vol_14_no_9

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·t HE MICHIGAN REVIEW' Volume 14, Number 9

March 13. 1996

The Campus Affairs Journal of the University of Michigan

The Race for MSA Heats Up

BY EvAN

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HE BATTLE FOR BOTH REPresentative and executive seats in the Michigan Student Assembly (MSA) and LSA Student Government (LSASG) promises an exciting display of political competition as the Michigan, Wolverine, and Students' parties showcase their candidates. The University of Michigan is the only institution of its kind whose governing bodies are comprised by varying student parties. Both the LSA Student Government and MSA are currently dominated by the Michigan Party, which has enjoyed a majority of both bodies' seats for the past three years. TheReview recently spoke with MSA presidential candidates from each of the three major parties, to learn more about their respective platforms and goals after the election.

The Students' Party is running LSA junior Jonathan Freeman for president and LSA sophomore Olga Savic for vice-president. Both have served as representatives on MSA. The party is strongly addressing

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Michigan Party Candidate Fiona Rose

the issues concerning graduate student instructors (GSIs), minority services, housing, and the Code.

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the party racially, but fear still exBoth argue thatjustiee cannot be fairly ists," Savie proclaimed. They proudly administered under the Code, because students are being adjudicated by felrecognize the four African American women they will be running during low students, which presents a conthe election. Ultimately, the party fliet of interest. "The Code is inevihopes to see increased effort in the table; there is just no way around it," involvement ofminority students with explained Savic. "We want to try to MSA. make it as student-friendly as posAnother major concern of the Stusible, as well as improve training for dents' Party is the various problems Code Panelists that adjudicate cases." in University housing. It cites the Yet Freeman and Savic do express rigidity of the meal plan and increassupport for sexual harassment meaing costs of housing as major chalsures in the Code, which they feel lenges before the assembly. "We need secure some aspects of victim safety.

Freeman and Savic expressed to somehow develop a plan to lower MuSing costs while allowing the [Unitheir greatest frustration with the versity housing] office to maintain its polarization of the assembly itself. , < autonomous status," Freeman ex"The greatest barrier to improving the University commUnity is assemplained. The two candidates take " credit for improvements in the meal bly irresponsibility," Freeman said, dergraduate constituents and the plan, but feel much more needs to be noting that "all too often members fail Graduate Employees Organization changed. According to Freeman, the to follow-up or support assembly ef(GEO)," Savic stated. Freeman conStudents' Party supported a com pre- .' forts with consistent evidence on protinued by citingthenumerous,. ch~l­ hensiverevorton':Ulder~~uateo.pi.&: - ., posrus." . .', '.. ' . '., .' .' ion concernillgthe issue, but internal ' ."

Savicisquick to refute the stere~-' lenges GSIs face in their positions, types of the Students' Party - that It including inadequate pay and large ' opposition in the assembly has diforces certain voting decisions classes. Although they both expressed and that is purely an opposiconcerns about the effect a strike tion party. "People within the would have on the University, their assembly like to call us the goal is to mobilize undergraduate stuopposition party," Freeman dents to support the GEO. began. "Leadership, not dictatIssues concerning the conditions ing, but listening to student and services rendered to minority concerns and evidence are esstudents and women on campus sential to improving things. were addressed next. Both take Perhaps having to shout things pride in their staunch advocacy of out just to be heard and bringminority rights on campus and ing up points that are inconveare committed firmly to supportnient to the assembly is the ing increased minority student reason some perceive us as the services and the Indian tuition opposition party." On the conwaiver. When asked about the trary, Savic insists that the Alliance 4 Justice's agenda, both Students' party Candidates Olga Savic and Jonathan Freeman party is necessarily close-knit, conveyed general interest in the . open-minded, and on its way group's demands, but believe that toward improvement. no single issue "quite raises a luted the effort .

The Review next spoke with top The Students' Party strongly opwarning flag." candidates from the Michigan Party. poses the majority of the non-acaFreeman and Savic did exThe party is running LSA. sophomore press concern about the presence demic Code of Student Conduct for Fiona Rose for president and LSA several reasons. "Basically, the Uniof minority students on MSA and LSA versity is directly violating civil rights Student Government. "We've gone to See MSA CANDIDATES, Page 8 great lengths to recruit and diversify through the Code," Freeman asserted.

From Suite

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Readers share their views on media bias and pther campus publications.

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Freeman and Savic stress the significant role graduate student instructors play in undergraduate education. "MSA should be a positive source of communication between their un-

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Campus Affairs

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Columns

Ben and Geoff share their Find out why two teaching immense understanding of instructors intend to refuse every problem in the presito join their union in a strike. . ' Dec,ency Act; , ", '" ... '.'.' ,. d· t." ' .. . ,,, " .. · , , . , , , . .. . 1. , ·" , r_?.efl!~.ClI~I~~i9~;;.".·.· . :. ' .'

A look at Code Panelists, the MSA budget. protectionism, and the Internet

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Living Culture

A look Tibor Fischer's latest novel. Ulysses's Gaze, and the mysteriOUS world of Ambjent music... "',"

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March 13, 1996

THE MICHIGAN REVIEW

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o SERPENT'S TOOTH . "~

As the Republican primary race has pushed on, Bob Dole has picked up many votes, leaving lesser-known candidates in the dust. Many of these candidates have bowed out ofthe race.

One such candidate, Grosse Pointe businessman Maurice "Morry" Taylor, stepped down and pledged to support Dole. Upon hearing of Taylor's endorsing him , Dole reportedly replied, "Who?" MSA elections are ... oh, hell, you're probably not going to vote anyway, so just forget it. Go on , read the next one.

How many Democratic congressmen does it take to screw in a lightbulb?

Beats us - they've all resigned.

Publisher Ben Kepple recently denied rumors that he used Review funds to take a "fact-finding" trip to the Subversiv e J ournalism Conference in Zihuatanejo, Mexico. It is well known that he went at MSA's expense, cour~.esy of the travel-happy MSA Exter,1al Relations Committee,

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The only advantage we can see in Dole over Clinton is that Elizabeth Dole helps society instead of feeding off of it like Hillary the lawyer.

Getting anxious and happily awaiting Dole's candidacy? There's a cure - just watch him on TV. -------

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The Campus Affairs Journal of the University of Michigan ~

INSPIRED BY THE 1995·96 MSA BUDGET, HERE IS SEPRENT'S TOOTH'S

TOP TEN BETTER THINGS TO DO WITH YOUR MONEY THAN GIVING IT TO MSA

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10. Put it in a piie on the Diag and set fire to it.

9. Rent Ishtar.

8; Send yourself to allthose. " •damned conferences.

7, Buy the student group of your choice subs and drinks ( MSA's Charles and Di recently broke up and Communications COrilmittee.spent ended their marriage. For the love of $700.00 on this, so why noth .

God, will you please stop covering 6. Buy lTD ,"funny money." them now, 0 mass media?!?

5. Make it into origami pterodactyls and stuff.

Di apparently" wanted to retain her , 4. Blow your nose with it. title and recieve enough money to • 3. Invest it in cattle futures"maintain the lifestyle she was accusHillary got 10,000 percent back, so tomed to" in tll~ divorce agreement. why not you?

Serpent's TO'o th wonders: Just how 2. TP ... for your bunghole! much money wopld Princess Di need 1. Give it to the ~view! to sit around and do nothing of real . ; :":' .

-i''''-'' value, anyway?

Pat Buchanan recently announced he would to stay in the GOP primary until the convention . Pat, please go back to "Crossfire" where you at least have a chance at winning.

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And Now for a Blas-t -from the Past ... ·

Los Angeles restaurant owners are gearing for an assault on hamburger businesses by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). According to the EPA, charcoal smoke is harmful to the atmosphere, and the agency will soon force all restaurants to install catalytic converters onto their grill hoods. We expect to see the same restrictions placed on Boy Scout campfires soon .

After spending a night with Tonya Harding, Lorena Bobbitt, and Hillary Clinton, a man woke to find his knees broken, his penis severed, and his health insurance premium raised.

House Minority Whip Newt Gingrich revealed his plan, Contract with America, last week. Unfortunately, a recent survey found that most Americans would not sign anything written

by anyone who went by the name "Newt."

The rumor mill indicates that supermodel Claudia Schiffer has broken her engagement with illusionmaster David Copperfield. Welcome back to reality, Mr. Magic Man. Have a message for the U-M administrators? Just send it to them at bigbrother@umich.edu. Or just make it really raunchy - they'll be sure to get it.

Alarmed by the plummeting US dollar, Federal Treasury officials have announced that instead of cash, Americans travelling abroad may be better off ''bringing some really neat stuff to trade."

In recent months, Newt Gingrich has recommended the film Boys Town for its insights into the welfare system and Field of Dreams for its insights into the baseball strike. In a related and lesser known item, it was announced that Gingrich was appointed the new vice president of promotions for Blockbuster Video last week.

SERPENT'S TOOTH'S TOP TEN REASONS WHY THE CODE SUCKS

10. Happens to overlook a little thing called the US Justice system .

9. Comes in a hard-to-digest, chalky, pink liquid form.

8. Fidel Castro on the Code: «A little harsh and repressive, don't you think?"

7. Dammit, if you want to eat cheese crackers all day, you're going to eat cheese crackers all day.

6. Establishes University as En Loco Parentis , which means you have to breast feed from Duderstadt.

5. Assigns one DPS officer to every UM student, and refers to the assigned officer as the "My Buddy" doll.

4. Begins with the words, "Once upon a time, University students had freedom."

3. Amendment Seventeen: "We reserve the right to shoot first, and ask questions later."

2. Mary Lou Antieau likes to be called "Stalin." l. Because we already have a Constitution, dammit!

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EDlTOR.ff.CHIEf: Mohan Krllhnlft PUBlISHER: Benjlmln Kepple MANAGING EDITOR: Geoff Brown ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER: Pat Eskew MUSIC EDITOR: Drew PeeIrI copy EDITORS: Anthony Wen, Tom JoIIfe ADVERllSING MANAGER: Eddie SangUiftruang COMPUlCR CONSULTANT: MIrk w..t UTERARY CAlT1C: BII Ahrens PHOTOGRAPHER: Uu Wagner STAFF: ...... Ackles, Joe Arclero, Devorah Adler, "-on ClementI, Kevtn Cooney, David Dodhenhotl, Jennlfw FellI, CalvIn Hwang, EYII'I Knott, Ben 1MoI, Mel lIywa, Rodeen Rahbar, Don Robinson, Craig Rogowsld, John SquIer, MIdI... WheIlon.

EDlTOR-M-lARGE: JImeI A. Roberts,II EDITOR EMERITUS: N_ JImIIon PUBlISHERS EIERI11: Eric 1.Ir1on, Aaron SteeimIft The I.fchigan ReYIew Is an i1depende!t, rron1htf sIudent1'111 ;una! cI cIasstaI bra! and Ibertarian opi1Ion althe

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lJrMrsIy cI MchIgan. We neIher del nor accept

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etaIy donaIionI from the cI Mchigan, and have no resped !of anyone !hal does. ~ the (DELETED FOR SECURITY REASONS) CHef aI MSA, who shouki give the rmnelaly "donaIlons" 0I1he studert body back,

.. t.6A can't seem ~ I1'1IIlIge II, and where I wi do more good. ~ addlion, we are dismayed that neMhef clthe two Iket! Presidential candidates are going to work lor real change iI Washilgk)n. D.C. 01 cotne,getlilg leal change iI WashiIgkIn Is PnoII as dIficIM. wh*1g ,. ~ case Igai1sI the lAS, Contrilutions to the Mchigan Review are tax-<leductable under Section 501 (c)(3) 01 the IItemaI Revenue Code.

The Review Is not lfllialed wlth any poIIk:aI party or unlversly pollical group.

The Best of Serpent's Tooth The Detroit News quoted Bill Clinton in a factory in Bath, Maine, as saying, "We cannot afford in a global economy to be divided ligain - government and business ahd workers fighting each other all the time." Here's an idea: stop running our damn lives!

