Young Voices
Exchanging ideas from the show and blogging about topics in the news from a range of perspectives.
October 1, 2007
A Good Debate, But Does it Matter?
by Jeremy Freed
“The thing about second-tier candidates is that they feel much freer to say exactly what's on their minds.”
Thursday's presidential forum, lacking as it was the presence of the four leading candidates, was a rare opportunity for the second-tier hopefuls to have their fair share of the spotlight. Before a diverse, bipartisan in-house audience, and millions of viewers at home, the six men on stage postured and held forth on the big issues, declaring their solutions to the problems facing America
The thing about second-tier candidates, which I realized watching the Democratic forum in June, is that they feel much freer (presumably because they have such slim chances of winning) to say exactly what's on their minds. Mike Gravel's blustery performance at that debate stands out in my mind particularly ("Is it a surprise to anybody in this room that, if you don't have any money, you don't get any justice? Is that a surprise to you all?”) Strangely, and maybe a bit sadly, the candidates with the most passion in these forums are usually the ones with the least chances of earning a nomination.
Former Ambassador Alan Keyes exemplified this with his outspoken, thunderous, pulpit-style address. While he raised many good points (the problems with a culture that reveres “selfish hedonism,” the role of industry, not immigrants, in cheapening the price of labor), he also went too far at times, calling for more religion in schools, and frequently deferring to God as an important force in shaping government policy.
There were many shining moments in Friday's debate, as well as a number of surprises, like Tom Tancredo's naming of Ronald Reagan as a president who left a positive legacy for black Americans, and Duncan Hunter's offer to shield them from pornography. Overall, however, judging by the responses of the candidates at this forum, one could sense real promise for America's people of color where the Republican Party is concerned.
All the same, for all of the big talk and promises of change, it was impossible to escape the elephant in the room, the fact that the next presidential candidate, by most accounts, was probably not there.
October 2, 2007
A New Album, and A New Way of Selling Music
by Jeremy Freed
“Record companies will either change drastically in the next few years, or be replaced by something entirely new.”
How much would you pay for your favorite band's new album?
That's the question Radiohead is asking this week, with the announcement that fans can pre-order In Rainbows, their newest release, for any price they care to name, from the band's Website.
This is a revolutionary move for a number of reasons. For one, it completely cuts out the records companies, who, until now, were responsible for most of the industry's distribution. Record companies are in trouble these days, as everyone with an iPod and an Internet connection knows well enough. In a recent New York Times Magazine profile, music superproducer Rick Rubin reflected on the future of what he sees as an industry in turmoil. Record companies, as we now know them, he says, are already obsolete. They will either change drastically in the next few years, or be replaced by something entirely new. Radiohead's decision to circumvent conventional distribution, if successful, could drastically change the way albums are bought and sold.
Radiohead's scheme makes sense for both artists and fans. The more forward-thinking artists have realized that people are going to steal their music if they want to. If not, they'll buy it on iTunes, which benefits mostly Apple, or in a store, which mostly benefits the record company. By cutting out the middle man, even if people pay only a few dollars per album, they could stand to make more money in the long run. Fans are happy, dissatisfied as we've been with major labels habitually charging twenty bucks for sub-par CDs containing only a couple of good tracks. This is an opportunity for us to vote with our dollars for a system that seems far more sensible and practical than anything we've seen before.
This kind of sales model may not be the future of music, or the death of the recording industry as Rubin forecast, but it is certainly a concrete move towards a different, more egalitarian, way of selling music.
October 14, 2007
Drop in the Bucket
by Rose Capozzi
“The Social Security system will buckle under the coming flood of Baby Boomer retirees”
The day we all saw coming has finally arrived, according to USA Today. Kathleen Casey-Kirschling has become eligible for social security benefits. If you are thinking that one more person collecting their check is just a drop in the bucket, you are right. However, Kathleen Casey-Kirsching, the first baby boomer (born on January 1, 1946 at 12:00:01), is just one of 80 million Americans who will be looking to collect their benefits from Social Security and Medicare in the coming years. I think we are going to need more buckets...
