4A - The Michigan Daily - Thursday, September 28, 2006 EMILY BEAM DONN M. FRESARD CHRISTOP E O JEFFREY BLOOMER Edior n Cief CHRISTOPHER ZBROZEK Editor in Chief Editorial Page Editors Managing Editor EDITED AND MANAGED BY STUDENTS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN SINCE 1890 413 E. HURON ANN ARBOR, MI 48104 tothedaily@michigandaily.com OPINION NOTABLE QUOTABLE JACK DOERIIING 1 l o >Jn I 6 I I think they'll both lose miserably" -Pakistani President Perve; Mush- arraf on The Daily Show Tuesday night, responding to who would win a popular vote in Pakistan between President Bash and Osamna Bin Laden The candidate from Amway CHRISTOPHER ZBROZEK 7 t l ti ' _, ,, - .' Crunch time for the Big Three Today's fuel prices demand efficiency and innovation The signs of the Big Three auto- makers' failure to keep up with rising oil prices and foreign com- petition are increasingly apparent. Gen- eral Motors, Ford and DaimlerChrysler have all seen quarterly losses and are cutting production. While auto CEOs scramble to put together viable restruc- turing plans, the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute pub- lished some suggestions of its own last week. The institute reported that the Big Three needs new lines of fuel-efficient vehicles, and quickly. The study claims that if the automakers decide to uphold the status quo, they will fall further into debt and be forced to cut tens of thou- sands more jobs. The Big Three have been losing ground to foreign imports for decades. They must wake up and act now to save themselves. The sales of trucks and sport-util- ity vehicles that long drove GM, Ford and Chrysler are slowing as consum- ers choose smaller, more fuel-efficient vehicles. Meanwhile, Toyota and Honda have taken advantage of this trend and currently produce the four top-selling car models in the country - all getting considerably better gas mileage than the Big Three's best-selling monsters. It is time for the Big Three to take the lead in innovation, rather than try to play catch-up with foreign carmak- ers. Proactive solutions are the key - if automakers in the United States want to restore their lost market share, they cannot simply update their cur- rent lines. Using lighter materials, for example, can make current vehicles more fuel-efficient, but ultimately they must make a more serious investment in hybrid engines and other means of decreasing fuel consumption in car engines. Concern for fuel efficiency is not just a fad that the country will grow out of; even though the price of gas has fallen a bit recently, the nation isn't terribly likely to see gas at $1 a gallon again. New car designs typically take about three years to make it from the draw- ing board to the market, so automakers must act now to provide their lines with the update they need. Ultimately, current U.S. fuel consump- tion is not sustainable, and increasing fuel efficiency or even building more hybrids will only provide a temporary solution. America's dependence on fos- sil fuels must be traded in for alterna- tives like fuel cells, and U.S. automakers have the opportunity to lead the way. Although manufacturers have invested millions lobbying to keep fuel-efficiency standards low - enabling them to con- tinue building inefficient cars - doing so only exacerbates the Big Three's sit- uation. It is high time that these com- panies use their clout to push for more federal research grants to move away from petroleum dependence. Producing more fuel-efficient vehi- cles is only a first step down a long road toward cutting energy consumption and helping to free the United States from dependence on foreign oil. But if the Big Three look beyond surviving the decade and show a concerted effort to develop technologies in the long term, then they can ensure themselves a promising future. "I am will- ing to betyou, you will never have a better K opportunity presented to you than what this business offers. I will gua rani tee that. This is the best opportunity that's going to come across in your lfetime." - Republican gubernatorial can- didate and former Amway presi- dent Dick DeVos, speaking to an Amway group in 1998. "I've heard rumors that Amway is a cult. Is this true?" - The FAQ section on www. amway.com. Michigan's economy is a mess, and Dick DeVos wants you to believe he's the guy to fix it. Sure, he might not have any real experience in govern- ment, but what does that matter? DeVos, after all, is a Successful Businessman; he must have what it takes to lead the state. Michigan Democrats don't really know how to combat that claim, so