0 4 - Friday, January 25, 2008 The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890. 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 tothedaily@umich.edu I am a noise-polluting, diesel-soaking, Gulfstream-flying rock star." - U2 lead singer Bono, confessing to former vice president and environmental activist Al Gore that his celebrity lifestyle is not conducive to environmentalism, as reported yesterday by msnbc.com. 4 KARL STAMPFL EDITOR IN CHIEF IMRAN SYED EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR JEFFREY BLOOMER MANAGING EDITOR WYMAN KHUU Unsigned editorials reflectthe official position of the Daily's editorial board. All other signed articles and illustrations represent solely the views of their authors. The Daily's public editor, Paul H. Johnson, acts as the readers' representative and takes a criticallook at coverage and content in every section of the paper. Readers are encouraged to contact the public editor with questions and comments. He canbe reached at publiceditor@umich.edu. What war? Students should be informed, active about war in Iraq Y ou may have forgotten, but - surprise - America is still fighting a senseless war. While the war in Iraq hasn't quite grabbed the headlines like the tragic death of heartthrob actor Heath Ledger, the presidential horse race or the unexpected pregnancy of Jamie Lynn Spears, it is still a hazardous situation with dire consequences for our generation. Unless students take the time to understand the conflict in Iraq and pressure our leaders into action, it will continue to be a forgotten war that years later our gen- eration will realize the financial and political costs of. ir Sup Chayo. tha's good? Sup Pepper. Nothing much just chiller. You know I just worted to tell you that youre like tall for on Asian. Did you know that? I You know, according to the latest census, the average American male is 59. I think that at 6T, rm tall for an American and not just an Asian . Aight? ra The dark horse with scary ideas At the most basic level, students and Americans are unaware of what is happen- ing in Iraq because they know little about Iraq. According to a survey by National Geo- graphic in 2006, "Despite nearly constant news coverage since the war [in Iraq] began in 2003, 63 percent of Americans aged 18 to 24 failed to correctly locate the country on a map of the Middle East." It's tough to imag- ine how anyone could form a meaningful opinion about, or influence the policy on, a war half-a-world away if it's not even known where the country is. If people knew even basic knowledge about Iraq's geography or Iraq's three primarygroups, the Sunnis, Shi- ites and Kurds, it would go a long way toward their understanding what's going on. Unfortunately, since debate about wheth- er President Bush's "surge" strategy last year has quieted, the media has kept the war in Iraq out of the limelight. There's still a lot going on. In the last year, many com- mend Bush's troop surge for improvingfthe security situation in Iraq, but note that the social situation has not improved much. As of November 2007, an estimated 33 percent of Iraqis are still unemployed and many don't have electricity, water or basic neces- sities. Although America is not debating it anymore, these changing circumstances still reflect different views on whether we should be fighting this war. The fact that college-aged kids are fight- ing and dying thousands of miles away should be sufficient motivation for Univer- sity students to protest the war. Sadly, few students care. However, according to the Associated Press, 3,931 American soldiers have died since the war began in 2004. The U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee reported last November that the cost of the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq during the period from 2002 to 2008 would top $1.6 trillion. That is enough money to send an estimated 8.5 million out-of-state students to a four-year undergraduate program at the University or 20 million in-state stu- dents, room and board included. what many students don't realize is that we will ultimately pay the war's expenses and the political blowback will be our prob- lem. Even if you subscribe to the idea that the surge is working, there are other options like an international effort that could bring American troops back, rebuild Iraq and substantially reduce the cost of the war. This won't happen with a president who has alienated the international community or with citizens whodon't demand that the U.S. occupation of Iraq end. The war in Iraq poses too many threats and has too many consequences for the American people and the University's students to go on uneducated. Become informed. Become active. Tell other people about it. As a news editor last semester I was charged with an inter- esting task: Cover dark horse Republican presidential candidatelRon Paul's speech on the Diag. I had read the reports of a massive student following and heard tales of the maverick con- gressman's ability to inspire the apa- thetic masses. I was - pretty excited. DAVID The scene on the Diag unfolded like MEKELBURG the Phish concert when I was young- er. The unmistakable scent of mari- juana wafted through the air. Hippies strolled around with marijuana legalization petitions. Loudspeakers blared The Beatles' "Revolution" and a generic reggae jam that contained the chorus "Ron Paul is here/Help- ing people everywhere." I've covered more than a few political rallies in my day and the crowds have never been more than 15 percent students. But here, I guessed the massive crowd that covered the Diag was comprised of almost 80 percent students. When Paul finally came out to the podium, the crowd erupted as if Mich- igan had just scored a touchdown against Ohio State. This was going to be insane, I thought. Then Paul launched into his speech. And, well, it was OK. As his policy-heavy speech droned on, and I actually started lis- tening to what he was saying, some- thing dawned on me: Ron Paul scares the bejesus