The impact of retiring Baby Boomers will be drastic. Richard Wolf predicts that by 2030, the number of Social Security recipients will increase from 50 million to 84 million and an increase in Medicare recipients from 44 million to 79 million. That means that there will only be two workers paying for the benefits of one retiree.
According to the Congressional Budget Office, there are two main concerns for both Baby Boomers and those working to pay for Baby Boomer entitlements. The first issue is that the number of people retiring is going to outnumber the amount of people joining the taxpaying workforce. At the same time, the benefits per retiree is going to increase. These are not the hallmarks of a self-perpetuating system. The second issue is that Baby Boomers have not saved enough money for retirement, relying on Social Security or serendipity, whatever the case may be. This could result in less federal revenue, because those born between 1946 and 1964 will not be able to contribute the economy through investment, productivity, or wages.
This problem could have been addressed years ago, but Democrats refused to negotiate with Republicans on personal retirement accounts (President Clinton suggested a very similar plan during his administration, but fellow Democrats urged him to drop it so that they could use it against Republicans who supported it during the 1998 elections).
Today, Hillary Clinton continues to ignore the impending crisis.
Fortunately, other Democrats have finally come around to President Bush's plan for personal accounts. According to the Wall Street Journal, the details will have to be negotiated, but the new system would combine the traditional tax-based system with investment-based personal accounts. If this plan, or something similar, is adopted, a 2% payroll contribution to personal retirement accounts will generate enough funds to maintain the monthly benefits specified in current law, without increasing taxes on the working populace.
The Social Security system will buckle under the coming flood of Baby Boomer retirees, with or without personal accounts to plug the holes. Now is the time for Congress to ask itself what is the better policy for the future: hire more little Dutch Boys or build a better dike.
October 2, 2007
GOP, Not as it Should Be
by Sean Nixon
Mitt Romney
After last week's lack of nominees attending the All-American Presidential Forums with Republican candidates, many viewers were left to wonder, “Is this for real?”
Is this what we could imagine to find in terms of leadership under a McCain, Giuliani, Thompson, or Romney presidency?
It's disheartening to know that this was not the first incident in which candidates declined to address certain audiences. It appears as if these candidates decided that it was not in their best interests to show up and discuss issues regarding “minority issues”.
I hope that Americans will really dig deep and do more investigative work when seeking to cast their vote on who will be the best leader of this country for the next four years. We are in desperate need of real leadership in this country, not just selfish ambition. Running for the White House cannot be seen as just a game for sport.
To the candidates that missed the forum, one question that comes to mind is this: Are you basically telling Americans that you are the president of the corporate interests and wealthy Americans? Or, are you going to be the president of both the disenfranchised and the wealthy? The majority and the minority, the homeless, and the well-to-do?
In the same vein of thought, if you can't deal with domestic issues concerning people of color, what credentials do you have to serve as the executive officer in dealings of international security and foreign diplomats?
Candidates seeking the executive office shouldn't be hesitant or unwilling to address issues affecting Americans, people of color across this country, or anyone seeking to better know a candidate who is seeking to lead them. This was a golden opportunity and the opportunity was missed.
It just seems wrong to me gentleman. It just seems wrong.
October 16, 2007
I'll Be Honest
by Sean Nixon
Al Gore addressing the concerns of climate changes across the world to an audience.
Recently, former vice president Al Gore was awarded with the Nobel Peace Prize for his involvement in helping to spread the news and create awareness about the destructive chaos the world is facing due to global warming. Gore, among his many other endeavors, has been an advocate for expressing the need for conservation and reducing our harmful impact on the earth.
Just a day before Gore received the award, program guest Monique Harden visited the show to talk about the environment as well, but brought with her an interesting fact that we hadn't heard before: how African Americans and other people of color were disproportionately affected by the harsh levels of pollution found in their neighborhoods.