Aklt...the show Is over, U1f goodt1je....

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Unsigned e®riaIs repment the opiIion clthe edlarial board. Ergo, they are unequNocabIy correct and Just.

S9led artcIes, 1eIers, and cartoons represent the opinIons clthe IIftr and not necessaItf hl&e clthe Review.

The opiIIons presented iI this pubIcatIon are not necessuitt those 01 the advertisers or 01 the UnNersl1y 01 Mchigan (and ilthe U-t.fs case, aren't). We welcome Iet1ers and articles and eooourage COI11llen1s about the joImaI. SO leelree to wrle In. We ike geItilg leiters.

Please address all sub8cr1Jtion InquiIes to: Associate Putisher, rio the MIchIgan Review. AI advet1iailg • • its should be dIIected 10: Publisher c/o the MIchigan Revitw.

Ee:M1II And 8uIIneea 0IIicee:

SulleOne 111 N. UnIYerwIty Av.nue Am AIbor,III .....12115 EIIAlt..: IIREV@utMchAdu Tel (11~ 112-1101 Fax (313) t3&-2505 ~OI"'IIJn.IIcNgIII"""_

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

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March 13, 1996

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THE MICHIGAN REVIEW

o LETTERS To THE EDITOR Free-Market Mass

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s BENJAMIN KEPPLE JOKlNG?

His piece "Lost in the Eighties: The Obtuse Mass Media" was little more than a rehash ofcoutnless magazine editorials and talk radio diatribes railing against that modern boogeyman, the "liberal" media. Like the neocon pundits he emulates, Kepple paints a world in which network news anchors conspire to infed the American populace with their radical teachings: Dan Rather as Abbie Hoffman. In a world where the "nightly news" is produced, packaged, and delivered almost exclusively by Fortune 50 (sic) companies (yes, Ben, that's this planet I'm talking about), it's ludicrous to suggest that the news is dominated by the left.

What Kepple really seems want is a media that spouts his brand of political rhetoric, not someone else's.

As. the ownership of the mass media has grown ever more concentrated, media bias has crept steadily rightward. Kepple is simply being dishonest in equating criticism of Newt Gingrich with media liberalism. It's a dishonesty that comports nicely with the campaign of those on the right to portray Bill Clinton as some radical hippie, when the reality is that he is as conservative fiscally (and almost as conservative socially) as the last "establishment Yalie" we had in the

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Does something bother you?

oval office - George Bush.

What is particularly ironic about Kepple's stance is his call for objectivism - for "the media" to rely on the obstensibly unbiased feeds of the AP and Reuters. Ifliberalism has infected CBS, how is it the As.sociated Press remains immune to the virulent agenda of the left? The truth is that the same news that zips over the press wires streams down to our cable boxes, albeit gussied up to attract a TV audience possessed of attention spans too short for the New York Times. The mass media are guilty of bias, no doubt. But it is a bias toward the status quo, toward "centrism" as a political ideal. Leftist political zealotry on the evening news is bad for business, and therefore bad for networks.

Yes, Ben, the media focus on the bad over the food, whether covering Newt Gingrich, or Bill Clinton, or the weather. But don't blame the left for this. Blame that"l'bttonic ideal you worship down there at the Review the market. The media show bad news, we watch. The media show goodnews, we yawn and switch to Hard Copy.

Share it with us!

The Michigan Review welcomes letters from readers who are frustrated, annoyed, or even pleased with anything they see around them (especially us).

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To contact us, please write to Letters to the Editor 911 N. University Ave. Suite One Ann Arbor, MI 48109

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Better yet, drop us an e-mail at ID.reV@UID.ich.edu with the subject, "Letters to the Editor"

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Of course, there's a disclaimer: Letters to the Editor are, being submissions by readers and not staff of the Review, not to be mistaken as the opinions of the Michigan Review or its editors or staff, and are rather the views solely of their author. The Review retains the right to condense any letter it prints, and to print (or not print) any letters received. ",",.'

Jason Gull Second-year Student University of Michigan Law School

The Gargoyle: Is it Funny?

MDS

I

N RESPONSE TO YOUR "IT'S too bad that was the only thing that was remotely funny in the entire issue," you are incorrect on both points. 1. There were some funny things in that issue (see pages 2, 6-7, 15,16-17, as well as others). 2. It (the review letter joke ) WASN'T remotely funny. The thing is, we now run with an "issue editor" policy, so there is even less of a comprehensive Gargoyle philosophy than there ever was.

So, although as a previous editor, I certainly don't represent the Garg, neither can the.author of that joke. I know this is all very confusing, but, believe me, it does have its advantages.

So why am I writing this note?

Well, I certainly wouldn't be writing it if! thought our little j ab at you was amusing or EVEN MADE ANY SENSE AT ALL. Because deep down I think rivalries between campus publications can be a lot of fun. Why, when I was a freshman here, the Daily stank! They were ;00 absurdly "liberal" that they used the word "pigs" to refer to the police in news stories!

And they bashed Israel every single day. Oh boy, they were sure PC for an organization in which a handicapped

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person could never even make it up the stairs to the newsroom! That's why you guys came about in the first place, as a response. And it was great.

You made fun of them, we make fun of them and you. They made fun of you and us.

All-in-all, there was a lot of fun going around. Then came apathy.

They daily moved to the center, or ratherjust became apolitical, and then you had to move to the left a bit as well. Then the daily actually got pretty good. And we just got stupid. True, it was a great, funny kind of stupid, we were producing some ofthe best comedy in the history of campus humor (and still are, with exceptions which include the little jab at you) but we pretty mush stopped making fun of the boring campus (because who would want to?)

So perhaps that little "shot at the review" in our last issue, was created with those old rivalries in mind. It was a ghost of a different age. Like a ghost it lacked substance and, like a ghost, it wasn't funny.

Stephen Jay Levinson Editor Emeritus, The Gargoyle "t.

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March 13, 1996

THE MICHIGAN REVIEW

o FROM SUITE ONE MSA: Rethink Funding Priorities

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HE MICHIGAN STUDENT ASSEMBLY (MSA) RECEIVES APPROXIMATELY $216,000 from the $2.94 student government fee that all students pay along with their tuition and other fees. MSA is supposed to spend this money (along with any surplus - $10,000 this year) in ways that benefit students. A look at its budget, however, brings up some very interesting questions about the wisdom of some of the funding decisions, along with the much more interesting question as to whether or not certain funding decisions benefit the student body, or just MSA. No one would argue with the fact that MSA does need a certain amount of money to fund its own internal operations. However, the problem arises when it seems that student fees tend to be spent on MSA itself, and not on student groups or on programs that benefit students. The idea behind the MSA fee is that the majority of the money should be spent funding student groups and programs that benefit students. MSA's funding priorities, therefore, need to be revised to become coincident with this vision.

In looking at the 1995-96 MSA External Budget, one finds that there are many examples of questionable funding decisions. One such example is the MSA External Relations Committee (ERC), chaired by Fiona Rose. During the 1994-95 academic year, the budget for this committee was $2,000. For this academic year, it has increased to $7,000. According to the ERC budget, $2,328 of this funds two students to attend each of three different conferences. The rest of the budget includes funding for vague items such as "grassroots organizing". (for a whopping total of$3,650.30) and dues to an organization identified in the~ budget simply as NASHE, presumably a lobbying organization.

As a matter of fact, the MSA budget requires ERC to spend at least $2,000 on lobbying purposes. While it is understandable tpa(MSA should engag~ the services of a lobbying organization to represent student interests to the government, and maybe even prudent sending tw<f of its members to a ~'mference of this organization in Washington, D.C., presumably to represent student interestetothe federal government, it is not as easy to understand why MSA needs to send representatives to conferences in Iowa and Wisconsin.

Further, it is hard to understand the need for over $3,600 to fund "grassroots organizing" and "letter writing campaigns" to unspecified groups for unspecified purposes. Exactly how are student interests being served by such activities?

Another, even more interesting expenditure is the MSA Communications Committee's spending of $700.00 on refreshments and "subs/drinks" for its mass meetings . This is interesting because MSA refuses to spend student fees to allow student groups to purchase refreshments for their activities, yet has no qualms about spending the same funds on refreshments for internal activities.

The Assembly shows a considerable lack of judgment in allowing a single committee to Spend $700.00 on refreshments alone, which most certainly does not benefit the-student population in any tangible way. MSA must not continue to execute a double-standard with respect to the usage of student fees.

Another example of questionable spending involves the budget for the Women's Issues Commission (WIC), an organization that had a budget of$50 for 1994-1995 yet submitted a $5,300 budget proposal for 1995-1996. The request includes items for the establishment of a UN ational University Women's Association" (asking for a "minimum" of $3,000) and a National Organization of Women (NOW) chapter on campus . Now while these may be admirable efforts, it is not necessarily the purview of MSA to establish student groups, such as NOW - 'they are in no way different from other student groups and should be started in the traditional manner, by independent student request and not by a mandate from MSA. Another item asks for $2,000 for bimonthly women's forums of an unspecified format. In fact, the entire budget proposal, which asks for a funding increase in excess of 10,000 percent, was submitted in handwriting on a quarter-sheet of notebook paper, and failed, as all committee proposals did, to provide details on the activities for which funding was requested. The WIC did not receive its full requested funding, but was allocated $3,000, sixty times their budget for the previous fiscal year.

The majority of MSA's spending goes to funding internal MSA activities, rather than other student programs. Much of this is wasteful and ofquestionable merit. It needs to rem{,!mber that it exists foremost to serve students. While the steady increase in funding for the Budget Priorities Committee (BPC), which funds student groups is definitely a positive trend, it amounts to only 37 percent ofthe total budget for MSA. More ofthe remaining 63 percent must be spent on student activities and less on funding internal bureaucracy. The Assembly deals with a tremendous amount of student money; it needs to keep the interests of students above its own concerns at any cost. Mt , 1" J

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o COMMENTARY Understanding the Code

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ECENT COMPLAINTS FROM CERTAIN STUDENT CODE PANELISTS (SCPs), the jurors who preside over cases, under the Code of Student Conduct (CSC), bring to light important questions about the nature of csc trials ,ap.d of student's roles in them.

The panelists' maincomplaint Was that they were not sufficiently trained to properly interpret the CSC and to ensure just process for students in them.

This is nothing new - in the infamous Lavie-Welch trial last year, Assistant Vice-President for Student Affairs Mary Lou Antieau herself demonstrated through her ignorance that comprehension ofthe Code is not a priority to the administration. This view is deplorable. Part of this problem is inherent within the Code - it has always been riddled with vagaries and inconsistencies that prevent a clear understanding. However, part ofthis lies with the administration.

Due to the encompassing nature of the CSC, and the severity ofpunishments that can be levied underit, the University has a duty to all students-not just the SCPs - to explain in detail the extent and limitations of its scope and the process of trials and actions under it. In this the administration has failed miserably. Rather than make any real attempt to inform students, the administration has chosen instead to conduct bizarre "random mailings" of CSC revisions to students (just which students get which revisions remains a mystery). Were it not for the efforts of student organizations, a majority of the student body would probably not even know of the CSC's existence. Students do not find out the cost of tuition at the time of billing, but at the time of registration for classes. Similarly, professors inform students in advance ofthe dates of examinations - they do not just hold them spontaneously and then fail students for their absence. Likewise, the U-M has a duty to students to inform them of the effects ofthe CSC in plain English - not when those students are charged with violations of the document, but when the document is enacted.

However, the SCPs, more than anyone, must know the intricacies of the CSC, since it is theirs to interpret and apply. Whether or not the SCPs are properly trained by any standard, that they do not believe themselves qualified is enough to sound alarm bells. U-M must do everyt)Ung in its power to ensure that these SCPs are satisfied with their understanding of the Code, for their understanding is its only real manifestation, since they are the primary interface between it and students. If they interpret it poorly, then it is, through this ineptitude, made a poor policy regardless of its content.

