TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2011
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
PAGE 5A
opinion
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I changed my iPod's name to 'The Titanic' so now when ever I hook it up to my computer it says-The Titanic is Syncing...oh the little things
I'm spending my Valentine's Day in with my Jayhawk Basketball team. Now this is love.
Valentines day is the biggest drinking day of the year, now thats a fact.
I hate running hungover. I can never stay on the sidewalk.
Atheists only exist cause they haven't tasted this grilled cheese I just made.
LMAOHSMFSFOAIDMT = Laughing my ass off so hard my sombrero fell off and I dropped my taco
To make my status an anti-love quote, something cynical or just nothing at all? I can't accept this day.
Anti-love cynicism. Can't go wrong
Chocolates from my Dad, flowers from my Mom. Yep, must be Valentine's Day.
Justin Bieber with his head shaven reminds me of the Coneheads.
The temperatures are a lot like Justin Bieber today: reaching puberty.
Homework? Or half price martinis?
Homework... Or half price martinis... Damn it college is hard!
Anybody else think candy hearts taste like chalk?
My goal is to finish this paper by midnight. ...or start it by midnight
Jim understands me better.
Man. You are just SO cool with your big ass headphones listening to Britney Spears...
After watching a marathon of My Strange Addiction, I've now decided to start trying each one out just to see if I'm addicted too. Turns out I love eating toilet paper, but hate eating handsoap.
Bob Dylan sang at the Grammys, but it sounded like they just took him off life support.
I'm ashamed of all of the promiscuity on campus, esp. the FFA. I *PROMISE** going any amount of time without sex will not kill you.
I put the STD in STUD, all I need is U. ;]
There is a major problem when two of the best dressed people of the night are Miley Cyrus and Kathy Griffin.
Forget love triangles, I'm trapped in a love pentagon.
POLITICS
Remember Reagan for all his actions, including flaws
Last week I was treated to Fox News' celebration of Ronald Reagan's one hundredth birthday, an event that many gave startling significance considering the man has been dead for quite some time now.
This joyous celebration of the legacy of a man who has been heralded by many as a conservative icon and hero brings forth the question of whether Reagan actually was the living embodiment of pure conservative values, or if perhaps his memory has become romanticized at the expense of historical accuracy.
If you want a solid example of modern conservative policies that are prevalent in the current political climate, just turn on the television. In recent years, the rallying cry of the Republican Party has been to reduce spending and use tax cuts as a primary method of stimulating economic growth, all the while limiting the scope of government control and state-run institutions.
Ronald Reagan has been elevated to an almost god-like status among many conservative Republicans, which is especially puzzling when you realize that many of his actions would find little support from the modern conservatives of today.
For many conservative politicians,
by SPENCER DAVIDSON
sdavidson@kansan.com
the inspiration for this political and economic philosophy comes from Ronald Reagan, the model of ideal fiscal responsibility and champion of traditional conservative values.
But this simple and idealistic view is not only inaccurate; it is also a disservice to Reagan's presidency and political legacy.
Now I'm not trying to make a statement here about whether Ronald Reagan was a good or bad president. I was less than a year old when he left office, so my memory isn't exactly keen when it comes to recalling my opinions of his job performance at the time. But when you look back on some of the policies he enacted during his term, they wouldn't remotely resemble the political goals of many conservatives today.
After large tax cuts in 1981, he enacted tax increases and also increased tax rates for the rich, both of which would be considered political blasphemy among most right-wing politicians today. And in terms of the Republican mandate to cut costs, Reagan actually increased the national debt during his term with higher defense spending because of Cold War anxieties.
If you compare this track record with the dogma of the current GOP, it makes you wonder if the man would even have a chance of being elected today.
Historians and political pundits could argue all day whether these policies were effective in the grand scheme of things, but that's not the point here. The effectiveness of Reagan's policies are irrelevant today because many who derive inspiration from the former president don't seem to remember him as merely that: a president whose actions were simultaneously praised and criticized by many on both sides of the political spectrum.
Reagan has been lifted into the echelons of legend and lore, where he has been sculpted into the embodiment of an entire political ideology. He has been made into a hero not because of what he actually did while in office, but for the simple reason that we as human beings
need heroes. Many members of the GOP aren't referring to the real Ronald Reagan when they praise the former president; they are worshipping the mythical hero they have created for themselves as a basis for their political motivations.
There's nothing inherently wrong in remembering a particular leader with fondness and admiration, but it's more important to remember them for what they actually were and for what they actually did. When we idolize a political figure to the point that we perceive them to be an epitome of an entire collective philosophy, we ignore the historical context of their public service and the lessons to be learned from their time in office.
If we remember Ronald Reagan as a flawless beacon of perfection, we rob ourselves of an accurate view of history and we taint his memory with our own political motivations. To truly honor him, we should remember Ronald Reagan not as a sort of demigod, but for whom he really was: a leader who was controversial and a man who was essentially human.
SOCIAL MEDIA POLITICS
Davidson is a senior from Linwood in secondary English education.
Is social media good for democracy?
There's a reason oppressive governments often try to censor the Internet and social media: These mechanisms are catalysts for change.
