined to be the nominee by herself as the average “pitsimplemathofthedelegate bullinlipstickhockeymom.” system.ThemediahypeandcallsforHillary victory. Even though Clinton and Obama TheMcCain-Palinticketlefttheconvention Clinton to drop out reemerged, but much endedtheprimaryseasonwithadifference with Palin as the Republican superstar and to the outrage of her critics, she soldiered of less than 1% in the popular vote, the del- a renewed excitement for the Republican on,winningstateafterstatebyunexpected egatemathwasinsurmountableforClinton. Party. Election Day prospects seemed less margins. “Clinton should get out now,” Four days after the last primary, she gave a dim as the McCain-Palin ticket leaped to a wroteJonathanAlterblatantlytoNewsweek rousing concession speech with a ringing leadinthepolls.Palinhadcapturedthetreabefore the Ohio-Texas primaries. It was endorsement for Obama. For the first time suredauraofinvincibility.Shewasattracting unprecedented for the news media to call intheoverayear-longcampaign,shepower- major crowds to rallies and creating effersomeoneoutoftheracewhenthedelegate fully indulged in a bit of feminist rhetoric.“I vescencethatgeneratedmillionsofdollars and popular vote margin was so close. Ken know there are still barriers and biases out incampaigncontributionsfrompreviously Rudin of National Public Radio petulantly there, often unconscious… Let us resolve hesitant conservatives. She could do no described Hillary Clinton “as Glenn Close andworktowardachievingsomeverysim- wrong;nothing–theabusivepowerscandal, from Fatal Attraction.”In the weeks before ple propositions:There are no acceptable herfamilytroubles,orherlackofwillingness the Ohio-Texas primaries, her campaign limitsandtherearenoacceptableprejudices to talk with the press – seemed to hurt her. reformulatedtheraceinmanyways.Albeit inthetwenty-firstcentury,”shedeclaredto Conservativescommentatorscouldbarely 45

HM Review December 2008

contain their gushing, many calling her a “post-feminist”icon.“We got the babe on the ticket,” said Rush Limbaugh, a rightwing radio host. It was not until the financialmarketscollapseddidtheperceptions ofthevoterschange.Aseconomybecame the forefront issue, and the McCain-Palin ticketwasunabletoprovideaclearsolution towardsthecrises,votersenmassemoved decisively to Obama-Biden campaign. A recent NBC/WSJ poll found that about 30% of voters saw her as the greatest concern in voting for McCain while only 23% foundGeorgeBushasthegreatestconcern. Many of the second-wave/third wave feminists who supported Clinton duringtheprimarieswereappalledbythe selection of Palin, and furious with Palin’s attempt to seize the baton from Hillary Clinton. “The real reason many women wereexcitedaboutHillaryClinton’scandidacyisthatshewasthewholepackage--a politician with a solid record on issues like choice and fair pay, and with a lot of experience, who was also a woman,”said Ann Friedman to the American Prospect. Besidesfromthefactthattheyarebothambitious women, Palin and Clinton truly share very little in common: Clinton is a democrat,pro-choice,andaformerlawyerwhile Palin is a strict conservative, pro-life, and a formersportsnewscaster.Palinhasanaction figurewhileClintonhasanutcracker.Palin, whohadoncecalledClinton’srepudiation ofsexism“whining”,nonsensicallydecried sexismatthehintofanypressprobing.True, questionsthatconnectedherabilitytolead to that of her family life were unfair; however,suddenly,anyformofquestioningher credentialshadbecomesexist,apparently leavingreasonableandimportantquestions aboutherabusivepowerscandal,lackofforeignpolicyexperience,andotherpolicypositions off limits.The tactic worked briefly, untillingeringquestionsonceshroudedby theebulliencerefusedtobeignoredasthefinancialmarketscollapsed.WhenPalinfinally participated in interviews she fumbled; shewasunabletosuitablyexplaintheBush doctrine, the economic situation, or her own foreign policy credentials. The question then became whether the press was treating Sarah Palin too lightly.“She has to provethatshecanspeakinanormalEnglish sentence,”saidaCNNpunditindefiningthe expectationsSarahPalinneededtoreachfor the vice presidential debate. Even though December 2008 HM Review

