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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 29, 1999)
ilhe Battalion o PINION Page 7 • Friday, January 29, 1999 Building a better America d). This rate app: t an additional5 d to end to qua' Politics without principle harmful r his country was founded on the notion ORCYCLE of| liberty, but it has ■come a nation of lapels. I With few excep tions, America’s leaders are either Re publican or Democ rat, conservative or ad. $4.200/o.b.o Ifc Black, only ilk dropped, looks Mce k/IUSIC Caieb MCDANIEL wanted to faaturs range ct Sbng i eningg RSONAL ng to talk. Ik v Must be 18yti 900-884-2424. Ext 18 yrs. Setv-U: 'otnt Spreads ano k 1917. S2 99rmr 1 PETS mens, Cats. Dogs ‘al Shetter-775-5755 DMMATES nng-'99. Sbdrro'ir $233/mo. >nng '99, w/d, dose 268-2282. 'ge Park Treehouse $385/mo. 693-98H 1 2bdrm/3balti I* Call Veronica 069; lent. Own room. iid. 822-2460, min /mo. +deposit. Cl ■7472. liberal, and the political structures are bliilt on party platforms that collapse at the drop of an approval rating. S But as the new millennium dawns, nlthing could be more destructive to olr collective destiny than the contin- uld placement of party politics above siund principles. An obsession with who is right and lei i will always obscure who is right —aid wrong. B Therefore, it ought to concern the thoughtful citizen that this country re lies on a donkey and an elephant to glvern. ■ On the backs of an ass and a pachy derm, the two major parties have built slcial visions equally insufficient to solve social problems. ■ The visions are not wholly wrong, but they are not wholly right either. I Yet politics continues to revolve around them as if they were the only possible choices. The extreme polarity of conservatism and liberalism has parted the political spectrum like the Red Sea, and very few are brave enough to step out onto the dry ground. B One step at a time, however, can de liver the nation safely on the shores of a Promised Land. To get there, the goal should be to get away from from the partisanship and return to principles. The challenge is to strike a balance be- 3bdmv2bathcustom-;' tween justice and mercy, compassion $300/mo. includes fl' 1 "'* * #822-1649, and independence, rights and responsi bilities. The mission is to meet in the middle. Of course, politicians often pretend to give attention to this mission. They greet even trivial bipartisan efforts as if they were herculean achievements. Ultimately, though, bipartisanship is not enough; what is needed is non-par tisanship. As political activist Jim Wallis has put it, if we want to move to common ground, we must move to higher ground. A philosophy is needed that transcends the old categories of conser vative and liberal, for only a meaning ful merger between Republican and De mocratic principles will revitalize American politics. On its own, the Republican creed of personal responsibility neglects the col lective responsibilities of the entire community. Likewise, the Democratic commitment to social justice and equality cannot singlehandedly protect individual rights. But together, personal responsibility and social justice can bring their com bined power to bear on national prob lems. Welfare reformers can recognize the genuine need of the country’s poor without making them too dependent on society. Affirmative action proponents can consider merit and minorities without making one the mortal enemy of the other. Education advocates can find ways to give more personal choice to parents without abandoning public schools to bankruptcy and mediocrity. In the end, what is needed in this country is not more Democrats and Re publicans, but Americans called to a higher vision. A vision combining the to future of country, ability to work together Michael Waqener/Thk Battalion principles of both left and right. A vi sion incorporating the spirit of liberty with the better angles of our nature. If, however, politics continue to speed to the edges of ideology and away from common sense, dark days are ahead. No less a man than Gandhi called “politics without principle” the first social sin, and no less a president than Abraham Lincoln reminded us that a house divided against itself can not stand. Therefore, in an exciting age of ge netic engineering, the unique task of this generation will be to cross-breed hee-hawing Democrats with trunk- honking Republicans, for the truth real ly lies in the principles at the center of the political spectrum and not in the far outreaches of the left and right. Caleb McDaniel is a sophomore history major. 2bdrm/2bath. tolaW o. +i/2bill$. JmarjFM' 'd a.s.a.p. 2bdrm/2balh; /mo. +1 futilities. 764-1: id for Spring a.s.a.p.l K nished duplex, w/d M4 dog lover. 774-9423. i Clinton’s budget surplus investment plan needs reconsideration D idn’t our beloved Comman der in Chief promise the American people just three filirs ago that the era of big gov- rm/2balh, near owTlmment W3S Over? ClilltOIl must caii Keiii @680-0325. s j nce the American people irm/ii/2bat h apartnAvc forgiven him for lying to a ■i/3utiiities. 680-95650 grand jury, they will also forgive irm/ibaiiR^e,i#i f° r tr y in S t0 resurrect bloat- )s. caii 694-0328. ffl, intrusive government (and of r-Burse, he is probably right). Brendan GUY mn/2bath house. ni>i». w „ , ,, c ^ , .. ifutilities. Caii779-3#: But, the fact remains Clinton s new social secun- ——jJplan, announced in his State of the Union address es^MusnovTpets i which calls for massive new spending to keep social ■urity solvent and will try to help pay for it by in- Preierabiy student~7iflsting government funds into the stock market, is a +i/4utiiities. Near ca far bigger crime against the American people than anything Ken Starr is obsessing about. > needed a.s.a.p. It probably would be possible to forgive Clinton can Sara @764-6630 fol sa ij v ating over the $4 trillion budget surplus ex- a. P . 3bdrm/2baih"o7pected over the next 15 years. Of course, he is ignor- +1 futilities. Dan268in^, t [ ie f ac [ the current surplus exists, not because Bp government is finally maintaining some sort of ublease a.s.a.p. se Apartments,nearAj" fi sca i discipline, but because of an unusually long shuttle-rt. Shane bt ^ econom i c boom, which means when the boom dis- drmfbath house on ^appears, so does the budget surplus. But why get es. Call 764-4744. into small details? After all, maybe the economy will never go into another recession. It might even be possible to forgive Clinton for wanting to pour 62 percent ($2.7 trillion) of this phantom surplus into Social Security. During the middle of the Great Depression, Social Security was actually a good idea. It was a way to alleviate pover ty among the elderly while boosting the consumer spending so needed to pull the country out of the depression. Unfortunately Clinton, like most Democ rats, has trouble realizing a program that was a good idea in the 1930s might not be a good idea today. Social Security is of course government paternal ism at its worst, with the government assuming that most Americans are too stupid to plan for their own retirements. And throwing more money into a program that already eats up nearly a third of the nation’s budget every year seems like a questionable idea, especially when the program is financed through regressive taxation which falls far more heavily on the poor than on the rich. Still, Social Security is extremely popular with the voters, and since the first rule of democratic government is to do what is popular whether it is a good idea or not, Clinton can hardly be blamed for deciding to use this potential surplus on Social Security instead of something that might actually be productive. What Clinton cannot be forgiven for is the deci sion to invest 25 percent (around $700 billion) of the money earmarked for Social Security in the stock market. The Clinton plan threatens to politicize the stock market, and give the government dangerous levels of influence over private companies. It is even possible the government could end up being the ma jority shareholder in any number of companies, putting those companies under the direct control of the federal government. An economy based on gov ernment domination failed in the former Soviet Union, there is no reason to believe it would succeed in the United States. Even if the government does not end up dominating the stock market, having government funds invested in it would be an open invitation for cronyism and corruption on an un precedented scale. The irony is Clinton rejected a Republican plan to enable people to chose how to invest their own so cial security funds, claiming it would be too risky. So it is too risky for private individuals to decide what to do with their own money, but not too risky for the government to do so? Given how efficiently the government spends most of its money does any one really want to see what will happen if it starts playing in the stock market? If Clinton was just planning on throwing more money into the bottomless pit of social security, it would be acceptable. It would mean continuing an already extremely expensive program of question able value while using up funds that could go for tax relief, paying off the national debt or improving oth er government programs, but other than that it would be acceptable. Unfortunately, by attempting to put government money into the stock market, Clinton is attempting something far more ambitious and dangerous than the typical government blundering of mismanage ment and excessive spending. He is threatening to establish government control over a vital segment of the American economy whose outstanding perfor mance has come largely from being free of govern ment domination. The booming American economy is the main rea son Bill Clinton is still President of the United States, so he should show his gratitude to the economy by leaving it alone. Brendan Gay is a senior history and political science major i.A.P. Own room/batli '\ i^teush needs to finish state duties ieded a.s.a.p. SbdnTi®' ies. Clay 779-3321. Great house, big yaid TAMU. $255/mo.+1» Upscale furnished 2b<T je. $315/mo. +1/3b» ' J before looking r VJT overnor George W. Bush, 46th Governor of the — a — B tot - State of Texas, is consid- ies. 823-0381. Kng a run for the Presidency rr"of the United States of America. e, w /d. $212.50/mo. c® It js a noble aspiration. Does this give anyone else d a.s.a.p. 2bdrm/ri»# pause to think? Should this con- :aii Eric @764-5746 cern T exa ns? It should raise the 2bdrm/w2b^eyebrow of any patriotic citizen, can Mike at 680-0410. S ]y[ 0W j n ftjg second term as 0 I ASON STARCH led. 2bdrm/1ba, 'mo. +utilities. Adam 68^ SERVICES fearless leader of the Lone Star State, Bush is ab- 66 sorbing life at a somewhat slower pace. He is com- josit, 4-months lea'sT ing off one this countries greatest landslide victo- ms. Need 3rd Mrooi^fjgg j n decades with the 1998 reelection and '64-9059, l-BSS^-OS' 4 I * a -t- subsequent return to Austin. Bvet one question looms on the not too distant ■rizon: Will he stay? Does one of the most popu- ns- 30% off carison w'jri anc | successful governors in Texas history de- Clrr Pa^Uve the White House? 'eb.com/invitations.htm ■ The answer is an unequivocal, “Absolutely!” Bilt now is not the time. I nAVfcL p ma y sound crazy, but Texans did not vote for river, angel fire, n^ g! W. so he could run off to Washington. Texans a, sleeps 16. $i25-$35 f vote d f or him so he could continue to strengthen this state. iuth padre island,"57^1' Our local economy is in solid shape, and he has aranteedl! Best oceanfroni b ,l: j ia ip rove d the lot of school children with his cam- ,,,,111 mnn ' qf,s '^p a jg n t0 teach reading to all children by the third Anri Hal i £3X70 if rxr* tArxf- fVxo m n t c* It Vx i o )o P about spring break! ^ nc j believe it or not, the man has kept his 5tudentadvantage.com/sp b . , 11 ij premises, good or bad, to those who have asked EIGHT LOSS for his word of support. He is a family man, he is a conservative leader id Herbs. No Fad Diets'' a|d he believes in strong local government. He lergy level, •Decrease ass & productivity. $ information; 690-0786. to Oval Office has served in the military, founded his own busi ness and successfully managed other businesses. These are all attributes which enable a presidential candidate to compete and succeed; they are attrib utes which belong in the White House. But Bush has a contract with Texans first. When Governor Bush established his campaign a few years back, he told Texans that he was com mitted to the growth, development, and protection of the Texas way of life. His words were believed, and the votes were cast. If he leaves halfway through his term, is he honoring his part of the deal? It does not reflect well on his judgment if he leaves one job undone to start another. People should finish what they start. It is not enough to begin a good work if a person never completes it. Okay, the opportunity to be presidency would allow Bush to serve all people of the United States and not just Texans. But the course is not yet com plete, and early withdrawals do not get a grade. One does not just Q-drop the office of Governor of the Great State of Texas just because somebody else’s house has an oval office. So, in spite of the ever-present need for integrity in Washington again. Bush should reconsider the responsibility he has been given by the consent of the governed. He should finish her, before he tries to lead at the next level. In the words of Aristotle, “Well begun is half done.” Jason Starch is a junior rangeland economy major. Conference leaders reply to coverage The ignorance and blind denuncia tion that some people on campus ex hibit regarding the Southwestern Black Student Leadership Conference (SBSLC) is both disheartening and in furiating. After receiving numerous e- maiis and personal testimonies ap plauding the success of SBSLC ‘99, the Executive Staff would like to pub licly dispel the myths that have been maliciously and erroneously circulat ed about the conference. Rrst and most importantly, it must be said that the Southwestern Black Student Leadership Conference was in no way affiliated with the parties that occurred during the weekend of the Conference. Those parties were hosted by other organizations and were attended largely by their own members, not by conference partici pants. This is evidenced by the fact that SBSLC’s Friday and Saturday en tertainment events attracted a Rud der Auditorium-packed crowd of par ticipants. Furthermore, there have never been any ‘riots’ during SBSLC weekend. Although last year’s party at tendees were angry, the idea that there were riots is a blatant exagger ation of the truth; the chaos that re sulted at the party this year was insti gated by police officers’ overzealous reaction to an overzealous crowd. Secondly, the Southwestern Black Student Leadership Conference is not ‘directly correlated with anarchy.’ An archy is defined as the absence of gov- MAIL CALL ernment, and this is hardly a word that describes SBSLC. From April to Janu ary, the conference staff actively or ganizes workshops, solicits corporate sponsorships, arranges on-campus and off-campus transportation, con tracts entertainment, secures hotel reservations for participants, coordi nates banquets and major speakers, and corresponds with various schools in order to register over 1,000 stu dents and advisors yearly! In the in terim, we select the next year’s staff, reserve locations for future events, and tie up loose ends from the past year’s conference. The only appropri ate word for SBSLC in this respect is ORGANIZED! Rnally, Texas A&M University does not financially support the South western Black Student Leadership Conference. SBSLC is entirely funded by registering participants, generous sponsors, and revenue from confer ence events. We have students and advisors from over ten states of the Union, including Arkansas, California, Rorida, Georgia, Indiana, Louisiana, Mississippi, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Ten nessee, Texas, and Virginia. Year after year, we have to turn people away be cause so many of them know how valuable our conference is. We exe cute first in the name of the Depart ment of Multicultural Services and then, in the name of Texas A&M Uni versity . we are the largest student-run organization in the nation all by our selves. In conclusion, should the signifi cance of all workshops, guest speak ers, and career fair companies that we showcased be nullified because of a few parties that were not even en dorsed by the Southwestern Black Student Leadership Conference? Should our conference cease, despite the fact that we contribute thousands of dollars to the local and university economies as well as Texas A&M’s reputation as a to prate university? To The Battalion and its readers, we, the Executive Staff, ask, were you there for the Conference? We hosted work shops on such topics as personal fi nance and diversity in the workplace ... were you there? We had exception al career and vendor forums, boasting over 25 companies and 20 busi nesses ... were you there? We invited the world renowned Dr. Dennis P Kim- bro, free and open to the public...were you there? We presented the hip-hop jazz group, Jazz Poet’s Society...were you there? It is amazing that a newspaper can cover a party in the middle of the night and label the article”SBSLC” but can not, in broad daylight, report on such a wonderful event as ours, legit imately. Will you continue to denigrate the reputation we have worked eleven years to create based on unfounded and ill-supported notions? We, the staff of SBSLC ‘99 implore you to ex amine yourselves before your criticize our work. We challenge you to become a positive part of SBSLC 2000. Chal lenge yourselves for the new millenni um. We did. Southwestern Black Student Leadership Conference 1999, Executive Staff