Katrina hearings expose cronyism

Former head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency Michael Brown appeared in front of a congressional committee on Tuesday. The hearing intended to find out what went wrong with the response to Hurricane Katrina. Brown resigned after public outrage over bad preparation and equally bungled rescue missions in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. It was therefore quite surprising to see him cast most of the blame onto local and state authorities claiming they had not formally asked for help. The fact is, they did, and FEMA largely ignored it.

A letter addressed to President George W. Bush via FEMA clearly outlines the requests. Dated Aug. 28 and signed by Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco, it asks for an “expedited major disaster to be declared” for the “state of Louisiana.” The letter then goes on to specify the “affected areas” should “include all the southeastern parishes, including the city of New Orleans.”

Most importantly, Blanco wrote, “Based on the predictions we have received from the National Weather Service and other sources, I have determined this incident will be of such severity and magnitude that effective response will be beyond the capabilities of the state and the affected local governments and that supplementary federal assistance will be necessary.”
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Lessons learned from IRA situation helpful elsewhere

In July the Irish Republican Army officially called an end to its struggle to oust British interests from the Irish isle. The organization, or precursors of it, had been fighting against the British for most of the last century and regularly resorted to acts of terrorism.

This makes the declaration about ending its “armed campaign” quite significant. It marks one of the few instances where a violent struggle between two interest groups has, for the most part, been put to rest. Any government finding itself in a similar situation should try to learn as much as it can from the situation.

There have been other instances when an end to the struggle seemed close, but it never fully materialized. Monday the result of a study conducted by the British government confirmed the IRA had indeed given up all its weapons as planned. This finding makes it likely that this time it’s for real.

The IRA had been bombing British targets. ranging from pubs frequented by British citizens to media installations such as the BBC headquarters in London to government buildings. The IRA’s tactics were similar to many — if not most — other organizations that employ terrorism as tactic to further its causes.
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Exit strategy desperately needed for Iraq

Details are emerging about the withdrawal of British troops from Iraq beginning in May next year. This is hardly surprising, as the British government has hinted at it before. But Japanese officials have indicated that once Britain leaves, they may feel forced to do the same, compounding the problem of keeping order in Iraq with even less troops. All this makes it even more painfully obvious that an exit strategy simply does not exist.

The same night British Prime Minister Tony Blair barely won his re-election earlier this year in May, he said British voters had spoken and his government has “got to listen to the people and respond wisely and sensibly.” This included changing some very unpopular policies, including support for the war in Iraq. The statement clearly translated into Britain wanting to pull out sooner rather than later.

Even though it has been months since Blair made the statement, the United States government has changed little and remains adamant about troop levels. President George W. Bush and others continue to substitute actual military and foreign policy strategy with the same empty platitude: Stay the course.

The U.S. president may be the commander in chief of one of the planet’s most formidable armies, but even he cannot force Iraqi resistance fighters who are prepared to die into submission purely by willpower.

According to the New York Times, Prince Saud al-Faisal, the Saudi foreign minister, said on Thursday that Iraq was heading for “disintegration,” a euphemism for civil war. Coming from what is arguably the administration’s closest ally, this is a bleak warning of things to come.
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Abu Ghraib inquiry left many questions open

The retrial of Pfc. Lynndie England, one of the American soldiers who was photographed in Iraq mistreating detainees, is well under way, and even her lawyer has admitted that England will likely receive several years in prison. She is one of only a few who face such a sentence. This only shows once more that the incidents at Abu Ghraib (Wiki link), an American-run prison in Iraq, have not been investigated as far reaching as one could have hoped for.

The theory of a “few bad apples” being responsible for the mistreatment of prisoners without any wrongdoing or knowledge of their superiors had been questioned from the beginning.

Documents have been grudgingly declassified and have shown that in several instances Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld himself had been informed of the conditions and “techniques” used at the prison. Yet, he did nothing until after the images were released.

Other military personnel, such as Capt. Donald Reese, have claimed that the CIA had been involved, and Abu Ghraib had only been one of many locations where detainees were interrogated with “force.”

The claim was backed up by the fact that several detainees in Abu Ghraib had been “ghosts,” a term used by the CIA to signify a prisoner who was held without any record. At least one of such “ghosts” died after being beaten by guards.
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Record labels becoming too greedy, again

One of the few instances where the music industry did right in recent years was the introduction of Apple’s iTunes Music Store. Hesitant at first, the five major labels eventually agreed to have their music offered online for $1 a track, a price point consumers accepted. The labels make most of the profit from the store’s sales, even though they are not involved in any of the technological hurdles an online store has to tackle on a daily basis. The labels actually make a higher profit per track from iTMS than if they sold the same tracks on CD, as production, shipping and other costs largely do not apply to digitally sold music. Yet, the labels are now doing their best to ruin a good business model by becoming too greedy.
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Return to moon a worthy goal

NASA outlined a strategy Monday that would put humans back on the moon as early as 2018, a proposal meant as a first stage to manned space flights exploring our solar system.

