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Elders Stands Firm on Issues ture linked - teaching responsibility work, and going to vote. than rhetorical flourish. With a comentails teaching morality as well. The fonner surgeon general gave manding voice and enthusiastic hand Elders's notions of "responsibilHE CELEBRATION OF DR. gestures, Elders's presentation was some insight into her Washington exbetray selective application ofher ity" Martin Luther King, Jr.'s periences. As surgeon genown beliefs. She believes funding for birthday brought fonner Sureral, Elders's comments on geon General Joycelyn Elders to the health educations programs will teach studying drug legalization responsibility, yet these words are University of Michigan campus this and other issues were as paired with her proclamation that week. Appearing Monday morning at controversial as her poligovernment should stop teaching Hill Auditorium, Elders spoke with cies in Arkansas, where she morality. She ridicules notions that frankness and passion about the state began public programs insexual education could steer youth "of the nation's youth, King's legacy, cluding condom distributoward sex, -but condemns television and problems facing tOday's society. tion and mv testing. In a for displays of violence and sex on the Speeches by University President shot at the political estabgrounds that young viewers will imiJames Duderstadt and Vice-Provost lishment, she criticized tate what they see. She demands a for Health Affairs Rhetaugh Dumas leaders that she perceived more and more educated populace, as being motivated by pollintroduced both the ~gacy of King but also demands that scarce school and the parallels between him and ing data. Straightforward time be set aside to teach children her the controversial Elders. Duderstadt, and blunt, she proclaimed own brand of government-sponsored noting that King gave the commencethat she "is willing to fight EIdera conv~ed her message at Hili Auditorium. morality - health education regardment address to his Yale class, profor what's right, evep wh~n ing sex. She derides America for not we know we are golng to lose." impressive. She described problems claimed that the U-M was stnving providing an adequate social safety for King's goals through programs and proposed solutions with noticeBold stands on s"ocial issues net, yet fails to note that European like the MiclUgan Mandate. Rhetaugh marked the speech. She flaunted critiable, appreciated enthusiasm; audiru.l.1iomrfollowing her ideal, like riotintroduced parallels between King cism of herself as a "condom queen," ence applause interrupted her speech and Elders: prominent African Ameriseveral times. Elders 'YaB comfort- , foro France, prove that such p~ claiming their use .a lleviated social do not work. Elde1'8's motive of creatable in front of the large crowd (specproblems. Defending her position on cana known for rhetoric and courage, ing unity is laudable; her failure ;0 be tators filled the first balcony and both began secondary education at an studying drug legalization, she stated philosophically consistent is not ground floor of the auditorium) and early age, and both went on to further that the war on drugs placed large King and Elders certainly have spoke with conviction and sincerity. education before their twentieth birthnumbers of African Americans in their parallels. King showed ~t Though Elders spoke effectively, day. Noting Elders's prolific scientific prison without regard for the higher courage by going to the South, the echelons of the drug trade. Declaring her overriding theme of responsibilachievements and efforts to highlight heart of 1960s racism, and exposing ity hit a snag. In espousing her views health-related social issues, Retaugh that King would "shed tears" ifhe saw the cowardice of racists for what it on health education in schools, she applauded her for "blending science the "replacing of the social safety net was. Elders showed courage by as~ proclaimed that politicians should with her humanity" and as "a voice of , with a dragnet" and the "cutting of sailing the societal ills she perceives "stop teaching morals and start teachthe poor and powerless.!' college loans to build prisons," she with rousing speeches on controvering responsibility," yet also said that warned of moral decay in society. "'!he Elders began by coIhplimenting sial topics. Controversial, courageous; the nation is in a state of moral decay. the U-M's efforts in "making day that we see truth and refuse to outspoken - clearly both FJders and speak is the day we begin to die," she Claiming that children are raised in multiculturalism a reality." Elders King merit these praises. The paraldysfunctional families, do not attend was quick to point out, however, that said, defending her outspoken nature. religious services, and are poisoned ' leIs so eloquently introduced in Elders's metorical style resonated she believes King's dream has not yet Monday's introduct:.ory speeches, howby television, she clearly believes they been realized. Using rhetorical metawith the crowd. She peppered her ever, failed to note a crucial point speech with catchy lists of points; are not learning morality. Elders's phors, she proclaimed that the nation King's oratory served consistent phiidea to teach responsibility in the was "still at midnight of his [King's] these emphasized themes of personal losophies, while Elders's impressive absence of morality is flawed in that dream," and that society, especially responsibility and determination. She rhetoric provided lesslo2ical fare. Ml morality and responsibility are by nainner city youth, has "never seen the declared that the major problems facdawn." Noting alarming statistics ing American society were the "three about the rate ofpoverty and imprisPa" of poverty, population, and polluonment among African Americans, tion, and that these must be comElders stressed that emphasis needed bated with "three Cs" - communication, cooperation, and collaboration. to be placed on three of King's goals for youth: going to school, going to Yet her speaking style was more BY

MATT BuCKLEY

4 From Suite 3 The Insensitive One Ponytailed Guy Gene discusses violence on television, and why censorship should be avoided at all costs.

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Tum to the editorials for lively discussion about MLK Day, Whitewater, and more.

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6 Lost in the Eighties Join Publisher Ben Kepple as his new column takes a brash, enlightening tour of congressional Democrats.

I I 10

Current Mairs

The United Nations turns fifty. Should we be celebrating or anticipating the dEimise of this council?

LIVING CULTURE Original poetry. a review of Ellen DeGeneres's book, reviews of Garbage and much, much mor&!

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January 17, 1996

THE MICHIGAN REVIEW

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The Campus Affairs JoUrnal of the University of Michigan "OtI' mlOOs arent for rent 10 any god or govemmer...

Serpent's Tooth recently acquired the list of events that the University is sponsoring for Martin Luther King Day this year, and has a question: Where the hell is our Space GhOlJt: Coast to Coast marathon?1? A federal appeals court ruled 2-1 that the sexual harassment case against President Bill Clinton should be allowed to go forward . The suit was filed by a former Arkansas state employee, Paula Jones. Clinton's lawyer claims that the suit should be dismissed on grounds of presidential immunity. The court ruled, however, that, "The President, like all other government officials, is subject to the same laws that apply to all other members of our society." Hmmm .. _ Serpent's Tooth wonders if perhaps this applies to such acts as lying profusely to the Ameri~ public and generally being incompetent. The U-M regents, prompted by the recent contract with Nike, are working to modify the bylaws and change

the way the Athletic Department is run_ Points that angered the regents: the fact that the athletic director does not have enough autonomous power, the Nike deal, and the fact that they were not provided with cool, free Nike stuff. The regents also recently voted to extend the contract of Vice-President for Student Affairs Maureen Hartford, the person responsible for implementing the Code and quashing student civil rights, for five years. Oh, happy day. A White House spokesman suggested that President Clinton was angry enough to punch columnist William Satire in the nose for calling Hillary Clinton a "congenital liar" following inconsistencies with what she said and records involving the Whitewater hearings ... Se'i:-pent's Tooth wOI\ders when government wiUstop harassing journalists fartrying'to tell the truth.. . Speaking of twisted truths, President

DROVING PHOTOGRAPHER

Clinton recently appeared before a press conference wearing a fortuneteller's hat, predicting that he and Hillary would be cleared of wrongdoing in the Whitewater matter. What Clinton didn't say is that any fortune-teller will lie convincingly for five or ten bucks. Researchers at Harvard University say that they have found a "switch" in our brains that makes it possible for us to fall asleep. The "switch" is a small group of neurons that, when triggered, signal the brain to go to sleep _Fa,culty members of the U-M Economics Department scoffed at the discovery, saying that they have known for years how to put people to sleep. Former Surgeon General Joycelyn Elders gave the keynote speech for the University's MLK Day celebration. To the surprise of many in the University community, she did not give her speech at Hill Auditorium, as expected, but at Condoms 101.

by Usa Wagner

If 3' of snow were to fallon campus tonight, how would you get to class i.n the ·morning? Laura Pope & Wendy Drake Seniors "We'd break out our bobsled and have the football team drag us to class!'"

Anonymous aId eat my way through.'"

EDlTOR-*CHIEF: Jamal A. RobertI, II PUBLISHER: Benjamin Kepple MANAGING EDITOR: Mohln Krlthl\lll CAMPUS AFFAIRS EDITOR: Gene Kr. . ASSISTANT EDITOR: Geoff Brown COPY EDITORS: Anthony Will, Tom JoIIfe COMPUTER CONSUlTANT: Mark west MUSIC EDITOR: Drew Peters LITERARY CRtTIC: BII Ahrens PHOTOGRAPHER: lisa Wagner STAFF: DeYorah Adler, Scott BIckmore, Shone Brooks, Matt Buckley, Patricia Dark, Paul OeFlorlo, David Dodh«lhoff, Sherban Drulel, Molly Elgen, Pat Eskew, Jennifer FerIa, c.lvln Hwang, MarX Johnson, Anthony KaIdeIIls, UN Kalish, Bryan Lauer, Laura Lee-lun, Ben L_oI. Steve Musto, Dave Patera, Ryan POlly. Rodeen Rahbar, Davldde Stella Mary Jana Wagg, Michael Wheaton

EDITOR EMERITUS: Nalle JamiIorI PUBLISHERS EIlERI11: Eric lMton, A_on Steelman The MIchigan Review Is an Independent, now mot1hly studenl-nm journal cA classical liberal and libertarian 0pinion at the Universly cA t.tchlgan. We neither solicit nor accept monelary doIiations from the University cA Michigan, and have no respect for anyone !hal does, especially MSA Presidert Fb WUIess. We also have no respect for people who cal themselves "revolutionaries," and at that same time reass~e the public that they are not cuttlnjJ gc1iemmelUi JI'OI1llI1"6. 1M mefe~ reducing \tleIr rates cA growth. Co!tJibutions to the Mchigan Review are tax-deducta.ble under SectIon 501 (c)(3) cA the Internal Revenue Code. The Review Is not an~iated with any political party or unlveldy poIlcal group.

Unsigned editorials represent the opinion cA the edRoriaI board. Ergo, they are unequivocably correct and Just. Signed and cartoons represent the opinions of the author and no! necessaritt lhose of the Review. The opinions presented in Ihls publication are not necessarily those of the advertisers or cA the University of t.tchIgan (and In the U-Ms case. aren't). We welcome letters and articles and encotl'age corrrnenlS a~ the journal.

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Please address all subscripllon Inquiries to: Associate Pubtisher, rio the Afchigan Review. AI advertising inquirIes should be directed to: Publisher clo the Michigan Review. EdllDrill And BllllneM Offlcel: SUbane 911 N. Unlvenlty AVlllue Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1265 EMAIL: MREV@umlch.edu Tel (313) 662-11109 Fu (313) 936-2S05 ~OI""bJThe___ ~AeMw. 1nC. AI~

Myszka Wagner Lisa's note-taker ..;-~ ~. ..... ' Senior, LSA . <,~ , "Id drink a few Bloody Mary's to quell the cold, don ., ~.<~~f"" ' ~ .' my 4 snowshoes and trot to . ~~i , . ::s i Lisa's classes." ~

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Love us or hate us. write us. The Michigan Review Letters to the Editor 911 N. University Ave. Suite One Ann Arbor, MI48109 or ~mail with subject "Letters to the Editor": mrev@umich.edu