kodiakkonfidential.blogspot.com

Sarah Palin, Woman Female politicians have always been objectified by the general populace, for the most part unlike their male counterparts. sheexceededherlowexpectationsduring the debate, Palin often veered off topic to spout talking points, and at times seemed to flirt with the camera.“Can you imagine thereactionofthepresscorpsifClintonhad given the audience a “hiya, sailor” wink?” wondered Richard Cohen of theWashington post.“What if [Clinton] had shown that she didn’t know squat about the Constitution, if she could not tell Katie Couric what newspapersormagazinesshereadorifshe hadclaimedanintimacywithforeignaffairs based on sighting Russia through binoculars?”JudithWarner of the NewYorkTimes argues, “Women will truly have arrived when the most mediocre will be able to do just as well as the most mediocre men… by this standard, the watershed event for women this year was not Hillary Clinton’s near ascendancy to the top of the democratic ticket, but Sarah Palin’s nomination as Republican No. 2.”According to a poll of women voters taken by Blue andWeprin, if Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin were to be candidates in 2012, Hillary Clinton would win by a 2-1 margin. Clinton was seen as betterabletobecommander-in-chiefby48 pointsandbetterathandingtheeconomy by 40 points. True, women voters tend to lean democratic, but the margins were sizable enough to reach across party lines. In

a sense, Clinton had set an extremely high standard that Palin had trouble grazing. Today, Hillary Clinton has done around 65 events and raised well over $10 milliondollarsforObamawhileSarahPalin continuestorunalongsideMcCain.Thereis nodoubtthatthishasbeenoneofthemost fascinating elections in American history and an especially significant one for women. The Washington Post called 2008“the year of women.”So where does feminism go from here? It’s difficult to say in the currentmuddleofthepre-Electiondayfervor. What has been clear during this election is thatmanywomenhavenotfeltthenecessity to vote on the basis of gender; that in it of itself is a major milestone for the feminist movement. Yet even though it is doubtful that sexism was the primary reason for Clinton’s or Palin’s respective downfall, it is abundantlyclearthatsexismisstillpresent and at times rampant in our society leaving the ideals of post-feminism under appropriate question.“There is no postfeminism—that’slikesayingpost-democracy,” saidGloriaSteinemtoNewYorkMagazine. Au contraire to KarenVon Haun’s assertion that feminism is out of style, the 2008 electionhasprovedthatfeminismisverymuch alive, and that post-feminism ideology remains just that– an ideology, not a reality. 46

Just a Normal President Mr. Chief Executive vs. Mr. Nice Neighbor: Who Wins?

zimbio.com

By Antonia Woodford

Regular Guy Barack Obama emphasized the importance of the common person and average American in his campaign.

anaging a country with a $13 trillion GDP, 300 million inhabitants, and oneofthemostpowerful militaries in the world is a dauntingtask–especiallywhenthatcountry is embroiled in two wars, facing enormous debt,andlosingitsinternationalinfluence. One would hope, therefore, to be able to entrustthatresponsibilitytosomeoneeminentlyqualifiedandextraordinarilycapable. Yetstrangelyenough,fromtheverybeginningofthishistoricelectoralcampaign,presidentialcontendershavefelttheneedtoprojectanimageofordinariness.Followingthe examplesetbycandidatesinpastelections, theyhavesoughttoconnectwithvotersby portrayingthemselvesas“average”people thatAmericansmightwanttohangoutwith. Thistrendwasespeciallyvisibleduring the Democratic primaries, when sena47

tors Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton wenttogreatlengthstowooworking-class voters. Both were educated at Ivy-League universities and could presumably emphasize that they have the knowledge and vision necessary to lead the nation. Instead,theysuccumbedtothefearthatvoters would automatically equate detailed policyideaswithsnobbishintellectualism. As early as July 2007, months before the primaries even began, Obama was accusedof“elitism”foraremarkhemadeabout arugula.Whilediscussingagriculturepolicy with farmers in Iowa, he asked, “Anybody gone intoWhole Foods lately and see what they charge for arugula?”He was trying to sympathizewithfarmerswhowerenotbeing paidmorefortheircropsdespitesurgingfood pricesinstores.Conservativemediaoutlets, however,werescathing.OntheWashington gossipblogWonkette,Obamawaslabeleda “super rich Ivy-League elitist.”Obama had “madeitclearthathesometimesforgetshe is not in his intellectually and financially affluentsectionofChicago’sKenwoodneighborhood,” the Chicago Tribune reported. After that, it seems, Obama learned his lesson. In March 2008, as the primaries wereheatingupinPennsylvania,hetriedto improve voters’opinions of him by spendingacasualSaturdayeveningbowling.The result? He scored a laughably low score of 37.Clearly,Obamahadnotbeenpracticing hisbowlingskills;bowlingwasnothistypicalweekendentertainment.Butwhyshould it be? As he jokingly told the crowd, “My economic plan is better than my bowling.” Howoftenthecandidatesfrequentbowling lanesisinnowayindicativeoftheirvisionor capability for running the country.While it isreasonableforthemtobuildafriendlyrapport with voters, they should not feel compelled to modify their behavior artificially in order to seem more “down-to-earth.” Clinton,meanwhile,triedtodemonstrateshewasnotcoldoruptightbydowning shotsofwhiskeyinanIndianabarthisApril.