Two questions come to mind when looking at this crisis. First, with the information Ms. Harden shared, will communities of color press government to curtail pollution in their communities, mobilize, and take action swiftly? Secondly, would these highly toxic levels of pollution be allowed in communities where the population was not primarily of color?
Think about it: if 79% of white Americans were facing this same level of danger in their everyday lives, where their sons or daughters went to school, played outside and spent their lives were affected, would we not see a huge increase in the amount of work that has been done thus far to create viable solutions? It's happening right now in communities of color across the nation.
It is devastating to me to think that my family and friends—hardworking, taxpaying American citizens—not only get the short end of the stick when it comes to toxic communities, but get beaten over the head with it.
When Al Gore first started trying to bring people around to the idea of environmental devastation, no one was ready to pay attention. It took nearly three decades before people started paying attention to these life-threatening effects in our environment. We cannot wait another three decades to solve this problem in African American communities.
Perhaps this is a wake up call to communities of color—if you want to see change, get out and make those changes happen. Mobilize. Press our city council leaders, organize with city groups. Work collectively toward a common goal. Don't just sit by and let things happen--it may have deadly results. Change can occur, but it does not take effect swiftly. We must be vigilant in task of change.
October 15, 2007
A lesson in Courage
by Sean Nixon
President Mugabe of Zimbabwe
What gives someone the courage to stand before an insurmountable power and take a stand for what's humanly right? A recent guest on the program, Christina Lamb, did just that. Lamb spoke of the atrocities that occurred during her time in Zimbabwe, secretly reporting on the barbaric acts taking place within the region.
Robert Mugabe, Zimbabwe's current prime minister, has been in power now for over 20 years. Once regarded as one who would bring good measure and positive leadership to the land , he has since waged a ruthless assault on all women, children and countrymen living in the area.
Mugabe's acts of violence through the use of green bombers, rape and murder has spread all over Zimbabwe, and signs of change don't appear to be anywhere in sight.
People cannot lift their voices, raise their heads, or even shout to scream in protest about the injustices they face. Men and women who have tried to protest have been met with rampant hostility, extreme torture or even death.
It's horrible to sit and think that the atrocities of this magnitude still occur to this day. What appears most disheartening is the idea that these acts have continued to occur. Seemingly uninterrupted, natives are left to fend for themselves in a world where they are already being ill-treated, stepped on and basically forgotten about.
Demonstrators protest the Mugabe government in London
There are however, still those who are courageous enough to take a stand against the injustices occurring in Zimbabwe. Demonstrators have taken up the call to action by protesting in the Zimbabwe embassy in London.
Even though the U.N. and other groups are working as best they can to facilitate a better stability for the country of Zimbabwe and the 2.5 million residents who have fled, it will take a continuous valiant effort from numerous other men and women to curtail the evils Mugabe has allowed.
I'm humbled by the courage these men and women have demonstrated risking their lives to tell others about what's going on and speaking truth to power. More people must hear their cries, and not just tune them out. More courageous souls are needed to bring an end to these atrocities.
October 18, 2007
Cosby Speaks Again
by Sean Nixon
Bill Cosby and Alvin Poussaint on Meet the Press.
Bill Cosby is on a mission. On Sunday October 14, 2007 both Bill Cosby and Dr. Alvin Poussaint were guests on Meet the Press with Tim Russert. In that conversation, Cosby addressed through anecdotes and startling statistics the need for those in the black community to, among other things, stand up and recognize the responsibilities left to those within the communities. Both Cosby and Poussaint have written a book entitled Come on People: On the Path from Victims to Victors.
Bill Cosby for years, as many know, has been an advocate for education, but as of late he has been openly critical of some of the social ills that affect members of the black community. When he first began voicing his stance on the issues he was met with harsh criticism from some saying that he shouldn't be airing dirty laundry. Others said they supported him in his beliefs and thought that it was well overdue. Some felt that while his message was commendable, his approach needed work.