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THE MICHIGAN REVIEW

January 17,1996

o THE INSENSITIVE PONYTAILED GUY In Defense ' of Television

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GENE KRAss

N ADDITION TO A HEINOUS teITOrist act, a mindless assassination, and an even more mindless trial, the year 1995 is likely to be remembered as one in which the young anti-entertainment industry movement finally gained some ground. Former drug czar William "s&M" Bennett attacked Time Warner Records for the violent lyrics of some of its artists. Retiring Democratic Senator James Exon almost managed to pass a bill that would have turned the Internet into one big Ozzie and Haniet-O-Rama. And CNN, <:luring a political year-in-review special, superimposed on each other the speeches of about half of the presidential candidates belching out vi:rtually the same anti-Hollywood message. Many see through the rhetoric and argue that politicians should focus on more important issues. I agree. Here are a few statements in defense of not only the entertainment industry's right to put out the kind of product it puts out, but also of the product itself. eTelevision does not.shape reality. Art indeed milToralife, and not vice-versa. Did Susan Smith, who drowned her two SODS in a car, have a history of exposure to television violence? No. Her actions, though discussed extensively on television, really happened. What about the woman from Indiana who wanted a child? The one who, along with her boyfriend and another a~mplice, murdered. a pregnant woman and her two children, sliced open her womb, and plucked out the unborn child? When you finish throwing up after reading this, keep in mind that thu really happened. There exists no television special, movie, or documentary from which to copy such horrific actions. Of course, one man cannot stop a whole anny oftelTOrists Without reloading his gun. No one is saying that such action movies represent reality. 1here exists, however, 8Uch a thing as terrorism. Real life also contains serial killers, bank robberies, and the occasional police vs. drug dealer shootout. Action movies do nothing more than dramatize and fictionalize the violence that already exists. '!hey do not, contrary to popular opinion, glainorize it. Who gets blown to bits? The violent bad guys. The moral? You should not be a violent bad guy or you might get blown to bits. '!here is, to be sure, the occasional movie in which the line between good and bad frequently is a."088ed. Still, riI buy a six. ~~for.~~ .w.qo. ~J!P~~Ip.~_~Y

popular movie (i.e., one of which more sault on entertainment? Dole, Aladdin did well at the box office, so than 10 or 20 people actually know) Gramm, Clinton, Buchanan, and Disney made Pocahontas and Thelion that (U;tively promotes copycat crimes. Dornan. Who does not have much to King. Terminator 2 did well, so Hollyepeople have a right to diverse say on this non-issue? Alexander, wood made Speed and True Lies. And entertainment oftbeir choice. The Forbes, and Taylor (yes, Taylor). It Police Academy muet have done well seems that Mr. Dole and his fellow for them to make six more. Producers 1950e had three channels, all showing the same quiz shows, spaghetti Washington insiders (Republican and and directors simply make the Itl0Vwesterns, and cheesy sitroms. · ies that people want to see - just as Now we have several sports any other industry strives to please channels, several music chanconsumers. That's a part of capitalnels, a children's channel, ism, something that Republicans news channels, many local should not turn their backs on any channels, and loads more. We more than they already have. also have movie channels that Granted, no one has yet spoken in show violent movies, and even favor of outright censorship. That, late-night adult channels. A however, is precisely where we're little something for everyone. headed. Just look at smoking. Still It would really suck iftelevitechnically legal, it nevertheless is sion was nothing but family banned from federal buildings, resand educational programtaurants, city streets, and virtually ming, as some would gladly all.transportation. My tenninally libhave it. eral hometown of Sharon, MassachuAlready, channels such as setts, made national news this sumHBO and Cinemax, the ones TV censorship would tick these guys off. mer by being the first in the nation to that offer violent, racy, main.. ban smoking from its beaches and stream movies, can.O!Uy be obtained Democrat alike) are relying on rhetaplaygrounds. Is this where the enterat an extra charge. And the adult ric to cover up their dismal "public tainment industry is headed? There channels only air from,aomething like disservice" legacies of taxes, censoris a logical progression that today's three to tb.ree-fifteen in·the morning. ship, and defense blunders. If fewer guidelines on programming will go It's not as if ABC shows after-school people bought that rhetoric, it would thr~ if left unchecked. For exArnold Seagal Van Stallone specials. be nothing but a waste of campaign, . , ·runple. the amount of time during . Reading many articles and talking time and money. .' which airing ahc)ws with~·la.n;. with many people, I have not yet heard e11te attacks are ideological in guage is allowed will decrease more one good argument against the "don't nature. In addition to being pure and more until there is no airtime'left like what your kids see, change the political rhetoric, attacks on the enavailable for movies like Pulp Fiction. channel" rule. If anything, it's much tertainment industry also focus on People obviously like television as is, harder to keep porn out ofa five year Hollywood's obvious bent toward libso why are they buying the politiold's face than it is to keep Barney (or eralism. Yes, Hollywood and the overcians' scientifically void arguments anything else I do not feel1ike watchwhelming majority o£those who work instead of challenging them? ing) out of mine, so sit back and relax. there are liberal. Its movies glamorFinally, I can't leave out of this Mr. Bennett, and let me take care of ize teen sex, put the stamp of apcolumn the widely-discussed effects my own hypothetical children. proval on homosexuality and unwed of television on growing children. WelL .The attacks are only image-ensingle mothers, and criticize religion. here it goes: there are no 8lU:h effects. bancing rhetoric. What better way I'm certainly not denying that. Sure, some kid might chance to hear to get votes than to speak out against Yet what's the alternative? A a profane word in a movie and repeat television v,iolence? You know the 1950s Hollywood where the female it at the dinner table. Is that the end shpiel: "The average child has seen character "knew her place," where of the world? No, because I was once over 30 jillion murders, .. . " etc. And John Wayne and "Dutch" Reagan ran that kid. And now, after watching take the'phrase, "anti-television viol around pointing out communists to hourS and hours of television, way nce." Is there anyone around who's Joe McCarthy, and where the "Duke" more than the national average, I am pro-television violence? Does it recould be himself while Rock. Hudson a student at the University of Michially take vision and courage to decry . could not. How come Kevin Costner's gan. I have always resented my parviolence on television when no one portrayal of the Lakota Sioux as the ents' contention that had I not watched including Hollywood itself - explicgood guys up against the evil white all of that television, I could have itly defends it? What next? Coming settlers is brought up as an example been an incomparably-popular, suout against teen smoking? Ummm ... of political correctness run amok, yet per-athletic, A+ student at Harvard, And where the hell do these Big Sam Peck:inpah's movies about heroic or something like that Brothers get off hiding behind chilcowboys fighting the evil "Injuns" reAnd even if they felt they were dren, using for political purposes the ceive no such political scrutiny? Holright, they should have done what population segment they claim to delywood was once conservative, and any parent has the right to do: refend? By bringing up the still unnow it's liberal. The new releases secstrict, in a not-too-draconian manproven effects on children, Bob Dole tion in video stores has Natural Born ner, viewing time and, possibly, conand his cohorts seem to be saying that Killers, and the classics section has tent Some children are obviously inHollywood is anti-chlldren. Mr. Dole! It's a Wonderful Life. Once again, a fluenced by what they see more than Clinton/Gramm/etc., thus, would be little something for everyone. others, and it should be up to parents, pro-clilldren. A pretty courageous eLeave capitalism alone. Ifitisn't not the government, to assess the stand to take, huh? obvious by now, people want to see shows their children can view. UltiWhich of the presidential hopethe movies that Bob Dornan busted a mately, I feel that censorship has no . Ms, l:>y.the ,!,,~y.,_ is, ~~l.lding thi~ .as.- , . _fe"" Jllore.vOcalc4on,lt;! c;l~Il()'W~.g" , . " P~~ ~ tJ:t.e p..9~~1 p~ ~~~ur·. ~

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January 17, 1996

THE MlcmGAN REVIEW

o FROM SUITE ONE Celebrating MLK D~ay

RHAPS, IT IS EXACTLY BECAUSE OF THE UNIVERSAL acceptance of a day in remembrance of Martin Luther King, Jr., that there is such disagreement over how to celebrate it Over the course of the last several yean, this event has seen boycotts and protests by student organizations such as NWROC and the Black Student Union. In addition, the great ~ority ofless politically-inclined students have issued a boycott of an altogether different sort: they use the weekend as a vacation. Whatever the reason for this lack of interest, it is clear that the University must re-think its planning process and priorities; if there is to be an MLK Day celebration, students should actually like it enough to participate. One of the biggest flaws in the planning process concerns the selection of a speaker. King was outspokenly in favor of the unity of mankind, beyond racial and ethnic solidarity. 'This unity was central to much of his message, and it should be the defining characteristic of the keynote speakers at the event. For instance, while the speaker this year, Joycelyn Elders, is clearly a successful member of a racial minority, her professional career - particularly the most visible part ofit, as surgeon general - has had little to do, specifically, with furtheli.ng the legacy of King. For another example, ftlke past speaker Khalid Mohammud. Although his involvement in the Nation of Islam clearly has worked to empower African Americans and destroy discrimination against them, the views of his organization are in direct opposition with many of the views for which we remember King, parti~arly on racism in general. Other, smaller scandals further reinforce the lack of priorities in the University's planning committees, such as the protest ofa meal in one of the donnitories last year. The meal served was a South~h that King clainied. to have enjoyed, which included .grits, among other things; but prote~rs believed that, rather than honoring him, the Univerai.ty ~as forwarding a racist stereotype about the eating habits of African Americans. The fundamental problem evident in these mistakes is that the University is caught between celebrating African American heritage and the legacy of King. While the two are not mutually exclusive, it should be clear that King's primary mission in life is the better choice for the U-M, especially because i~ is of mterest to almost all students, and seeks to include rather than exclude them. While celebrating the heritage of African Americans, or of any other group, is ·a respectable and valid goal. King's message of change and empowennent is far more powerful, and since this change was the centerpoint tn King's works, MLK Day should remember this dream. It is only right that the choioes of speakers and events at the U-M reflect those goals. With this in mind, the University must try much harder to focus events narrowly. It is,clear that, rather than presenting succeBBful minorities who have not been ~ major part of the work to end racism and intolerance, such as EldenJ; 'and blindly picking radicals, such as Mohammud, the University should seek the much more elusive, yet much more effective. people who have had a dramatic influence on our nation, while promoting racial equality, tolerance for others, and a pacifist approacll. to change. It is quite possible that the University is simply incapable of accomplishing such a grandiose goal Furthermore, it is quite likely that the University will never please groupe such as NWROC and the Black ~ent Union. The reason is that the administration, and even the faculty, is removed from student cxmcems, feara, bopee, and needs. Only students can plan an event such as MLK Day, ifthere is to be any hope of an agreeable outcome. F\uthermore, if students are given the opportunity - on a voluntary basis - to plan the events, then there will never again be a protest with any claim to.sinoerity, because students will be responsible for the events. This serves the very real purpose of giving willing students the opportunity to learn from the planning prooeBB, and those students will take away something even more valuable than they would while limply participating in the events. While, in the past several years, the University has made commendable steps toward student involvement in MLK Day. it is now time that it make steps toward removing itself from involvement. It must help the students cummtly participating in the planning of the event to recruit more students, 80 that they may plan MLK Day without intenerenoe from the administration. Martin Luther King, Jr., handed America a tremendous challenge before his death, a challenge that lives still today, and a challenge that must be the focal point ofMLK Day on campus. We must move beyond the color of our skin, beyond religion and ethnicity. beyond tradition, and embrace each other as fellow human beings. This dream is not just a black dream, nor just a white dream, but a dream that we all share. Mi

o COMMENTARY The Student-Athlete

ECENTLY, THE UNIVERSI'IY OF LOUISVILLE SUSPENDED 'IWO of its-most talented basketball players for failing to meet academic requirements. '!he players were not in violation of NCAA, but rather, university standards. The result oftlii.s individual decision by the university has fueled yet another controversy regarding the eligibility of student athletes: who makes the decisions? Athletes, coaches, and administrators alike have grappled with this thorny issue with no clear solution in sight. Proposition,48, the guidelines requiring freshmen students to achieve a particular srore on the SAT or ACT. based on their high school GPA, has proven useful but not omnipotent in ensuring that athletes not only score on the courts and fields, but the classroom as well. Prior to the revised version of the SAT, in which scores were scaled upward, an athlete had to receive a combined srore of 700 to play in his freshman season. However. a student might be eligible to play with a lower test score based on a sliding scale of scores and grades. In other words, a B student could play with an SAT score above 680. In response to the new scoring system, the NCAA has shifted its required scores. . Getting to playas a freshman is one thing; maintaining eligibility is another. While these initial requirements are crystal clear, the college years that follow are far more opnfusingto asBeB8. Certainly, standards have been set for athletes to maintain by the NCAA and others involved, but the achievement of these standards is another issue. Testimonials by former college athletes admitting they maintained eligibility throughout their college career while not knowing how to read have shattered. the NCAA's image as an effective body. It seems some schools are willing to forget the student in the student-athlete as long as those athletes bring in money to the university. In all of this debate, perhaps the greatest tragedy is the ridicule and emb8JT9.BBment suffered by the athletes. '!he publishing of a prized recruit's low SAT score will elicit many snide remarks by the high-and-mighty general public. At the same time, the self-oonfidence of the athlete is deflated.. Schools should be as tough with athletes as with any student. The job of the u,niversity, first and foremost, is to educate, not sell tickets. While it may be difficult for athletes .t o· balance school work with cnmching demands from coaches, that is part of the deal. The universities should, and usually do, provide special assistance with school work to these students who often are forced to miss lectures as well as exams because of the events. '!he school should not provide passing grades to students who don't attend classes or allow athletes to miss assignments given to the class. '!he demands on collegiate athletes are many. Not many college students have to take a test the day after a nationally televised ball game. However. high and low profile athletes alike must be subject to the same rules as everyone else. When it comes to the classroom, we must all be on the same court. Mi '"