“Shehasfinallylearnedwhatcampaigning for president is all about,”wrote a blogger on the website Politico. Clinton, who consistently maintained an edge over Obama among blue-collar voters, also brought up memoriesoftimeshespentinworking-class Scranton,Pennsylvania.AfterObamamade acommentabout“bitter”voterswho“cling to guns or religion,”she spoke about learningtoshootinScranton,wherehergrandfather used to work at a lace mill. Clinton said she had shot a duck as a first lady in Arkansas and that she supported hunters’rights. ObamaandClintonwerenotthefirst to adopt new mannerisms to court voters. Eversincethemid-19th century, presidential candidates have cultivated public images that contrast with their often upperclassupbringing.InherbookPackagingthe Presidency, Kathleen Hall Jamieson traces this trend back to the 1840 campaign of William Henry Harrison, who was elected the 9th U.S. President. Though Harrison wasthesonofagovernorandowned2,000 acres and a mansion inVirginia, he created a rustic image for himself that appealed to rural voters. Woodcuts distributed by his campaign showed him living on the frontier in a log cabin. He became known as the “log cabin and hard cider” candidate, with his Whig supporters marching in processions carrying miniature log cabins andservinghardcideratcampaignevents. More recently, George H.W. Bush in 1988 and George W. Bush in 2000 both triedtominimizetheirprivilegeandeducation. Bush Sr. was born into a wealthy Massachusettsfamily,attendedprivateschool, andgraduatedfromYaleUniversity. Onthe campaign trail, this background proved to be a liability: he was perceived as a “preppie elitist”and a“wimp,”investigative journalism blog Consortium News reported. Bushundercutthisimagebymakingpublic displays of drinking beer, throwing horseshoes, and eating pork rinds. “Shedding his elite image, Bush climbed into the cab HM Review December 2008

December 2008 HM Review

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of an 18-wheeler and took it for a creaky ride. He put on a blue ski jacket and cap and tossed snowballs,” the Boston Globe reported. Bush even kept a hotel suite in Texas so that he could be a Texan resident as opposed to a resident of the Northeast. Like his father, GeorgeW. Bush grew up rich and had Ivy-League academic credentials (Harvard and Yale). Yet in 2000, he avoided alienating the working class bwy acting like an unsophisticated, laidbackTexanrancherthatvoterswouldenjoy having a beer with. By contrast, Al Gore, the Democratic nominee in 2000 and also a Harvard graduate, was characterized as overly intellectual and removed from the everydayexperiencesoftypicalAmericans. In his successful 1992 campaign, Bill Clinton highlighted his childhood in the small town of Hope, Arkansas in a “Man FromHope”videoshownattheDemocratic convention.Thevideoquiteexplicitlyrepudiated notions that Clinton, a graduate of Georgetown and Oxford Universities and YaleLawSchool,wasdifferentthanaverage voters. “Some people think that Bill must havebeenbornwealthyandraisedwealthy, youknow?Well,insteadofbeingbornwith a silver spoon in his mouth, he was really born into a house that had an outhouse in the backyard,” his wife Hillary attested. Voters also learned that Clinton, far from being a gourmand, was a fan of Big Macs. As the criticisms of Gore and Obama show, the charge of “elitism” has come to besomethingusedmostlybyRepublicans againstDemocrats.AsNewYorkTimescolumnistDavidBrooksexplainedinaneditorial,“Overthepastfewdecades,theRepublicanPartyhasdrivenawaypeoplewholive in cities, in highly educated regions and on thecoasts….Republicanpoliticaltacticians decided to mobilize their coalition with a form of social class warfare….The liberals had coastal condescension, so the conservatives developed their own anti-elitism.” Sarah Palin, senator John McCain’s vice-presidential running mate on the 2008 Republican ticket, represents the culmination of politicians’obsession with being run-of-the-mill people. Palin’s politicalexperienceamountsto22monthsas governor of Alaska and six years as mayor of Wasilla, a town with roughly 6,300 residents. While Obama has had to make the pitch that he is both seasoned enough to leadandabletorelatetovoters,Palinisrun-