The Code is a blasphemy against American values; this has been said many times. However, students are recognizing that it is not going to vanish soon.

While students and the administration do not see eye-to-eye on the necessity and form of non-academic policies, they must all agree that those policies in existence should be clearly and well understood, and most of all by those who enforce and interpret them. The University must work harder to help the SCPs, as well as administrators closely involved with the CSC, to understand the meanings and limitations ofthe policies it contains. Mt -Mohan Krishnan

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5

THE MICHIGAN REVIEW

o FROM THE BRANCH OFFICE 'V"

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Free the Internet

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¡SPEAKING OF ",SSISTEO SUICIDE. DR. KEVORKIAN ...â&#x20AC;˘ WAS IT YOUWHO GOT THE REPUBUCAN PARTY INVOLVED WITH PAT BUCHANAN?I"

o COMMENTARY Protectionism Harmful to ..U.S. -,

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HE FORCES OF PROTECTIONISM WOULD LIKE THE WORLD to know something. If they are given power, the entire world will suffer.

Especially hard hit by this phenomenon will be Mexico, China, and Japan. According to marty protectionists these thi'ee nations are causing American workers to lose jobs by the millions and not giving anything in retu~.

In offering this hypothesis they are appealing to an element of the electorate that largely is uneducated about the merits offree trade. Protectionists call for trade to be drastically cut, in some cases even halted, in order to protect American jobs. What this group of voters does not realize is that cutting trade also cuts markets. This is an important point. Selling American made products to China, Mexico, and Japan (three of the U.S.'s largest trading partners) would obviously be impaired quite seriously. Therefore, jobs will be lost, rather than gained, and bad feeling will only be exacerbated on both sides.

Trade isolationism is not a smart policy to follow. With the rise ofthe global marketplace, and with the world as interdependent as it is today, cutting off other nations from trade would be akin to cutting off your right arm. Closing America would hurt itself more than others.

Also, the potential gains of open world trade clearly favor the U.S. Making the Mexican economy strong, for example, will build outlets of demands for American goods. Secondly, creating a strong Mexico will prevent the calamity of economic failure that befell that country in recent years as well as prevent the necessity of an American bailout.

The entire protectionist agenda is a study in contrasts. Because candidates such as Pat Buchanan are pushing this protectionist doctrine, many voters associate isolationism with Republican beliefs in general. This is simply not the case. Ronald Reagan and George Bush were both vociferous proponents of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Treaties (GA'l'T) and the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). In fact, it was the Democratically controlled Congress that held back passage until the Clinton administration came to power. Even former opponents ofGA'M' and NAFTA like Richard Gephardt (DMO) have said Buchanan's ideas go too far.

Protectionist politicians are courting a sector of voters that traditionally have been Democratic - primarily workers - by demagoguery and nationalism . . The sad thing is, it is working. American workers are fearful, as they always have been, oflosing their jobs to those overseas. Though international workers may provide cheaper labor, they are nowhere near the skill level of the American force . Skilled labor will continue to be one of America's most valuable advantages. The need for improvements in education and technology seem far more important than restricting trade in this light.

Protectionism must be exposed for what it is: namely, a fraud. The world is becoming smaller and America is still leading the way. It is not the time to close the U.s . That time must never come . .Mt -Pat Eskew

ERHAPS MORE SO THAN ANY OTHER LIBERTY, THE RIGHT OF free speech is fundamental to the existence of American democracy. It is this right, among others, that has gained prominence in the First Amendment to the Constitution, guaranteeing that the free exchange of ideas will remain uninhibited by the control and influence of the state. With the passage of the recent Internet Decency Act, a provision in the larger Telecommunications Act of 1996, the United States government has extended, illegitimately, its role concerning on-line transactions, threatening the right of free speech in the process.

Due to the fact that the sovereign power lies within the people themselves, a democratic system relies upon the acquisition of knowledge within the polity.

That is, the people themselves must reserve the means by which to exchange information, thereby educating themselves concerning the pertinent issues of governance. It is this power of free speech that allows the people to remain sovereign, for it is the acquisition of this knowledge that enables them to ultimately govern themselves. Not only does this ensure the existence of democracy; by reserving this power to the people, the polity is able, through the means of self-governance, to limit the power of the state, preserving liberty itself.

If the government were to assume control over this free market of speech - through any_ act of influence or outright censorship - the freedom of the peo~le would fall into jeopardy. This is due to the fact that such agpvernmental act would hind~r the free exchange of ideas, Ultimately diluting apqpossibly usurping the sovereignty of the people. Thus, for the sake of liberty itself, it is . essential that a free market of speech exist, allowing all members ofthe polity to communcate freely.

Citing its versatile and universal utility, many have hailed the development of the Internet as a blessing to democratic governance. Indeed, the benefits that such a system brings to a democratic soc~~ty are both significant and numerous.

ThelntemetaltovVs forane~y andeffi;ciente~changeof, information, making the acquisition of knowledge as easy as ever. This, in tuni, has contributed to the maintenance of American democracy, allowing more people to educate . themselves on current issues .

The recent Internet Decency Act, however, hinders this exchange of inform atjon over the Internet. The legislation grants to the government the power to regulate the content of the information transmitted via computer.

Specifically, the act prohibits the transmission of material deemed "indecent" or "obscene," in an effort to stem the effects that pornography may have on various segments of society, especially children. In passing this bill, Congress purports to serve the public interest, upholding community standards of speech on the Internet.

By upholding such "standards," though, Congress has assumed the power to censor a type of speech - namely, speech that may offend through obscenity or indecency. As discussed earlier, the right of free speech is essential to democratic liberty, for this right reserves the power of governing to the people.

Thus, the efforts of Congress to censor the Internet infringe upon the people's right to govern themselves: By prohibiting a type of speech on a growing public forum such as the Internet, Congress has impeded the ability of the people to communicate and, ultimately, function responsibly within the context of a democracy.

In response to this conclusion, some may assert that the indecent material that is the subject of the law under question holds no relevancy to democratic speech. That is, even with the enactment of this act, people will still possess the power to acquire the knowledge necessary for the maintenance of democracy.

Such may indeed be the case, but this submission fails to consider a more fundamental point: If they were to condone this action on the part of the state, the people would implicitly legitimize governmental influence over the free market of speech. It is this free market that allows for democratic speech to exist in the first place, and thus the people must protect it from the most minor of infringements.

While claiming to uphold the values of the Constitution upon their inauguration, members ofCongress have clearly violated the FirstAmendment's guarantee ofthe right of free speech with the passage of the Internet Decency Act. They not only have hindered the further development of this promising new form of communication, but also have place into jeopardy the democratic liberty of the American polity. It would be proper for the federal courts, or the legislators themselves, to reconsider this act and to declare it to be unconstitutional, restoring the freedom of speech that once characterized the Internet . .Mt - . ... ,I:"

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March 13,1996

THE MICHIGAN REVIEW

o CAMPUS AFFAIRS

GEO Will Strike Without Us

BY DAVID DODENHOFF AND JOHN

SQUIER

L

ASTWEEKTHELEADERSOF the Graduate Employees Organization (GEO), also known as the Teaching Assistants' union, distributed a strike authorization ballot to union members. GEO's leaders had become frustrated with what they perceived to be the University administrators' intransigence on key points in negotiations over a new TA contract. When the results were tallied, more than 80 percent of GEO members had authorized the union's leaders to call a strike if contract negotiations continued to be unproductive. That strike, ifit comes, likely will occur in April, coincident with the busiest weeks of the semester.

There are many reasons to want to avoid a strike - the adverse impact on students; the suspension of pay, and therefore academic progress, for striking TAs; the ill- will it may create between TAs and the professors who will have to assume our workloads, and so on. But the best reason to avoid a strike is that on balance our old contract was both fair and generous, and the GEO's current demands are often unreasonable and unimportant.

One of the key sticking points between the University and the union is the question of pay for Teaching Assistants (our new title is actually "Graduate Student Instructor," a product of our union's efforts). Currently, TAs with a full teaching load receive just over $1000 per month before taxes. The union is trying to negotiate a $334 per month raise to be phased in over three years. Though a 33 percent raise even in nominal terms seems fairly ambitious, the union at least. has an argument - that is the amount required to bring teaching assistant salaries in line with the cost of living in Ann Arbor.

Two points need to be made here.

First, if one makes the right choices and lives very modestly, one can live in Ann Arbor on $1000 per month. We know . We've done it. Second, on an hourly basis a teaching assistant with a full course load receives a little more than $12 per hour. lfyou convert that to an annualized income assuming a 40-hour work week, it translates to nearly $25,000 per year. For one person that is a decidedly middle-class salary. In other words, we are already being paid fairly well for our work.

But that is not the point, GEO's leaders argue. TAs work only 20to 25 hours a week and do that only eight months out of the year. Under those conditions $12lhour does not add up to enough money to meet living costs for a full 12 months. This should not be surprising - there are not many jobs in America that pay a full-time wage for half-time work during twothirds of the year. Furthermore, looking at salaries alone obscures the very generous non-ruonetary compensation we receive as Teaching Assistants. In any semester we teach we pay no tuition. For an out-of-state student with a full course load, that tuition credit alone has a value of about $18,000 per year. We receive generous health care benefits as well, valued in the neighborhood of$1300 a , year. Granted, tuition credits and ~ health care plans cannot be eaten, but the $19,300 saved on tuition and insurance co(.Id certainly buy a lot of food . ·· ..

There is nothing wrong with GEO seeking a pay raise, of course. Like most teaching assistants, we put a lot of effort and energy into teaching. We both have been nominated for teaching awards by our students. Neither of us, therefore, would feel any embarrassment or guilt over a reasonable pay raise. But 30 percent is not reasonable . The University is right to resist meeting demands of this nature, and our union would be wrong to call a strike if administrators continue to resist.

The rest of the issues in the contract negotiations vary in importance and in the extent of agreement between the GEO and the University, but none of them carries significant merit to cause a strike. Stricter enforcement of affirmative action guidelines? We do not believe in affirmative action in this setting or any other and would not walk out in support of it. Elimination of the $80 registration fee? ¥Ie would rath~r not pay it, but we WIll manage. ReImbursement for taxes paid on health care benefits for same-sex "domestic partners?" We think the University is being quite generous in subsidizing those benefits in the first place. Improved dental benefits? We'd rather floss than strike.

We understand that anyone is-

we work part-time, doing indoor work involving no heavy lifting and, in comparison, relatively little stress, receiving training for a more advanced career, and receiving benefits which, if counted along with our income, would push us solidly into the middle class - that is simply insupportable.

None of this is to say that we do not appreciate our union leaders' efforts on our behalf. We are very grateful that they have spent hour after hour at the negotiating table so that we do not have to do so. And we know that we would not have the pay, benefits, and various administrative protections we do have were it not for their efforts. Finally, we believe a decent wage, a manageable workload, and administrative fairness are worth the fight. But we think that our expired contract generally provided those things, and that calling a strike The GEO lays siege against the lJ-M rather than renewing that contract (incorporating some important conthings, income, a social life, and entertainment for anywhere from five cessions University negotiators alto ten years. If one is married with ready made) would be indefensible.

For this reason, if GEO decides to children, it is that much harder. However,portraying outselvesas ki,ndreq·". . walk out of the classroom in April,we with the oppressed proletariat wh~~ will not walk with it. Mt

itself-the logo with the pencil in the clenched fist, the rhetoric about being exploited, and so on - genuinely distressing because it implies that many of our fellow graduate students feel ill-used by the University. Graduate school is difficult, to be su:re. It is demanding and stressful, and it requires that one sacrifice, among other

We believe that the Code, the University'S policy for students' non-academic rights and responsibilities, should be abolished because it is a blatant and unacceptable violation of the civil liberties of students at U-M. We hope you feel the same way. In order to "convince" the University of this, it is necessary to take away from it what it values most highly - money. We ask you to join us in pledging not to donate any money to the U-M through such funding drives as MPact and the Senior Pledge, until this blasphemy against American values is eradicated. ~

________________________ _

I ledge tha t I will I ,P Inot donate any money to the University of!I I IMichigan's funding drives until the Code oft I ..