they've focused on attacking DeVos for investing in China while cutting jobs in Michigan. DeVos might be able to defend his record on China as the sort of necessary actions any businessman would take in a com- petitive global economy. But where DeVos is far weaker - where he's morally indefensible, in my mind - is in the specific variety of busi- ness he was involved in spreading across the globe. The DeVos family fortune, for those unaware, comes from the Amway corporation. Amway is what's known asa multilevel market- ing company - its affiliates sell the company's products and try to recruit others to start selling the products as well, enticed by the promise of a cut of their recruits' profits. Though the organization bears a striking resemblance to certain monuments in Egypt, I won't say that Amway or Alticor, its par- ent company, profit by exploiting an illegal pyramid scheme. That would be factually inaccurate: After investigating Amway for years, the Federal Trade Commis- sion ruled in 1979 that the compa- ny's business plan is technically legal. Besides, I certainly wouldn't want to slander the corporation in any way - judging by the num- ber of Amway critics who say the company has tried to sue or sub- poena them into silence, DeVos's family firm doesn't take criticism well. I'm a busy guy, and I've got better things to do than deal with Alticor's lawyers. But read over that quote at the beginning of this column again, and then read these numbers: Of those who sign on with Alticor,72 perceit quit within one year. Only 4 percent will remain after five years. Either a lot of people are turning their backs on the best opportunity of their lifetimes, or something's fishy at the DeVos family business. The fact is that firms like Atmway do a great job funneling wealth to those at the top of the pyram- I mean, heap. Indeed, many of the most successful participants make more money hawking promotional books and audio recordings to instruct those just starting out than they do selling Amway's suppos- edly discounted products. The overwhelming majority of people who get wrapped up in this scam, though, lose money. The company doesn't even deny it; when a Detroit News reporter asked current Alticor chairman Steve Van Andel whether most Alticor distrib- utors lose money, he said everyone who joins has different goals and suggested, "Some come in just to buy our products at a discount." Maybe some people really do join to buy products at a discount - but read that quote from your would-be governor yet again, and you tell me why you think people sign up. Though the FTC didn't rule Amway's business model illegal in 1979, it did order the company to stop making deceptive statements about how much people were likely to earn by becoming distributors. Now the fine print informs prospec- tive "independent business owners" that they have a 1-in-500 shot at making $47,000 a year. What we have here is an organi- zation that enriches a few by exploit- ing the hopes (and the pocketbooks) of all those new recruits who leave before the end of their first year, or soon after. It's legal, sure, but mor- ally, I don't see how it's any differ- ent from the kind of fraud that gets you thrown in prison. The man who wants to be our next governor certainly has busi- ness sense. He didn't think up this scheme, but he did realize that the company had an image problem with the name "Amway." So he retired that name here and in Can- ada and rolled out a "new" Inter- net business doing the.same thing - it's called Quixtar - to update the scam for the 21st century. Meanwhile, Amway lives on out- side North America and continues, in more than 80 countries world- wide, turning people's hopes into the DeVos and Van Andel families' wealth. Maybe explaining how the Republican candidate for governor got his money is too complicated for a 30-second TV spot, and that's why we haven't heard much about it. And certainly I wouldn't want to incite class warfare by saying DeVos's great wealth alone renders him unfit to be governor. But when a guy's wealth comes from a company that has to fend off charges of being a pyramid scheme and needs to reas- sure potential victims that it's not a cult - well, you've gotta wonder. Zbrozek can be reached at zbrozek@michigandaily.com. VIEWPOINT When will it end? BY KHEIREDDINE BoUZID "Did you hear about Life?" "No, what happened at Life?" "The FBI visited them." This was the conversation between my moth- er and me on Sept. 19. The news shocked me. Life for Relief and Development had received a visit from the Federal Bureau of