Hockey Mom Sarah Palin stressed her image of the ‘hockey mom’ this past election; presenting herself as the average American mother. ningontheassumptionthatbeingatypical “hockey mom”is some type of leadership credential.Shehastakencandidates’yearnings to be ordinary to a whole new level. Whenspeaking,Palinrelentlesslyalludes to her status as a“hockey mom”and triestoreinforceherimageasananti-elitist. “Oh, yeah, it's so obvious I'm aWashington outsider,”she told Democratic vice-presidentialnomineeJoeBidenduringtheOctober2,2008vice-presidentialdebate.“Here you voted for the war and now you oppose the war,” she said, referring to the war in Iraq. “Americans are craving that straight talk,”shecontinued.Palinbelievesthatshe isuniquelyqualifiedbecauseofherso-called “straighttalk,”andshelittersherspeechwith folksy slang like “doggone it,”“gosh darn,” and “heck of a lot.” “Say it ain’t so, Joe!” she exclaimed at one point in the debate. Palin identifies herself as part of a “middle-class,average,everydayAmerican family”and implies, each time she restates this, that Obama and Biden are not.“I think we need a little bit of reality from Wasilla MainStreetthere,broughttoWashington, D.C.,”she said, vowing that she and McCain

wouldbattlethecorruptelitesinWashington. What is most troubling about Palin is that she seems to view anyone with more leadership experience than she as an“elitist.” She has criticized the media for being too harsh about her lack of credentials and has portrayed the Democratic ticket as out-of-touch with the “Joe Sixpacks” that populate America. Conveniently enough, she declines to mention the fact that McCain is a longstanding Washington insider and is so wealthy that he cannotrememberhowmanyhousesheowns. Palingenuinelyappearstobetheordinary“hockey mom”that she bills herself as.ButObama,andpresidentialcontenders ingeneral,shouldnotaspiretosuchastatus. ObamashouldnotattempttobetheAmericaneveryman,completewithacowboyhat to match GeorgeW. Bush’s.To do so would be ridiculous and contrived. Voters have saidthattheyareunhappywiththestateof thenationandneedacompetentleaderto take the reins. Isn’t it time that our candidatesstoptryingtoseemaveragewhenthey have the capacity for something greater?

Negative Campaigns

www.cnn.com

The Victor Barack Obama (D-IL) came out on top in an election filled with negative campaigning.

By Starlyte Harris

uringthe2008presidential elections,campaignshave spent tens of millions of dollarsforcampaignadvertisements. This is because the ads serve as key outlets for communication from the candidates to the American public.Though the commercials have 49

thirty seconds or less to make an impact on the viewer, campaigns as early as 1952, have mastered the art of quickly capturing the viewers’ attention and keeping them engagedfortheadvertisement’sduration. By using the same fundamental strategies andmessagesfrom1952thatwonoverthe American people, Democrats and Republicans in 2008 use political ads to persuade the American public. Because 2008 campaigns use more negative ads than that of

1952, the current Democratic and Republicancampaignshavebeenmoreeffective. The campaigns of the current presidentialhopefulshaverecycledmaterialused in the 1958 campaign. There are antecedents for most commercials that have aired this presidential candidate season. One of the more blatant reuses of material is any one of Barack Obama’s commercials notingchange.InEisenhower’s“TheManfrom Abilene,” he says, “It’s time for a change.” HM Review December 2008