In the past, the government in power of any given country had the advantage of an organizational structure already in place that could facilitate communication, something that was more difficult for revolutionaries and opposing political forces to develop.
The advancements of social media, however, have assisted revolutionaries in communication and mobilization by creating the very structure they had lacked.
Social media is the ammunition of a peaceful revolution. It provides a source of information as well as a venue for collaboration. Facebook and Twitter are the most effective tools in today's media-driven society for spreading ideas informally, especially among your+
This was particularly evident in Egypt, where it was widely known that the youth were driving the revolt. Frustrated young people took to their computers to spread messages of freedom and change. The Egyptian revolution clearly would not have been where it is today without social media, especially given this involvement of youth.
BY KELLY COSBY kcosbv@kansan.com
Not only in Egypt, but also in changing countries like Tunisia, Iran and even Sudan, social media has been valuable in current political changes. Pro-democracy speakers use these tools to reinforce political rhetoric and develop a foundation of support. Not only does it help organization, but it also helps get the word out internationally on what exactly is going on. This can drive international support.
Obviously a desire for democracy has to be present in order for a revolution to occur, but it is clear that social media is a large proponent of organizational revolution in favor of democratic governance.
Cosby is a junior from Overland Park majoring in political science and English.
On January 28th Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak ordered all Internet
providers to shut down their services within the country. While the rest of the world was using the hashtag #Egypt on Twitter and watching Youtube videos of protestors throwing Molotov cocktails at each other, Egyptians themselves were experiencing an internet blackout.
That's the problem with social media during mass political movements. Those that are being protested against still have the ability to pull the plug. And it wasn't just Egyptians that suffered. As The New York Times reports, Chinese officials, worried that their citizens too would revolt against authoritarianism, blocked Internet users from searching for "Egypt" on the Chinese equivalents of Google and Twitter.
This manipulation of social media by all-too powerful governments is not new. Stalin pushed his propaganda on television sets across the Soviet Union, and the Nazis filled radio slots with their hateful rhetoric. Call me a pessimist, but I don't understand why political thinkers still don't get that it's not technology that leads people to rebel.
Even if corrupt governments, such as Egypt's and China's, didn't shut down social media services during
BY MEGAN ADAMS madams@kansan.com
protests they still would not be an engine for change.
Malcolm Gladwell, a best-selling author on social trends, explains in The New Yorker, "The platforms of social media are built around weak ties ... But weak ties seldom lead to high-risk activism."
In other words, most of us have never actually met the majority of our Facebook friends or Twitter followers. If one of these strangers asked you to storm Mass. Street in protest, potentially putting yourself in danger, would you go? I didn't think so.
Unfortunately, it's going to take more than just a tweet or a Facebook status to topple an oppressive regime. Hopefully I will be proven wrong one day.
Adams is a junior from Overland Park majoring in international studies and political science.
QUEER CULTURE
Gay bars have important significance in LGBT culture
Fellow queers, let's stop lying to ourselves. We love going out to the clubs and bars. We love everything about them, from the half-naked shot boys and shot girls and skanky go-go dancers, to the creepy stares and lesbian drama. It's the best night of the week, and you know it.
There seems to be this stigma in the queer community that going out to bars is "bad" because they're "too" gay — whatever that means — and the people who go every week are just "typical faggots" and to be them would somehow lower our social status, as if we're some
If there's one line I'll never stop hearing, it's," I don't even like going out." Right. And then I catch you grinding on center stage, just between all the other regulars and their gumbo-breasted side-kicks. Why do we pretend to detest it so much?
BY JAMES CASTLE icastle@kansan.com
well-respected subculture in America. What many people don't realize is that bars have a historical relevance to the queer community, particularly in American culture. From the post-World War II era on — when gays and lesbians of all ages were confused and had no resources, no way of understanding these new, complex thoughts and feelings, no family to turn to and no friends they could trust — out of fear of being
well-respected subculture in America.
disowned or persecuted, where do you think they turned?
Yes, that's right. They were meandering down to the local butch and femme pubs and drag bars in the slummy neighborhoods of New York City, places where they could express their affections freely and openly and meet other "deviants" and "freaks" who make them feel comfortable and welcome.
Sure, it was also a place to go and drink a little and have fun, but more importantly, gay bars were somewhere latter-twentieth-century queers could go to find some sense of stability and happiness in this crazy, messed-up world. This certainly holds true to the present.
Today, most gay bars are still slummy, and there is nothing wrong with that. In fact, I like to think of it as tradition. I mean, what would a gay bar be without "missing" stall doors, illegal party lights,
It's important to understand that gay and lesbian bars are an important part of our subculture, that they have a great historical significance. When we feel we have nowhere left to go, when we feel depressed and alone because of bullying and the oppression of an intolerant, heterosexual society, we are always welcome at our humble, hole-in-the-wall tavern.
lack of noticeable safe exits and drinks mixed beyond regulation-strength? It wouldn't be a quality gay bar, that's what. There is something about the obnoxious back-beats and awkward remixes of Gaga and Beyoncé, accompanied by second-hand smoke, faux hawks and stilettos, that brings a sense of well-being to the soul.
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James Castle is a junior from Stilwell majoring in political science & human sexuality.
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