Investiga- tion. Life, where many of my childhood friends work (who, by the way, are all born and raised American citizens). Life, which sponsors thou- sands of orphans in impoverished countries worldwide. Life, which I'd witnessed respond- ing to humanitarian crisis after humanitarian crisis with unrivalled urgency, be it Hurricane Katrina or the Indonesian crises. I was per- plexed. Life for Relief and Development is an Islamic charity based right here in Michigan - South- field, to be exact. It provides humanitarian aid worldwide, helping during the aforementioned disasters as well as leading projects through- out Africa and poverty-ridden areas of Asia. Its work ranges from medical care to well- digging, from distributing food to providing education. Though it is an Islamic organiza- tion, its work is not limited to Muslims. Dur- ing Hurricane Katrina, it ran numerous food and clothing drives and other relief efforts. Following this summer's horrendous events, Life sent workers to Lebanon to aid victims - both Muslim and Christian. Additionally, it provided aid to those suffering in places hid- den from international eyes, such as Darfur and Southeast Asia. Receiving a visit from the FBI is usually bad news. When you're Muslim, it's even worse. I have witnessed several Muslim philanthropists, many from the Ann Arbor area, be deported; I have seen humanitarian organizations like the Holy Land Fund shut down. Generally, the jus- tification for these actions is that the person or association in question has "links to terror- ism." However, proof is never presented, and trials are never held. Recently, an executive of Islamic Relief, another humanitarian organi- zation, was released from prison after the gov- ernment realized it was (once again) mistaken and had unjustly detained the man. Despite being Palestinian and Muslim, he actually did not have links to terrorism - apparently a shock to law enforcement. Indeed, the sole "link" that is ever pres- ent is with Islam. This link, however, does no more than reveal the government's prejudice. I don't see the FBI "randomly" investigating the Red Cross, UNICEF or any other non-Islamic relief organization. The government repeat- edly, however, accuses any Islamic organiza- tion of terrorist ties. Before this event, Life had been one of the few spared from such an inspection. In this case, the alleged offense is that members of Life had links to Iraq in the '90s despite U.S.-led sanctions. At that time, however, a relief effort was absolutely neces- sary, as more than half a million children died of starvation and disease. Christopher Hamilton, a former FBI agent, told the Detroit Free Press that it is reasonable to believe that Islamic terrorist organizations do receive funding from organizations within the United States. What an ironic statement. The largest supplier of some of the United States's biggest enemies is the U.S. government itself. Saddam Hussein, Osama bin Laden and the Taliban - all the targets of the war on ter- ror - nonetheless received support from the United States during the Reagan and Bush Sr. administrations. As a Muslim, I am quite fed up with the gov- ernment's prejudiced treatment of Islam. While nobody was arrested, the very fact that the FBI would think to investigate a charity is offen- sive to me, moreso because the justification for doing so transcends any logic. The investiga- tion is blatantly motivated by discrimination thinly disguised as routine precaution. My sen- timents echo throughout the Muslim commu- nity; many average peaceful citizens are being accused of crimes of which they are not guilty, simply because of their ethnicity or religion. The FBI is currently reviewing Life's records after confiscating documents and several com- puters. Enough is enough. It is high time for the government to reconsider its treatment of my people, and adhere more closely to the guide- lines set by the Constitution and Declaration of Independence, in which all people are equal - even Muslims. Bouzid is an LSA sophomore. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Send all letters to the editor to tothedaily@michigandaily.com. U Cartoon is deeply offensive to naion's religious majority TO THE DAILY: As a Christian, I am completely offended by John Oquist's cartoon published yesterday in the Daily (Live on your feet, 09/27/2006). I am not offended by his viewpoint; rather, I am offended by the way in which he chose to relay his message to readers. He took a part of the Bible that approximately two bil- lion Christians in the world believe in and mocked it by changing it to reflect his own personal belief on the subject. I'm sure his message could have been expressed in another manner without offending so many people. How can the Daily let something this insensitive be published for thousands of readers? If, for example, Oquist drew a cartoon about Islam and mocked an event in the Quran and mocked it, I highly doubt that the Daily would allow it to be published. Remember the Muhammad cartoons published in the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten that created such contro- versy in the past year? However, since Oquist's car- toon mocked the religion of the majority, it cannot be deemed insensitive or offensive. Where is the public outcry about this cartoon and the two billion people it offended? The answer is that outcry won't happen because we Christians are in the majority, and it's nearly impossible to offend the majority in this politi- cally correct world we live in. Erik Larson LSA senior Marching band coverage as faulty as 'Paul is Dead' theory TO THE DAILY: As a member of the Michigan Marching Band, I am very distressed at the way that the staff, members and most of all Iden Bagdachi were portrayed in the article titled Major Issues (09/27/2006). Throughout the article, readers were told of the injus- tice done to Ben Iwrey by the band. However, the article has an absurd slant in Iwrey's favor and doesn't main- tain the least bit of objectivity on the subject. Every time a problem the band had with Iwrey is mentioned, it is immediately followed by Iwrey furiously denying any wrongdoing. I seriously doubt this is true. The idea that the band simply "fires" people is false. I too came close to being ejected from the band for reasons almost iden- tical to those of Iwrey. Jamie Nix called me into his office and explained that I was being disrespectful, unprofessional, and using inappropriate language. He warned that if I didn't change my behavior, I would be expelled from the band. You know what I did? I showed more respect, stopped swearing, and acted classier to opposing fans, bands and teams. I have not had a problem since. Think of that: I was a freshman, brand new - the band. It was midway through the season and I hadn't even touched the field of the Big House. I was a nobody in the band, and I got a warning and a second chance. The idea that the band would simply "fire" a drummajor two weeks before the start of band season is absurd. And let's be honestabout something: Nix has the right to throw a person out of the band if he thinks that per- son will reflect poorly on the band or the University as a whole. Doesn't the student body prefer a marching band that is classy and professional? I should hope so! Our professionalism and class is what makes the band great. And much of the our success is due to the excellent lead- ership'of Nix. Iden Bagdachi deserves an apology from Gabe Nelson and the editors of the Daily. While Iwrey is treated as a tragic hero, Bagdachi is treated as a two-bit replacement not worthy of being drum major. In the pictures on the front page of the Daily, Iwrey is noticeably lower to the ground in his back bend. Intentional or not, this certainly implies a lack of skill on the part of Bagdachi. Frankly,Bagdachi has been a fantastic leaderand I've found the past weeks under his leadership inspiring. On several occasions I've seen him working on his twirling and back bends for nearly an hour after the all the other members of the band have gone home. He has worked far too hard for the Daily to run an article with implica- tions like these. Shame on you, Gabe Nelson, for writing such a biased article - and shame on the editors for running it. The Daily has never been trustworthy (anybody heard of the "Paul is Dead" theory? The Daily proposed it), but still, I never expected even the Daily to stoop to such lows as that article. Jeffrey Burke LSA sophomore Diag preacher is just relating Bible content TO THE DAILY: I'm surprised about the reaction the Diag preacher Michael Venyah has been getting (Anti-gay speakers ignite volatile crowd on Diag, 09/26/2006). The con- demnation of homosexuals is made clear in various books of the Bible, like Leviticus and Corinthians, and also in many of the mythologies like Sodom and Gomorra. Why the fuss when people talk about the darker aspects of the most popular religion in this country? Don't Christians consider the Bible to be the word of God? Jose Mainardi LSA junior 6 I I ERIN RUSSELL ,.' WHAT 00 YOU,,IAN oreHnor OrN$ MH NNY.Zi T CAN T G e WAWMAMURA$ TIMC-OUr CH AW OU$IO- Of' HCr EOX c _. ONOUTC 4 1 0