This is essentially the backbone of Barack Obama’smessagetoAmerica.Themessage hasbeeneffectiveforObamasofar.Though McCain has also adopted this hopeful message, many Americans still associate “Change”withObama.Inthisway,Obama’s campaign mimics that of Eisenhower. Thegoalofaneffectivecampaignad is to strike a chord in the hearts of Americans.Since1952,candidateshaverecycled commonstrategiestoaccomplishthisgoal. Repetition, such as jingles or slogans, allows the viewer to better remember the commercial’smessage.Usingsyntax,long orshortsentences,todiscussanideaallows foreffectivecommunicationwiththeviewers. For example, in McCain’s “2013” he usesshortsentencestoengagethereader. Manipulatinglanguageisalsoakeyelement in a successful commercial. For example, in Obama’s“Country I love”the candidate uses words such as“blessed”and“values” in order to convey his message of peace. This careful word choice paints a serene picture of him in the minds of the voters. Music also influences the ad’s feel. For example, in McCain’s“Global”the candidate usessinistermusicwhiledepictingObama, but uses light music when showing McCain.Thiscreatesafeelingofuneasinessfor Obama and a sense of security for McCain. In both parties’ campaign ads of 1952 and 2008, the candidates were able to portray their communication skills as well as political positions. The ads allow the candidate to establish a connection withtheviewerthatcannotbeestablished through other forms of media, such as a

“

www.cnn.com

Low Blows These two television ads display the main criticisms the two candidates had of each other. www.cnn.com

image for the reader to remember. During McCain’s “Global” commercial,however,viewersare drawn to the screen right at the startofthecommercialbecauseof thesinisterimageofthegaspump and the electronic dance music. The reader is drawn in because the music and imagery are out of the ordinary line up of serene commercialsadvertisingdomesticproducts. Likewise, Obama’s“100 years”commercial uses images and sound from the Iraq war in order to intrigue the reader. Both commercials are successful because they manipulatetheviewer’ssensesandemotions. Theimageryconjuresupemotionsofanger anddistress,bothofwhicharememorable. Negativeadshaveenhancedeach currentcandidate’scampaignbecausetheir images and text bring about lots of attention from the media. This is one goal of 2008campaignadsandwasthegoalofthe 1952 political ads. This campaign season, however, John McCain has been accused

Judging by the number of questionably accurate ads, political advertising is not moving in the right direction.

debate. Unlike through a speech or debatesession,candidatescanpresentthemselves using commonality and activity. The2008politicaladvertisementsare moreeffectivethanthoseof1952werebecausethe2008advertisementsengagethe viewer more. For example, Eisenhower’s 1952add“IkeforPresident”allowstheaudiencetobepassiveviewerswhilelisteningto thejingle.Thepictureisdullwithnolasting December 2008 HM Review

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of stretching the truth too far. His commercials, “Troops” and “Pump” portray questionable messages. For example, “Pump” says that Obama “is to blame for high gas prices.”Obama,however,isnotthesolereasonthepricesarehigh.Themediahasbeen houndingMcCainaboutthesefalseads.St. Petersburg Times ran an editorial, “Campaign of lies disgraces McCain.” The Chicago Tribune’s Steve Chapman wrote,“To McCain the truth is expendable.” Former

BushstrategistKarlRoveevensaid,thatMcCainis“runningthesleaziest,mostdishonestcampaigninhistory.”Thesecriticismsare importantbecausetheyshedlightuponan important issue. The question is whether the 2008 elections have moved in the right directionfrompreviouscampaigns,suchas that of 1952 (which lacked negative ads). Judging by the number of McCain’s and Obama’s questionably accurate campaign ads, political advertising is not moving in the right direction. The focus of the ads should be to show the American people the honest candidate who is ready to lead America. The slimier these ads become, however, the more convoluted and vague the candidates’messages become. The election, therefore, is becoming a contest of who can dig up the most amount of dirt (negative history) on the competition. Presidential candidates, however, shouldearnvotesthehonestway.Thehonest path is to follow the straightforward messages and campaigning style of 1952. Only the 2008 presidential outcome will tell which campaign used ads mosteffectively.Anygoodcampaignplays ontheopponent’svulnerabilities,butwhat happens when, such as in McCain’s ads, the truth becomes irrelevant?Though the political advertisements of 2008 are more effective than those of 1952, the question now changes to where the line should the line be drawn between truth and fiction. 50