out of me. The college vote usually goes to the liberals who promise change and hope like Democratic candidate Barack Obama. Paul certainly prom- ises change, but ina way, he's the anti- hope. His plans to remove the federal government from every aspect of life aren't a push forward - they're an acceptance of defeat. He's saying that everything we've done in the last 100 years is wrong, and the entire system needs to be dismantled. But crazy people exist in politics all the time. Aaron Burr killed a guy - who is now on our $10 bill - when he was vice president. He then went on to try and set up an independent fiefdom in Mexico. What scares me about Paul is his popularity and what that might say about our country, especially its students. I know he's not going to win the primary, but Paul garnered 14 per- cent of the vote in Nevada. And I can't figure out why the hell this is happen- ing. SoI asked someone. I talked to LSA senior Rob John- son, chair of the University's chapter of Students for Ron Paul, about what makes Paul so appealing. Before John- son got into the policy specifics of his support, he said something that I had heard from virtually every Paul fan at the rally: Paul is not a liar. "When I looked at Ron Paul, what jumped out to me was how consistent and honest he was," Johnson said. "He's truly not politics as usual." If you can say anything about Paul, he's certainly consistent. I can't under- stand how this becomes a reason for supporting a candidate. Just because he is consistent and honest doesn't mean what he's saying isn't absolutely insane. Look, I'm just as disillusioned . as the next college student. But that doesn't mean I'm going to give up. Johnson and several other supporters have told me that Paul gives voice to the ignored in American politics, but as students we've only been ignored for a maximum of one election. On top of that, I can't quite figure out what's being ignored. Paul's basic ideology is having the federal government ignore people and leave them alone. How is that any less alienating than the cur- rent system? The thing that most concerns me about Paul is his effort to get rid of the income tax. I heard a lot of complaints about taxes from supporters, but as students, what taxes do you really pay? I asked Johnson about this and he talked a little about tax code and incen- tives to balance the budget, but then mentioned something that caught my attention: taxes are redistribution. I'm sorry, but every tax dollar you pay does not go to some fictional homeless person spending your hard- earned tax dollars on booze. They go to things like the roads, fire depart- ments and schools. I'm sure you've benefited from these. So shut up. Pay your taxes. Somewhere along the line, "live and let live" turned into "live and Honest and consistent, Ron Paul is still crazy screw everyone else." Civic responsi- bility apparently doesn't fit into Paul's idea of America. We're college students. We like to pretend we are the most compas- sionate and idealistic people in this country. Sadly, we probably are. But Paul is the easy way out. Paul offers an apology and tells you the government is at fault, not you. Paul promises that you're finally going to be left alone. Sorry for the cliche, but I love my fellow Americans and even the government - flaws, mistrust and disagreements included. And as frus- trated as I get sometimes, a world with everyone leaving me alone, well, seems kind of lonely. David Mekelburg is an outgoing Daily associate news editor. He can be reached at dmek@umich.edu. EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS: Emad Ansari, Anindya Bhadra, Kevin Bunkley, Ben Caleca, Milly Dick, Mike Eber, Gary Graca, Emmarie Huetteman, Theresa Kennelly, Emily Michels, Arikia Millikan, Kate Peabody, Kate Truesdell, Robert Soave, Neil Tambe, Matt Trecha, Radhika Upadhyaya, Rachel Van Gilder, Rachel Wagner, Patrick Zabawa. SAYAN BHATTACHARYYA Coca-Cola: Breaking the code 40 Making it count Kelly Fraser's article "Coke cleared in India investigation" (01/15/2008) bore a misleading, headline. When one reads the actual article, one notices that it says, "The Energy and Resources Institute, an independent environ- mental research organization based in New Delhi, found that two of (Coca Cola's) six plants examined in the report were contribut- ing to water shortages in the areas surround- ing the facilities." Such a damning indictment can hardly be said to "clear" Coke. In fact, the University's Vendor Code of Conduct clearly states at the beginning that vendors selling products at the University should promote a "sustainable environment for workers and the general public" in their activities. In its report, TERI recommended that Coke's plant in Kala Dera either be relo- cated, shut down, store water to use or trans- fer in water from a distant aquifer, noting that the last two options were probably not actu- ally feasible. The plant is not environmentally sustainable because it is leading to depletion of water in the region and depriving the local people of much-needed water. This is a strong negative judgment on Coke's environmental "stewardship," a word that Coke likes to use in its corporate litera- ture. If the situation is so bad at Coke's Kala Dera plant that relocation or shut down are the feasible, sustainable solutions to prevent the depletion of groundwater, how come Coke's own environmental impact studies have not found this? Doesn't this mean that Coke has shown a callous disregard for the deadly impact its activities on the lives of Indians who live in the area and depend on the groundwater for their needs? I would think that Coke is in clear violation of the University's Vendor Code of Conduct, since it mandates that vendors at the University ensure sustainability for the general public. Now, why should a University student be concerned about allthis?Indiaisvery far away, right? What does it matter if Coke is destroy- ing or depleting water resources there? Why does it matter to people in Michigan? It