4 - The Michigan Daily - Friday, December 3, 2004 420 MAYNARD STREET ANN ARBOR, MI 48109 tothedaily@michigandaily.com EDITED AND MANAGED BY STUDENTS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN SINCE 1890 JORDAN SCHRADER Editor in Chief JASON Z. PESICK Editorial Page Editor Unless otherwise noted, unsigned editorials reflect the opinion of the majority of the Daily's editorial board. All other pieces do not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Michigan Daily. OPINION NOTABLE QUOTABLE 'The popular claim that condoms help prevent the spread of STDs is not supported by the data." - A line from the teacher's manual for "A.C. Green's Game Plan," a popular abstinence-only sex education program, as reported yesterday by CNN.com. 1 ALEXANDER HONKALA F' :": C O L ' : >t Ei . ; . >.' Strange bedfellows SAM SINGER S.MS CUB his past January, during a mid- week stopover in France, Chinese President Hu Jintao was treated to one of the most unabash- edly extravagant welcom- , : ing soirees a Paris-bound dignitary has enjoyed since Napoleon. It was the Chinese New Year, and President Jacques Chirac was not about to let his eminent guest pass through without proper fanfare. The heart of the Champs Elysees was closed off - flooded with acrobats, jugglers and dragon-shaped parade floats. From prime- time press conferences to lavish dinner recep- tions, the Chinese premier was flaunted across town like a new Rolex. Chirac named 2004 "the year of China," touting a new born global alliance, and in a final gesture of camaraderie to culminate the three-day-long celebration, the Eiffel Tower was drenched in a sea of iri- descent-red floodlights. Though it deeply pains me to write off the possibility of French benevolence, I think it's safe to posit that the government-sponsored procession in downtown Paris commemorat- ing the Chinese "year of the monkey" was more than a simple exercise in cultural appre- ciation. More appropriately, last January's festivities can be considered one among a countless sequence of European Union efforts to get cozy with the Asian giant - ongoing diplomatic flirtation that seems to have struck a nerve in Washington. Functioning independently, both China, with its flourishing economy and moderniz- ing military, and the European Union - 456 million strong and rolling in political clout - have each managed to wobble the United States's global leadership pillar; working in concert, there's no telling how the cards would fall. A well-forged strategic alliance between the two leviathans may very well pose the sin- gle greatest threat to the future sustainabil- ity of U.S. hegemony. While European firms revel in uninhibited market access to the most lucrative manufacturing sector on the planet, analysts fear China will use the partnership as political cover to expand its sphere of influ- ence in the Pacific. The two nations would likely amass their foreign policy leverage to counterbalance United States influence in the Middle East and Central Asia, closing a prof- itable energy window to U.S. firms. But how- ever menacing the long term outlooks may appear, the strengthening Sino-E.U. alliance poses far more urgent problems. Before the champagne is poured and friend- ship bracelets are officially exchanged, E.U. administrators will have some housekeep- ing to do. Most contentiously, foreign minis- ters will have to scrap a 15-year-old weapons embargo that was stamped on Beijing after the Tiananmen Square massacre. Anchored by the United States, the armament prohibition has lost viability at the international level, but to this day, signifies the United States's steadfast opposition to human rights abuse in China. Beijing maintains the doctrine is antiquated, that rumors of continued torture and exploita- tion hold little grounding in reality - a claim ridiculed by advocacy groups across the globe. But more than absolving Beijing from decades of brazen rights violations, lifting the arms embargo would add a new level of complexity to one of the most volatile security flashpoints in the world: the Taiwan Strait. After 25 years of advanced weaponry imports from the United States, Taiwan's coastline had begun to look less like a seaboard and more like a Lockheed Martin convention. But while Taipei's beachead artillery kept the Chinese navy at bay during the '90s, extensive modernization has allowed Chinese forces to reposture. Now boasting the third-largest defense budget in the world, China has waited patiently to dip into the European arms mar- ket. Heritage Foundation scholars John Tkacik and Nile Gardiner argue that European hard- ware would further embolden Chinese field commanders - likely bringing the already hot-blooded climate to a perilous brink. Making the situation worse, under the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act, the United States pledged to protect the breakaway province in the event of Chinese coercion. Accordingly, if the embargo is lifted, U.S. troop deployment simulations will have to incorporate a contin- gency that hasn't been integrated in half a cen- tury: the use of European weapon systems. Singer can be reached at singers@umich.edu The basket-brawl: suburbanites gone wild! JASMINE CLAIR TH IIE-EANING OF PROGRESS After missing six games for pro- voking the Indi- ana Pacer Ron Artest's rampage through the Pistons stands, Big Ben <:-!returns to the Pistons starting lineup tonight. During his five-day- too-long suspension, Detroit went without its best defensive player while also falling vic- tim to racist attacks upon the city's image. As usual, the image of the 85 percent non white city is being destroyed by the actions of white suburbia. Suggesting that Detroit be renamed "New Fallujah, Mich.," conservative commentator Rush Limbaugh blamed the incident on hip- hop culture, characterizing the brawl as "gang behavior on parade minus the guns." However, when watching the replay of Art- est sprinting into the stands to rock some guy's jaw, no one noticed hip-hop insurgents throw- ing gang signs. Actually, we all saw middle- aged drunk white men throwing beer. Besides, gang members pour out liquor for those who died in the struggle, not for uncontrollable bas- ketball players/aspiring rappers. Yet, Rush still felt inclined to blame the fight on hiphop, which in doubletalk trans- lates to black folk. Making matters worse, he also noted that such behaviors were exclu- sively liberal "blue city" behaviors. Cities such as Detroit, New York and Los Angeles share something in common outside of politi- cal