He also addressed the issue of institutionalized racism and how it exists in the policies that keep many black men in jails and prisons across the country. Cosby's goal is to take a tough love approach coupled with a harsh dose of reality to help reduce the ills that plague African American communities.
On Wednesday October 17, 2007 Dr. Cosby appeared on the Oprah Winfrey show to continue his dialogue with a national audience to address the dire needs we as family members, friends, and mentors must take up in order to get a handle on a social concern that affects so many in the black community.
What do you think of Bill Cosby's comments?
October 21, 2007
Obama: Winning Middle America
by Jeremy Freed
By most people's reckoning, Barack Obama's shot at winning his party's nomination will be determined by how well he fares in January's Iowa caucuses, an early telltale of public favor. On Thursday's show, Obama brushed aside the idea that the state's dearth of African American voters would prove detrimental to his campaign. Rather, he asserted, his focus on middle-class, middle-American issues would be enough to see him through.
“I think the vast majority of Americans right now,” said Obama, “what they want to know is how are you going to help me hang on to my house now that the sub-prime lending crisis is in full force? What are you going to do to help me deal with my job now that the plant moved to China? How can I save for my child's college tuition and my own retirement at the same time?” If his answers to these questions are convincing enough, the Illinois junior senator believes, he will have what it takes to sway Iowa, and possibly the rest of the nation.
Despite the robust response Obama claims to be having from Iowans of all colors and political affiliations, Hillary Clinton still leads in the polls. If money is any indication, however, that may soon change. A recent Chicago Tribune article focused on Obama's campaign in the Hawkeye State, and revealed that he is spending more money campaigning there than any other candidate, and considerably more than Clinton.
The article from Obama's hometown paper reveals a tireless, well-organized, and widespread campaign, designed with mistakes of past candidates in mind, to hone in on sympathetic voters and see them through to January's caucuses. If his plain-dealing approach to politics proves attractive for Iowa's common sense-minded voters, and if the Obama staffers in that state are anywhere as near as diligent as the Tribune would have us believe, the senator appears to have more than a good chance of winning in January.
October 21, 2007
The Proof is in the Pudding
by Rose Capozzi
“This is proof positive that, despite Republican setbacks, the United States remains politically fifty-fifty”
To the contrary of many observers, Republicans may very well have a good chance at the presidency in 2008. Just take a look at the Governor's race in Louisiana. Rep. Bobby Jindal (R-LA), a 36 year old Indian American, was elected on Saturday. Jindal is the first minority to hold the position in Louisiana since Reconstruction, according to the Associated Press. When he takes office, he will also be the nation's youngest governor.
This election was significant for a few reasons. First, Jindal didn't just win the election, he won it by a landslide. With eleven candidates in the running, he came in first with 53% of the vote. The next closest competitor, Democrat Walter Boasso, came in at only 18%. Second, this election breaks one of the lingering stereotypes of the Republican Party; that it is the party of old white men. Clearly, Jindal does not fit that limited demographic. Third, Louisiana, the state impacted most by Hurricane Katrina, elected a Republican, despite the accusations from Democrats that Republican President Bush, not local liberal politicians, failed the people in recovery and rebuilding. Perhaps the residents of the hurricane-torn state see that the blame is equally shared among those involved.
Lastly, once Jindal takes office, there will be 25 Republican governors and 25 Democratic governors. This is proof positive that, despite Republican setbacks, the United States remains politically fifty-fifty. Before discounting the chances of a President Giuliani, McCain, Thompson, or Romney, the American people have to give themselves a hard look in the mirror and choose the candidate that best serves their needs, not the candidate that is endorsed by the hype.
October 22, 2007
Race Matters
by Sean Nixon
“It just seems to me that there is something going on in America right now that we need to talk about. ”
It just seems to me that there is something going on in America right now that we need to talk about. From time to time it may be addressed as a news feature, but after that people don't really hear or see much else and we really never get to the bottom of anything.