Endorsements

Barack Obama By James Yaro

In Iraq, Senator Obama plans to undertakeasystematicwithdrawalofmostof thetroops. Hewillwithdrawoneortwobrihange we can believe in. gadesamonth,sothatby2010,onlyapeaceBarack Obama’s slogan tells keeping advisory force will remain in the all. The current United States country. Until this point, Iraqis have been presidencyhasbeenafailure. confidentinthefactthattheUSwillprotect Eventhemostcursoryglance them,andhavebeenmovingtooslowlytoat the United States shows the immense wardsfullcontrolovertheirgovernment.By problemsAmericaisfacing. UnderGeorge removingUStroops,andusinganadvisory Bush,America’snationaldebthasincreased forcetohelpdeveloptheIraqisecurityforces, by $4.63 trillion, and America continues to theprocessofachievingfullautonomyofthe maintain the incredibly costly miliIraqigovernmentwillbeaccelerated. tary presence in Iraq. It is difficult to NY Magazine These are only two of many rationalizewhyonewouldconsider important issues for which Obama votingforJohnMcCain,who’spolitiisprovidingviablesolutions,which calandeconomicpoliciesareremarkwill positively affect the US governably similar to the president’s, and mentandwillprovidebenefitsforall whohasevenstatedthathehasvoted Americans. Obama will undertake with Bush 90% of the time. Electing reforms which will benefit the US McCain would simply prolong the citizen,whileMcCainwillonlymainfailed policies of Bush, and could tainthestatusquo,tothedetriment lead to the ruin of the American way of the US citizen. Obama is young, of life as we know it. There needs to fresh,anddifferentfromthestiffcabe a change in leadership, and the reerpoliticianswhohavecomefrom only man who is willing to undera long line of wealthy families, such takethesechangesisBarackObama. as McCain’s. McCain is the son and DuringBush’stenure,therehas grandsonofAdmirals,Obamaisselfbeen a severe economic recession, Yes We Did Obama won the election through made.Wecannotletthebig-business causedbyderegulationofthefinanphilosophy of McCain lead the US cial sector, leading to the collapse of his message of hope and change. into another Great Depression, nor themortgagemarket. Furthermore, McCain has voted 90% of the time in sup- gagemarket. Intermsofbroadereconomic can we let Bush’s ludicrous tax cuts, which portofBush’sagenda,votinginfavorofthe reform, he is firmly in support of updating only benefit the top 1% of the population, 2002, 2005, 2006 and 2007 fiscal year bud- the regulation of the financial markets. He worsen our national debt. The great presigets, which included spending of $9.8 tril- intends to streamline the various regula- dents of our country have been those who lion. McCainisproposingtocontinuethese tory agencies, such as the Securities and werewillingtobringaboutchange.Franklin economicprograms.RegardingIraq,hissite ExchangeCommision,inordertominimize Rooseveltwasabletobringthecountryout states“He[McCain]stronglydisagreeswith thenumberofagenciesregulatingacompa- ofthegreatesteconomicrecessionourcounthosewhoadvocatewithdrawingAmerican nywithdiversifiedinterests. Asaresult,the try has ever seen, while Lyndon B. Johnson troops.” McCain believes that we should processofidentifying,preventingandpro- undertookhisGreatSocietyreformswhich maintainthestatusquoinIraq,continuing tectingagainstriskybehaviors,suchasspec- dramatically improved the quality of life in to bankrupt the American people at an es- ulation, will be greatly simplified, so that it the US, for a large segment of society. This timatedrateofaround$12billionamonth. will be far less likely that instances such as isanothertimeforchange,andchangecan Barack Obama, on the other hand, thesub-primemortgagecrisiscouldoccur. only come from one man, Barack Obama.

has viable proposals to resolve the major problemsconfrontingthecurrentgovernment. Oneofhispremiergoalsistoaddress the problems which have caused the currenteconomicrecession. Inresponsetothe weaknessinthesubprimemortgagemarket, in his “Blueprint for Change”plan, he proposes to mandate that all homeowners be abletoseeacompletelistoftheirmortgage options. Furthermore, he has supported the passage of acts to prevent mortgage fraudandcreatetransparencyinthemort-