ideology: They have large populations of colored folk. Rush "Racist" Limbaugh's comments were a direct assault upon the city of Detroit. Indi- ana is not a liberal "blue city," but rather a con- servative red state. So he wasn't referring to the Indiana Pacers, who acted like wild boars escaping their zookeepers, but rather the peo- ple of Detroit who happen to embrace hiphop and liberal Democratic candidates. Rush the Racist predicted that his words would be "tagged as racist." Perhaps he felt that making this acknowledgment would some- how change how people perceived his words. Undoubtedly, there will be some nafve enough to believe that his words weren't an attack upon black people, but unfortunately they were. Limbaugh simply painted a picture with ref- erences to hiphop, gangsters and Detroit the "blue city," but rather than naming his portrait "black people," he chose ambiguity to leave himself room for denial. But a simple way to see past his rhetoric is to ask yourself what image you formulate from his depictions. If you can honestly say that you think of the rowdy middle-aged white men who can afford season courtside seats when you hear hip, gang- ster and Detroit, then you're lying to yourself. The only person that does not know that Rush Limbaugh is a racist, is Limbaugh him- self, so his critique upon the city isn't shocking. However, this incident reveals what the city of Detroit has been plagued with for decades now. A victim of white flight, Detroit was once thriving with rich industry and endless oppor- tunity. However, as more blacks moved to the city to take advantage of the factory jobs and good quality of life, whites began to flee from the city, taking their money and businesses elsewhere. The more whites left the city, the poorer it became. Contrary to popular belief, blacks in Detroit are not inherently poor, and their schools weren't always in shambles. But when half of the city's tax base is flocking out to the Bloom- fields, the Farmingtons and the Sterling Heights, it is impossible to maintain the city in the same fashion, resulting in ghettos and slums. Since I'm from Detroit, I am often asked about Detroit from people who once lived there. To my face they say, "I can't believe what happened to the city, it was once so beau- tiful." What they really mean is "look at what all the black folks did to that poor city." And I stop and think to myself. Yes, it is terrible that major industries were outsourced to other cit- ies, leaving many unemployed and unable to feed their families. Downtown was once filled with department stores and banks; now I have to go to Dearborn to find a good mall and Southfield for the bank's main branches. This means that a lot of the money Detroiters do make is spent outside of Detroit, contributing to worse conditions. Not to mention all of the people that choose to move out of the city because of the crime, moving to a white suburb, prompting more white-flight. As long as money continues to be funneled out of the city, Detroit will continue to have a tarnished image. Despite the Palace being along drive outside of the city, Limbaugh and many others have found yet another way to attack the city. So here's an idea: How about we just move the Palace to Detroit? At least this way the city will actually make money off of the drunken, fight-starting suburbanites. Clair can be reached at jclair@umich.edu LETTER TO THE EDITOR THE BOONDOCKS SO WT?5ON AMIT V51 It*SA I 'U' wif continue its commitment to support the LGBT community To THE DAILY: The November elections were marked with strong feelings and diverse and adversarial points of view. A month later, the election results continue to profoundly affect many members of our community. This is evident by the vast array of opinions expressed in the Daily over the past weeks. With respect to Proposal2, whichbans same- sex marriage and similar unions, the University, generally, and the Division of Student Affairs, specifically, recognizes the effect this amend- ment has on lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans- gender students, faculty and staff, particularly in terms of how the community experiences the climate in the state and on campus. As we value and care for LGBT students, we are deep- ly concerned about the impact of the ongoing debate around these issues on LGBT commu- nity members, many of whom are hurting and troubled by having their lives subjected to such intense public scrutiny. Discrimination, whether based on sexual orientation or other forms of prejudice, is harmful and wrong. The risk of increased discrimination - overt and indirect - in the coming months is unsettling to many of us on campus. As an institution, we are work- ing against discrimination in all its forms, as it is injurious not only to individuals, but to the community as a whole. We understand that discrimination continues to exist, and we will continue to stand behind all members of our community, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. In 1971, the University became the first major university in the nation to offerdedicated resources and support services to lesbian and gay students. The University's advocacy has subsequently grown in several ways, develop- ing in part into what is now the Office of LGBT Affairs, directed by Frederic MacDonald-Den- nis. For over three decades, the University has stood with lesbian and gay students, faculty and. staff. In 1984, the University offered a call to the campus community to join in preventing discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and formally prohibited such discrimination in 1993. We offered health benefits for same- sex domestic partners in 1995 and continue to defend our right to offer such benefits. As early as 1997, we began working to address issues affecting transgender members of our commu- nity. As an institution and as a student affairs division, we stand ready, providing advocacy, education and support services, not only for LGBT students, but also for all members of our diverse community. We ask the entire campus community to join together in sup- port and understanding of, and in solidarity with and compassion towards one another, including our LGBT community members. Students seeking safe space to discuss these issues may contact any unit or office within the Division of Student Affairs, especially the Dean of Students Office and Office of LGBT Affairs, or contact me directly at harperer@umich.edu. E. Royster Harper Vice Presidentfor Student Affairs itel semi W Rt 1 '(o ORQO