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(04/22/10 1:58am)
In a classic episode of “The Simpsons,” the fictional town of Springfield finds itself with a surprising surplus of cash. When Springfield’s citizens gather to discuss how to spend the new bundle, a sensible verdict is reached. But a smooth-talking salesman bounds out of nowhere and announces that a “genuine, bona fide, electrified, six-car monorail” would really solve the town’s problems. So, the town inexplicably builds a monorail, with few people questioning why a small town needs a mass-transportation system.
(04/08/10 1:58am)
When I was in Israel two years ago, I came across a rather bizarre sign. As anyone who has walked through Jerusalem knows, the city is a haven for tourist traps. These stores are usually little enclaves, selling things preferred by the American tourist, such as low-grade clothing and bumper stickers with the name of your favorite sports team written in Hebrew. What specifically caught my eye was a white bumper sticker reading, in blue letters, “Don’t Worry America — Israel Is Behind You!” Though our group was 100 percent Jewish and unquestionably pro-Israel, we all found this statement a little ridiculous. “Shouldn’t it be the other way around?” we asked each other in jest. Logically, it would be, given that the tiny Jewish state is eyeball-deep in U.S. aid and defense resources. Yet as absurd as it sounds, this 50 cent bumper sticker manages to say so much about current Israeli foreign policy — that despite constantly being on the receiving end of aid, they are not afraid to position themselves as the dominating force in the relationship.
(03/18/10 1:58am)
By now, surely everyone has heard how the Texas Board of Education voted in favor of making school textbooks more “conservative-friendly.” Apparently, this means substituting Christian right champion John Calvin for non-religious founder Thomas Jefferson, inserting chapters on the rise of the Moral Majority and NRA, while describing our country as a “capitalist republic” as opposed to “democratic.” Now, the merits of these new inserts have been debated ad infinitum at this point, but there is one decision made by the Board that has gotten far less coverage: that hip-hop should not be taught as a cultural movement. While I can understand how this decision has not generated controversy the way the ones pertaining to religion and politics have, it is nonetheless completely wrong. Hip-hop is a movement that, in today’s economy, is more relevant than ever.
(02/22/10 2:59am)
In case you haven’t seen the colorful posters hanging in Bender Library and Ward, the first week of March has apparently been designated as Israel Apartheid Week. According to the Web site listed on the posters, this means a time for “[educating] people about the nature of Israel as an apartheid system and to build Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) campaigns as part of a global BDS movement.” Look, there’s nothing wrong with raising awareness for the Palestinians. The problem here is that doing so in the loudest, most controversial way possible does more harm than good.
(02/04/10 2:59am)
Last week, a charming fellow named James O’Keefe was arrested for an alleged attempted wiretapping of Democratic Louisiana Sen. Mary Landrieu’s phone lines. As you may recall, O’Keefe was the dashing investigator and impersonator extraordinaire who dressed up as a pimp. Along with his “ho” Hannah Giles, he sought to expose the presumed dirt and corruption beneath the surface of the Association of Community Organizers for Reform Now, or ACORN. In 2008, for those who may not recall, ACORN went from being a relatively small group of social activists to a vile utterance among conservatives upon news breaking of alleged voter fraud. To clarify, this news wasn’t entirely true; the real non-story was that of two incompetent employees submitting fake voter registration forms to get paid without doing any work.
(01/21/10 2:58am)
During his trip to Copenhagen last month, President Barack Obama was not able to achieve all he had hoped. Instead of a legally binding contract, the outcome was a non-binding agreement to reduce carbon emissions by at least 50 percent by 2050. Yet the president was optimistic. “This is a classic example of a situation where if we just waited ... then we would not make any progress,” he said.