We have seen in our local and national headlines so many acts of racism and hatred that it's a wonder we haven't had a huge race riot like the ones seen in year's past. Take a look at the series of events that have happened thus far.
Fall of 2006 Michael Richards makes his remarks. Richards is sharply criticized and arguably left alone. Move forward to 2007, and Don Imus spews his senseless remarks over the airwaves, setting forth a series of national debates and dialogue across the country.
Six black students beat up a white student after nooses were hung from a “white tree” in Louisiana, close to 25,000 men and women go down to protest—with no reported acts of violence taking place.
A highly recognized leader of the 60's civil rights movement says that another arguable leader in this country—a black man running for president—is accused of “acting white”. A well respected college professor at Columbia University finds a noose lying on the outside of her door. Having watched these events take place, one after another, one question came to mind:
What is going on?
With Don Imus, I think arguably you can say that a whole new dialogue emerged in what is socially acceptable in our music and our society when we refer to one another. In other cases the opportunity for real discussion never emerged.
My question is why don't we address these issues sooner instead of waiting for firestorm cases of hatred and racism to bring more attention to the issue?
It appears I'm not the only one who has been observing this or paying attention.
Tuesday October 23, 2007 a program discussing the noose and its history in American society will hopefully will make many of its viewers think about the alarming effects we've seen thus far and why these practices must be eliminated.
Race does matter and unfortunately people's short sighted, narrow-minded, hatred makes it that much more of a visceral, alarming, and threatening presence to our society.
I'm not saying this is an easy task to achieve. However, for America to be as good as its promise, it's going to take some tough situations, some meeting of the minds, some patience, some faith, some perseverance and most of all courage.
What do you think? What else can be done to stop these incidents from taking place?
October 29, 2007
A Wizard's Outing
by Rose Capozzi
Once upon a time there lived a woman named J.K. Rowling. Whilst on a train one day, she dreamed up a story of a boy wizard named Harry Potter. For billions across the world, Rowling brought to life an English boarding school for wizards named Hogwarts, an evil wizard named Volde...(I mean, "He Who Must Not Be Named"), a good wizard and esteemed headmaster of Hogwarts named Dumbledore, and a host of other fascinating people and creatures.
The premise was simple; send a seemingly ordinary boy to a wizarding school. Once there, let him find out that he is not an ordinary boy at all, but rather the only survivor of the magical equivalent of a terrorist attack. Over the next seven years of school, seven books of witchcraft and wizarding, and five internationally successful movies that describe his adventures fighting the dark wizard who killed his parents, hook both children and adults alike with the characters and the fantasy, and watch the cash roll in.
The premise worked; J.K. Rowling is now one of the richest women in the world.
But after the seventh and self-proclaimed last book in the Harry Potter series, Rowling does not seem to be relaxing in her palatial Scottish estate. To the shock of many of her fans (myself included) she recently reported that one of the main characters in the book, the good and wise wizard Albus Dumbledore, was gay. The news of the wizard's sexuality was provided unsolicited during a question and answer session. Reportedly, at least one fan of the series was so moved by the outing of one of his favorite fictional characters that he too came out of the closet unsolicited.
Some adult readers might have already guessed or assumed that Dumbledore was interested in men. Rowling could have left it at that, an unexplained private matter between a wizard and his family. Instead, Rowling decided to out a beloved character that many thought of as a grandfather, not a sexual being.
I for one can honestly say that I don't really care about the sexual preferences of the fictional headmaster. However, in labeling him as a homosexual, J.K. Rowling wasn't helping Dumbledore, or anyone else. She was using sexual orientation for pure publicity, showing that even the fictional can be exploited.
October 31, 2007
Signs or Illusions
by Sean Nixon
Presidential candidates gather for yet another debate leading up to the 2008 election.