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January 17,1996

THE MIClllGAN REVIEW

Illiberal Medicare

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HROUGHOUT THE ONGOING DEBATE CONCERNING THE federal budget, much discussion has focused upon ·the future of the Medicare program. While Republicans insist that a balanced budget depends upon a slower growth of this enti,t lement, Democrats accuse the GOP of shirking in the face of a governmental responsibility. Yet both of these arguments are philosophically erroneous, for they fail to recognize that governmental entitlement programs such as Medicare are inconsistent with a free and liberal society. A free society maintains order through a means of voluntary association and contract, rather than through force, coercion, or violence. Under such circumstances, individuals govern their own actions; they remain undeterred in the pursuit of their own will, and may associate or cooperate with whom they choose. For a free society to exist, however, this paradigm must reign universally; that is, society must recognize the freedom of all individuals, guaranteeing ~ not to a select few, but to all. Consequently, no person may legitimately CQntrol the actions of another, as this denies to the victim his freedom. While the existence of government in the United States precludes it from conforming precisely to the aforementioned definition of a free society, America does embody a strong tradition of liberalism. Indeed, the Founders of the United States sought to maximize the degree of liberty within the context ofa republic. Their established government is a constitutional one; its power remains limited quite strictly, and it must act only to protect the freedom of individuals. '!hus, the Founders advocated the'existence of the state, but they did so with one predominate end in mind: the preservation of liberty. 'Ib maintain America's tradition and purpose of liberty, one must evaluate modern budgetary priorities in the context of this liberal p~osophy. '!hat is, one must adhere to the Founders' strict definition of constitutional government; the various initiatives of the contemporary state must remain within these confines. For any governmental action ~t".ex;ceeds these constitutional limitatiOD,8 runs con~ to,the ~di9on' established by the F(\~erst placing the exi8tenceof~ ~ jeOpardy. . . ..• . . . . . .. . .. .. . Initiated during the Lyndon Johnson's Great SOciety of the 1960s, the Medicare program "entitles" senior citizens to health care and medical insurance. Once a strictly Democratic program, and an object of intense Republican criticism, this program now enjoys rather broad, bipartisan political support. Both parties recognize Medicare as not only a legitimate governmental program. but an essential one as well. 'Ihis sentiment is apparent in much of the rhetoric that BUlTOunds Medicare, sound-bytes that invoke governmental "duty." What both ~es overlook is the coercive nature of the Medicare program. In implementing this program, the government has decided who will receive these benefits, establishing this criteria in statutory law . Consequently, recipients of this initiative hold no choice over their participation; the ~vernmertt · forces them. intQ the program. stereotyping them as "free-loaders." This type of coercion results in an involuntary association, a circumstance that runs contrary to the tenets of a free society. While the recipients of Medicare monies face the coercive action of the state. perhaps the most egregious aspect of Medicare is the manner in which it operates financially. As a governmental program, Medicare obtains its monetary capital through taxation. '!hat is, the federal government forces Americans to provide financial support to the health care of senior citizens, regardless of whether they wish to provide such support. Such a scenario amounts to the outright confiscation, under the threat of violence, of one individual's property, coupled with a redistribution to another - hardly a situation that allows for the voluntary contract upon which freedom rests. Furthermore, there is no guarantee that those whom the government forces to support tb,is program will ever see its benefits. Ohe could die before reaching the required age to receive Medicare benefits, for instance. One also must remember that Medicare came as a result of a congressional statute; Congress, theoretically, could revoke this law at its own-whim, abolishing the program. '!hus, the Medicare program becomes dubious for a second reason: Not only does the government force one tQ provide financial support, it provides no guarantee of a seIVice in retwn. An affront to liberty, the Medicare program not only functions with coercion, it trumps free and voluntary contract as well. While the Republicans now seek to slow the growth of the Medicare program, their efforts are misplaced, for they implicitly condone Medicare's very existence. While many accept this program as one example of "good and enlightened government," Medicare remains little more than outright authoritarianism - a threat not only to the liberal tradition of AJnerica, but W, liberty itself Mt

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o COMMENTARY Whitewater Raises Important Questions

mLE THE CONTROVERSY SURROUNDING THE CLINTONS' involvement in the Whitewater land deal has lingered throughout their term in the White House, the issue recently became more prominent New challenges have arisen concerning the honesty ofilie Clintons - specifically, that of the first lady - due to the emergence of various documents that appear to contradict.their previous statements. '!hough the Republicans clearly are using this controversy to their political advantage, the issue does raise questions relevant to governance. When discussing this issue, one must realize what the act of governing entails. First, those w~o govern act as representatives of the people, and it is necessary for these representatives to justify their decisions to the people at large. The people, in turn, place a tremendous amou.nt of trust in these representatives, and the trustworthiness of the representatives must eJPst for this democratic system to function properly. Apart from acting on behalf of the people, those in government hold the power to exert force over the lives of others. Indeed, the most fundamental aspect of government is its ability to establish and enforce laws, and these laws, however well-intentioned, have a coercive effect on the populace. '!his effect holds serious consequences for liberty, and leaders must realize this. Due to their representative nature, as well as the amount of power that they possess, government officials must be examples of impeccable honesty and ethics. Any tendency to deceive those whom they represent, or to wield their power whimsically, threatens the American system of representative government, and ultimately places the freedom of all people in jeopardy. 'lhus, character is a relevant issue when discussing those who lead in government. During their time in the national spotlight, the Clintons have faced numerous questions concerning the trustworthiness of their character. '!hough some of these questions may simply be examples of political partisan attacks, many have arisen for good reason, for the ethical judgments of the Clintons are nebulous at best, and perhaps COlTUpt at worst. The first lady's relationship with the Madison Savings and Loan is suspect; likewise, the president's tendency to casually dismiss promises brings question to his truthfulness. 'lhe reamt documents concerning the Whitewater deal simply add to this uncertainty. As mentioned earlier, trustworthiness is an essential quality of those who lead in a democratic republic. It is for this reason that the questions that now surround the Clintons are important and relevant ones. While the Republicans should avoid political "witch hunts," their efforts to confront the current uncertainties are legitimate. It is only by answering these questions of dlaracter that liberal government may continue to exist. m -James A. Roberts, II """, _. __

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January 17~ 1996

THE MICIDGAN REVIEW

LOST IN THE EIGHTIES ,W ' h .p Whip It!~ 路; 1

BY BENJAMIN KEPPLE

AVID BONIOR, HOUSE minority whip and Democrat from Michigan, is a man who must feel worried. He has attained a high position of power in Congress, only to find his party crumbling and his platform crashing against the rocks. Now, it seems that in an attempt to pull his party back. from the dead, he has decided to viciously attack. Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich. Could this be a man grasping at straws. hoping that by pulling the right straw he can finally discredit the Speaker and possibly rescue the Democratic Party? Rep. Bonior has made accusations, allegations, or has attemp~ to defame Gingrich an inordinate amount of times over the past year. He has cited numerous charges of Bllpposed illegal or ethiailly qllestionable activities that the Speaker ofthe House has done. 1.he most fiunous are the GOPAC '"misdeeds"; and ofcourse. how could one forget Mr. Gingrich's book deal with the Rupert Murdochowned publishing house? In case the reader might be unaware, the problem congressional Democrats had with the book deal was that the speaker was getting a large sum of money from the pubJ.iahing bouse for the book, just as a tax bilI'that would greatly benefit Murdoch's business affairs came up for a vote:'The GOPAC allegations have to deal with funding violations and. what boils down to legal technicalities concerning that funding that may have possibly been broken. But Bonior does not stop there. It doesn't matter what it is or who it concern.s, from whether Bonior condemns Gingrich for "hawking books" while the House is in session; or whether he aiticizes the college course taught by Gingrich as being funded improperly and for the more serious crime of being politically biased. A politically biased college courser Can you believe that?IIn the December 16 i88ue of the Detroit Free Pre811 ,the paper published a literal list of every nitpicking action Bonior has committed over a period of more than a year. It averages one complaint, allegation, or public gripe about once every two or three weeks. 'Ihls is not a trend that just ended there. it continues now, even though the shutdown nonissue has kept Bonior relatively quiet. So why would David Bonior seem-

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reaucrats. If we hadn't spent any of it, we wouldn't have a national debt of over $5 trillion, and we would have all been better off if those trillions were kept in the hands of the private sector, and not wasted by petty bureaucrats. The programs of the Great S0ciety, the truly wasteful ones, ruined us, not Reagan's spending: Medicaid and Medicare, the failed welfare system, and let us not forget the mass government regulation and laws that choke business and imperil good citizensto petty slip-and-fall attorneys. 'These ruined us, due to poor bureaucratie management and plain stupiditY. '!he Democrats are a large part of that. And yet they still push the same old slime at us instead of trying to fix the problems in the system. But Bonior likes liberal politics. Instead of attacking his opponents and punching tiny holes in Gingrich's armor, Bonior showlbe actively workBut ~e f~ct of t:he Ben rams to fellow networked old fat, angry white men. ing to 'prevent anyone ~ from noticmatter 1S ,t'fiat Bomor ' , ing his cohorts' futws. He shoulddiseems to be only doing this out ;f a is currently involved in a little scan路 rect his energy away from attacking kind ofpoliticill fear. In Bonior's acdal called Whitewater. The Clintons Gingricll and - gasp - actively workroutinely withhold paperS that may tiona I see a man drowning, ifyou will, ing on a plan to salvage his programs lashing out because he has nothing to very well implicate them in this scaJ;l.~ without the usual empty metoric that offer, relying on the theory that "my dal by the investigating congressioDal one gets from Democrats these days. doing no good will be ignored if my oommittee and, as you remember, only Wolk on tort reform. Balance the budgave them up at the last minute. opponent might have done something get and do it your way. There's no bad." As a loyal Democrat, he can't Clinton's cabinet officials have been reason why you can't make a plan to just le~ the Republicans steamrolllibcaught doing Stupid Unethical 'ThingS spend the money your way. Do someeraliSm out of existence, now can he? (Espy, O'LeSry, Bon Brown, and many thing. for God's sake. Do congressional (Crud.) He has to do something to want Janet Reno to answer up for protect liberalism, and this is the path that little Waco "mistake"). Senator Democrats do anything except babble he has chosea He appears to be one of Robert Byrd (D-West Vrrginia) has nowadays? I think the main reason Bonior is the few Democrats who are really had a book printed at taxpayer exgoing off on Gingrich left and right is tearing into the GOP. pense that cost thousands of our dolBonior said that he had watched lars. It's about the Roman Senate, because no one else in the Democratic party does anything. Is it just me, or Gingrich do similar stunts for 17 years and it has been challenged by historihas the administration been the only and that it was time for the country to ana as being historically wrong. Hell, viable Democratic force here? We don't know. Oh, this is typical. Now that at least Newt's is 80mewhat correct. hear Dick Gephardt stomping atound Gingrich is in a position to do someRemember Dan Rostenkowski (Dlike Bonior. We don't hear Kennedy thing, Bonior will gleefully let the Cook County Machine)? He was yet ranting like Bonior. These politicians mud fly. Way back when, it didn't another example ofa Democratic repmatter because Gingrich couldn't poresentative reeking of cigars and back are useless. If Democrats want to ever , litically damage Bonior or his party. rooms. There are even worse exbe taken seriously, they need to sit But now that Gingrich could actUally amples, such as Mel Reynolds (sex down and work on a viable alternative plan to 1'Iave their party. It's boUnd harm the Democrats, they think: with a minor). to be more effective. JJecause if the "We'll bring up every little abuse that David, in your. search for rooting Republicans have a plan and they mayor may not have occurred, and out Evil and Vice, you should rememdon't, in the end- '!hey Are Going To throw it into the limelight, thus damher that in a glass house, you shouldn't aging the Speaker and his position." throw stones. Who knows what skelLose. And by working on plans, they keep attention off of their own dirty If Bonior,really cares about jusetons Mr. Bonior has in his closet? rm laundry. Now so far, all they've done tice and honest governing, he would sure there's something there, there is scream and rant about Newt, and do well to cast an eye towards his own always is, according to that old movie party and fix it. But he is a politician, line. By attacking the speaker, Bonior that gets old. What's up their sleeve? and so even ifhe does, he can't really invites RePublicans to say, "Uh, llello? So Rep. Bonior, and Democrats in general, isn't it about time you got do that. So he needs to work with his Loser! Look路 at this! And this I And down to business and at least acted party and their problems (read: spin hey, how about thu? Hey! Henry! Did like you deserved to govern? Maybe if doctor the hell out of them) before you see this? Get me CNN!" you worked on 8omething, or even someone in the GOP besides a powerBut maybe this is Bonior's only cooperated with the Republicans, you way to defend liberalism. For 30 years, less college student columnist decides to fight fire with ... a flamethrower. this fuiled doctrine, this crippling and might actually be worth voting for. Consider: the Democrats, rife with hobbling policy, has managed to (at You might even accomplish something. Now I think that would be a corruption to the very pinnacle of the the cost of literally trillioM of dol. . executive hranch,. ,are.nQt the.pure, lars), .fix nqthing and路simply adfilbu- ,. nicech#mge. m '. ".. , , , , ingly becoming apoplectic every time angelic party of the weak and opthe speaker sneezes or makes a speech pressed. 'Ihis is the image that they or insults him? Hmmm. like to project, and less Americans Some have said that Bonior is believe in it every day. (Remember, only doing this out ofpel'8Onal vindicnot too long ago the words Democrat and machine went together.) tiveness. But Bonior is a shrewd poliOur Fearless Leader, Bill Clinton, tician, and he will do his best to hide this, and he has sucreeded r-----------------~ in that endeavor so far. And as a shrewd politician, he attacks where he can and when he can. He is smart enough not to push too far, but he'll push far enough to get covera~ and attack. His tactics have apparently done some damage; Gingrich's popularity rating (if you believe in polls) is currently at about 30 percent, according to the biased national media.