IStudent Conduct IS abolished.

I,

I I I

Signed, _ _ _ _ _ __

I

sue ~en. alone may not appear to be IComplete and detach this form and send it to the Review at very sIgnificant, and that what mat- I ters more is the administration's ~tti- I Reve:r:se Pl~ tude toward the union and its inter- I 911 N. Umverslty, Ste. 1 ests in the aggregate. But on that I '. .

Ann Arbor, MI ~109 Dauid Dodenhoff a~ Joh,!" .Squie.r score GEO'~ lea~ers ~ee themselves lor, e-mail It to us at mrev@umich.edu. If you have any . P!lJgfJJ.f.i..Uf1.~ *t.u.~uJ~, "{tP()J~t~cpI$C~; " , • Q))d -tbeUmyetSJty. ddfex:.ently ..thao "lmlestions about the Reverse PloAae. nlease contact ence and are both teachmg asslstants. we do. We find the way GEO presents ..... - _ - - - - - - - _ _ _ .... ~ ... _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

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March 13, 1996

7

THE MICHIGAN REVIEW

o CAMPUS AFFAIRS

Revamp

BY MOHAN KRISHNAN

M

ICHIGAN STUDENT ASsembly (MSA) elections have abysmal turnouts, and during the rest of the term, the assembly seems almost invisible to many student.s. Most press covering the act.ions of MSA seems to be negatiw, and the only purpose of the assembly that anyone seems to really appreciate is their dispensation of funding for student groups. One wonders if something is fundamentally wrong with the way MSA works .

At first glance, it may seem convenient to blame the parties,just like it is convenient to blame the Republicans and Democrats for our federal government's failures. However, this is the wrong approach. Note, first, that in every election, a number of independent candidates run for MSA seats. Note, second, that they rarely win. There is a simple reason for this; without a party banner to wave, students who run for office on this campus of some 40,000 of their peers have very llttle visibility.

If students were presented with

MSA :~lections

an MSA election in which there were no parties, a nightmare would ensue.

Even with large parties (only three vie for the majority ofthe seats), students are very disinterested in election campaigns and politics . If they were forced to examine the individual platforms of more than a dozen independentcandidates, the sheerimmensity of the information necessary to cast an educated vote would result in decreasing the pathetic voter turnout even more. Elections would boil down to a popularity contest in the small circle of students who actually pay close attention to student politics.

It becomes clear that simply removing the parties from MSA and continuing its other traditions as they stand is not a solution to its problems.

MSA claims to be a representative democracy, much like the U.S. itself. To quote Monty Python, "it derives from a mandate from the masses." AB·a democratic institution, it must ensure thif"t:it meets the needs of students, and foremost that it presents itself and organizes itself in such a way as to maximize student input and thereby continue its demo-

off-campus ballots in centralized locations? The first step in selling any product - and elections are no different - is to actually get the buyer to look at the advertisement. Ifstudents actually see ballots, they are more likely to turn them in, at polls conveniently situated on the way to class .

Another method might be to institute some kind of electronic voting system . Thanks to secure connections in the World Wide Web CWWW),such as the current Wolverine Access system, it might behoove the University to investigate setting up a voting page that could authenticate students by their uniqnames and passwords (this is an even more foolproof system than the current poll system!). While this could not replace the polls, since there is no guarantee that all the students currently voting in person will jump to computers, this is a good possibility for a supplementary system. This is not futuristic ' ,o r infeasible, as was abundantly proven by this week's announcement from Rackham Student

craticnature. Ifstudents are ignoring the voting system and the method of elected representatives, it may be that system itself that must-be changed.

So what alternatives are there?

Perhaps the solution lies in the voting method. If students are not going out to the polls, then the polls should go to them . IfMSA were to emphasize voting in the dorms by getting the RAB to distribute ballots to their halls and facilitate in collecting them, it is easily possible that a large number of students in dorms - primarily freshmen - would take interest in MSA, or at least vote. While there may be problems ofvoting validity, these could certainly be worked out. For instance, students in dorms might be restricted to voting only in their own dorms , but that is the most likely place for them to vote. This ensures that they do not v6te again elsewhere. The RAB are paid staffofthe University and should be as reliable as the student volunteers who staff the voting booths.

For that matter, since a huge number of ballots are made regardless of voter t.urnout, why not mail them to every st.udent, but. continue t.o collect

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See MSA Elections, Page 13

(.,

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8

THE MICHIGAN REVIEW

March 13, 1996

MSA Candidates Continued from page 1

sophomore Probir Mehta for the vicepresident's seat. With regard to the existence of parties within MSA and the Michigan Party's performance during the past year, Rose explains the important presence ofindividuals comprising each party and proudly boasts of the Michigan Party's record and commitment to addressing student issues. Rose cited student health care, child care, campus parking space, and increasing student representation in the presidential search committee as major issues that her party will address. She continued by recognizing the party members' high level of experience not only in student government, but outside of it as well, a quality that she believes will bring more success to the party.

In specifically addressing the party's platform for this election, Rose stated, "Our platform has always been one that looks to the future, keeping in mind the limited amount of time the assembly has to work." One of the party's major goals is to create a new student guidance board on the issue of universal student health care coverage. "Flint was absolutely correct in wanting to address the health care issue, but I'm not so sure I agree with some of the conclusions that were reached," Rose stated. "Flint's mistake was not allowing enough time to thoroughly investigate the issue. Our goal now is to increase student input on the issue and work out some kind of compromise in a timely manner."

Rose next pledged commitment to tackling the shortage of parking on campus. "The University has seen increases in the number of commuter students as well as demand for parking space from both graduate and undergraduate students," she stated.

Another concern Rose plans to address involves extending both the hours and the routes of such student transportation services as Night Owl and North Walk. "The services that run late into the night become fewer and fewer as the night progresses, and we should be proViding coverage for students who live not just along the main routes, but as far out as Washtenaw Avenue and others along the North Campus route," she added.

The party also plans to attempt to increase library hours on campus.

Turning to some external issues, Rose said the party plans to work on the issue of text book prices. Mehta, in a telephone interview, said he is overseeing the party's efforts on this issue along with fellow party member and Academic Affairs Chair Dan Serota. Mehta stated that the party will encourage student groups to make sure professors report which books

will be used in courses. H~ continued stated. parties; we can form coalitions to get by praising the success of the-StUdent Starting with his goal of increasa lot of this stuff done without polarBook Exchange, but believes MSA ing MSA funding of student groups, izing the assembly." has an obligation to increase both the Schor boasts of his and Curin's posiOn the issue of health care, Schor publicity and space allotted to the tions on the budget priority commitstated, "In terms of universal health event. Lastly, Mehta stated that' he tee, as well as many other Wolverine care, that is optimal, but in terms of would have coursepacks put on-line.

Party members as a definite advanmandatory health care coverage, I Mehta next addressed the issue tage in pursuing these changes. "By and many others never understood of the meal plan in University housthe end of the year, we will have given all the intricacies of it. I don't want ing. He was quick to cite structural $86,000 out to student groups of all people who can't afford it to have to flaws within all three of the existing kinds in the University." Schor propurchase it." He criticized'the efforts meal plans, pointing out the lack of claimed, "This is the most money stuof President Flint Wainess, saying equity between cafeteria meals and dent groups have ever received from his plan focused on graduate students the meal credit limits in residence MSA, and a lot of great things have and was thrown together too quickly hall snack bars. "Dorm dinners cost developed because of it." and without thorough study. students nearly $8, whereas they are When asked about the party's Turning to the Code, Schor inallowed a maximum $3 credit or so in position in addressing student consisted that the party was against havthe snack bars," he stated, adding, cerns regarding the agenda of the ing a Code and that it was not neces"we definitely need more options; we GEO, Schor responded that the party sary. Nonetheless, he admitted that need to find a way to refund money hadn't formulated a concrete position the Code's existence was inevitable from unused meals to things like on the issue, but stated, "My personal and that he would work to make it as Entree Plus or allow students to carry position is to favor the GEO's struggle, student-friendly as possible. He exover unused meals." . but as an LSA representative I am not pressed significant disgust with PresiRose next cited her experience on in favor of them striking because it dent Flint Wainess's quick approval the City of Ann Arbor Housing Board . will do harm to my constituents." He of the Code. "Wewerejustappalledof Appeals in developing a strategy to j added, "As president, I would try to that was an issue where Flint was increase students' awareness of rentlisten to both sides, while pushing to always for it, but never said so for ing rights and in addressing prob,have the GEO's demands met." political reasons. He lied to the stulems with dtild'care. "When you are.a Turning to the issue of the residents and got away with it. It defigraduate or undergraduate student nitely hurt poth the students and the dence hall meal plans, Schor emphatiworking in a cafe and going to school cally stated that the Wolverine Party reputation of the assembly." full time, you can't afford the extra was responsible for this problem beThe discussion then turned to the $10,000 to support a child," she arcoming an issue in the first place. "It. ,progress and technicalities of the gued, pointing out that space for these was my idea last, something the Wolpresidential search committee and the children was limited as well. Rose has verine Party asked students about role MSAservedin shaping it. "!think worked with numerous organizations over a year ago. Party members like it's going all right, but it's not going on campus and strongly backs the great ... the more students we get on Mike N agrant have already been proposal to add a $1 child care fee to working on the issue, and we are all it, the better. Furthermore, I think student expenses to generate money Provost Machen's logicin that SACUA well aware that some kind of change for child care. Rose feels that this is a needs to occur, perhaps by developing shouldn't pick faculty members, thus modest fee to charge and is not withMSA shouldn't pick the students, is a point system," stated Schor. out precedence, noting that several totally out of context. MSA should AJier discussing the increasing Big Ten schools currently use similar number of students attending the definitely have had more input into measures for child care.

University of Michigan, Schor exthe selection," Schor stated. At the very least, Schor and Curin want to Of the possible GEO strike, Rose pressed concern over the shortage of said, "The spirit of collective bargainextend relations between MSA and computers and computing sites on campus. "The waiting lines outside of ing is compromise. We hope both sides SACUA, as well as relations with the administration as a whole. computing sites are alarming, and we avoid a strike by hammering out their Schor concluded by insisting that differences at the bargaining table, want to see both more computing sites but realize that a strike is sometimes on campus as well as extended hours a Students' Party victory would exacerbate polarization in MSA, saying, the last possible means of achieving at all of the existing sites."

"Jonathan has always been the most the workers' needs."

Schor also desires to extend the oppositional person on the assembly; Hitting on some smaller issues, hours of the graduate and law librarthat is his role. Nothing would ever Rose professed support and agreeies. "Both the grad and law libraries ment with the demands of the Alliclose at midnight, forcing students to get done ifhe was elected. Fiona and Probir are both experienced, but they go to the UGLi, which many students ance 4 Justice, a desire to put more don't like in the first place." are mor~ concerned about getting students in contact With both adminelected than addressing student conistration and the regents, and direct Perhaps the most important isopposition to the Code and Student sue to the Wolverine Party is reduccerns. I think they are very out of Panelists adjudicating Code cases. ing partisan politics in MSA and touch with the students and don't The Wolverine Party claims to be LSASG. "The Michigan Party has been really know what students want but take credit for all ofMSA's successes." in charge for three years, and whena party formed from student frustraThe MSA elections promise to be tion with internal conflicts that imever they decide to do something, the exciting, and U-M students should Students' Party immediately opposes pair MSA's progress. This election it take an active role in them. Tradiis running LSAjunior Andy Schor for its support because an idea originates tionally, voter turnout in these elecpresident and pharmacy student Matt from the Michigan Party. That really tions is barely above ten percent.