October 2007 marks the three-year anniversary of comedian Jon Stewart's appearance of on the now-cancelled program Crossfire on CNN. Stewart's appearance on the episode which aired October 15, 2004 is now seen throughout the Web, and his appearance is remarked upon as the episode that shut down the show.
Jon Stewart lambasted the show's two hosts and berated them for what, in his view, was theatrics in politics.
As we say goodbye to the month of October and inch closer to the months of extreme campaign trailing and seemingly non-stop coverage of the upcoming election, will we see a return to the same old thing?
November 4, 2007 marks exactly 365 days until the 2008 presidential elections.
As we approach the next election, will we begin to see the same thing in our news and media coverage, or will we see a change? Let's investigate:
Have you noticed there actually are more debates on TV this year? Could this be a sign of change? Was this done because the people wanted it, or is this the media's response to what is deemed popular for the moment? If this truly is a sign of change, how vigilant must the public continue to be in order to see more intelligent, meaningful information in their programming?
But here's another question. How many of you have friends who don't start paying attention to politics, elections, or anything that remotely resembles government until it's two months away from an election?
What are some of the excuses that you hear as to why your friends, co-workers, relatives, and acquaintances choose not to vote? What would it take for them to vote? Why do you choose or choose not to vote yourself?
Should voting be a mandatory thing? Would it be more helpful or harmful to have a policy in which you risk the chance of losing the opportunity to vote if you did not do so?
In gearing up for the 2004 election, Diddy and a host of other hip-hop stars came out to challenge young people to get up, get informed, and be active in their democracy. Is this an initiative that should be done each presidential election with respect to young people? KRS-ONE announced, when receiving an award at the BET Hip-Hop Awards, that hip-hop itself needs to grow up. Hip-hop is being asked to involve itself in matters that don't even affect them. Do you agree with KRS-ONE's message?
This post brings with it a great deal of questions that affect our country and society, but only when we confront these issues do we begin to work towards a solution. What's yours?
October 24, 2007
Star Wars: The Communist Menace
by Rose Capozzi
China launches its first lunar probe
It appears that the space race of the 1960s is anything but over. In recent years, China has taken steps to increase its military space capabilities. And just this week, China launched a lunar orbiter, under the pretense that it will be used for peaceful, civil purposes. Others claim that the launch provides China an opportunity to test new space weapons. Despite mixed signals about the purposes of the launch, one thing is for sure: the rest of the world better be prepared to protect their own space assets. Cell phones, GPS, broadcast television, spy satellites - all of these depend on space infrastructure, and we depend on them for our basic, everyday needs.
In 2003, China became the first Asian nation to develop its own rocket, and used it to send an astronaut to space. In January, the Chinese used a medium-range ballistic missile to shoot down a weather satellite that had been in orbit since 1999. China did not give notice of its intention to use space weapons, and afterward the Chinese government refused to confirm or deny the launch of the missile and the destruction of the satellite.
This week, China launched it's first lunar orbiter for a year long mission to "explore the moon". The nation hopes to send a man to the moon by 2020. However, according to some human rights groups, the purpose of the lunar orbiter isn't for peaceful purposes at all, instead, they claim it is part of China's space militarization program. The Information Center for Human Rights and Democracy claims that a nuclear-powered submarine will be sending messages to maneuver the satellite from Earth. According to the group, "once the satellite-maneuvering technology matures...China would have the know-how to destroy other satellites in space in wartime. China could launch cheaply-made weapon-carrying objects into space and change their courses to destroy or damage satellites of other countries by sending signals from submarines..."
If China ever becomes capable of destroying our satellites, the United States, and other nations around the world, must prepare to lose some, if not all, television, radio, telephone, and cell phone communications, not to mention the possibility of losing our military satellites. There is no simple solution for dealing with China's space militarization program. But one thing is for sure, we may not be able to ignore it much longer.