THE MICIDGAN REVIEW

January 17,1996

DSATlRE

How to Balance the Federal Budget BY GEOFF BR9WN

ONGRESS JUST ENDED another one of those government shutdowns (although, by the time this goes to press, there will probably be another - call me an optimist). It seems that the Senate, the House, and President Bill "Weenie Boy" Clinton are all in disagreement as to the best way to waste the money the government cheerfully takes from us in the form of taxes. They tell us that they are using the money for programs that will benefit us . I'm grateful that they d~de to do this for us. God knows, what 1 would have done with the money, had it been allowed to fall into my hands. Shred it into tiny bits and toss it whimsically about the Diag while running at top speed wearing nothing but socks and a G-etring yelling "WHOOOOOO! II" or something, I guess. . Anyhow, the big problem in this little budget battle is that the Democrats, led by President Weenie - ub, I mean Clinton - want to spend a lot more money on big socialist government programs, and don't want to deal with a pesky little thing called. a balanced budget. Obviously we shouldn't hamper anybody by forcing them to not spend more money than they can possibly earn. The Republicans want to cut a lo~ of spending to big government programs, althO)lgh House and Senate Republicans are at odds over the issue of how much cutting to do. For example, the Senate Republicans want moderate cuts in Medicare, Welfare and 'similar programs while the House Republicans favor reducing the funding for those programs to an amount leas than most U-M frats spend on beer alone for a single party. The Democrats favor a different plan, wherein they raise taxes through the roof and don't cut spending on apything at all. The debate caused Congress to refuse to release funding for government programs, which Clinton claimed forced him to shut down the government and furlough nonessential personnel, with the exception of himself, of course, postal workers, who really don't need any further:reasons to cause disgruntlement and a postal massacre and his lawyers, who must work 24 hours a day defending him and his wife from various allegations of wrongdoing. This caused Clinton's approval

Geoff Brown u an LSA senior majoring in. bioWgy and the a.ssistant editor of the Review. If you don't like this article, he invites you to have a «duclUSion'" with the Depa1#lu!l',.lIrD(Bob.

rating to soar (Hell, he finally shut the government down! We've been waiting for years for someone to do that!). It is likely his approval rating will plummet when he reopens the government, based on the fact that unofficial White House sources, who shall remain anonymous because they exist only within the confines of my imagination, indicate that Clinton cannot come up with a convincing reason why we can't just leave the damned government the hell closed. I think the solution to this funding problem is simple. In a previous issue of the Review, I outlined my plans to replace the entire cabinet, should I become president, with a single department, the Department of Bob, headed by a large Rottweiler or other large, menacing dog; The Department of Bob woUld have full ' authority to make funding decisions, and all proposals for new funding would have to come through it. If the Department of Bob ever received a wasteful new funding project it disliked, it would growl in a menacing manner at the person who suggested it, and possibly even attack.. I predict that this would have an effect of greatly reducing government spending. It would certainly be more difficult for a congressman to propose an increased spending bill with a Rottweiler attached to his leg. However brilliant the idea of the Department of Bob may be, there are other things we can do to reduce the budget. It would be easy to say that you should simply not pay your taxes (keeping the money out of the hands of Congress makes it difficult - yet not impossible - for them to spend it) if it weren't for the fact that armed federal agents with large attack dogs would haul you away to a lonely federal penitentiary for the rest of your mortal existence, if not longer. So we'll have to stick with the idea of cutting spending. - IDEA QNE: Arrange a lucrative merchandising deal with Nike. Hell, it worked for the U-M. They give a few hundred million -dollars to the government and in return, Nike gets to slip in subtle advertisements and logos in key government facilities (La. di6s. ·a:n,l.Ge~tlemen; ~ Speaker of . , ·.·. _ . ~n . ~ ·~"'~~,

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would be able to obtain the use of heavy equipment. Imagine how cool you'd be pulling up to that next formal engagement in an MI-Al tank (Oh, I think I can park here, pal). -IDEA. THREE: Start aggressive collection measures against countries that have not repaid foreign aid loans. For instance, in the case of France, we would threaten to return them to the control of the Germans, or, worse, to start building "Euro-Epcot Center" if they refuse to repay us. - IDEA FOUR: Have Hillary invest one trillion dollars of federal money in cattle futures. This should, based on her past performance, turn into three hundred trillion dollars for the government, and allow us to payoff the debt and Bill Clinton's sexual harassment suits. These are but a few good ideas for raising more money and reducing our budget strains. My plan will involve a lot of sacrifice, but I'm sure that we will eventually find a viable solution that everyone can agree to. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go let the Department of Bob outside before it ~&dfithe rug. m

the House, Air Newt). Besides, I don't think it would take that long for people to get used to the sight of the Nike Swoosh replacing the Great Seal of the United States, do you? - IDEA TWO: Rent out military ve-

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January 17,1996

THE MICHIGAN REVIEW

o INTERVIEW: HARRy BROWNE.

The Libertarian Alternative N DECEMBER 20, AARON Steelrrwn of the Review had the opportunity to interoiew Libutario.n Party prf!8idential candidate Harry Browne. Browne. a highly re8pectR:d financial adviser and writer, i8 the author of rUne boolut, including How You Can Profit from the Coming Devaluation, How I Found Freedom in an Unfree World, and You Can Profit from. a Monetary Crisis - all of which appeared on the New York Times' bestseller list. His most recent book is Why Government Doesn't Work, published by St. Martin's Press. It i8 availabk at Borders and other local booluttores. Those interested in learning more about the Browne campaign can call 1-800-314-8611.

You may well have a stand-off, but I would need only one-third of one chamber to support my veto. And undoubtedly if I am elected president, a few Libertarians are going to be elected with me; a number of CUITent office holders would probably change parties; and a great many others would be intimidated by the mandate that would have been obvious by my election. I can't swear that we will get the budget through the first year, but if we don't get it through the first year, we would certainly elect a Libertarian Congress in 1998, and then it would be clearer sailing from then on.

MR: As one who his .rgued against political action for moat of your adult IHe, why have you decided now to seek the presidency?

MR: You·mentioned that you would pardon non-vioIent crininal 0ffenders soon after you took office. What other action. would you Immediately take by",..,s of executive order? ,....

BROWNE: I think that the situation has changed tremendously over the last twenty years. Any sort ofpolitiati action really was futile in the early 1970s. It may prove to be again now, but I think we have a chance and I think one person could make an enorw mOllS difference today. I want to take that chance because I don't want to spend the last thirty years of my life watching the government continue to get bigger, and watching more and more of our freedoms being taken away from us.

that most libertarians would agree with you that, in principle, the f~ Is certainly the lesSer of the two evils, many still favor the flat tax for one overriding reason: that unless you repeal the 16thAmendment, which

come tax - whether or not we can have a revolution that would really change things drastically, not just change things cosmetically., The only way any of this is ever going to be accomplished is if we go all the way. We have seen what has happened with the piecemeal approach that the Republicans have taken '!hey are getting nowhere. Only when we have a huge, sweeping politiati prow gram that says: "Look, we are going to repeal all of these things at one time and we are going to get rid of the income tax at the same time so you, the citizen, get ~e immediate benefit from this" will we be able to win over the American people to our ~ide . MR: Had you been in office would you have signed .uch trade tresties a. GATT and NAFTA, or do you believe they were actually in opposition to true free trade? That Is, do you think that they were only another step in the direction of managed trade?

LP presidential candidate Harry Browne

gives the federal government the power to

BROWNE: r would end all federal affirmative action programs immediately, and I would bring home all the troops from overseas and remove them from NATO or UN command.

tax income, you would most likely wind up with both eventually, 88 at some point the income tax would be reinstated. How would you respond?

BROWNE: First of all, I don't want a sales tax and I don't want.a flat tax and I am determined to get the program that is outlined in my book passed, and ~at program requires BROWNE: I really don't know that neither the flat tax nor the sales tax. an argument can be made for any In the book I say that if the proceeds federal department except for the from the sales of federal property are Department of Defense. Even the presnot sufficient to payoff the entire MR: Let'. you were to be electedfederal debt, the yearly interest ex w wIich, granted, Is aorne4hing of a long shot ence of the State Department pre.- how would you actually go about reducing sumes that you are going to be medpense on the debt would require a dling in the affairs· of foreign counsource of revenue (beyond tariffs and the size of the fednI government by twoU*dI, which Is yow ...... goal? It _ 88 excise taxes). I discuss the 5 percent tries, and I think. that whatever needs to be done in the area of foreign diplaw sales tax and the 10 percent flat tax as If wI1hout • UbertariIn Congress that would possibilities, but with very definite be Impoalb1e aince, after .11, they are the macy would come under the umbrella restrictions and safeguards. Of these ones who actually write the laws. of Defense. Certainly we don't need Interior, Energy, Education, Housing two - the 5 percent sales tax and the and Urban :Qevelopment, or Veterans 10 percent flat tax - I don't have a BROWNE: ;First, I would go through Affairs, because none of them are preference. I would implement the the Federal Register and get rid of specified in the Constitution Vetersales tax only if there was a binding most all of the regulations that have been put in there by previous presians Affairs, for example, would be a . agreement that the income tax would be eliminated immediately and perdents, and I wouldn't need the con w function of the Department of Demanently, and that the sales tax would sent of Congress to do that. I also fense. '!he important thing is that we just don't shuffie the organizational have a definite, automatic terminawould do something about crime by chart around and leave all of the prow tion date, so that it couldn't go one emptying the prisons of the non-violent criminals 80 that there is room grams in place by moving them to forever. I really don't even like to talk other departments and agencies for the thugs. about the sales tax or the flat tax which is a great deal of what is being I would then submit a budget to because people fiDd it 80 hard. to imagproposed today. We must actually Congress that would reduce the size reduce the size of government; that ine repealing the income tax entirely of the government by halfin the first and not replacing it with another tax, makes it possible to repeal the income year and continue cutting until the that they immediately leap to the tax and do many other things to make government i.s no larger than what is conclusion that'I am for the sales tax. this a free country again. specified in the Constitution. ConAnd, unfortunately, that's where the gress can oppoee that, but if they were discussion goes, when we really should MR: On the topic of taxes, you seem to to oppoee a president who had been be talking about whether or not it is faVOl' the national sales tax proposal to the clearly elected to do this, they would . flat income 1uproposal. And, w hlie itis. true politically ~ble , to,repeal :Ilhe)nbe doing so.at.their own politi.ad·peril: MR: Which of 1he tadeIaI daplnnents would you advocate retaining? Only Defense, JU&tice, andState, or would there be others?

