4- The Michigan Daily - Tuesday, March 4, 2003 OP/ED U~l'fw Licggn &t- 420 MAYNARD STREET ANN ARBOR, MI 48109 letters@michigandaily.com EDITED AND MANAGED BY STUDENTS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN SINCE 1890 LOUIE MEIZLISH Editor in Chief AUBREY HENRETTY ZAC PESKOWITZ Editorial Page Editors Unless otherwise noted, unsigned editorials reflect the opinion of the majority of the Daily's editorial board. All other articles, letters and cartoons do not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Michigan Daily. NOTABLE QUOTABLE ( ( It's not good enough to accept what the right wing has said, which is, 'The French hate us, so we must be doing something right.' That's so dumb." - Teresa Heinz Kerry, wife of Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), in a Sunday address to the Idaho Democratic Women's Caucus as quoted yesterday by The Boston Globe. Atcr4g, 140 TKAT %T3At.- SMAAI7- -ro AAolp v A- a, L PciANT LAM Iwtba JOEL HOARD AND SCOTT SERILLA STICK FIGURES ARE AWESOME 1t orA 3Apr 7AT ' rS ACIAALLY A is4A QSCo4&YS^~ W~TH TM~LLN i T / ~~1ZLanyT AfW"4- W430 M L- -x ...- --...._ 10 9 AF 60. IAMI4ZT yo~,A Aisi I L 190OEma.qy AM4Y fA.A S p4y, ip LE? ~~ or e. Agr WvA STW0A ~p A:% [g He's not with me JOSEPH LITMAN If LOW END THEORY So there's this guy that I sort of know. We've never really been close and I don't talk to him much, but he's some big shot who a lot of people seem to like and respect (for reasons that escape me), and thus, I have to continually put up with him. We don't get along because we occupy opposite ends of the political spectrum, lead dissimilar lives and have little in common. He follows base- ball, I follow basketball; he's from the South, I'm from the North; he likes pretzels, I like popcorn. That sort of stuff. He's also a fer- vent supporter of our administration while I am likely one of its most stringent polemics. However, beyond petty schisms over junk food and important disagreements concern- ing this country's direction, what might make me most upset with him - and trust me, the results of our ideological divergence really raise my ire - is his stupidity. The guy seems profoundly unintelligent, or at least unconcerned with intellectual pursuits, and resultantly, is incapable of speaking well or talking with distinction. (Quickly, let me add a few notes: First, the guy has to be somewhat smart, at least socially, because tons of people like him and he seems to persuade others really well. I think his friends probably tell him what to say often, but he clearly under- stands what he's doing. Second, I'm not sayingithat the guy has to quote Thucydides or have a Ph.D, but he should at least pos- sess the ability to have a substantive dis- cussion without pausing all the time and stumbling over his words.) Normally, I wouldn't be complaining like this, and usually it isn't a problem when someone I know sounds like a ten-year-old, except that the person in question embarrass- es me almost every time he opens his mouth. He's like that one relative everyone dreads going out in public with because you never know what he or she is going to say, but you know that it will always be embarrassing. I mention all of these issues because the guy with whom I take umbrage is the Presi- dent of the United States. That's right. My man G-Dub is an embarrassment. Have you seen this man deliver a speech? Whether he's inventing language, pausing every six sec- onds to remember what he's been told to say next or simply bungling a common apho- rism, G-Dub constantly makes himself seem stupid, and that reflects poorly on the public that both voted for him and has allowed him to remain a bumbling fool. We should feel ashamed of him and, mostly, ourselves. Practically, we should feel ashamed because we're lazy and don't ask nearly enough of G-Dub. Our president, as leader of the nation and the free world, should be a man of intelligence, one able to both understand broad, nuanced topics and articulate U.S. posi- tion clearly and accurately. We have not held G-Dub to that standard. For instance, he has routinely substituted "embetterment" for "bet- terment." Why do we allow our president to abandon the language, giving him a pass as he substitutes his own words for English? The answer is that we don't demand any- thing more than the minimum from our lead- ers or ourselves. (Yes, there have been recent anti-war protests, and I applaud those Sisyphusian - see, here I have created a nonce word, not a Bushism - citizens who have demonstrated their opposition to the approaching conquest of Iraq.) That apathy is how we (sort of) elected the Dub Man in the first place, ignoring his lack of erudition, questionable accounting (how's that sur- plus?) and silver-platter life. That apathy, our apathy, has also allowed for the scariest part of G-Dub's reign: his myriad and apparent flaws - in case they forgot to tell you this at Yale, George, one's subject should always agree, in number, with his predicate - still haven't inspired us to take action as the man has taken our rights, ruined our economy and advanced his neo- Reagan ideology. That we can idly watch G- Dub compromise bedrock American values while claiming to uphold those deteriorating ideals is cause for real alarm. That indifference has most clearly mani- fested itself in our tolerance for the presi- dent's blathering. As G-Dub spoke at the American Enterprise Institute last Wednes- day, I felt close to ill watching my most prominent representative stammer over his words, pause to remember his ideas and employ generalities backed by no sub- stance. I was only furthered sickened when I considered that seemingly barely-literate G-Dub was accepted by his own people as a fine representative of our nation's educa- tion system and governing ideology. I was not proud and I cannot handle that any longer. I'm not with stupid. M Litman can be reached at litmanj@umich.edu, Anunbelievable foreign policy PETER CUNNIFFE ONE FOR TIlE ROAD here are many many media outlets it began to seem