Curin for vice-president. "The issues is why the Wolverine Party formed, the Wolverine Party plans to address that whole situation is just stupid," Hopefully, students will realize the numerous issues at stake in this elecSchor asserted. "I think it's impormost are those which Matt and I have tion, weigh their importance, and intant that the president comes from the most experience in, including fifluence student representation at the nancial aid, lobbying, and increased the Wolverine Party because we can University of Michigan. Mt readily work with both of the other fundi~g. for student groups, " Schor >",,,.,,,,~Âť,;:...::-~

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9

THE MICHIGAN REVIEW

March 13, 1996

o CURRENT EVENTS

Fascists in the White ·House?

• iri"

BY JESSE ACKLES

I

NTHEAMERICANTRADITION of disdain fo!" other political systems, words such as "communist," "socialist," and "fascist" generally are regarded as filthy. Those who would subscribe to any such ideology are Commies, Pinkos, or Nazis, and should and would have an extremely difficult time attempting to win any elected position according to the traditionalist mode of thinking. Americans who subscribe to this belief would be appalled at the prospect of a person of disparate political ideology ever making an impression upon a large group or groups of voters, and the notion that such an anti- American could ever be taken seriously as a presidential candidate is completely unheard of.

In an ideal America, that is.

But then, an ideal America would assume that the liberal human rights basis for the Constitution's existence would never be forgotten, nor that the freedoms that the document guarantees would ever be seen as negative, as a problem that needs to be dealt with . In such an America one could assume that the religion and lifestyle of another lawful human being would never become a main focus or issue for those whose lives have brought them to different conclusions. One would not expect that constitutionally protected freedoms could be used as an instrument in a fascist presidential campaign, and taken seriously. In ideal democratic America, people do not expect to flip onl their television sets and blatantly be criticized by a presidential candidate for the way they choose to live their lives, to hear the idea that their rights should be preserved called "ridiculous" or "inane." Nor do entire families, communities, and religious organizations plan on being scapegoated by a fascist who has had the fo~ne to be able to place himself effectively in the media eye as their spokesperson.

Even in a country that has gone beyond the concept of basic ideology, as has this one, its citizens should expect that a person of such fascist, anti-American principles could never be taken seriously by rationallyminded people. We would be perhaps a bit concerned, to put it lightly, ifwe were to see evidence that even a moderately substantial number of voters were backing a candidate who had once publicly revered Hitler as a great visionary. How quickly we forget, we

Jesse Ackles is a first year student in LSA and a staff writer for the Review.

would say, and we would laugh, beactually have quite an appealifeither cause we still were not really worried were to return and jump into the that a maniac like this could ever contemporary political scene. They become a viable contender for nomicould even tout themselves as true nation in one of the major political Americans, as the best representaparties.

Then we might see him on television every day, and in the newspapers, whose inherently liberal slant would publish only the can did ate's most appalling remarks. Publish them, that is, right next to accounts of his success in the earliest media~ touted primaCouIdwllalllJ!panldtoNaziGenNnylllpplntotMUS? ries. So this monstrous person with .tives of "common American values," no real understanding of American . and no one wQuld question if the very principles gets his rhetoric splashed idea of a common value system runs allover the countryjand hateful and counter to the liberal human rights divisive voters see his candidac' leprinciples that the United States was gitimated. built upon .

.

While the rest of us don't know what to make ofaman who nauseates us when we see him singing "God Bless America," there is a room full of his like-minded fascist supporters singing right along with him, whooping it up. "Hooray for white separatism, anti-Semitism, nationalism, religious zealotry, divisiveness, isolationism, and our belief in God, who believes the same things!!" they sing, and we have to shake our heads, unsure if we are watching real people.

And if they are real, they certainly were not raised in the same country as us, were they? What would possess them to forget the reason that America has become a model on which dozens of other countries have based their own democratic systems? But, we could ask, how great is that model in the first place, when it allows even the remote possibility of an ascension to power of such a small-minded, offensive, twisted, half-blind, poor excuse for a human being?

Surely, this could not be the United States of America that, we were told, embraces the idea of any and all people from any background accepting each other's differences while leading their own lives. Is there an unprecedented amount oflead poisoning in these areas where fascists seem to prevail in our politics?

Or perhaps there is something endearing and lovable about Hitler and Mussolini that I seem to have missed. It appears that they' might

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There has always been a few power-starved politicians in every democracy who, lacking the ability, creativity, or understanding to formulatetheirownplatformsandagendas, see a need to fmd other means of gaining support. As a result, an art form has been created and avidly is practiced by demagogues all over the world. This art of playing on the fears and insecurity of voters can be extremely effecth;e when done with the proper care.

Fortunately for this country, the l?rospects of such an artist becoming the chief executive are slim. The horrifying prospect lies in the possibility that if that happens, such a person might have no idea what to do, how to go about being president, or even what the duties of the president are. One would expect that these orators would take this into account whil~ they spew inflammatory and baseless rhetoric to anyone who will be able to hear it.

Perhaps they feel good about themselves just knowjng that, even if they don't win, they're sure making alot of people feel really bad and hate them .

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I REALLY DISLIKE••• .. .being forced to be politically correct ... .. .watching my rights being suppressed ... ... the ill-thought out demands of leftist radicals .. .

If you said I'YESrl to any of the above, than YOU should subscribe

to the Michigan Review! Support the U-M's only libertarian journal of political opinion and stay informed of all the issues that affect campus today.

DwHYYES! I DO want to subscribe to the Michigan Review. For a tax deductible donation of at least $20, I too can receive one year (8 issues) of the Review PLUS the fabulous Summer Orientation issue!

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10

March 13,1996

THE MICHIGAN REVIEW

o LoST IN THE EIGHTIES

The Politics of Fear .• !fe'

BY BENJAMIN KEpPLE

A

S ALIFELONG REPUBLICAN,

the fact that a candidacy, even in a Republican primary, similar to that of Pat Buchanan can still exist in our so-called modern society worries me. For it is a candidacy that is not based on ideas, hope, or new solutions, but one based on stereotypes, fear, hatred, and reactionary thinking. I am worned about it primarily because if a candidate such as Buchanan is able to gain the nomination for the Republican Party, we may as well hand Bill and Hillary another four years in the White House and not even bother to hold the election.

Buchanan is one of those people who, at the most, will get 38 percent of the vote and, simply due to his reactionary and hateful views, will never get any more than that from any election at anyone time.

This is not to say that I have turned my back on conservatism. Far from it! However, there are two brands of conservatism, namely rational and irrational conservatism. Rational con~ervatism is not just a reactiQnary policy to counteract the excesses and failures ofthe left, but it can and does also work proactively to solve the current problems of our nation by using time honored traditional methods: a sound economic strategy; a social strategy based on law and order, not religion, that rewards the good and punishes the bad; and a political strategy that -is aimed at creating solutions, not gridlock. Compare this tothe unsound' failures of the left, where protectionism and unionism abound as a drain on government and the economy; implementation of a social strategy that has been a waste of trillions of dollars while the problems merely get worse and worse; and a political strategy based on divisiveness and disorder.

Unfortunately, Buchananism, as the pundits have called the angry rhetoric of Pat Buchanan's speeches, still comes on strong. His style, a La Jonathan Edwards, is one that is unable to produce a coherent strategy towards resolution of problems and a style that is very unwilling to compromise. In a word, the Buchanan strategy is simply irrational.

In real world application, most of his policies could either be considered unconstitutional, extremely unpopular, and/or simply doomed to failure.

Benjamin Kepple is an unabashed Steve Forbes supporter, and if people think he is a "geek" well, he goes up in our estimg,tfon lor it. .

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For example, what would those proform this hybrid mass of nativist idiThis also has happened in Japan tectionist practices do to all ofthejobs ocy, of irrationality. He's a protectionwith American autos . The Japanese, in the United States that have to deal ist who loves family values, and he is like the British, drive on the "wrong" with some kind ofinternationallrade? never going to go away. He is going to (left) side of the road. The American Nowadays, almost all major comparun for the Presidency in the Repubauto dealers sell cars with the steernies do some kind of internalican primary forever. And people are tional work. During speeches still going to vote for him, and he is made by important Republinever going to get above 40 percent in cans, Buchanan's 10:00 pm any race. speech at the 1992 Republican When you look at all of the hype National Convention, that was that Buchanan spews forth, drawing shown to millions of citizens, on the anger and the fear of workers was a divisive, angry, almost who may very well lose their jobs hate-filled speech that alienanytime soon, you realize that ... there ated many Republicans and really isn't all that much there . He further convinced swing and doesn't have a program . He has a Democratic voters that the Re"message," but not a program . He'll publican Party was in fact, goget you all mad and bitter and aning to Do Horn'ble Things while noyed at the world, but after that he in office. Ronald Reagan's has nothing to offer. His anti-corpospeech, relegated to the 11:00 rate rhetoric only serves to further Prllldentlal Candidate Patrick Buchanan pm slot after everyone had gone alienate Republicans who are secure to bed, was wonderful, inspiring hope, ~ ing wheel on the left, when it should in their white collar jobs and do their growth, and opportunity. But when be on the right side of the vehicle. And best to keep the store afloat. the American public had to stomach people wonder why the Japanese don't Hopefully, someday American an hour .o" , Pat, very few of tlltm buy that many of our cars . This is just politics will progress to the point at watched Reagan's warm , inviting, one example of how American corpowhich the yandidates will address each hopeful speech". other like civilized people and simply rations sell American goods to a nonWhat is Pat so mad about? Pat present their messages with a posiAmerican culture: to be successful, doesn't like it when Ametican compa.' . tive light. It's starting to get there; you must adapt. nies in "New York" try to make a Pat also doesn't like it when those such a tactic is being credited for profit and move their plants, choking people in Washington make laws that bringing Forbes Arizona and Delafrom government regulation and ware victories. Quite frankly, people contradict how American society is union stupidity, from the United supposed to work. You know what I are sick of hearing negati ve campaign States to a country where workers ads, and Forbes has realized this mean. Deep down, I think that Pat and government are eager for new would like it ifevery family in America hasn't worked. People usually tend to com panies to invest. We are now truly get sick of how a candidate simply was like, to quote Mad magazine, a "big mushy loaf of white bread." And a global market, yet American govbashes another candidate when they ernment and most union leaderships then Ward would come home every don't present any kind of message of their own (that means you, Senator day and there would be no crime and Dole). everyone would live on Oak Street and everyone would go to church on That is the prime reason why this scourge of Buchananism still exists.

Sunday. And people would all have the same type of haircuts and go to Weak candidates who do not have a the school mixer and no one would strong message and a strong program allow Buchananism to pop up like a ever have any kind of problems about weed. But unlike weeds, the root will religion or sex or anything like that always be there as long as fear about (because if they did, they would be jobs and the economy, and irrational shunned because it would eventually be found out by Mrs . Nesbitt, the old nativist thinking exists. widow who had nothing better to do In the future, the GOP presidenthan eavesdrop on the party line). No tial candidates in primaries and elections will be able to stop the populist thank you.

That's right, ladies and gentleweed at the roots if they are smart men, you have realized it as well as I, enough to focus early on their message and their program. They must and this is probably not the first time you heard this because I find the hisfocus on real issues to bring the country back together, to keep the country torical parallels to be really, really BuchInIn ~ It 8 wlnt.-y finn on a upwards bound course, and to eerie. Pat Buchanan is the William prevent the Democrats from getting choose not to realize this. Pat doesn't Jennings Bryan ofour time. I'm going back into the White House or Conlike it when other countries trade to put forth my thesis: Pat Buchanan gress. However, the GOP needs to "unfairly" with the United States. is the Worst Thing in the World - a work on this, or it can hand the White true grassroots country populist whom While this is true for some countries, House back to Bill Clinton and I feel has little idea of the ramificasuch as China and to an extent Japan, consquently, any hopes for real sweeptions of what he is talking about ... He many of the problems with internaing change back to the drawing board. combines the worst aspects of the tional trade simply have to do with Or then again, possibly the file cabithe fact that American corporations right- wing elements of the party with net, where they can be stored for a few the worst aspects of the left-wing do not cater to their markets as well years until our next chance. l\R as they should. ," . elep1~n~~, pf t~e. J?e~ocrati~ "~~rty, to : ~ "_~ l--~ '.~".,f :("~.', :' .~..., ~ ..,. ~ ,.... ,. ' .'~ \ ' -,~; 't \

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March 13, 1996

o ROLL UP FOR THE MYSTERY TOUR Beginner'sGuide~ to

BY GEOFF BROWN

W

ELCOME TO THE INNER workings of my mind. In writing this column, I have a mission. I can't say that I usually have such direction in my life, but in this case I do. My mission is to point out everyday things in our lives, and the world around us, that are, when you really think about it, pretty silly.