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BROWNE: Free trade does not require a government bureaucracy, either federal or international. All we need for free trade is to open our borders. Other countries mayor may not decide to do the same thing, but that isn't the question. '!he real ques w tions are: Do we want free trade? Do we want American citizens to be able to buy from who;mever they want? Do we fant American producers to be able to get ,the lowest cost resources from around the world to be able to provide the best products? If we open our borders we are likely to influence other countries to do the same thing. But by setting up bureaucracies to do this we are once again relying on government, and we know that gov w ernment simply does not work. MR: Due to the presence of the welfare state, an increasingly large number of classical liberals have retreated from the standard li~rian position in favor of complete and unrestricted open invnlgration. What i. yoot view?

BROWNE: Part of this retreat from the position of open borders is because people are pessimistic. '!hey do not believe that we can ever dismantle the welfare state. '!bey are accepting the status quo and then wondering whether, within that context, we are ' better off with option A or option B. In fact, we have to quit talking about these minor parts of the overall situation and talk about the huge change that we have to make in order to get everything right. If we bring about the changes I am talking about, the . welfaJ.!'e .s tate will be dismantled. 'Ibis _*_________________"'"'''''''__

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January 17, 1996

COlUltry would no longer be a magnet to people who want to get on the gravy train. Instead it would be a magnet for people who want to produce and offer something to the rest of AmeriOl. You cannot lay another layer ofgov~ ernmental bureaucracy in place by restricting immigration even further and expect things to get better. It's the welfare state that we need to change, not our position in favor of open borders.

Mil: Do you believe that In the realm of foreign policy the only proper libertarian position II strict non-tntefventio? BROWNE: Absolutely. This is what the folUlding fathers had in mind and they were absolutely right.

MR: How woufd you handle Sodal Secu~ rlty: abolish the program Immediately, or attempt to gradually pheae It out? BROWNE: I would end it immediately. There is no such thing as gradually phasing out a government program. Government doesn't work and government transition programs don't work. The plan that I offer in my book is that we sell off federal gOvernment assets - pipelines, western lands, oil and mineral rights, and all of the things that the government has no Constitutional reason for holding and use the proceeds first to buy private lifetime annuities for people who have become dependent on Social Se~ curity. That way we mn free everyone else from the 15 percent Social Security tax. We would continue after that - selling assets and using the proceeds to pay down the federal debt, and give future gen~rations a clean start instead of asking them to be liable for the promises made by politicians of previous generations. MIl: Many libertarn have argued that the United States should repudiate Ita national debt on the grounds thIt one generation of people lhould not be held liable for the IdIona taken by • pnMoua gennton. What Is your opinion?

BROWNE: I lUlderstand the argu~ ment, but if that were part of your political program you might as well give up ever having any chance to implement it. The American people, lUlderstandably so, would not vote to have their pension programs deci~ . mated by the repudiation of the government securities that they hold. What we are trying to do is to reduce the government to a fraction of its cummt size. !fit is possible to do that without harming a lot ofpeople, then let's do it and have the support of the American people - instead of choos~ ing a route that may seem ideologi~ cally pure, but, in fact, haa.M chance

THE MIClflGAN REVIEW

many doors to so many other things bring about the free COlUltry they have that it is the key. But there's no ques~ already decided they want. But it is now a political battle, and no longer MR: If elected, would you work to renm tion in my mind that it is necessary to establish that the Bill of Rights is a an educational battle. UnIted States to the gold standard? literal document. I believe that where BROWNE: I believe that returning it says "Congress shall make no law," Mil: As a philosophical ansrchist, do you the United States to some form of the that is an absolute statement. It . believe you can actually obtain a far hearing doesn't mean you can speak freely gold standard is an important step from the mainstream press? Or do you beonly so long as the government can~ that needs to be taken, but it's not the lieve they will be too hung up on your c0mfirst step. The first step is to ~te not prove that it has a compelling mitment to the totally voluntary society as the Federal Reserve system entirely interest to stop you; it doesn't mean the ultimate end to give you the objective so that there is no political manipula~ you should be safe from search and coverage that you need to be successful? tion of the money supply. '!he second seizure only until some DEA agent For example, it seems that if you were to gain step would be to find a way to return thinks you fit the profile of a drug ground in the polls, those In the media who to the gold standard as rapidly as dealer; it doesn't mean you have the are not fond of libertarian ideas might be possible. And the eventual final goal right to keep and bear arms only until Inclined to haphazardly throw around the would be to get government out of the some madman shoots up a post office term "anarchisf' as a way of defaming you. business of handling our money ensomewhere. All these things are absolutes and we have to establish that BROWNE: '!hey can throw arolUld tirely. so that we are no longer dependent of politicians in any way for the the term if they want, but what we civil liberties are civil liberties and value and control of money. But that not civil liberties as defined by the need is. a strong mndidate - a mndiis something offin the future. date who will define the issues and current politicians in power. I believe that my program will make the \ refuse to discuss the issues on any~ MR: Do you think the congressional Rething but his own terms. If people dreams come true of reformers on the publicans have taken seriously the voters' left just as much as it will make the want to talk about some nitpicking calls for less government and are c:onmitted dreams come true of reformers on the part of my own philosophy or somerignt. to reducing the size a~ strength of the thing equally lUlimportant such as state? how you would handle a life-boat Mil: Over the last 20 years, the libertarian mae in a free society, they mn do that ." BROWNE: I t:hipk there are two ways • movement has prospered and grown treall that want to, but I am not going to you mn look at this. One is that, being participate in the discussion. Any dismendously. The Cato Institute, the Competipoliticians, they have no intention of cussion about government's role is tive Enterprise Institute, and Citizens for a reducing the size of government and going to come back to the fact that if Sound Economy all are respected members the talk is merely to placate the votof the Washington public policy community; ./ we'~t government back to its Constiers. The second way oflooking at it is tutional ftmctions, we mn repeal the Reeson~and LIbeI1y'acirculation I'IUIIIbera to say that they may want to reduce have Increased drematicaHy; and ...ndfuI income tax. It is up to me to set and the size of government but that they define the issues, and to define the of libertarian scholars have won the Nobel terms on which I will discuss the don't lUlderstand that you mn't hack Prize for economics. Yet we live in a more . away at it in a piecemeal fashion. You issues. That will not stop people from statist society today than we did 20 years ssying anything they want about me, have to do it comprehensively and at ago. Why do·you think that your campaign but I know that three out of four once by first eliminating the income will be any different? That is, why do you American voters agree with me and tax. I think, to a certain extent, both think you will succeed where others have that they would like to see the use of viewpoints are correct. I think it is seemingly failed? force done away with as much as foolish to trust politicians to mean possible also. what they say, and I think it is also BROWNE: I think you have defined the problem precisely. We have won foolish to think these people have the insight to recognize how to go about it the edueational battle. Three out of MR: Do you believe that the LP should best. four Amerimns believe that governretain its membership oath? It seems as if it actually tuts its chances at growth, considWhat we need are citizen legislament is way too big and want to see a tors to come to Washington for two drastic reduction in government. But ering that most libertarians working within the utilitarian or consequentlalist traditions years, four years, six years and clean we oontinue to lose the political battle. up the mess and get out of there. We We have not stopped the rise ofgovwould be unable to truthfully sign it For ernment politically and that's why example, if either F.A. Hayek or Ludwig von need. people who want to make these changes not because it will be good for now we have to focus on a political Mises were alive today, they would be effeotheir political careers, but bemuse it campaign - a campaign that will tively excluded from activeiy participating will create the kind of America in actually enable us to take control of within the LP. which they will want to live as private the government and implement our citizens. Only those kind of people are program. And we are going to achieve BROWNE: I don't believe the oath is going to make the necessary changes. this not by talking like Republicans a critical issue. It might be more pal~ or Democrats and saying that we want atable and accurate for the oath to MR: In 1980, LP preeidential candidate Ed to do many of the same things, but say, "I believe the initiation offoroe is Clark seemed to be attempting to appeal to rather by showing the drastic differ~ wrong," rat,her than to say, "I renounce the left for votes, calUng his platform "low ence between what they are offering the initiation of force." But I don't tax liberalism." In contrast, you seem to be and what we are offering. We bring a believe that it is a question that is message of hope to everyone: an op~ going to either make or break the LP, cIrecdng you" eftorta tow'd the right. Would you say that . . Is a fair a88B88ment of your portunity to have a flourishing my political campaign, or our chance approach thus far? economy. And we are people who mn to turn this C01:Ultry arolUld. So I have be believed bemuse we are people of not taken a side in this. BROWNE: No, but it would be lUlprinciple. I have already qualified for derstandable that somebody m.ight at matclrl.ng funds and I am not going to MIl: Do you expect to be on the ballot In aft first glance get that idea, simply be~ take a dime from the federal govern~ SOstatee? cause I am focusing so much on the ment. In many ways people will know income tax.·'!he inrome.tax opens sO' ,thattheyamtrust us and that we will , lBROWNE: ;Y$, HI. of ever being implemented.

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THE MIC1llGAN REVIEW

January 17, 1996

o CURRENT EVENTS Fifty Years as.,,"United Nations" BY MATT BuCKLEY

Japan and Germany should clearly be on the Security Council as well. AST YEAR MARKED THE The fact that these two nations have fiftieth anniversary of the risen to prominence without earning United Nations, as leaders positions on the Security Council is from around the world attended celridiculous. This inability to respond adebra.tions in San Francisco and later in Manhattan. As political leaders equately to the outside world is a direct result of problems in the UN's clinked glasses over the birthday of this institution, those watching the basic structure. When many counreporta saw videotaPes of these bashes tries comprise a legislative body, with on the same newscasts that showed no substantial characteristics unitfootage from Bosnia. As the UN pats ing the participants, agreement on itself on the back for fifty years of issues is unlikely. Ai!, the Economist service, it continues to deal with probnoted in October, agreeing on adjustlems in nations like the Yugoslav rements to the Security Council is nearly publics. Yet the ability of the UN to impossible, as countries bicker over deal with pressing world issues is who deserves the posts. '!he problem oflacking unity, howlimited by its very origins. '!he UN is based on a concept that ever, goes far beyond adjusting the borders on the ridiculous. Its goal is to Security Council. Since there is almost no unifying factor among the assemble delegates from the world's nations, discuss pertinent issues, and members, consensus by the entire then try to encourage policy changes body on an issue is almost impossible or even in extreme cases to perform to attain. SUlD.lJl-lts on the environ-" actions themselves. Yet the concept of ment, womentg rights; and popula~ UN power depends upon the willing tion inevitably tum into finger-pointconsent ofits members, few of which ing exercises that do little to really really want the UN to influence their deal with the problems at hand. It is sovereign laws. '!he extreme version certainly true that the Rio conference of this is caricatured by militia exon the environment in 1992 produced tremists who claim that UN minions some environmental legislation in will swoop in with black helicopters .some countries, including the US, but and create a world government. the reactions of other nations has That is the extreme version, but been less enthusiastic. As with other fears oflosing sovereignty are hardly issues, many nations simply do not overdone. The fact is that the voting feel that economic development should procedure of the General Assembly is be subservient to the demands of the assigned on a one-vote--per-nation UN. Ai!, occurred with the Rio treaty, status. The United States, Egypt, many nations simply ignore the tenns Spain, China, etd" all have the same of agreement. voting power. Look at any globe and The inability of the UN to effectively deal with these social issues one notices that there are numerous small countries, and many have sowould be irrelevant if it could deal cial and economic problems. These with world security problems, but the small countries, many of which reUN has shown few signs of real leadsent the West, are endowed with more ership in the post-Cold War era. '!he voting power than the West, even UN-led coalition against Iraq during though they have less political power, the Persian Gulf War is the lone exception, but was this really a UN contribute less llJ.oney, and have fewer people. How "democratic" is it of the effort? The action was led by the UN to give Paraguay, a country with United States in all crucial respects, 3.5 million people and little from the aspects of military planning geostrategic importance, the same to most of the funding. The UN gave voting power as Germany, a country multilatera1support for a plan mainly of profound political significance and supported by the US; giving it credit well over 80 million people? for "leadership" of this initiative is It is true that the power of the misleading. . One should examine the UN's United States, China, and three other nations is enhanced somewhat by claim of leadership concerning UN theirpennanent seats on the 15-mem.involvement in nations such as ber UN Security Council. They also Rwanda, Somalia, Ethiopia, and have the power to end certain UN Bosnia. Far from producing the remeasures with vetoes. '!his supposed sounding success of the Gulf War, power, however, is not democratic eithese operations have been marked ther. Currently, the three remaining by lackluster results. These cases proSecurity Council slots are filled by vide excellent eKamples of the UN's Britain, France, and Russia. Though tendency to work in what The New th.es& aatiGnaare oertainly powerfi.ll)".••.~ RepubUc.'a .J?eteF.~ <:alls :!J.ew••