HM Review December 2008

John McCain By Hill Wyrough

economywithmoreandmoretaxincreases on spenders, consumers, and business. Increasingtaxesduringarecessionisunheard ith two weeks to go of a of. Furthermore, a staple of McCain’s ecocampaign for the Presinomic policy is to reform the corporate tax dency that seemed to rates. Currently, the corporate tax rate in last for years (maybe the US is one of the highest in the world at because it almost did), 35%. McCain by lowering the rate to 25% Americans are making a choice. A choice is not giving breaks and cuts to just the between the better of the two candidates. huge corporations like the oil companies, As far as I am concerned, the better of the but to every corporation. This will stimutwo is Senator John S. McCain of Arizona. late business and create jobs, but He presents himself, and I Esquire Magazine mostimportantlydoallthosethings believe him to be, the more reliable, in the United States, and begin to savvy, consistent, and experienced curb problems of outsourcing. Mccandidatethanhisopponent,thejuCain presents a vision of economic niorSenatorBarackObama.McCain recoverysuperiortothatofObama. hasdemonstratedawealthofpatrioInregardstointernationalecotismandzealforthiscountry,serving nomics,Obamacontinueswithgross dutifully for 23 years in the military errors in his plans. Barack Obama is and 28 years together in the House chokingtradewithhisreluctanceto and in the Senate. His experience fully support NAFTA and the Cocannot be argued with, while that lombianFreeTradeAgreement.Part of his opponent is less than stellar. of the road to long-term economic Obamahascitedthathisexperiences prosperityisglobalfreetrade.Senaextends further then his time in the tor McCain wholeheartedly supSenate; according to him, he has the ports these trading blocs, Obama experience of running of a nationdoesnotforsomereasonbecausehe widecampaign,sothatqualifieshim A Tough Defeat McCain was unable to stem wants towaitforsomeidealthatwont to be President. I don’t consider that the tide of Democratic victories in 2008. come for quite a bit of time.This will somethingtoputonthehisrésumé.I further out economic depression will give him credit, he is a fantastic, eloquent,inspiringspeaker,butthenagain workingpeople,especiallyinthiseconomic if we sit and watch countries like Canada sowerealloftheworld’sworstknowndicta- environment. Sen. McCain wants to keep sign deals with Colombia while we wait. Undoubtedly the Energy situation tors and tyrants. This topic is not of ques- the Bush tax cuts already in place so he can keep money in the hands of the people who of this country is a matter of utmost imtion,simplyputMcCainhastheknow-how. AndIdon’tthink havingaPresidentusinga knowbestwhattodowithit,andthatmeans portanceandthecurrentPresidenthasnot learn-as-I-gomethodisthebestideawhen you.The last thing we need is an economy done an adequate job of addressing it. Althe country is facing such great problems. burdenedwithrestrictivetaxingoncorpo- thoughthecandidatesdon’tdiffertoomuch Taken from the backburners and rations and people alike. McCain supports on the topic, McCain offers more. McCain thrusttotheforefrontofthecampaign,the whatthelateJohnF.Kennedymeantwhen does not believe it is the solution, but as a Fiscal Crisisandthemeanderingeconomy he said“A rising tide lifts all the boats.”Mc- temporaryreliefandtoendourdependence isahottopicofdebate.Sen.McCainhasthe Cainispreparedtokeepmoneyliquidated on foreign oil, off-shore drilling is a necesmoreappropriateanswerthanhiscounter- and flowing, with tax cuts across the board sity. And even though oil and other new part. The country to put it most simply is while Obama while further freeze up the fuel sources are still a long way off starting

December 2008 HM Review

suffering from a credit crisis and money is notexactlyflowing.Sen.Obamaisproposing new federal tax increases on working familiesmakinganymorethan$250,000or $125,000perworkingperson.Stateandlocaltaxesaddedtothathitanaveragetaxrate of 54% in New York State for example. So themarginalincome,orthenextdollar,that personearnsisgoingtobemorethanhalved and given to the government.That is quite a disincentive to give to a large number of