This is not to say that I give campus and national issues any less thought than my esteemed coUeagues here at the Review. Ijust take a different look at them . The way I see it, if you have the inclination, you can make light of almost anything. And that's what I try to do. So sit back and relax. Grab a Coke, perhaps. Today, the Mystery Tour is going to take you away to a mythical and perhaps somewhat frightening realm - that of the presidential campaign arena.

You can always tell by the smell of blood and the sound of mud being slung through the air that it's time for those damn presidential election campaigns again. Another clue is the flood of politicians into Iowa. Yo.u can always tell it's campaign time again when half of Iowa's population suddenly becomes presidential candidates. You know, if there's one question I'm asked more than any other, it's, "What the hell goes through that perverted mind of yours?!?" Another, slightly more relevant question people tend to ask me is, "What the hell is it with politics?!? I mean, all we ever get is a bunch of weenies and cretins running around insulting each other.

So what's the deal?" In exploring what the "deal" is, it's necessary to look at the steps one must take to become a presidential candidate. God knows the world would be a better place if more of the presidential candidates knew what was going on. .

-STEP ONE: You must decide which political party to affiliate yourself with . Currently there are two major parties, the Democrats and the Republicans. Other parties try to run candidates, but it's kind of a futile gesture, much like when fans of the Detroit Lions shout, "Wayne must go!" when they should all realize that Wayne Fontes cannot be removed from the Detroit Lions with nuclear weapons. I mean the guy keeps screwing up, and he is never going to get fired!

Ever! Not even if he dies! Hell, they just let Chris Spielman go, one of the

Geoff Brown would run for president himself, but hejust can 't get into all of tM mudslinging and insults 'arid stuff.

11

THE MICHIGAN REVIEW

best defensive players around, the kind of guy coaches ask God for, but they still have Wayne! But I digress.

Anyhow these candidates belong to parties like the Libertarians, the United Workers, the Socialists, the Antisocialists, the Peons, the Bajorans, the Braves, and so On. Only rarely has a non-Republican or non-Democrat ever'had a hope in hell of getting elected. The most recent example is that billionaire nutball, Ross Perot, but I prefer to think that his presidential run was a massive practical joke, played by Richard Nixon or Jimmy Carter or someone like that.

Again, I digress.

Presidential Politics You'll need more money to run your campaign than most Third World countries spend in a decade. You could always rob several banks, but there's always the chance that you'll get caught and have to try and. explain it in a debate ("Well, it wasn't so much . robbery as much as forced approval of

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-STEP TWO: Decide WInIId: PreIidentI8I CIIIIIIdIte -1nqUrt1t00» ....... what your platform will be. This is m~ <easier by being a an interest-free loan")~ There are, .on member of one of the political parties,~ the other hand, many various legal as they tend to decide most of your ways to raise campaign funds as well, platform for you if you really think but they all pretty much break down into two main ideas: (1) you're alyou're going to be their presidential re/ildy filthy rich, or (~) yo~'ve bean: ~ candidate. If you go around trying to begging like hell for it. Now if you're have original ideas or take a stanee interested in number (1), I can't help that is a just a tad bit different from you, because if I knew the answer to your party's official stance, you probthat, I'd be incredibly rich, instead of ably stand a good chance of falling out considering selling my spleen for exof favor with them, and they likely won't let you run under their party. tra cash. I am, however, pretty knowledgeable about number (2). I'm not For example, if you're a Republican, you will stand for less government talking about panhandling here. What spending, smaller government, less you need to do is have a thousanddollar-a-plate fund-raiser (making taxes, and getting trashed daily by the liberal media, among other things. sure to have food so bad as to only cost about three dollars a plate). You can If you're a Democrat, however, your job is a little trickier. You're going to also find campaign volunteers who have to be liberal, meaning you'll have are willing to take lists of names of no second thoughts about taxing evpeople loyal to your chosen political erything that moves and then spendparty and proceed to call them, ad ing it to create more wasteful bureauinfinitum, right at dinner time, asking for a contribution. Or, you can cracy. The only problem with that is that most Americans with an IQ invest in shady real estate ventures higher than bathroom mold don't reand questionable livestock futures, ally want to pay higher taxes and . and then try and tell everyone your have more government bureaucracy, returns of over 10,000 percent were so if you really want to get elected, "just lucky." you'll have to pretend to be a Republican, at least a little bit. When and if -STEP FOUR: Start campaigning for you get elected, you will, of course, the primaries and caucuses. These reveal that you were lying through are held by each party to determine your teeth and go right the hell back who will be its candidates for presi,t o being a tax-and-spend liberal. This dent. The difference between primamethod worked particularly well for ries and caucuses is that primaries Bill "Governor of a Small, Failed State" are normal elections, while caucuses Clinton back in 1992. His ideas were are a range of mountains and land so conservative he had the Republibetween the Black and Caspian seas cans looking more liberal than Karl in - woops! Sorry! That's the Marx. But we all know what's hap"Caucasus!" Caucuses are confusing. pened since. little meetings ofthe smallest units of the party that vote for delegates to a -STEP THREE: Amass an incredibly larger subunit ofth~ party, w:ho vote l~rgeaffioUnt ofmoiley. 'Re~ilY'I~ge. for delegates to the state convention ""''' ''--~''~--''-'- '- ''''''''''''' ~'~''~

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who elect delegates to the party convention, who then forget what the hell they're supposed to be doing anyway. Or something. You will have to start in New Hampshire and Iowa, the first states to start this nonsense, at least 25 years before you plan to run for president. You will need to try and talk to everybody, arid generally be annoying and pretend to be concerned about what goes on in a little state like Iowa that really doesn't have that many people and may not even exist.

-STEP FIVE: Start advertising like hell . Do this by taking out advertisements that, instead of pointing out your strengths, .point out your opponents' weaknesses, even if they don't actually have any weaknesses. Especially if they don't actually have any weaknesses, in fact. Just make anything up. These ads should be as vicious as possible, and should also, if possible, include at least one joke from the "Official List of'Mama'@Jokes™ ."

Well, at least, I think they should.

That would be really cool. You would, , of course, have to modify the Mama® Jokes™ involVing age when dealing with Bob Dole (STEVE FORBES: ''Bob, you are so old, yo' mama is dead!").

You should begin these ads first in the primaries, attacking fellow members of your party. When you gain the nomination, switch over to insulting the person who's running for the other party. A proper ad will be a complete mudslinger. For example, saying that "I am a man who has served in for __ years and have accomplished ____ , ____ , and , and thus feel I am qualified to bring about the kind of change we need," where _ _ _ equals something positive, would be improper. Not one thing untrue or negative has been said about your opponent.

Using the above guidelines, you should either gain a better understanding about what goes on in our political system, be better informed if you yourself plan to run for office, or be inspired to emigrate to Canada. Of course, I don't make any guarantees here - I've never actually ran for presidential office myself. But if you plan on running in about 30 years, don't bother. With my Department of Bob idea and the steps listed above, I have the race all locked up, you criminal communist illegal-alien-hiring weenie. If you don't plan on running, then please vote for me instead of 'those criminal commu~ist .illegalalien-hiring w~·enie;·. ' Mt ,'",' "

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12

March 13, 1996

THE MICHIGAN REVIEW

;Ii SPORTSCENE

The Bulls Will Nof¡be the NBA Champions

BY MEL MYERS

A

LI'ITLE MORE THAN HALFway through the season, with the conclusion of another AlIStar weekend, it seems that there is no point in continuing the season;just hand the crown over to the Chicago Bulls and proceed with the draft and off-season transactions in hopes that some team vastly improves enough to give the Bulls a challenge. However, r am throwing caution to the wind and predicting that the Bulls will not win the Championship, or at least will not walk away with the title without a serious challenge.

How can the mighty Bulls be stopped? First of all, let us shed some light on the myth that the Bulls are just too talented and dominant for any team to pose a serious threat. The Bulls are not nearly as talented as they were when they won three titles in a row in the early 1990s, nor are they even the most talented team in the NBA. The center combination of Luc Longley and Bill Wennington and the bench play of Jud Buechler, Jason Catfey. Steve Kerr, et ai, does not indicate that this is a tremendously deep or talented team. Teams such as Orlando, Phoenix, Seattle, and Indiana are far more talented off the bendt.

The truth is that Chicago simply relies on two of the top five players in the league, Pippen and Jordan, the NBA's most dominant rebounder, Dennis Rodman, and the phenomenal coaching Phil Jackson. The key to their regular season success is that they play hard every night (which cannot be said about most teams) and come to games extremely well prepared. However, when the playoffs come around, the Bulls lose this advantage because the intensity of every team is atepped up a notch and they all play harder. Furthermore, preparation becomea much easier when you are playing the same opponent in a series. The bottom line is that talent becomes an even bigger factor in the playoffs, 81 does size on the front line.

Without a decent starting center, the Bulla could find themselves getting dominated on the inside in the playoffs. Transition baskets are extremely rare in the playoffs and the players are allowed to bang inside more freely because games are not called as tightly as they are in the regular Beason. The Bulls could find themselves facing the likes of Patrick Ewing or Alonzo Mourning. R& Smits, Shaquille O'Neal, and Hakeem ~wan in ~ ee:ries. Their vulnerability at the .center position

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In the East, the only teams with a ers in the playoffs. Olajuwan is the legitimate shot of upending Chicago best big man in the game, and their before the Championship round are offense has proven very effective in Indiana and Orlando. the playoffs. The Bulls will certainly Orlando has been poor on the road have to double down on Hakeem, and and injury prone. However, its excelthis will leave one of Houston's danlent front line of Shaquille O'Neill gerous shooters open on the outside, and Hakeem is very adept at !'J hitting the open man.

Phoenix has not only beaten the Bulls, but also gave them all they could handle at Chicago despite the absence of several key per.\ ... formers. While J ohn "Hot Rod" Williams has been bothered by injuries for most of ~~~ 4 1 A the regular season, he should be back in action for the playI '~ ......". .. ,â&#x20AC;˘ offs. He is a tremendous shot ( ~,~~ . blocker and a scoring threat, ~ ~ I> and combined with Charles Barkley and Danny Manning I on the front line, he could Jordan ...-Ila through for another bucket .~ .A -~. \ . the Bulls fits. Phoenix's give ' ." and Horace Grant makes it extremely big shortcoming, a good coach, has ~ ... "~( ' "' .: ...I' , capable of beating the Bulls. They are been removed by Cotton Fitzimmons. more talented than the Bulls and Paul Westphal's teams were lackashould be able to dominate them inand poor defensively, surv~v' daisical Bartdey stomps1he oppOIition side. This is the team that beat the ing on talent alone. Now that they Bulls in six games last year. ing the playoffs. have both talent and sound coaching, Indiana gets excellent center play Not only are the Bulls weak at Phoenix has become a real danger. from Rik Smits as well as great recenter, but they are very small on the The return of Magic Johnson to bounding and defense from forwards front line. Dennis Rodman is not the the Lakers makes them legitimate Antonio and Dale Davis, and Denick stereotypical power forward.. Although contenders. He bolsters a front line Mckey. 'Illey are well coached and he excels at rebounding and is an that already includes the vastly talsolid defensively, and they match up ented but undermotivated Elden excellent perimeter defender, teams impressively against the Bulls. will isolate and exploit his size in the Campbell as well as the solid play of All these teams are similar in paint against much larger, more powVlade Divac and team MVP Cedric that they have sound coaching and erful forwards. Charles Barkley and Ceballos. Johnson should improve the talented front Antonio McDyess lines.