politics,' where [the UN) manifests global conscience by delivering humanitarian relief to desperate population." These assignments involve famine relief, monitoring votes, and other social programs. How effective is the UN with such situations? Beinart's recent article, "Aid and Abet," shows how UN policies have been unsuccessful and even counter-productive in Africa. In both Ethiopia and Somalia, UN efforts wasted precious time in acting against famines. Outsiders like the Red Cross and World Vision Relief arrived with aid far in advance of the UN, and also tended to adapt to situations more quickly. In Ethiopia, Beinart claims, UN actions also helped keep dictator Mengistu Mariam in power by denying the plight of rebels. Refusal to improvise and a tenaency to bicker over minutiae bogged down relief efforts in Somalia. Beinart is convinced that outsiderS do a better job in these cases - "the contrast with the Red Cross - which in 1991 and 1992 fed roughly 1.5 million people, more than all the UN agencies combined - could not be sharper." The UN was much quicker to act in Rwanda, but the results are still problematic. The UN did little to bring Rwanda's mass murderers to justice - the result is a situation in which the warring Hutus and Tutsis are by no means peaceful. In trying not to alienate either side, the UN has created a situation in which violent enemies are supposed to try and live in peaceful coexistence. Current UN refugee camps, composed largely of Hutus, are being dominated by militias of violent Tutsis. Without focused attempts at justice, the two sides will simply continue to fight. One seemingly successful story is that of Cambodia, in which the UN spent 2.6 billion dollars to finance a democratic election Now the winning party, led by joint Prime Minister Hun Sen, has raised many a human rights-watch eyebrow with recent arrests. Members of the former government are being persecuted (Sen appears to believe that a plot was afoot to assassinate him) and the country appears to be of increasing appeal to drug traffickers, a December Economist notes. Though recent worries have emerged regarding the democratic inclinations and stability of Cambodia, the UN appears to believe that this was a "success." Perhaps more visible than operations in Africa or Cambodia are the current problems in Bosnia, yet even here the UN presence has been less than constructiw: As was·the casein

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Rwanda, where the UN tried to maintain political neutrality, policy in the former Yugoslavia has tried to be neutral, ignoring the fact that these conflicts are a result of political and ethnic splits that have to be confronted for the conflicts to end. UN peacekeepers were supposed to protect designated UN "safe areas" from Serbian attack; instead, the Serbs simply ignored the UN and took over the sites in Zepa and Srebrenica. Anxious not to offend Serbian (and Russian) sensibilities, the UN Protection Force was allowed only to protect itself, and not allowed to try'and stop the genocide occurring due to "ethnic cleansing" policies. By trying to maintain neutrality, the UN boxed itself in. Since Russia has a major role in the UN, and has historically allied with the Serbs, the UN was paralyzed. The real peacekeeping role has been led by NATO. Air .strikes under NATO auspices were a major turning point of the war, and NATO is clearly more effective. Far more unified in its opinions than the UN, the NATO alliance does not need to waste valuable ~e on extensive decision-making. Actions can be accomplished quickly and decisively since positions of organizational consensus are easier to reach. The most effective world politics organization in the past 50 years has not been the UN, but NATO. Its ability to focus was a direct result of the fact that the member states shared common goals. The UN has suffered due to its lack of this cohesiveness. The United Nations comes to its fiftieth birthday a venerable organi_·,,, zation of dubious historical value. Ai!, an institution it has clearly failed to take consideration of the vastly different political landscape in which it now exists. Its verynature as a body of worldwide membership causes even the slightest resolutions to be 'held up by contingents of small, sparsely populated states. These underpinnings lead the UN into situations in which, seeking to avoid offense, it does little of value, or even does harm. History has shown us that successful organizations are able to adapt, are able to come to decisions, and are able to make stands. Regional organizations such as NATO, the European Community, NAFI'A, and OPEC have proven to be far more effective at advancing the demands of their member states. The United Nations is of dubious value in the post-Cold War era, as people around the world can show. Hopefully, the celebration last summer will make way for the sobering realization that the UN deserves little oflthe re:spectthaHt MS·..;Mt- .

January 17, 1996

o CAMPUS AFFAIRS

THE MICHIGAN REVIEW

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How Students Really are Admitted BY TOM JOUJFFE

EY UPPERCLASSMEN, we know what you've been thinking all year: Man, where did aU of these freshmen come from? All right, maybe not, but it's possible. After all, the entering class in the fiill of 1995 has 5,000 students, the most in the University's history. Consequently, dusty dormitory offices have been renovated into living space, and the phrase "converted triple" is heard everywhere. Many students from many places comprise the U-M student body, and outlooks and attitudes. vary. Yet almoSt all students have at least one common experience: filling out their U-M application. Last year, the folks at the Undergraduate Admissions office were busy . looking over thoee ·applications, essays, test scores, etc. In fact, they received 18,971 freshmen applications, 13,148 ofwhich eventually were a~pted.That'sa69~nta~

sion rate. But this far from indicates lower U-M standards. According to Ted. Spencer, director of Undergraduate Admiesions, "'This means that U-M applicants are generally aware of how they fare with University expectations." At present, the admissions ofis being flooded with applications from the prospective freshmen of 1996, in addition to about 2,000 applications from transfer students. Regarding in-state vs. out--ofstate students, two-tbirds of all freshman applications are trom non-Michigan residents, and the 'number of admissions granted to out-of-staters tends to be larger as well. For example, consider the entering freshman class of the fall of 1993. Out of 19,152 applications received, 12,109 of them were from out-of-state. Furthermore, non-Michigan residents comprised 8,128 of the 12,940 admissions granted. In 1995, 67 percent of the non-resident applicants were admitted, but only 24 percent of those students actually enrolled. As for instate applicants, 74 percent were admitted this year and 60 percent enrolled. Spencer says that a slight increase in median test scores and grade-point averages is apparent in this year's admitted applications, 80 any notion of lower standards is merely bunk. '!hen again. these are amaU-percent;.. age increases, 80 students yet to apply to the U-M should not be discouraged. The middle fiftieth percentile range for the SAT and ACT is 11001280 and 25-30, respectively, and high school,gradb-point averages still tend

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to fall between 3.4 and 3.9. New Minority Student Recruitment American students are the same as Students know that their high • Program involves personalized lettheir respective percentages among school classroom performance, their ters to top l.!llder-represented minorall U-M students. SAT or ACT scores, and any extra'Th.e admissions office implements ity students that encourage students several prospective applicant recruit;.. CUITicular activities are key admisto visit the admissions offices in the sions decision factors. For University ment strategies; Spencer said that Student Activities Building. Also, the of Michigan admissions counselors, program includes a "Top Twenty" hot the U-M would like to be able to the most important facattract more of the very top students tor is the academic . ~, ll'85W - they are often "nabbed" by schools like Harvard or Yale - and remarlred record - especially one that it's especially satisfying to enroll that indicates improvement from year to year. students who "could go anywhere and chose U-M." Toward this end, a "visSpencer explained that his admissions staff ible, personalized image" is promoted at various locations throughout the generally favors the ." .~ combination of somet'" ~ " year, including College Days and fuirs, what lower test scores student receptions, and in-etate comand higher grade-point munity colleges and high schools as well as international schools. averages to the pairing of relatively high test Also important to recruiting stratscores with marginal egies is maintaining and expanding the U-M's -national and international grades. A glance at the 1995 freshman profile network of alumni ~lunteers. One reveals that 69 percent The SAB houses the AdmissIons Offtce. new development in the recruiting of the U-M freshman ~ntered with a prospect list of minority students pro;. plan is the establishment of on-thespot application reviews, during which 3.5 or higher, in~t1~g 14 percent w.ded by various high school counseladmissions counselors meet with stuentering with a straight 4.0. ors. In March the University ofMichidents to assess their application right In reviewing studeht applications, gan invites admitted students and there. Related activities include the the admissions officers also consider their parents for a special weekend feFk'program '·a nd Top scho~ proa particular high school's cuniculum visit, followed wiUl postcards and let- particularly looking to see if it terssent to these students during the !.'gram, which offer certain prospective students special advantages, like an offers advanced placement and hon8UJIllUer. early registration and first choice of ors courses. A student's transcript is The University of Michigan has a living space. long history of diversity and has prided given more weight if he has elected This year's record entering class such classes, so a B in AP history will itself for providing such a rich size does not look to necessarily be a . count more than a B in another class. multicultural environment for stutrend. 1995 state legislation required Spencer did say, however, that "a C in dents ..Yet Spencer says that the U.:...M U-~ to admit more in-state resiany course is not looked well upon." would still like to have a greater perdents, so students on the extended Another contributing factor is centage of minority students on camwait list were rewarded for their papus. The efforts to achieve this end where the prospective atudent is from. tience. 'This resulted in the unusually For example, the U-M is making an are evident in the 1995 freshmen milarge number of freshmen that eneffort to attract more students from nority data. 'Th.e percentage of minorrolled this past fall. the northern and western parts of ity students in the freshman class is But the U-M admissions office is Michigan. Oakland County is typieither the same or greater than the still inspecting every application, porcally the top feeder county in Michiperce~tage of minority students of ing over personal essays, and plangaIl, and in 1993 it accounted for 1,181 the entire campus. Eleven percent of ning recruiting trips and functions in of the 4,812 in-state admissions the freshman class is Asian Ameriorder to maintain the terrific intelleccan, eight percent is African Amerigranted. In contrast, Saginaw County tual climate of the campus. And lest areounted for just 89 of the admitted can, five percent is HispaniclLa.tino you think they're not going over evin-state residents. American, five percent is classified as erything with a fine-toothed. comb, In the past, only out-of-irtate stu"Other/unknown," and Native AmeriTed Spencer recalls the four students dents' family alumni status are given cans comprise one percent of the enwhose admissions were revoked for special considerstion in the review tering class of 1995. Only the percent;.. excessive senioritis. Ml process, but 1995 m.arlts the first year ages of African American and Native in which in-state students with U-M alumni family members also are considered. Finally, high school coun'" selor comments and the student's essay are all taken into account before the members of the admissions staff Wanted: Spring interns for the lanSing office of decide to admit, delay, or reject a GOP state representative particular student. Besides 21 staff members devoted to processing applications, the UnUnpaid, credit available dergraduate Admissions office has a recruiting staff of twenty who are responsible for contacting minority Call (517) 373-0843 students, tnnsfer program students, in-s~ters, andout-of-..staters. The

Conservative GOP

THE MICmGAN REVIEW

January 17,1996

:t SPORTSCENE

What Went Wrong This Season? BY PAT EsKEW

HE UNIVERSITY OF MICHigan has some of the most talented athletes in the world on its teams. Past and future Olympians, first-round selections in the draft.s of all four major sports; All Americans, and even unheralded players have thrilled the fans in Ann Arbor and around the world. The U- M always provides something to cheer about. This year, however, the cheering has been less enthusiaStic at one ofits biggest events. 'Ille fuotball team, long on talent but short on success, ended the year with a fourth-place Big Ten finish. Despite having a profusely talented lineup, this year marked the third consecutive fOUJ'-lo88 season for the U-M. This performance has left analysts and. fans alike wondering what went wrong. At the beginning of this season, one could still. feel the fiillout from the Gary Moeller fiasco. Most fans would have understood a slow start to the year under a new coach, coupled wlth an untested quarterback taking snaps. After the Wolverines courageously rolled to a 5-(} record at the beginning of the season, however, those same fans were beginning to think big. Then came Northwestern. For the final eight games of the year, the Maize and Blue played tp a ~ clip. Included among the four losses was a hard fought battle in East Lansing that saw a completely overmatched $.chigan State team snatch a victory from the Wolverines merely by having more heart. It was the loss of Scott Dreisbach, or the inexperience of a first-year head coach, or simply better teams that always beat Mi<"bigan At least, those were the excuses given. How believable or legitimate are these excuses though? 路 It is unfair to oonsider Dreisbach the key ingredient to the Wolverine's attack this season, or, for that matter, Brian Griese the sole reason for the team's demise. Since Griese was the quarterback that looked so bad in all of this season's losses, it is easily forgotten that Dreisbach looked bad in the early season wins. Northwestern, a team with a running attack and wide receivers less menacing than Michigan's this season, went to the Rose Bowl behind a passer named Steve Schnur, Outside of Evanston, only a handful of severely socially