as if the protection of a U.S. enforced no-fly zone. people in this France was the real enemy. But the most self-determination they've ever country, such as It is possible to coax reluctant countries known will likely soon end because we've sold myself, who ardently into justifiable military action (as disarming ' them out. (Didn't someone say something disagree with most of the Iraq by force if other means fail is) as demon- about freeing Iraqis?) policies of our current strated by conflicts like the first Persian Gulf Another victim of the administration may president, but saw the War or Kosovo, especially by working be the United Nations. While agreeing to wisdom of confronting through international organizations - where attempt to get U.N. authorization for this war Saddam Hussein and it is much easier to assent to a collective (to placate jittery European backers), the hoped President Bush's effort, rather than the demands of one coun- administration has made it clear that lack of evil-slaying mission would work out for the try. But our response to the doubtfulness of Security Council approval (which is uncertain best. It started promisingly, with his call for friends was, "fine, who needs you." thanks in part to the aforementioned stiffing of the resumption of weapons inspections duti- Even among the European countries council members Pakistan and Mexico) will fully heeded by the United Nations. The Bush convinced to support war with Iraq, not alter their plans. Many ask why we should United States applied military pressure and many of their governnents are going against have to ask countries like France or Cameroon Iraq relented to the U.N.'s demands, allow- public opinion. The danger is boosting anti- for permission to take actions the United States ing the return of weapons inspectors for the U.S. politicians in those countries who may determines are in its interest. The Security first time since 1998. gain greater power there and push those Council is a collective security organization, But that hopeful begging has taken only a countries away from the United States. and that's what we helped design it to do. few short months to turn into a nightmare There has always been a streak of anti- When military action isn't purely defensive, the because of a foreign policy that has gravely Americanism in European politics, but see- only way it is legitimate is through ratification damaged the alliances and international system ing their governments being dragged into a by a designated international council (over the United States spent decades building. war they oppose will only inflame it among which we hold significant power). While it has American standing had already taken a the European populace, perhaps for the long certainly not always worked the way we beating as Bush trashed treaties protecting the term, making any future cooperation - and believe it should, an international legal order environment and human rights, instituted pro- not just with war - even more unlikely. controlling the use of force is something we tectionist tariffs and backed out on deals with The drive for war with Iraq also led to a should strengthen, not abandon for a might- other countries when it was convenient (those serious miscalculation involving Turkey. makes-right world because it won't approve a involving textile imports from Pakistan and Their was a lot of grousing about how much war as fast as demanded. Mexican immigration issues, for example). it would cost in aid and grants to convince Time and effort, as it has before, could But it wasn't until the push for an immediate them to allow attacks on Iraq from their soil, have overcome so many of these obstacles. war with Iraq that it became apparent how but the Turkish parliament ended up rejecting Looking at the wreckage Bush has left in the bad the damage could be. the billions promised and the American wake of his quest to oust Saddam, its hard to Since the resumption of the weapons deployment. I guess it's a bad idea to bad believe one president could do so much dam- inspections process in Iraq little more than four mouth someone you're bargaining with age to the alliances and world order that the months ago, a serious rift has developed with before the deal is sealed. United States had cultivated fer generations. Europe. Some European countries - "Old The vote may yet be retaken and succeed, But it's worth the price because this invasion Europe" as the administration dismissively in significant part because Turkey's govern- will bring peace, security and liberty to the dubbed the continent's largest, wealthiest and ment and military is eager to enforce the U.S. Arab world Bush now tells us. Considering most politically-influential nations - were promise to stifle, or allow them to stifle, any his handling of foreign affairs thus far, I no always hostile to militarily disarming Iraq. attempt by Iraq's fervently anti-Saddam Kurds longer see any reason to believe he can, or Rather than seeing this as a problem for diplo- to gain independence or autonomy - and cares to, accomplish such things. macy, however, the administration responded thereby possibly inspiring Turkey's own restive to European dissent with a campaign. of demo- Kurdish population. The Kurds of northern Iraq Cunnife can be reached nization eagerly picked up by the press. In are currently as free as they've ever been under atpcunnifJ@umich.edu. LETTER TO THE EDITOR a0 Student interveners do not belong in Supreme Court TO THE DAILY: As I read the Daily's editorial, Let them precious minutes of oral arguments. Even though the case is "of tremendods import to students" we have to ask what just what we hope to gain by appearing before the most august court of the land. Are there students just trying to gain their 15 seconds of fame and bragging rights for the rest of their lives that they argued before the Supreme Court while in Rent two months late? Need a place to sleep? I THE BOONDOCKS A.A4 O '4.RUDE 1 1-1 - I . I .- -- -- - 1. -.1 .-., - - 1.