OPINION
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23. 2008
7A
THE UNIVERSITY DARY KANSAN
>> TALK BACK TO THE KANSAN OPINION DESK
What role should politics play in the Olympic games?
ASSOCIATED PRESS
With some world leaders publicly announcing they will not be attending the opening ceremony in Beijing, the 2008 summer Olympics has taken a highly political turn. What
role do you see politics playing in the Olympics? Send your thoughts to kansanopdesk@gmail.com. Please include grade and hometown. Responses will be printed on Friday.
editorials around the nation
White House approves poor human rights policy
Late last week, the Associated Press confirmed that administration leaders from Vice President Dick Cheney on down approved using torture in the interrogation of terror suspects after asking the Justice Department to endorse their legality.
Both legal opinions were withdrawn later after they were exposed in the news media.
Justice responded by issuing at least two memos between 2002 and 2003 that said the torture was legally justified.
Those involved in the meetings, which were held in the White House Situation Room, asked the Justice Department to legitimize the interrogation techniques they approved. The political manipulation of the department has been a recurrent theme of the Bush administration.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
"Why are we talking about this in the White House?" he was quoted as saying."History will not judge us kindly."
Ashcroft — a conservative icon and a key supporter of the USA Patriot Act
was said to be troubled by the meetings.
He is absolutely right. Long after the Bush administration is history, our nation will continue to be tarnished by its record of disregard for the rule of law and human rights.
-The Tuscaloosa (Ala.) News April 13 editorial
BLOGS@KANSAN.COM
Two of Kansas'best Jayhawks make jump to the NBA
pop culture catastrophe
By now, I'm sure you have heard about it on television or through a friend on campus, in your dorm, etc. Kansas Jayhawks mens' basketball team players Brandon Rush and Darrell Arthur have announced they will be eligible for this year's NBA draft.
—Matt Lindberg
I for one am happy. Yes, I know. The Jayhawks lose a lot in Rush and Arthur, specifically scoring as both were two of the team's leading scorers. But
I am confident Coach Bill Self is bringing in some new guys to uphold Kansas basketball tradition. I've been hearing a lot of people say they were surprised both guys are moving forward to the NBA. However, I find this ridiculous.
Want more? Check out Kansan.com/blogs
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GUEST COLUMN
GUIDELINES
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CONTACT US
Darla Slipke, editor
864-4810 or dslipke@kansan.com
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THE EDITORIAL BOARD
Member of the Kanan Editorial Board are Alex Doherty, Brydan Dykman, Matt Erickson, Kesley Hayes, Lauren Keith, Darla Slipe, Dianne Smith and Ian Stanford.
》 FROM THE DRAWING BOARD
Bob Al-Greene/The Daily Nebraskan/IWIRE
COMMENTARY
Gone an entire day without complaining?
Have you ever tried to count how many times you complain in one day? I've already caught myself 29 times today. I'm guilty. So let's just make it an even 30.
I hate feeling like I'm surrounded by complaints all the time.
I don't know how many times I've logged onto Facebook only to see my friends' statuses littered with complaints. Personally, I use Facebook because I care about what is going on in my friends' lives, especially the ones I don't see every day. The status part of Facebook is the easiest and most efficient way to find out new information about friends, since you can say anything and update it easily. Yet, instead of finding information about what's new in their lives I read, "Billy Bob is sick of homework" or "Sally Sue is hungry." I care about my friends,
Not only do we complain in our daily conversations, but we do it online as well.
Like Facebook, I read the Free for All because I care about, not what's new with my friends, but what new information my fellow students have to say. Often their comments can be funny, ridiculous or just down right true. Yet, take a look at the Free-for-All to your right. I'm betting several of those comments complain in some way. In the Free for All, we can talk about anything, yet often it's used just to grumble out complaints. Why take the effort to call in just to say "My job sucks"?
but I don't need to know every time they have a pang of hunger or feel sleepy.
A new online service I learned about recently is called Twitter. Twitter basically resembles the status part of Facebook. Its purpose is to keep you connected with co-workers, friends and family by having you answer one question, what are you doing? According to Twitter.com, updating what you're doing is meaningful to family members, friends and colleagues. Yet, I can't help but wonder, like Facebook, will "what are you doing" just turn into what do you have to complain about?
The first time I ever thought
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about complaining was in middle school. The details of where I was and why are fuzzy, I just remember the message. My principal asked if we had ever tried not to complain once all day. It was the first time I had ever thought about complaining as being wrong. Since then I don't think I've ever succeeded in going all day without complaining once. With this column I've probably gone over 50 just for today. I bet you can do better than me.
