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(01/23/08 3:35pm)
Perhaps the most commonly uttered phrase in political discourse is the statement that 'liberals are charitable and conservatives selfish.' Too often conservatives uncritically accept this dictum by shamefacedly embracing the concept of selfishness in the name of efficiency or some other abstraction. Too rarely do conservatives employ empirical fact to prove that it just ain't so.
(01/15/08 8:43am)
Early in the 2008 primary season, intangible ideas seem to be most important to voters -- change and hope rather than policy or experience. Abstract values are certainly important, but not to the exclusion of substantive policy; in fact, we can have both. There are a number of progressive Republican candidates speaking out to unite our country through this brand of leadership.
(08/17/07 5:18am)
The latest environmental craze is taking hold. We have already been told, inconveniently though perhaps of dubious truthiness, that driving, eating meat, non-local produce, flying, turning the lights on, etc. are bad for the environment. Now we are being told that bottled water is bad for the environment.
(08/03/07 5:14am)
Under current U.S. immigration policy everybody loses. Most bad policies have at least some small beneficiary, but our virtually nonexistent immigration policy is just good enough to keep out any winners and just bad enough to make sure that everybody loses. Case in point is the current political, social and now constitutional crisis over two border patrol agents who are in jail for forcibly restraining a suspected illegal border-crosser.
(07/20/07 6:30am)
Dartmouth students, like many of our idealistic, college-aged brethren, are always looking for ways to help the world. From Katrina relief efforts to Dartmouth Ends Hunger to College Republicans to mentorship programs of every kind, we understand the need to reach out to those less fortunate than ourselves.
(07/06/07 6:26am)
It is not that I dislike all modern art. I have made many trips to the Museum of Modern Art in New York, perhaps like any college student aspiring to be "open minded," and I have generally been quite pleased. I am, however, not thrilled about the "truly epic commission of contemporary art" currently on display in Baker-Berry Library.
(06/22/07 6:49am)
When I read online in The Dartmouth that "Nearly 50 professors sign letter in protest of Commencement speaker," I got worried. I scanned down the article as quickly as possible, trying to catch the name of this ostensibly offensive speaker. The article included labels like "a clear and unprecedented danger to our democracy." Yale apparently admitted a former Taliban spokesman as a student; were we asking an official of al-Qaeda or Saddam's former regime to address our school? Then I saw the speaker called "strange and disappointing," and I thought of people who would fit that bill: Was it Jason Blair or Pee-wee Herman?
(02/28/07 11:00am)
Nothing explodes the opinion pages of The Dartmouth like issues of race, whether it is affirmative action, Native American mascots, or illegal immigration. Nothing gets Dartmouth students as passionate as these debates that span the political and social realms of equality, freedom, discrimination and tolerance. Why issues of race are so salient, especially at an ostensibly color-blind institution such as Dartmouth, is difficult to address with more than speculation, but is interesting to look at nonetheless.
(02/06/07 11:00am)
As the Dartmouth community gears up for what is sure to be a very interesting trustee election, we should all give thanks. The ongoing debate is sure to intensify over the weeks and months until the trustee vote is sure to leave us with an intelligent, talented and eminently qualified individual. Out of the slate of fine candidates, one candidate stands out in my mind, for the diversity of vision that he has brought and will bring to Dartmouth: Stephen Smith '88.
(01/24/07 11:00am)
As a Student Assembly class representative who thinks the Assembly is not pursuing worthwhile initiatives and who probably disagrees with Assembly President Tim Andreadis '07 on most issues, personal and political, I do not believe there is good reason to impeach him. An examination of the Assembly Constitution and an understanding of the nature of the Assembly in operation leads to the conclusion that efforts toward impeachment are misguided.
(11/16/06 11:00am)
In our Dartmouth community, which puts a very high premium on pluralism, we should also tolerate and seek to understand a diverse range of opinions on the nature of diversity. A point that too often gets lost in the larger debates about mascots, affirmative action and the like is that there is more than one conception of diversity, and not all of them are positive. In the quest to achieve an optimal learning environment, we sometimes counterproductively limit the meaning of diversity to certain racial groups and skin colors.
(11/02/06 11:00am)
It's not that I think partisanship is inherently bad. Partisanship is part of competition, which is good in every facet of life. The problem with partisanship arises when it becomes the sole barometer of political thought in deciding on an issue, candidate or vote. There is a problem when blind support for an ideology leads someone away from making a decision that is in the best interests of his country and himself.
(10/23/06 9:00am)
As we enter the election season here at a top college in the most important primary state, the sacred, democratic opportunity to vote is almost here. Voting is one of the key electoral issues that arises during each election cycle, as we endlessly debate who can do it, where it can be done and why it should be done. Inevitably, low turnout is met with despair and the resolve to get more volunteers with clipboards and registration forms out on the street next year. But what is lost in this discourse is the electoral reality of political apathy -- the root cause of low voter turnout -- and its cause.
(10/05/06 9:00am)
Most of us here at Dartmouth have only closely observed two presidential elections in our lives, plus a few midterms. But as we gear up for some big political events this fall, the recurrent theme of ideological elitism is unfailingly making its return into politics. From my observations, especially on college campuses such as ours, the real root of ultraliberal elitism is the misconception that this elitism is, in fact, intellectualism.
(05/30/06 9:00am)
In the wake of the recent elections that installed Hamas, an internationally recognized terrorist group, at the head of the Palestinian legislature, there is a power struggle emerging. Over the past few weeks we have seen bombings and gun battles between the Palestinian factions of Hamas and Fatah resulting in widespread violence and a number of deaths.
(05/16/06 9:00am)
As some of the tensions abate, at least temporarily, on the issue of immigration, I have been struck by just how differently the immigration debate has played out on a national scale as compared to here at Dartmouth. Our country, or at least Washington D.C., discusses what kind of wall to build, how many troops we can put on the border, and the practical logistics of granting citizenship. Our college talks about the right to immigrate illegally. Nationally, the debate is about securing our borders; at Dartmouth, the debate is... well, there is not really much debate.
(05/04/06 9:00am)
If the events precipitated by the election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as president of Iran teach us anything, it is that democracy in the Arab Middle East is a catch-22. Unlike many of the other Arab countries in that part of the world, Iran has a substantiated semblance of democracy in a tiny part of its society. Sure, the unelected Supreme Leader lays down and supervises all laws, commands the armed forces, has the sole power to declare war, can appoint and dismiss members of the judiciary and controls state television and radio networks, but Iran still showcases the consequences of popular control in the area of presidential election.
(04/25/06 9:00am)
I am running for Vice President because I want to put Student Assembly back to work for students. Real results are what my work in SA, this campaign, and my vision for the future is all about.
(04/17/06 9:00am)
A few weeks ago, after having solved all the major political issues, I turned to the problems of life and gave an analysis of the merits of the night-time shower, the optimal eating paradigm and the excessive use of the word "random." This week, I turn to more serious philosophical dilemmas and vexing existential problems: midterms, greetings, computers and thank yous.
(04/03/06 9:00am)
The immigration issue is complicated, with tensions running high on both sides. I find myself torn but, like anyone who carefully examines the situation, I recognize the need to crack down immediately.