Pat Es1tew is a sophomore in industrial and operations engineering and a st.aff writer for the Review"

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jected to be picked eighth in this yeaTs handicapped people had ever heard of shaky at best. In fact, the best team NFL draft by expert Mel Kiper. '!he Schnur before this season, and few the Wolverines played this season, Nittany Lions and Aggies also were will ever hear ofhim again. 'Th.e point the Buckeyes, lost in the Big HOJlj!e. It loaded with talent, and the Wildcats being, a talented quarterback is excould be argued that, as a team, Northwere nothing to sneeze at. But the tremely helpful in winning games, western, Penn State, and Texas A&M fact is that Michigan was as talented were better. It would be far more but even an average one can get the as any team it played this year. '!he job done when he gets the ball to his difficult to claim any of these teams Spartans were both far less talented teammates. Griese is an and much worse as a team than the average quarterback; Wolverines, but that did not prevent maybe not as average them from beating Michigan in East as Schnur or even Dreisbach, Dut average Lansing. Whatever went wrong, there is nonetheless. It was not, always the promise of the upcoming contrary to popular season. Despite the painful losses of opinion, simply the lack Biakabutuka at running back, Merof a good quarterback cury Hayes and Amani Toomer at that brought four losses wide receiver, and Jason Horn and to this yeaTs team. Trent Zenkewicz on the defensive line, Judging from stuthe Wolverines have one of the highdent, alumni, and meest rated recruiting classes in the dia consensus, the hirnation, as well as a defense headed by ing of Lloyd Carr was among the best things L -_ _ _ _._ "._-._" _ - -_ -._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _--J Jarrett Irons at linebacker and Will Carr at nose tackle. The year ahead to happen to Michigan ..Another four40a8 season for IIchIgIntr will give experience to both Lloyd football this season. 'Ille Carr and his quarterbacks, and will player's love'for Carr and his early had as much individual talent aa.the allow the yt)unger players to develop. Maize and Blue. On this years Michiseason SUCCESS bfOught about an early Hopefully, it will also make Michigan decision to the coach. It seemed gan team there Were perhaps as many more of a team and less of a conglomonly slightly worrisome to a few that as ten future pro players, including . eration of tremendous talent. Mt the official announcement of Carr's 'I'shimanga Biakabutuka, who is pennanent hiring had to be postponed by one week because of the loss to Michigan State. After the announcement, which was intended to allow the team to focus only on the games and not the coach's status, the WolTerror is being alone; verines lost twice more. Separated from humanity This season's four losses were Like the night from searing sum1se. partly attributed to Carr's inexperiCold, perpetual conspirator, paralyzes, ence at the helm. It seems the 5-(} Reeking stillness that engulfs the mind. start oould be chalked up to coaching The heart, alone, rages, genius while the ~ finish was conCursing its obscurity. veniently blamed on inexperience. MIfno one hears me beating," it wonders, Lloyd CalT, as an inexperienced ooe.chMOO I sound at allr ing genius, bears more responsibility No one answers. for the poor finish this year than most But the heart, it beats on, fans and journalists have mentioned. Ever more slowly on. His team was out-played against -Laura Lee-Lun Penn State, Northwestern and Texas A&M, and out-hustled at Michigan State this season. All of these losses Sonnet on Eternal Love were relatively close, by ten points or less. Although the sands have faltered through, Penalties plagued the team all Our love sustains the ultimate test year. In both the Northwestern and Of time; its steadfast readiness Michigan State games - each deAwaits the end, primed to renew. cided by less than a touchdown - one Unto eternal divinity touchdown was called back because of Near the gate of judgement's wrath a Michigan penalty, Had these two We chose to seek the righteous path plays been clean, Michigan would have And enter holy prodigy. gone to Pasadena with an 11-1 record. Penalties and heart are a coach's reYour promise to emit true light sponsibility. Despite brilliant play Has vanished with our stolen years. calling this season, especially in the The stars have welcomed us tonight, Ohio State victory, lloyd Carr is not The violent wind has dried our tears. exempt from sharing the blame for Too young to summon Higher Power; this season's lackluster finish. Our love withstands though scarce the hour. The theory that Michigan was -Jennifer Feria beaten by better teams this year is

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A Look into;. The Racist Mind

BY BILL .AHRENs

N TODAY'S SOCIETY, THE racist mind is one that immediately is discounted. Any person adhering to a system. of beliefs involving inherent racial inferiority rightly is labeled a bigot, and any attempt made to find rationality or reason in their arguments ultimately is doomed to fail. In spite of this, many people still cling to preposterous racist views, both publicly and privately. To most of us it is nearly impossible to understand what might motivate these people and what the factors are that cause them to feel as strongly as they do, but the white militant movement continues to spread a doctrine of hatred and violence against racial minorities.

The Racist Mind - Portraits of American Neo-Nazis and Klansmen (Viking Press, 330

pages) by Raphael S. Ezekiel is a book that attempts to answer the difficult questions surrounding racism in America by seeking to gain "an idea of the beliefs at the core of the movement today, the emotions in which those beliefs are drenched, and the life histories that lead to membership." Ez~kiel, a social psychologist, was a member of the University of Michigan faculty for 31 years, and served on Ann Arbor's city council. Ezekiel's well-developed profile resulted from extensive research in which he actively sought admitted racists. He did not attempt to conceal either his identity or his intentions. He simply got them to openly express their feelings and beliefs. He attended several gathering of the Ku Klux Klan in the South in order to get a general sense of that movement. Ezekiel's discussion includes a description of what he calls the "Nazification of the Klan, "

the disturbing growth of antiSemitism in the KKK. He goes on to explain that images of the 'Third Reich "speak more loudly to potential recruits than do older legends of the Confederacy's Lost Cause." In speaking with national leaders such as 'Ibm Metzger of White Aryan Resistance, Dave Holland of the Southern White Knights, and Richard Butler of .Aryan Nation, he was able to overtly infiltrate the inner circle of the movements. Finally, his study concludes with profiles of several neo-Nazis in the Detroit area. Ezekiel, who is Jewish, simply tried to determine how these people justified their views. He did not attempt to confront them; he was simply looking for their own explanations of their ideas. He treats these people with respect even while they continue to proclaim their hatred towards him. 1'b.e flawed logic of the movement

is painfully clear, and Ezekiel is able to convey many of the book's main points in his powerful introduction. He stresses that, above all, racists can only "identify themselves in terms of race." Furthermore, he states that "only challenge or crisil1 makes this categorization relevant. The militant white racist movement is composed of people who permanently feel in crisis." They believe that the majority of the population is "numb and passive, seduced and tranquilized by the enemy." Ezekiel's profile of the KKK members is chilling. One certainly has to admire his courage as he describes how he walked among the Klansmen at the rally at Stone Mountain, Georgia. The namltive nature of these descriptions captures the tension of these situations, serving as a valuable commentary on the state of om nation, but more importantly, also the state of the human race. m

Losing Ground: A Decade Later BY DAVID DoDENHOFF

grams made unemployment, idleness,

and single-motherhood. viable alterN 1984, NOT MANY PEOPLE natives to employment and mani.age. would have recognized the name In the decade since the publicaCharles Mumtyor the title ofhis tion of Losing Ground, Murray and new book, Losing Ground: American his book have been the objects of inSoc~ Policy, 1950 -1980. A decade tense scrutiny from an academic and later, however. Murray is probably media establishment unsympathetic the most frequently-cited. conservato his arguments. And how has the tive authority on poverty, race, and book held up? Ironically, even though inequality, and I...osing Ground is permany ofMUlT8.y's claims have fallen haps the most important book on the flat under closer investigation, the poor since·Michael HArrington's The book still stands as a powerful indictOther America in 1962. ment of 1960sliberalism.. Lo8ing Ground opened. with an In general, Murray's causal arguinteresting puzzle - why was povments have not held up well. Extenerty etill. a problem in 1980, andjust sive scholarly research has shown that as bad a problem as it had been in no more than about 15 percent of the 19701 After aU. the United States had rise in fem.ale-headed families in the set out to eradicate poverty in 1964 past generation is attributable to and had spent billions qf dollars on welfare expansion. Related studies anti-poverty programs in the ensuhave shown anti-poverty programs ing 16 years. So what went wrong? to not have the dependency-inducing In the 19608, argued Murray. the quality Murray ascribes to them. federal government expanded. cash About 70 percent of individual epiand in-ki.nd benefits for the poor. In sodes of welfare receipt end within 80 doing, it lowered the economic sancthree years; that is, 70 percent of tion against behaviors leading to povthose who go on welfare today will be erty - unemployment. illegitimate off the doles within three years. childbirth, divorce, and dropping out Though no one yet has driven a of.scb.ool - and reduced the relative stake through the heart of Losing rewards ofmani.age, hard work, and . Ground, it has suffered a sort of death traditional fiunily structures. In other ofl,OOO cuts, many of them adminiswords, government began subsidiztered by competent, reasonable, qualiing failure while doing nothing to fied analysts. When Murray has rereinforce success. Naturally. MUlT8.Y sponded to these critics, he has done argued, this produced more failure. so responsibly, not through ad Progress against poverty stopped. afhominem attacks but by questioning ter 1970 because anti-poverty prothe data his detractors bring to bear

on key questions. Ultimately, though, he has conceded. a key point: Losing Ground does not prove anything. Nonetheless, there ilstill a great deal about which Murray is right. For one, he is right about the mockery om social policy makes of those who make the right choices, those who deserve our support and admiration. The divorced mother, for example, who works full-time at a menial job and takes no help from the state usually has less money with which to support her children than the mother on welfare. Furthermore, she probably has no health care, while the AFDC mother and her children receive Medicaid. It is no surprise, then, that many weltare mothers who could w<d: stay on welfare (a point about which there is no dispute). Mmray says that all of this is a travesty, and he is right. He is also right about the poor results of many Great Society and War on Poverty programs: Though "job training" has become a mantra for those who want government to help the poor help themselves, job training has proven to have very mod·est effects on employment and eanlings. On. balance those gains are not large enough to deliver program. participants from poverty to economic independence. Murray naturally questions the rationale for such programs, and he is right to do so. Finally, Murray is right about his most important point: the War on Poverty and Great Society anti-pov-

ed;ycinitiatives failed on their own

. terms. It would be a simple matter to

eradicate poverty tomorrow by dis- . tributing enough cash to enough people. But that is not what we set out to do in 1964. That year Lyndon Johnson said this: "Our aim is not only to relieve the symptoms of poverty but to cure it - and above all, to prevent it." On. that score our failure has been obvious. A staggering one quarter of the population would be poor today were it not for governmental assistance. Strangely. defenders of the welfare system cite this fact with pride. Anti-poverty programs. they argue, have made life much better for this group. While that may be true, that was not the target we set out to hit 30 years ago. The point of antipoverty programs was to provide a hand, not a handout, and the ultimate measure of their suooess was to be their gradual disappearance in a society in which all but the very old. the vezy young, and the disabled could care for themselves. '!hat, unfortunately, is not what has happened. Thirty years and billions of dollars after the country declared "unconditional" war on poverty, poverty stands at roughly the same rate as it did in 1966. This fact alone says a tremendous amount about the limits of the welfare state and governmental action. That we understand those limits as well as we do is in no small part due to Charles Murray and Losing Ground. &It

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,. Heat: Three Hours of Fun

BYBENLEROI

EAT IS '!HE LATEST EPIC drama to be released this year. The film clocks in at three hours, matched only by Scorsese's Casino. As in Casino, Robert De Niro assumes a staning role, this time as the master bank robber

Hmt Directed by Michael Mann. Featuring Robert De Niro, AI Pacino. Val Kilmer.