They exploited this weakhave the depth neBS in beating the and talent to Bulls at Phoenix cause problems and Denver. for the Bulls, Which teams and most of have a legitimate them are more shot at disrupting talented overthe inevitable? Alall. The Bulls though the Sonies tremendous have the best record is a rerecord, they probsult of superior ably don't have coaching, lucky much of a shot beavoidance of cause they have ininjuries; and consistent outside feeding on a shooting, are weak league that is inside aside from watered down Shawn Kemp, and because of exhave no "go-to guy" pansion. They down the stretch. are not invin'The three teams out WlCky-hllred DennIs RodmM takIIa brllk on 1he court cible - they West who do have a are very vulnerable. Although Bulls work habits of this young team and legitimate shot are Houston, PhoeChampionship talk is certainly help mold their talented young guard nix, and the Lakers. founded on solid ground, it is cercore. San Antonio has an outside The Rockets are chronic undertainly premature to ronsider the playchance largely dependent on how achievers in the regular season, paroffs a waste of time because the Bulls ticularlythis.seasondue to.numerous- . much the newly acquired Charles can be beaten or at least tested. m injuries, but are perennial overachieve. Smith improves the team. will be tested. Additionally, the Bulls score often in transition because of their ability to create turnovers and to capitalize on the inability of their opponents to get back on defense, factors that are less significant dur-

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MICHIGAN REVIEW LIVING C::ULTURf ' ( '"

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.ri[The Odyssey in a New Light a cold shoulder. These films are taboo, not to be discussed - they only evoke hatred in this day and age of war and ethnic intolerance.

As usual, Keitel is compelling, but for atypical reasons. His character is a man of few words, and those spoken are thick with metaphor and mystery. Keitel floats through this picture, disconnected and silent, dazed by the harsh conditions in the Yugoslavian region. His face alone describes a man disturbed to the core by the region's unrest. In one memorable railway scene he expresses frustration, anger, and then desire without raising or lowering his voice; his eyes do all the talking.

Angelopolous nicely retells Homer's classic in this modem context. Like Ulysses, Keitel's filmmaker retums covertly to find chaos in his homeland. In a fantastic scene that parallels Ulysses' experience in Hades,Aimagineshimselfspeakingwith deceased relativ~ at a New Year's Eve celebratiori: In it, the passage ofseveral years is ~uggested by the people drifting In and out of the camera's view, and strange men who come in and clear the room indicate political turmoil of 1940s Greece.

BY TOM JOLLIFFE

T

HE "GREAT-JOURNEY" motif, mind-boggling sequences, and the sparsely dialogued three hour running time of Theo AngeJopolous's recent film Ulysses' Gaze make it epic cinema in the tradition of 2001: A Space Odyssey. Like Stanley Kubrick's 1968 classic, Ulysses' Gaze is quite a stirring movie. With Homer's Odyssey as its thematic source, Angelopolous's film sensitively addresses the twentieth century Balkan conflict.

The movie opens with grainy black and white footage of Slavic community life in the early 19008: we see women doing laundry, men working outside, etc. "A" (Harvey Keitel) passionately pursued these early recordings of regional customs. A has only heard of these films - they remain undeveloped - but to him they represent an innocent perspective blind to ethnic differences; they are insights into an era long since gone. Observing the devastating effects of presentday war, A travels the Balkan peninsula in search of these elusive reels.

He visits film archives to inquire their whereabouts, but he only encounters

When A bids farewell to a young woman before heading down river for distant lands, we are reminded of Ulysses leaving Calypso for the open sea. In a brilliant reconstruction of the Circes episode, another woman ' attempts to keep A in her house by putting a hole in his boat. Like the conniving goddess of Odyssey, the young woman attempts to seduce her guest. He, like Ulysses, is able to defend himself from her charm, and eventually gains the psychological upper hand on her. Like Homer's hero, Keitel encounters terrible sights and tricky situations, but manages to maintain his focus and carry on.

Ulysses' Gaze resembles a bleak dream; in this gray world of desolate streets and gutted houses and nameless people, our hero drifts towards Sarajevo, tracking down some undeveloped glimpses of a brighter time. ~eople tell him that they once had possession of the reels, but now no longer do. They are further on, they might not even be recoverable, people tell him. For all of the despair of this film, there is an undercurrent of hope embodied by the youth orchestra comprised of young Bosnians.....

Croatians, Serbians - that plays

in

the streets of Sarajevo. Its music represents faith and courage and an innocence that A feared had been lost.

Ulysses' Gaze is long and requires patience. It may have benefited from a more liberal editing job, but for the most part the drawn-out scenes help establish the sense of a arduous odyssey. However, the cryptic way in which A speaks is a little frustrating sometimes you want him to just say what he means without becoming prosy. The film has subtitles but also makes use of English; sometimes the transitions from language to language are a hit disconcerting. The prospec· tive viewer may also benefit from studying a little bit of the Balkan situation and its history, as I should have done before seeing Angelopolous's film. But these are somewhat trivial matters, and do not much interfere with the audience's appreciation ofthis fascinating movie.

Indeed, Ulysses' Gaze handles pertinent subject matter with origi" nal style. Its hypnotic cinematography, sensitive acting, and haunting musical score make watching it a unique experience. It inspires thought and emotion long after the viewer is done watching it. Mt

MSA Elections Continued from page 7

ever, it is unlikely that MSA would be stampeded by thousands and be unable to function, and the Assembly, which often seems a stomping grounds for a small group of members who replace the needs of the student body with their own agendas.

Is this a democratic system, though? I think it is. Since any student has the right to get involved in

Government, which announced it would be offering computerized voting opportunities to its students . The WWW is a popular pastime among students as it stands, and MSA should follow the lead ofRackham in exploiting the internet to make voting more convenient to students .

However, perhaps it is the notion of elected representatives itself that is preventing MSA from being truly democratic. The work required to become a candidate, much less to get elected, is formidable, and it likely causes many students to shy away from MSA. However, as the Engineering Council (UMEC) proves, a system in which any student who chooses to attend meetings can automatically become a member does not cause the logistical problems of overattendance.

IfMSA abolished its election process, it would undoubtedly get more members . At a minimum, those who lost elections in the past would doubtless join in a system in which election was unnecessary. Furthermore, some students who did not have time to campaign might join ifless work was necessary to become a member. How~

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voice their concerns, but can simply attend MSA themselves. This is especially fair in the light that the representatives only very loosely have constituents (since they are elected by college) and most students have little, if any, contact with them. Under such a system, students are free to begin participating in MSA if they care enough about an issue to want to see action taken in response to it.

Furthermore, a system without elected representatives would, on large scale, eliminate the need for parties. Since the members would be free to form ad-hoc alliances on individual issues while they are being discussed, no one would be held to a party platform, and infighting between organized rivals would be reduced. With all Computers could playa valuable role in increasing voter turnout of this benefit, no extra burden would be placed on MSA, every student has, in theory, an the students. equal chance to represent their conOn the other hand, perhaps more cerns at MSAmeetings. Furthermore, dramatic changes are necessary. Perthey can do so more easily, since they haps MSA does not need to be a mouthno longer have to go through the propiece for the student body, or a champio.nQfatudentissues. Perhaps, since ce~~..of. . f!Dqing_ ~ . ~epn·~~.Elp.t~q.ve .t9 . ____ ' ) " . !': ·,, 1 " . ,' : :~~ ' ,,' ' :"~ ". ~ .. :. :. ~ ~ .~: .:

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students only care about its ability to disperse funds, that is all it should do.

What if the reason students reject MSA as a democratic representative body is because they do not want such a body?

The argument for abolition of the Assembly, or more reasonably, the limitation of its powers to the handling of funding for student groups and other issues that cannot be politicized is very appealing, and yet, it is shadowed by one grave concernMSA has a level of prestige, which, though mostly unearned, gives them a credibility with the administration that many student groups which form to achieve specific political goals often do not have . IfMSA is kept out of politicized issues, students may be deprived of a valuable part of their voice to the administration.

This is an immense problem, and while there are many different ways to go about solving it, and it is not immediately clear which is the best, or even if any are realistic. One thing is clear: students are unhappy with MSA. If no other act is testimony to this, voting apathy is still enough to show that they do not appreciate the Assembly and the way it works. Some, thiQ.gneecls. to be do_ne .libp!lt t~, l\Jt .

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The Tale of"'J'he Thought Gang

BY BEN LEROI

T

IBORFISCHERISA YOUNG, dynamic, English novelist with a flair for the eccentric.

His first book, Under The Frog, chronicled the sybaritic exploits of two basketball players traveling overseas. Critical acclaim poured in for this witty, well-written debut novel.

The Thought Gang (The New Press, 1994, 81Q pages) is Fischer's much-anticipated sophomore effort.

Fischer has an unusual and unique writing style that is well suited to the publishing aims of his printer, The New Press. In the publishing house's own words, The New Press is "a major alternative to the large commercial publishing houses .,. operated editorially in the public interest, rather than for private gain; it is committed to publishing in innovative ways works of educational, cultural, and community value that, despite their intellectual merits, might not be commercially viable."

To say the very least, Fischer's writing is innovative. Take, for instance, the first paragraph of The

Coffin has set up a fraudulent rehaveaphilosophicalbackground,howThought Gang. It begins: "The only advice I can offer, should you wake up search foundation whose funding goes ever, the wit is not dulled and the directly into his pocket. Cofi"m, to the motifs are still accessible. vertiginously in a strange flat, with a Upon finishing the novel one redelight of the reader, uses his backthoroughly installed hangover, withground in philosophy to help justify out any of your clothing, without any viewer claimed that he could not dehis hedonistic lifestyle, just as any cide if The Thought Gang was a book recollection of how you got there, with college student tries to rationalize the of great philosophical truths or just a the police sledgehammering down the door to the accompaniment of excited procrastination of homework. story about a philosopher. Of course, Wanted by the English authorithe two are not mutually exclusive dogs, while you are surrounded by ties, Eddie flees to a land where even and the novel incorporates both, bales oflavishly-produced magazines the fearless detectives of Scotland though sometimes so expertly that featuring children in adult acts, the Yard dare not tread: France. There he the book does appear to be too funny, only advice I can offer is to try be meets up with a one-armed thief too wacky, to have any serious overgood-humoured and polite." tones. But like other playful, absurd The novel takes off from there . named Hubert. Together, they travel the French country8ide robbing banks. storytellers, the ironic tone is a clever and never tapers or looks back. The Each robbery is carried out in a differvehicle for the themes of the book.

"1" in the above passage is Eddie Cofent philosophical school of thought.

The Thought Gang is a pointedly fin, a bald, middle-aged philosophy The duo dubs themselves the intelligent work. Fischer channels the professor at Cambridge University.

"Thought Gang" and elude the French chaotically inane into hilarious, meanCoffin is an incorrigibly lazy, yet lovpolice through mere coincidence, luck, ingful focus, much like Quentin able, alcoholidphilosopher. At times and the stupidity of the police force.

Tarantino does on the screen and it is difficult to decipher which is his The charm of the novel is that it EdwardAlbidoesonthestage.Fischer occupation and which is his disease. leaves both ends of the spectrum of He seems to be a 50 year old shaped in ~ exists on two different levels. Fischer employs much history and many life open. "If it's pointless, what's the the mold ofthe much ballyhooed "Gentricky concepts of philosophical tradipoint? If there's a point to it, what's eration X slacker". Coffin has no am.tions in the book. For those enlightthe point?" I can't help you with that, bitions and hi{ only passions are tbe ened readers who have knowledge of the only advice I can offer you, should Greek language and fine wine. these philosophies the storyline is you read this review, is dash out, buy To ensure that he will be able to richly enhanced and the irony is much this book, devour it, and pass it on to purchase cases ofChtlteau Latour well more defined. For those who do not.. ..... a friend. You won't regret it.l\ft after the dawn of the next millennia,

The New World Rediscovered

BY BENJAMIN KEPPLE

I

N HIS THE EUROPEAN DIS-

covery ofAmerica: The Northern Voyages, (Oxford University Press, paperback, 1998, $19.95, 712 pp.) the l~te Admiral Samuel Eliot Morison presents to the reader an eminently readable and scholarly work on the exploits of European explorers of America from 500 A.D. to 1600. Yet Morison not only presents a fascinating and enlightening view of European discoverers, he presents it with a refreshing traditionalist view of events and theories not often seen today. The end result is an utterly wonderful work.