Hudson is a Wichita junior in journalism and business.
COMMENTARY
Accusations of news manipulation deserve to be carefully considered
Editor's note: The following column originally appeared April 21 in The Daily Gamecock and has been reprinted with permission from UWIRE.com
The top news item in Sunday's New York Times could prove to be the defining story of our time. According to a lengthy investigative report by David Barstow, military analysts at every major television news network have been providing glowing reports of the Iraq war — with less than honest intentions.
In case you haven't yet had the chance to read the article, here's the gist: The networks, desperate for inside views on military actions, have hired retired military officers to provide commentary on air. The Pentagon, picking up on an opportunity to give the war a positive spin, has allegedly hand-picked at least 75 of these key commentators to meet with the higher-ups and essentially act as government puppets.
Here's how: According to the NYT, the group of analysts is "heavily represented by men involved in the business of helping companies win military contracts." Supposedly, their aired opinions directly impact whether the Pentagon supports their business prospects, and neither they nor the networks are straightforward
Also, these analysts are often paid by the networks according to the number of appearances they make, meaning that fresh inside scoops become valuable commodities. Analysts have testified that they were denied access to Pentagon officials as a result of airing unfavorable opinions.
about this connection.
In an immoblio of this scale, it's best to digest the facts in their entirety. Read the article (all of it). Peruse the accompanying documents. The evidence is not quite damning, but it raises unsettling questions about the state of our nation's democratic values.
Nobody was expecting these retired generals to bash the U.S. military-they have, after all, devoted much of their lives to its service. And nobody can fault the Pentagon for trying to keep itself in high esteem.
This is not like the blatant, heavy-handed propaganda practices of North Korea. This is not a Soviet-style control scheme. If Mr. Barstow's allegations are proved true, then our government is guilty of a much subder deceit.
But if information is being willfully manipulated, and if our government is exploiting business interests to sway media portrayal, there are serious First Amendment issues at stake.
Public relations should be handled through public relations specialists, not through talking heads presented as unbiased expert sources. It is inherent in our Constitutional foundation that the U.S. government should be open and responsive to its citizenry. Instead, it would appear that our leaders are carefully distorting the facts we receive about their actions.
The existence of an intricate warmongering-profiteering complex sounds admittedly like the stuff of a left-winger's conspiracy theory. But regardless of political affiliations or opinions on the justification of the Iraq war, this developing story should be followed with openness and sobriety
In the upcoming days, there will no doubt be a flurry of media responses and press conferences. Pay careful attention to what Pentagon spokespeople have to say, and weigh their statements against the evidence stacked in opposition.
And, as always, beware of bias — from Fox News to The Times itself.
1.
Paul Bowers is a first-year print journalism student at the University of South Carolina.
To contribute to Free For All, visit Kansan.com or call 785-864-0500. Free For all callers have 20 seconds to talk about anything they choose.
Don't be jealous because I have zebra-print rainboots.
--waiting.
You make me want to throw UR
--waiting.
I love it when you say my name.
--waiting.
--waiting.
To the girl standing on the left in the Oliver elevator while lazily took it to the fourth floor while you had to go to 10: I'm sorry, and you're cute.
I hate Olive Garden commercials.
--waiting.
I was one of those idiots playing basketball outside of Oliver at 2 a.m. You're just jealous that we were having fun playing basketball in the rain and you were sleeping.
I love hot twins. Where could I find some?
To the girl I met at the Hawk Friday: If you didn't want to have sex with me, why did you pass out?
Here's an idea. Stop meeting through Free For All, and guy at the Hawk, don't have sex with passed out girls.
Every time you come around my heart beats faster and faster. Just thought you'd like to know.
I have to agree "Showgirls was an amazing movie.
--waiting.
Dear Free For All, why are sorority girls so good with their mouths?
--waiting.
To the girl in my Geology 10 class who has continuous weekly pregnancy scares:
Give your eggs a rest.
You know what Housing Department? Screw you. I am going to make you pay for keeping my payments even though I cancelled the next day. You just wait and see.
I'd rather have sex with Super Mario than meet on Free For All. I need to play some Super Mario
To the idiot who shot me in the back of the head with a paint ball gun by Naismith in December then sped off: Pray that I don't find you.
--waiting.
I really like you, and I'm sorry we clash. I want to make things work but take all the time you need. I'll be here
V
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