matters a great deal. At a time when America's image and reputation is taking a severe battering abroad, the University could have sent a message to the world, showing that there are still American institutions that do the right thing and do not practice double standards. Instead, by winking at Coke's vio- lation of its policies, the University is sending a pitiful message to the rest of the world. It is illustrating that American institutions, even highly regarded institutions like America's flagship universities, are willing to practice double standards to protect and enable a Unit- ed States-based corporation. This effectively gives them a pass to do whatever they like abroad with a wink and a nod. What kind of message does this send to the rest of the world? Sayan Bhattacharyya is a Rackham graduate student. JASON MAHAKIAN "1f George W. Bush were to run for President a aim in 2008 " -r Three-thousand, five-hundred dollars. That's precisely how much I paid to volunteer in Uganda, Africa for two months last summer. I knew when I applied for the program that the concept of pay- ing to volunteer was strange, but by the ' time my flight took W off for Entebbe the ASHLEA backwardness of it had been drilled SURLES into my conscious- ness by everyone who knew the details of my trip and particularly the lump sum that I had ponied up. I was ready to smack the next person to make an artful quip about letting me house clean if I paid $20. Up until then, I had been sustain- ing my dignity by telling myself that it would all be worth it because I was payingto help humanity. But after a couple of weeks working in a rural community - surrounded by children with swollen tummies, sores all over and roughly a one-in- ten chance to live past the age of five - and watching villagers waste away from preventable diseases, I felt help- less. I soon confronted the harsh real- ity that undergraduate volunteer trips abroad are inherently self-serving. When undergraduate students go to developing nations, we aren't equipped with special skills or career experience to share. We don't have money to invest. And we are far from possessing any significant degree of diplomatic leverage to spur systemic change. It would be self-righteous to think otherwise: that we actually have a significant impact on the crumbling communities in which we volunteer. Sure you may have taught a couple of primary school classes, handed out a few dozen pills or planted some seeds. (And your unabashed undergraduate enthusiasm likely ensured that you did a fantastic job.) The value of expe- riencing diverse cultures cannot be given short shrift either. But the bitter and ill-accepted truth is that our money, which is devoured by the costs of airfare, lodging, food and the like, would undoubtedly be more effective if donated to organiza- tions other than British Airways and short-term programs that vaunt clever phrases like "intercultural explora- tion." If your chief aim is to improve the lot of those less fortunate, your money would probably be more effi- ciently spent providing resources to local workers, particularly considering that developing nations are often rife with unemployment. Or it could be bet- ter spent financing the trips of experts who could more aptly teach and imple- ment new methods and concepts. Further proof of the self-indulgence inherent to volunteering abroad is the fact that there's an expanse of volun- teer positions to-be filled in America. So why spend thousands to go abroad to help the destitute when nearly 10 percent of our own country lives below the poverty line? We feel that we're donating time and maybe a slice of our program fees, and hence deserve to get a cool global experience out of it - that's why. Don't get me wrong, volunteering in any capacity is an exceptionally admi- rable pursuit, especially considering a growing, yet still meager, percentage of privileged American students even bother. But we must admit that we're not made solely of altruism and caritas. Acceptance of this is precisely what can empower us to make our forays abroad count as something more than a month or two of hard work and photos ops. Undergraduate trips to volunteer abroad can have enormous humani- tarian impact, but this isn't intrinsic to the experience as it is to volunteering locally. It is up to volunteers to make the money and the time worthwhile in the days, weeks, months and years fol- lowing the trip. The actual selflessness of traveling to other nations to volun- teer lies in whether or not we do this. The trips arm participants with the range of knowledge and depth of per- spective that can only be won through experience, but it is up to us to become more than simple voyeurs by commit- ting to give back and change the status quo when we return. In many ways, our futures are more open now than they will be at any other time in our lives and, to a large extent, we can do any- Volunteering abroad is nice, but it's not helping thing we choose. Thus we are invested with the unique power to commit our lives to endeavors that we are passion- ate about and feel are worth while. Experiencing firsthand the perpetual devastation and strain that wrack the developing world and absorbing other cultures while diffusing our own inevi- tably shapes what undergraduates con- sider to be "worth it." Recognizing that no one truly reaps immediate or significant benefits from a volunteer trip means taking respon- sibility for the fact that we are in con- trol of the value of our investment and must ensure that it pays off - not for our sake, but for the sake of those we aimed to help from the beginning. Ashlea Surles can be reached at ajsurles@umich.edu. 0 0 0 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Readers are encouraged to submit letters to the editor. Letters should be less than 300 words and must include the writer's full name and University affiliation. All submissions become property of the Daily. We do not print anonymous letters. Send letters to tothe- doily@umich.edu. t: