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THURSDAY, MAY 3, 2007 WWW.KANSAN.COM
EDITORIAL: Bush's recent veto of a withdrawal and funding plan for Iraq reveals a dangerous refusal to acknowledge the will of the public. See Kansan.com for more opinions and Free for All comments
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
PAGE 8A
》 OUR VIEW
Veto reveals dangerous conviction
Using the veto pen for just the second time in his tumultuous presidency, President Bush rebuffed Tuesday the Democratic offering for his requested emergency war spending bill. The veto, while expected, is nevertheless revealing for its bold demonstrations of the greatest flaws of the Bush administration.
In his post-veto remarks, Bush called the Democratic plan, with its binding deadlines for military withdrawal, a "prescription for chaos and confusion," as if it would throw a wrench into the smoothly running and well-oiled machine that is Iraq. His bold pronouncement that setting a date for withdrawal is "setting a date for failure" was a darkly revelatory glimpse into the modern Bush mindset, where outside opinions and ideas are regarded with outright hostility.
The biggest problem with Bush has never been a dearth of intellect, as many critics would have you believe. Bush is deceptively smart, bearing a Rove-created cloak of folksiness to appeal to his salt-of-the-earth constituency. The most significant Bush flaw has been unwavering and stubbornly blind faith in his choices, and a refusal
to acknowledge potentially erroneous consequences of his actions. Point to whichever root cause you like - a privileged upbringing, his born-again faith, an abundance of self-righteousness - but the mindset is poisoning the war debate.
Bush's terra firma is steadfast determination, always embracing the perception that he is resolute in
The most significant Bush flaw has been unwavering and stubbornly blind faith in his choices, and a refusal to acknowledge potentially erroneous consequences of his actions.
his beliefs. But in the forum of military execution, especially when facing an adaptive insurgency, continuous evolution of ideas and strategies is paramount. By shutting down talk of timelines before the notion is even given serious consideration, Bush is again putting on stark display his aversion to compromise when we need it more than ever.
At what point does the devolution in Iraq become too much for Bush to handle? A dangerous sign is his apparent unwillingness to consider the political fallout, which has always been the top priority for the Bush White House, taking precedence by far over policy matters.
By signaling that he will ignore the overwhelming public opinion against his surge and refusal to adjust tactics, Bush is exhibiting an uncomfortable character trait for a president: total conviction of the righteousness of a cause in spite of the will of the people.
The Democratic bill is by no means perfect, but it is the early form of an Iraq exit strategy. The imposition of even the minor of benchmarks — which Bush laughably says he will accept, if they are nonbinding — on the fledgling Iraqi government is a signal that we will no longer accept chaotic mediocrity in this war.
The two sides must reach a compromise.
McKay Stangler for the editorial board
Grant Snider/KANSAN
COMMENTARY
Tuition increases not so bad when considering expenses
It would be nice if I logged into Enroll and Pay after summer break to find tuition at The University of Kansas had not increased for the fall semester. But let's be honest. That dream is not worth entertaining.
On the surface, I seem like a traitor to my fellow students because I support the University's yearly tuition increases. But I am willing to be called that or worse if it helps to preserve the University's reputation and enhance the value of my degree.
Unfortunately, the University is not powered by the hopes and dreams of its students. It's funded
by cash. And unlike the wishful thinking of naive students, cash is not abundant at the University.
I work at the KU Endowment Association. My job there as a student caller is to persuade alumni to donate money to the University. Through my job I have learned that tuition and fees paid by students only make up 16 percent of the University's budget and the state only provides 24 percent.
First, when the University does
The rest is left up to alumni. However, many alumni do not want to pay for our generation's education. This is a problem for two reasons.
not meet its funding goals, it is forced to cut programs and ignore deferred maintenance problems
— even though many have already been put off for too long.
BY FRANCESCA CHAMBERS
KANSAN COLUMNIST
OPINON@KANSAN.COM
Secondly, the amount of money the University has is directly linked to its ratings. Universities need updated technology, services and buildings to receive high ratings and attract students. To afford these things, universities need money. So when the amount
of money the University is raking in decreases, its ratings go down — along with the value of our degrees.
At KUEA we are trained to explain these
things to alumni, but even the most persuasive students can't always convince alumni who do not want to donate money to the University to change their minds.
Not to mention, according to the University's Web site, "KU tuition this year was 6 percent
below the Big 12 Conference average for resident tuition and more than 10 percent lower for non-resident tuition."
Mismanagement of funds is another argument I often hear. If it is, then we need to focus on how to better manage our funds before we make any hasty decisions, like cutting tuition.
People also complain that the University spends too much money on its athletics programs. OK, everyone knew that before they came to school here. And FYI: most of the money spent on our athletics programs are provided by alumni too. They pay outrageous
amounts to a program called the "Williams Fund" to support our basketball team and get good seats at home games.
However, those who still believe that tuition should be decreased and the University should deal with it by cutting its budget, perhaps should go to Johnson County Community College. Tuition there is approximately half the price of ours for two years and I hear that JCCC looks just as good on transcripts as the University of Kansas.
Chambers is a Paola freshman in journalism.
>> LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Memorial could have been better with veterans'aid
We would like to commend the hard work and dedication of the people who took the time to write out the names of fallen service members from the war in Iraq. As veterans of Operation Iraqi Freedom, the executive officers of the Collegiate Veterans Association at the University of Kansas thank you for investing the time and effort to complete this memorial.
However, we have several concerns about the placement and nature of this memorial, namely the location, the failure to inform our organization of this event and the exclusion of the dead from Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.
Aghaniman
Seeing the names of fallen friends brought back buried emotions and memories of times spent with those who are no longer with us. Watching oblivious students walk on these names while absently
talking on cell phones or listening to iPods evoked feelings of anger and rage. Placing this memorial in a central location such as Strong Hall certainly helped to draw attention to this it, yet the disrespectful nature in which some students treated this display negated the intentions of its creators.
This display came as a total surprise to the Collegeleg Veterans Association and veterans on campus. It would have been appropriate and appreciated if those who organized this memorial would have informed us of their intentions and asked for our participation. We would have liked to have written the names of our deceased friends ourselves, instead of strangers doing it.
In the future, please inform the Collegiate Veterans Association of such an event, allowing us to give our input and assistance in such an undertaking. We can be reached at kucva@ku.edu.
While the organizers claim this event to be apolitical and only serve to honor the fallen, then why were the names of those killed in Afghanistan excluded? It seems to us that only Iraq was utilized because it is the unpopular war, whereas the less politically charged war in Afghanistan is more acceptable.
While this may be true, the bravery and sacrifice of those who have died in Afghanistan is no less memorable than their comrades in arms who were killed in Iraq.
Again, we would like to reiterate the efforts of those who undertook this project and thank them for their work. We appreciate their labors and commitment to raising awareness about the human cost of war.
Dan Parker, president, KU CVA Evan Hoyt, vice-president Kristopher Fisk, treasurer
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My friend got a concussion from being closelined by a tree
When I asked my roommate whether the bra on the bed was hers or mine, she said it could only be hers after a $10,000 surgery.
--afternoon who was wondering
if there is sugar in Coke: Yes. In fact, sugar is the main ingredient in Coca-Cola.
afternoon who was wondering
if there is sugar in Coke: Yes. In fact, sugar is the main ingredient in Coca-Cola.
There's a group of five naked guys running down Jayhawk Boulevard. I thought Gay Pride week
To the girl in Anschutz this
m Coca-
Ah, shut up Free for All! You got a tiny penis!
Free for All, who is on your board committee who chooses the comments that get published in the newspaper, because I'd like to complain to them. Give me
was C.
their number
Free for All, are you guys America? I Love America!
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I just flipped through three different channels, and Dr. Phil was on every single one. What has this would come to?
world con
Every time somebody hands out a flier on Wescoe Beach, a puppy dies.
poppy
Julian, I really need you to sign my jersey. Could you be at the Jaybowl next Wednesday? Thanks
a lot, bye!
Brandon Rush, what's up? My roommate's going to be at the Jay-bowl so Julian Wright can sign her jersey. Could you be there to sign
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my jersey, to
Hey Free for All, I'm going to go falk some people.
The definition of "falking" is Facebook stalking. Falking is spelled F-A-L-K-I-N-G.
Sometimes, I wish pedestrians had turn-signals.
Yes, I am wearing shorts and a T-shirt. No, I didn't look out the window. Yes, I agree, I am an idiot.
To the owner of the green Mazda: Your lights are on. Please turn them off, or your battery will run
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