In his preface, Morison makes clear his goal: to write a work "Together with a similar volume on the Southern Voyages to follow (God willing), it should replace John Fiske's classic Discovery of America (2 vols, 1893) and supplement an irreplaceable work, the first four volumes of Justin Winsor's Narrative and Critical History of America, (4 vols, 18841889). Does he do so? I would have to venture ayes for an answer. Morison's work is, as of 1971 when written, the only modern work of its' kind. Yet the scope is merely one of many great assets; Morison covers every aspect of ....,. ' . '

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the period. He devotes entire chapters to stories of legend, to how seamen really lived, the dangers they faced, and the instruments they used.

These, along with Morison's encyclopedic knowledge about sailing and the sea, are what turn a good book into a great one.

Morison begins this first of two volumes that focus on the explots of seemingly every major and many minor exploreres up to 1600 (the second focusing on the Southern Voyages, including of course, that oft-maligned figure Columbus) with two extremely interesting chapters; first, how the Ocean was an object of wonderment and how it was "mysterious" to the Greeks and Romans, and secondly a folk tale from Ireland of St. Brendan the Navigator. According to legend, Morison writes, St. Brendan sailed west and found several islands where, naturally, holy miracles abounded.

But did St. Brendan discover America as some feel? No. In fact, historical questions are extremely important to Morison, as he seems to feel that the truth is there, but sometimes being masked.

The question of just who discovered the N ew World is one that Morison argues with a heartfelt passion, and he also takes great issue with schol-

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racial groups who wish to capture the 'real' discovery for their medieval compatriots. They argue that Columbus and Cabot had so many predecessors as to deserve no more credit than a person who buys a ticket for a cruise at a tourist agency." Ouch. I would submit that Morison was appalled by the spread ofliberal multiculturalism among American scholarship. Yet Morison's work is not meant to bash; it's goal is to present history as it happened, and it is a -dare I say fun?-book to read.

Morison fills the pages of his first volume with the voyages of such notable northern explorers as Frobisher, Cabot, Verrazzano, and Cartier along with lesser known explorers such as Davis and Gilbert. Also included in this volume are literally dozens of medieval and modern maps and illustrations, brining an invaluable quality of depth to the work.

With a clear style, richly written prose, a great attention to detail, and a traditionalist (correct) view, I highly reccommend Morison's work(s) for the layman and the specialist in the field as a valuable tool for the study ofthe period, and as a life preserver for any student who must endure such bunk as being told Phoenicians were the first to discover Amerit:a. Mt

arly thinking. opposite to his view.

For example, "What nationality was Columbus?". Morison strongly believed that Columbus was Genoese.

In both volumes, pages are spent refuting seemingly every other theory (from the plausible to the utterly ridiculous) on these issues, and he does so with devastating accuracy. What is even more appealing is that Morison seemed to feel that he had a duty to present the correct history, and his views against revisionist academics are made clear in his preface and on the pages of his work. To quote the preface: "All honest efforts to throw light on historical darkness, such as this era, have my enthusiastic support. But it has fallen to my lot, working on this subject, to have read some of the most tiresome historical literature in existance. Young men seeking academic promotion, old men seeking publicity, neither one nor the other knowing the subject in depth, only a particular voyage or a particular map, write worthless articles ... " Reading such an invective against other historians causes one to almost wince. Yet Morison refuses to mince words as he continues, "Some of these stem from mere personal conceit; others from racial emotion. Canada and the United States seem to be full of .',

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--==- IY'I~HIGA~ -REVIEW LIVING CUlTURF ,

DREW PETERS

FORMER FRIEND ONCE TOLD me that melancholy songs always meant the most to her, even though she liked many different bands and a lot of different music. I have to agree. While my favorite albums of all time might be Fleetwood Mac's Rumours, Depeche Mode's Black Celebration or whatever, my favorite songs are mostly ultra-moody classical pieces like Chopin's "Funeral March" or Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata."

And I'm not trying to be some sensitive artiste or something, I'm still very aware that I am a callused asshole. And I'm not trying to pretend like I know a lot about the classical music or scores I've come to love so much lately.

You see, unlike those music editors over at the Daily, I am a real dictator. Just like the other dictators of the world don't make for the good living of the people, music editor dictators like me don't make for the good reading of the people. The time has come for me to rant about something else I know very little about: a few of my favorite modern day composers.

For some reason I have been writing about all of these rock bands while my true musical favorites go unmentioned . If they would have found out, they might have been pretty peeved.

Back when I was a wee lad, I purchased the soundtrack to The Mission, composed by Ennio Morricone. I don't know exactly, what persuaded me to buy it, maybe I just liked the movie. The Mission, starring Robert de Niro and Jeremy Irons, is still one of my favorite movies of all time. Regardless, Ennio Morricone's score was probably the first album I ever purchased that deserves to be called beautiful. It's hard for me to listen to this album and write about the effect it has on me. I can't really describe The Mission with any other word besides beautiful. However, I can tell you how jazzed I am that the opening track, "On Earth As It Is In Heaven," is now used on some coffee commercial.

It is only in the last few years that I've come to realize how significant Ennio Morricone is. Born in Rome in 1928, his first significant work didn't happen until his pieces for Sergio Leone's For a Few Dollars More, in 1964. He further developed his prominence in the 1960s with compositions for Leone's Once Upon a Time in the West and The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, discarding the sweeping songs of classical Hollywood to dabble in minimal, haunting motifs with unique

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My Musjcal Heroes percussive effects and wordless vocal from The Mission . I don't plan to see the movie, so let me know if the score melodies . You metal-heads might recognize "The Ecstasy of Gold" from The . has all the sincerity of the most reGood ... , Metallica played it on the cent fling who tells you "we'll always house system before they performed be friends." on their last tour.

Back when I was in high school I Ennio Morricone has gone on to bought the soundtrack to Glory, Edbe one of the most important living composers in every decade since. Composing scores for more than 300 movies, he by no means restricts himself to one group of directors or one style of music. In 1987, Morricone even cowrote the ballad "It Couldn't Happen Here" for The Pet Shop Boys eponymous, multi-platinum record. In this same year, contemporary composer/ noise freak John Zorn drastically reworked a series ofMorricone's themes oil his critically acclaimed tribute album, The Big Gundown.

Perhaps that is why I am so much The workHwnoua conductor ..• more in awe of Ennio Morricone than any rock and roll musicians like Kurt ward Zwick's film on the Civil War. Cobain or Prince. Morricone has masOnce again, starring Matthew tered the abilityt6 create moods, no Broderick and Denzel Washington, matter what those moods may be. .~ the movies greatness was matched From the whistles orharmonica of his with the music composed by James early westerns to the barroom style of Horner. Blending the voices of the Boys Choir of Harlem with military piano of The Untouchables' "AI Capone" to the Indian instrumenta~ drums; trumpets and other orches~<';'" tion of much of The Mission, Ennio tral standards, James Homer capMorricone is one of the few people tured the essence of military power with the triumphant" A Call to Arms" who truly understands almost every instrument. Listen to the 59 seconds and the essence of some ofthe other of violins and a child's voice on aspects ofwar with the single flute of "Miserere," the last track of The Mis"Lonely Christmas."

Born in 1953 in Los Angeles, sion, and see how Morricone takes this ability and makes one ofthe most California, James Horner new experfect and beautiful songs that has actly what he wanted to do with been written in the last decade. music. He completed his doctorate It's no surprise that he has condegree in Music Composition and ducted music for such a variety of Theory at UCLA, and began scoring movies. This decade it has been Love student films for the American Film Institute in the late 70's. After scorAffair, Bugsy, WolfandDisclosure to ing a number of small scale films, Homer received his first large, high profile project in 1982 with Star Trek II: The Wrath ofKhan. Soon enough, he received many film offers and opportunities to work with worldclass performers such as the London Symphony Orchestra.

With more than 75 scores to date (and only one classical concert piece, "Spectral Shimmers," premiered by the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra in the 1980's) Horner's forte seems to be the mood of tension and suspense. He has composed gripping scores for Patriot Games, Clear and ... Ind hi, star cellia Present Danger, and Aliens but also name a few. It's also no surprise that more moving scores for Legends of every other movie preview I see has the Fall, Field of Dreams and CoEnnio Morricone's music in it, while coon. Perhaps his most commonly the actual score is composed by some known piece is "Somewhere Out other schmuck. The most recent of There" from An American Tail. Perthese deceitful previews is for Restoformed by Linda Ronstadt and James ration, every song in the preview is Ingram, this song received two

Grammys as Song of the Year and Best Song for a Motion Picture.

Although Horner may not rival the genius of Ennio Morricone, you have to credit him for his ability to sometimes perform all of the instruments in his pieces (Field of Dreams for example), and his desire to write scores for films of questionable nature (Commando, Another 48 HRSJ. He even wrote some music for a few Tales from the Crypt Episodes , specifically, one called "Cutting Cards."

A bit of a change from "Somewhere Out There," eh?

The composer that I have been getting into recently is John Barry.

Born in 1933, Barry was the son of a prominent owner of theaters and movie houses in the North of England . In 1962, he came into prominence with James Bond's "Dr. No," only his third score for a movie. He went on to compose scores for 13 of the 16 Bond films, and further strengthened his career when he received Academy Awards for Best Song and Best Original Score with Born Free in 1966.

Through the 70's and 80's Barry comppsed sores for a wide array of films, "peaking in 198.6 w~th the powerful score to Out ofAfrica, which received . a Grammy and an Oscar for Best Original Score. As he begins to approach his 100th film score, John Barry seems to compose fewer and fewer scores, most likely by choice.

However, this makes him all the more consistent. Every John Barry score I have heard has been extremely commanding, mostly on a large, orchestral scale. In the most recent scores to Dances With Wolves, Chaplin, and The Scarlet Letter, Barry masters the art of dynamic. However, The Scarlet Letter, his most recent work, seems to indicate some new experimentations. He conducts a few Peter Buffett compositions (don't let the last name scare you) and bases his primarily choral "Agnus Dei" on Samuel Barber's "Adagio for Strings."

It seems that Barry wants quality over quantity and I'm all for it.

Well there you have it, some of my favorites. Oh yeah, before I forget.

There is a record out called "Once Upon a Time in the Cinema" and it is a bunch ofEnnio Morricone's greatest songs butchered by one of music's greatest criminals. I'd tell you this conductor's name but I took the CD to Encore so quick that I forgot to check.

The basic formula for the album: Ennio Morricone + Kenny G= Feces Extrodinarius. Hey, I'm just looking out for you. I don't want to get you duped out ofthe real thing. After all, I care. l\R

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We believe In Civil Liberties eThe government shouldn't read your e-mail unless you send it to them. eN0 one should censor you from obscene television, without your consent. eMorality is learned in the family and from religion, not from Uncle Sam. eKids should avoid drugs because they're dangerous, not because they're illegal. eThe University has no right to govern the nonacademic rights of students.

We believe in a . Free Market .

eThe government shouldn't burden private industry with legislation.

• Business runs on competition - the survival of the fi£test - not on federal handouts

We believe in telling the Truth eNo more t~-and-spend liberals in sheep's clothing e End racial and gender discrimination hidden as "affirmative action." eNo more "New Deals" that tell the same old story_

If you feel the salIle, Join Us! The Michigan Review has staff meetings every Tuesday at 7:00 PM on the third floor of the Michigan League Or, call us at 662-1909 Or, e-mail us at mreV@Umich.edu

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