the drilling will drive the prices lower and start us on the right path. He is offering tax breakstocorporationsresearchinganddeveloping“green”technologies.Whatreally sets him apart from this counterpart and what defines him on this topic is Nuclear Energy. He supports the only perfectly carbon emission free energy source and is willing to subsidize 45 new plants. Other countries, such as France, have shown us it can be safe, and it has a massive benefitinreducinggreenhousegasemissions. Diplomacy and international relations is another area where there isn’t a question. Sen. John S. McCain outclasses Obama. By now the diplomatic internationalcommunitybetterhaverealizedthat sitting down and trying to negotiate withoutpreconditionswithwaywardcountries like Iran is fruitless. It is time for increased pressure by way of economic and political sanctionsuntiltheychangetheiraggressive ways, then talks can ensue. Sen. McCain wants to present a stronger front, proposing a“League of Democracies”to collaborate and build consensus among democratic countries. McCain offers a strong, multilateralapproachthatwillshowresults. And Obama is offering simply and only increased involvement in the UN and NATO. On top of that, Barack Obama has no experience in foreign affairs, this is clear. Senator McCain has a two decade long track recordinCongresstomanifesthisknowhow. On the issue of Iraq, the question is notwhetheritwasarightdecisiontostartin thefirstplace.Thatdecisionhasalreadybeen made.SenatorObamaisofferinguptimetablesforwithdrawalofIraqwithin16months. This is a ludicrous ideal that will most likely notcome tofruitionifhetakesoffice.Senator McCain recognizes that a premature withdrawal will leave Iraq as a hotbed for anti-Americanterrorismandchaosthatwill follow us home.This would be totally irresponsible.Weneedtoestablishdemocracy andpeaceonthegroundbeforetimetables are established in Iraq. Calling it quits and leavingtheentirecountrytoitsowndevices would be a disservice to the entire world. Neithercandidatesprovidecomprehensive solutions to the entire problem of healthcare. It is just too complicated and vast to fully address. But McCain offers a plan that will do the best. Barack Obama is changingthepolicytowardstheuninsured and keeping the insured untouched. He 53

planstoforcecompaniestoprovidehealthcare to its employees or pay a penalty. He has yet to define this penalty, telling us we don’tneedtoknowuntiltheelectionisover. And his website defines his health care as a Canadian style health care.This has many unintendedconsequences.Smallbusiness don’tskipoutonhealthcareprovisionsbecause they don’t want to, its is mainly because they can not afford it. Obama will in essencejustmakethesesmallbusinesspay thepenaltywhenprovidinghealthcareisn’t afeasibleoption.Also,whatistostopcorporations on just skipping out on health care andjustagreeingwithpayingthepenalty? Companieswillleavepeopleouttodryfora smallcost.Also,CanadianStyleHealthcare means rationing, which means a decrease in quality, quantity, and comprehensiveness of healthcare coverage. John McCain makeshealthcaremuchmorepractical.He plans to implement a system of healthcare thatmakeshealthcareportablefromjobto jobandstatetostate.Thiswillmakehealth-

careconsumersindependentofcompany plan. He is also proposing a $5000 rebate and tax on health benefits.What this effectivelydoesiseventhelevelbetweenprovider and buyer in after tax dollars. Although neither candidate has optimal healthcare plans, McCain’s solves more problems while Obama’s remains quite ineffective. BarackObamamightseemfreshand youthful but the man is lock and step with every leftist liberal. He refused to act in a bipartisanmanner,hehasthemostliberalvoting record in the Senate. Yet John McCain hasdemonstratedthroughyearsunderthe spotlight,notbyspeechandrhetoric,thathe is willing to include all ends of the political spectruminthedemocraticprocess.SenatorMcCainoffersupaconservativerealapproachtotheeconomy,foreignaffairs,and thedomesticissuesathome.Thegreenhorn junior Senator from Illinois is ill-versed in many issues and has some key downfalls that deem him unfit to run this nation. And that is why I support John McCain.

Election Results

Barack Obama- Winner Electoral Votes: 365

Popular Vote: 53% 66,882,230

John McCain

Electoral Votes: 173

Popular Vote: 47% 58,343,671

Barack Obama (D-IL) Joe Biden (D-DE)

John McCain (R-AZ) Sarah Palin (R- AK)

HM Review December 2008

SUBSCRIBE to the Horace Mann Review Dear Reader, The Review, Horace Mann’s award winning political journal, is now its 17th volume.We are committedtoexploringpolitics,currentevents,andpublicpolicywithjournalisticintegrity.TheReviewhas beenhonoredwiththeAmericanScholasticPressAssociationawardsforFirstPlacewithSpecialMerit overallandbesthighschoolpoliticalmagazineinthecountry.TheNationalScholasticPressAssociation hasalsopresenteduswiththeir“AllAmerican”statuswithfivespecialmerits,thehighestpossibleranking. This year, subscriptions will cost $35. Checks should be made payable toThe Horace Mann Review.The Review is dedicated to delivering the issues to subscribers in a timely manner.We hope that youtakeadvantageofthisopportunityandsupportoneofHoraceMann’smostimportantpublications. Thank you,

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December 2008 HM Review

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