Neal McCauley. AI Pacino enters the cast as Vmcent Hannah, the robbery/ homicide detective who is charged with the arduous task of taking McCauley's gang down. Set in Los Angeles, De Niro and co-star Val Kilmer head a group of professional thieves specializing in armored cars and banks. The movie opens with the gang hitting an armored car carrying a million dollars in bonds. '!he job turns into a blood bath as the thieves are forced to kill

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the security guards. This is where varied success, tries not to fall into Pacino's character comes in. Surveythe trap of predictability, unlike the ing the crime scene he declares the majority of actionladventu:re movies theft a professional job. 'This is where these days that are perfectly happy the true excitement begins, with reusing the same old formula. Pacino trying to bust the gang and its Ofcourse, Heat does have its drawleader, De Niro. backs, the main one being that it is Heat rejoins these two superb acriddled with tedious subplots. Many tors for the first time since their work of them involve the marital.relationin The Godfather, Part II, in which ships of the characters and are chiefly they did not act in any soones toresponsible for the movie dragging on gether. It is the raw power of these for three hours. The audience is given very little reason to care about these two actors that makes Heat work. '!he audience can watch the two of them relationships or the secondary charfor three-plus hours without tiring acters involved in them. These subbecause they prevent the film from plots do little more than take away drifting into complacency. from the main conflict of the movie, '!here are other endearing aspects which, put simply, is Pacino vs. De to Heat than just the excellent acting Niro. perfonnances. Written, produced, and And that is what the movie comes directed by Michael Mann, Heat has down to, as it should be. This matchcaptivating cinematography and con- "' up helps Heat avoid being just another cops 'n'robbers flick. Not to give tams action sequences that are staged the actors all the credit - the script is intelligently ~d as realistically liS possible. Hetit manages to marry the well written and does not cater to the usual cliches - but it is· the perforaction with the acting, something that mance of these two actors that ultican not be said of recent action films, such as Speed. The film. also, with mately wins over the audience .

Ellen's Point

•••

She Does Have One

- I was rather disappointed. Nothing made sense to me! There was no HH, TlIE REFRESHING plot, no theme, no main character, no stand-up comedy of Ellen storyline, nothing substantive to ponDeGeneres arrives in print in der. I thought about this for a long her new book, My Point ... And I Do time. I had expected something saHave One (Bantam Books, 211 lient to spring from the pages that in pages). my mind was not there. When I heard that my favorite After pouting for a while about comedienne was writing a book, I my wasted $19.95, something finally awaited its release with baited breath. hit me. I bought the book with the Her stand-up scripts are simple, yet anticipation of reading words ofwiseffective, because she pokes humordom from a heroine of mine, words of ous fun at everyday 0CCUlTeD.ce8. She inspiration, deep, meaningful pasis articulate and intelligent, yet hisages that would explain why life is so larious (these are qualities that I wish amusing to Ellen but not to me. I more people would possess). These yeruned for her secret to content life. were the reasons why I looked forBut that was it! That was the very ward to reading Ellen's thoughts. thing she gave to me! She offered her '!he introduction promises a whole interpretation of why we humans are host of things, such as how to explain odd and why, if we shed our damned sex to a child, how to :run the lditarod, 'thinking caps' for a minute, life beand Ellen's cure for the common cold comes comical. (She also claims that she wrote the In her creative, observant manentire 60,000 words stone sober - I ner she dissects and simplifies life in didn't buy that part). Immediately order to highlight how very peculiar a.fter finishing the last sentence of her we humans really can be. I cannot, book - which was, by the way, "Phew!" however, give her words justice, so here are some enlightening excerpts Li8a Wagner also has a point, but from her book. (Hint: don't read too ,"~ fl{4~,* @~.~f4!4J'f!Jt f'9!k!r .~,~ .,' . J ~ ¥ ...w~~.i~,.-::;:.~~.~!~~lY~,and BY LISA WAGNER

The showdown between the two charactel1J is highlighted by a mutual respect that is forged between them throughout the movie. As the plot twists and turns to its denouement, there is only one thing that the audience can take for granted, and that is that Pacino and De Niro will meet in the end, mano a mano. Knowledge of the battle, however, does not necessarily mean a predictable ending. There are many different ways that Michael Mann could have ended the film. I would have preferred a different one, but that opinion is left up to each individual viewer. The title Heat is appropriate for the movie; it runs hot more than it does cold, and is unpredictable more than it is predictable. Out of three hours nmning time, two and a half of them are excellent. So if you can handle a half an hour of overextension scattered throughout the movie, it's a must see for both De, Niro or Pacino fans and action buffs alike. If you don't fit in either of these two categories, Heat might not be worth it. Ml

enjoy. Heck, you can even chuckle.) after all, thirteen - but they call it fourteen. So we all know that this is Chapter 20, "Ellen's Wild Kingreally Chapter 13 even though it says dom" is about hunting and displaying Chapter 14. I think fll skip this one animal parts as trophies. "My cousin Archie is into hunting [deer], and he too, and go on to Chapter 15, which knows that I hate it, but that just will really then be fourteen." Once again, don't think too hard; it's simple. makes him want to talk about it to me more ... all through Archie's story all Later, she gives us some valuable I could think about was that poor advice on public bathrooms. "Even if little innocent animal just standing there is a lQck, there are some people who will continue to try to open the around thinking little deer thoughts: 'I wonder where the berries are? door until you say, 'somebody's in here.' What are they thinking? 'It's What's this on my hoof?' Whatever just stuck, I know it Just somebody's they're thinking ... I ask people why they have deer heads on their walls, shoes they left there earlier. Get the ramrod, this one's tightl m and they say, 'because it's such a beautiful animall '!here you go!' Well, Ellen's point is simple: life is full ofnasty quirlts and human inadequaI think my mother's attractive, but I have photographs of her. " cies. There is little that can be done about them, but there is more to liv'!hen, we have Ellen DeGeneres's ing life than wasting too much energy opinions on the number thirteen (for those superstitious types out there): dwelling on the negative. Granted, as she admits, we must focus on the Chapter 13 reads "See Chapter 14." burning issues. The '90s so far have Chapter 14: "Regarding Chapter 13: I run the gamut of predicaments, but realized it's bad luck to have a thirthe problems we face will never be teenth anything. Most hotels don't resolved with a burdened heart and a even have a thirteenth floor - they busy mind Her point ... and she defijust go from twelve to fourteen. But you realize that fourteen is actually nitely has one, is to ease up on the reins and enjoy the comical ride that thirteen, so what good does it do? You , ,~t eljP1t~teJh~"a~ P.~r .~. ~t is, ";.!ifeJ~~.~ogeJ:..~. '"',., »'~"""'N-~T~~<"""""""'_ _~"~'_~"~~~""""'''''''''''''''<_~'''''''''~

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[1:..,.17. 1- ' }!Music

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ZAK CHAUNCERY

1995 BY

':iiiil

MICHIGAN REVIEW lIVi~GiC:ULfORE ?'<

s EVERY YEAR COMES TO

A Stinky Year for Music fratboys" He says to himself, deeply sell:reoords, bad bands often do. If you rate songs, looks at Hooue's body-byperplexed. "Millions ... millions," He ever checked out the personal CD Bud, face-by-bad-genes and thinks says over and over. Suddenly a smile collections of NOFX, No Use for a to Himself, "'Th.ere is no God. This is comes to His face "Millions!!!" He Name or dffspring you'd r- < • iH J. screams, "MI££ION$!!!" find records by the DeNext thing you know, fratboys scendents and their later across the land are watching Hootie's metamorphosis, All. 'That new video. They say to themselves, is due to the fact that the "'These guys like shooting hoops. '!hese Desamdents and All have guys have no style. 'lhese songs are been incredibly influentruly of the trough. I must buy their tial on them and all the CD right now!" '!he frathoys then walk other kiddie rock bands you've heard over the last to the nearest record store and make their pledges buy them copies of year. ~ Offspring were Cracked Rear View. cashing their checks to go In the same land, average college buy some more Germs tgirls are watching Alanis Morissette's shirts for their next video, new video. They say to themselves, All left minuscule Cruz "She can't really sing. She loves yet Records for the garganhates penis ... " tuan Intersrope. And All's So what will 1996 hold for music? first major label release, Garbage: The queerest band of a queer year? That may depend on what market Pummel, sold no more The Man decides to tap into. Sony than any of their Cruz releases. While ~ most homely and average band I struck it rich with Silverchair in the bands like All pray to God that they have ever witnessed. Why there must pedophile--dirta.sses-who--etill-likedon't have to return to day jobs, bands be a million of fratboys in bands this grunge market. Realistically, 1996 like Silve:rcha.ir o*have to pray that homely and average in fraternities will probably be another slump, as the they don'tbxeak out before their "across the land." As The Man gets labels dump out band after band in next sold-out sho~. It's enough to ready to call the guards to drag hopes of stumbling upon the next big make one want to blowout one's brain. Hootie's ugly ass out of His office, You can't really blame the labels something hits Him. "Millions of '" ~genera. I can't wait. m for serving up bands like so many .. '.,' fecal cakes. Dumb people are the reaI, have been son for the success of bad bands. Lavi bels have a real knack for discovering Music Writer for the IC for

a close, musical publications, radio stations and simple music fans alike all compose their Top 10 albums of the year. I was sitting around one day in Deoomber, assembling my own 'lbp 10 list when I realized something - 1995 was the first year that I really had to struggle to find 10 great albums. The eponymous debut from Garbage was one of the first albums to find its way on my 'lbp 10 list, probably because the concept of Garbage seems like such a nightmare on paper. You know the story: three producers join forces with a girl from a failing band and try to write songs. It would have been all to easy for Butch Vig and company to make an album 80 smothered in the nastofmasturbatory production that you couldn't even find out whether the songs were good or not. Well, those people who gave the ambient rock band a chanre found out that they delivered completely infectious songs. Songs that are forever kept interesting by some of the most maximal production and track· ingto date. With the force feeding of "Wonderwall" everybody has finally accepted the fact that Oasis rocks these new markets with lots of dumb harder than all those lame, overrated people. bands from overseas (Suede, Stone Take, forinstance,thatlargefraRoses etc.) Whafs the Story? (Mornternity market. Most fratboys own ing Glory) indicates that Oasis' self-proclaimed greatness might ,not be _ that flP' off base., Other notables were A Mea1l8 to an End, the first (and probably last) tribute album to have versions that rival the originals and P.J. Harvey's sonicallyevolved ToBring You My Love. It is here that I have difficulty thinking of other great albums of 1995. Why is that? After all, so many records were broken. Alanis Morissette was the first person to ever be on the cover of Spin and Rolling Stone in the same What's the story with Oasis? They rock hard. month. Spewie and the Blowfish sold over 15 million records guitars, and most can strum some with Cracked Rear View, the #5 top chords and write banal tunes with tne best of them. They love the J. Crew selling album of all time. And on the radio, Collective Soul's "December" is catalog and they love to get their now the #1 most frequently played white baseball caps really, really dirty. song of all time. It is enough to make Hootie walks in to Atlantic Records one vomit. A&R Department, pulls out a demo All in all, there has been no justire tape from the pocket of his flannel in the music industry in any year, let shirt and hands it to The Man, The alone 1995. Good bands don't always Man listens to the incredibly second< " ~'F "' ,'~""~"~'"»~">"" ~ ",'"''

Drew Peters

Music Editor/ M· higan R e ew about two years. I was a lowly Music Writer for . the year before that. In this time I raked in hundreds of CDs. The ones that have sucked, I have traded in. In this amount of time I have raked in serious amount of tickets to shows. I buy myself friends with these. I get backstage passes all the time. I tell the ladies I am friends with the band and they think that I am cool. Anyway, the end of my reign is approaching and I'd like to find a replacement. I can't believe that there isn't someone out there who wants to be a musical high roller like myself. If you dig rock and roll and if you dig sin, this job is for you. In my reign, I've proved that Music Editors don't necessarily have to have writing skills. Heck, I don't even speak english very good. Feel free to gtve me a call at 662-1 ~09.

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UParty names mean notning~ The tradition of ' liberty means all ... " - F. Alexander, in A Clockwork Orange Ask yourself, do you ... - Love liberty? -Value personal freedoms? -Think' the University has no right to govern us with a Code? -Think the government has too much con trol over your life? -Get sick of politicians playing games? A

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Do you itke to

WRITE,

do you like to DRAW, or simply to MAKE YOUR If so, the Michigan Review is where you 路need to be.

VIEWS KNOWN?

The Michigan Review's Mass Meeting is , at 7 p.m. on Sunday, January 21 in the Koessler Library on the third floor of the Michigan League. If you miss it, regular staff meetings are on Tuesdays at 7 p.m. in Suite One on the 3rd floor of League.

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