October 7, 2007
Better Than Before
by Rose Capozzi
“Though there is a lot more to be done to give each and every child an equal opportunity at quality education, we are moving in the right direction”
In America today you do not hear very many positive things about the education system. Critics claim we have failed just about every group of students. Boys seem to be less interested in advancing their educations; girls are not given enough encouragement in fields such as technology and engineering. And in general, minority groups trail behind in classroom achievement.
One group that remains a focal point for all the harsh criticism concerning public education is elementary-age students. However, the tide seems to be turning. Recent reforms, such as the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, have been part of a 25-year effort at the local, state, and federal levels to hold schools accountable for student performance, and these reforms are making a difference in test scores across the board. According to the Christian Science Monitor, elementary students in America, whether they are female or male, white or black, rich or poor, have shown improvement in math and reading based on the 2007 National Assessment of Educational Progress. Though the achievement gap between black and white students is 27points, it is at an all time low.
It has taken 25 years to see real improvement in the educational system in America. Though there is a lot more to be done to give each and every child an equal opportunity at quality education, we are moving in the right direction, despite what common knowledge dictates.
October 22, 2007
Colbert for Pres (and So Can You!)
by Jeremy Freed
“So he isn't really running for president. Like he could have anyway. Or could he?”
When Steven Colbert, the host of Comedy Central's satirical Colbert Report, announced last week on his program that he would seek the highest office in the land, he was greeted by wild applause. When that subsided, however, no one quite knew what to make of the bombastic fake-pundit's announcement. Was he serious?
The days of conjecture, in the news and around watercoolers, that followed were brought to a conclusion yestermorning with Colbert's appearance opposite Tim Russert on Meet the Press. In it, Colbert outlined his plans for seeking a presidential nomination (“I don't want to be president, I want to run for president,”) his platform (abolition of social security, Medicare, pensions, and tipping) and clarified for any who were still in doubt that this was, in fact, for real (“I'm far real-er than Sam Brownback, let me put it that way.”)
So he isn't really running for president. Like he could have anyway. Or could he?
Politics and satire have long lived in close symbiosis, but this is certainly a new extreme. The fact that a fictional TV persona's announcement of a presidential bid could get so many people asking, even if only half-serious, if it could be real, says much about our current state of affairs. In this age ruled by viral video, soundbites, and larger-than-life TV pundits, where information is more available than ever before, it has never been harder to sort truth from illusion.
Colbert's appearance on Meet the Press was an equally resonant blurring of lines. Sitting in the same seat as so many politicians before him, touting a book (Colbert's is called I Am America (and So Can You!)), and trying to sell himself as the man America needs, he was indistinguishable in form from the others, if not in his talking points. It's a joke, sure, but an important one. When the character we know as Stephen Colbert runs for president we stop and consider how absolutely foolish he appears, how contradictory his platforms are, and how his talk show appearance seems stilted and false. Then we start to think about the other candidates in this race, how they often appear, and what their talk show appearances look like, and then it begins to make some sense.
October 16, 2007
Talking Torture
by Jeremy Freed
“It is curious that someone like Mr. Otterman should choose to write a book about the torture practices of a country whose leaders have frequently and vehemently denied the use of torture.”
One of tonight's guests, Michael Otterman, has written a book called American Torture. In it he draws attention to the inefficacy of torture in yielding useful information, and the effect these sorts of interrogation methods have had on the security of our country. These techniques, he says, “do not make us more safe—they make us less safe.”
It is curious that someone like Mr. Otterman should choose to write a book about the torture practices of a country whose leaders have frequently and vehemently denied the use of torture. All those soldiers doing the Lynndie in Iraq? Just a few bad apples. The rendition of innocent people to be detained and tortured by other countries? Never happened. According to Condi Rice, that is.
Otterman will also likely discuss the memos that appeared earlier this month, in which the Gonzales justice department deemed lawful extreme interrogation measures without the knowledge of Congress. That our government condones practices like beating, drowning, and freezing to obtain information gives some indication as to why we have the sort of reputation we have around the world. The fact that our War on Terror still seems as unwinnable as ever suggests, as Mr. Otterman says, that the information obtained this way may not be as useful as our leaders believe.
October 9, 2007
Dance Party It Isn't
by Jeremy Freed
Tomorrow night's program will feature former attorney general Janet Reno, who is as well known for her deeds as head of the Justice Department as she is for her portrayal by Will Ferrell on Saturday Night Live. Recently, however, she's been talking more about music.
Reno is putting her name behind a 3-CD set of American music, fifty tracks in all, spanning the country's history from "God Save the King" to Grandmaster Flash, which was released last month. Unfortunately for fans of Janet Reno's Dance Party, the former AG does not appear on the album, nor did she have much creative input beyond hatching the original idea. Her musician nephew oversaw the project, called “Song of America” which consists of covers of classic American songs performed by contemporary artists.
Reno's intention with this compilation, which amounts to a sort of greatest hits narrative of American history, is to get young people more interested in the events that shaped their country through the songs they inspired. Using the familiar medium of music, Reno hopes to give things like the Civil War and the Dustbowl the same kind of mass appeal as, say, that new Soulja Boy dance.
Listening to the "Song of America," one can commend Reno and Co. for their accomplishment, assembling a remarkable collection of songs that tell America's story in vivid, poetic detail. The album's main failing, however, is its lack of brand-name talent, which bodes badly for its idealistic goal of broad, mainstream appeal. Despite the producers' best efforts, Hillary Duff wasn't available, and Josh Groban didn't return phone calls. What we get, instead, are The Blind Boys of Alabama singing a gospel hymn, Neil Young's “Ohio” performed by James Taylor's son, Ben, and a cursory nod to hip-hop in the form of a lukewarm cover of Grandmaster Flash's “The Message”.
With a few cringe-worthy exceptions, “Song of America” makes good listening. For those of us, that is, who enjoy folky covers of old-time music, and make the effort to seek it out. For the rest, more likely than not, the boxed set will share the same fate as the history textbooks it was meant to exceed, gathering dust on the shelf.
October 8, 2007
Gimme More Columbus
by Jeremy Freed
“Regardless of who was here first, some of us have a hard time accepting today as a legitimate holiday.”
It's pretty much universally agreed upon that Columbus didn't discover America. He was late on that by about 500 years, beat to our rugged shores by Leif Erikson, an Irish monk, and possibly a Chinese muslim named Zheng He. What Columbus did do, a point on which most people can agree, is open North America to European exploration, colonization, and the eventual arrival of pilgrims, strip malls, Britney Mania, and all the rest.
Regardless of who was here first (that is, not counting the people who already lived here), some of us have a hard time accepting today as a legitimate holiday. The American Indians, for one, have kicked up a fuss about Columbus Day for years, and rightly so. His arrival marked the start of one of the grimmest chapters in American history, which saw aboriginal people cheated, poisoned, and slaughtered en masse in the name of God, or some crusty old monarch across the ocean.
Yesterday, 83 protesters, many of whom are Native American, were arrested in Denver, after spilling fake blood and body parts across the Columbus Day parade route, and otherwise disrupting that city's festivities.
Half a century after those three Spanish ships dropped anchor at what they thought was the Orient (in fact, Columbus died still believing this), we give the kids the day off school, but still aren't really having an honest discussion about the muddy legacy today commemorates. It's easy to think simplistically of both Native Americans pre-colonization, and the heroic Columbus, but neither of these versions is strictly true. The American natives warred, pillaged, and traded slaves just like the rest of us, and Columbus, in turn, was responsible for his share of carnage. The arrest of protesters is a pretty good indication that we still aren't taking full responsibility for Columbus' actions, and the lasting impact they've had. We don't celebrate that many national holidays in America, let's at least be sure about why we're celebrating the ones we have.
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