One of the first questions that come to mind is, “Why did it take so long?” The last time a human walked on a surface other than our own planet’s was in the early ’70s.

The question that will likely be debated more hotly is, “How are we going to pay for it?” What most forget is that the returns on such a mission in terms of scientific research and technological advances would - fittingly – be astronomically high.

When President John F. Kennedy vowed in May 1961, “this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to Earth,” nobody knew for sure if it was even possible. Yet the nation took on what is probably one of humanity’s greatest undertakings ever: exploration of space.

As a reward humans took their first steps on a historically important exploration to the stars, but in the process spawned an entire industry fueled by advances and inventions made in the space program. Computers, plastics and other “space-age” technologies all made considerable advancements during these early space flights, often in ways that had not been foreseen but were always beneficial.

What started as a “space race” between the Soviet Union and the United States quickly evolved away from the nationalistic undertones that had caused the initial spark of research. In later years the space program helped bring about cooperation between Soviet Russia and the United States.

Such cooperation continues to this day and made construction of the International Space Station possible. The space station itself is probably the first truly neutral ground on which scientists from all corners of the globe can work side by side. The diplomatic benefit of such projects is priceless in and of itself.
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Pool overhauled while buildings crumble further

In Friday’s Oracle, University of South Florida students read this quote: “Everything ages, and with other schools, their facilities and the things they can offer their students (are up to date). We need to have the most up-to-date offerings as well.” Students may have hoped the quote concerned the crumbling Fine Arts building or crowded conditions in the School of Architecture. But instead, the quote referred to one of USF’s outdoor pools.
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Prayer alone does not end poverty

On Sept. 8, after it became obvious that Hurricane Katrina had cost hundreds, if not thousands, of Americans their lives, President George W. Bush declared today a national “day of prayer and remembrance.” But for prayer to be a sign of hope, America as a society will have to address problems before they become painfully obvious. Thousands lost everything they owned through this disaster, many of whom lived in poverty even before the storm hit.

Rebuilding efforts are already under way. In a televised speech Wednesday night, Bush said, “The work that has begun in the Gulf Coast region will be one of the largest reconstruction efforts the world has ever seen. When that job is done, all Americans will have something to be very proud of.”

Such news brings hope to America as a nation. Once the city is rebuilt it will indeed be a success to be proud of. But we also need to assure that hope is brought not only to those who live in poverty in the affected areas but also elsewhere in the nation.

As The Oracle has previously reported, the latest census reports the number of individuals living in poverty rose by 1.1 million in 2004, raising the percentage of Americans living in poverty to 12.7 percent of the population. This cannot be allowed to continue.

When Katrina hit, many lacked the means to evacuate because they did not own a car or the necessary funds to pay for a bus ticket. Such a situation in a major American city is a blemish not only on New Orleans, it is a blemish on the nation.

The rebuilding efforts must include the needs of all displaced. This includes resisting temptations to “solve” the poverty problem in the region by rebuilding housing that the displaced cannot afford.

Pushing poverty into a new location may be a quick fix for the region, but it will not end poverty. Neither does prayer alone; actions must follow.

USF Bookstore must avoid late book arrivals

The third week of the semester is winding down, yet some students are still waiting for their books to arrive. The University of South Florida Bookstore — managed by Barnes & Noble — must do a better job of getting the books it promises on the dates it promises.
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Acknowledging one mistake, Bush ignores others

President George W. Bush said Tuesday he felt personally “responsible” for the slow and mismanaged response by the federal government concerning Hurricane Katrina. It is refreshing to see such honesty from a president who in the past refused point blank to discuss even the possibility of his shortcomings. The gesture is definitely commendable.

For many Americans though, the gesture may be too little, too late. In polls conducted by both Newsweek and Time magazine, the president’s approval ratings have fallen to an all-time low of 38 percent. Two thirds of the Americans polled also said they were not happy with the president’s leadership concerning Hurricane Katrina, making it likely his plummeting approval ratings have a lot to do with this administration’s most recent mismanagement.

It’s also logical to assume the discontent concerning the president is even more widespread in those areas that could not be polled because they have been all but wiped out by Katrina.

Those Americans will likely question Bush’s honesty and motive.
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Chinese reign in mighty Disney empire

Disney’s newest theme park is facing investigations concerning poor working conditions and bad pay. The government is also very unhappy with the Disney corporation throwing around its corporate might to receive preferential treatment. Such allegations have been raised before, so astute readers may ask themselves: Why is the government stepping in all of a sudden? The answer: The new park is in China.

Disneyland Hong Kong officially opened Tuesday, but the park has been accessible to several thousand visitors on “rehearsal days.” In the few days the park has been up and running, clashes with the local Chinese government have already occurred. The response from the Chinese government may be one Disney is not used to: The government is not having it.

The local Chinese government is concerned Disney is trying to establish the new resort and the island it resides on as out of their jurisdiction.

One such case arose when visitors who had eaten at restaurants in the new park came down with food poisoning. Local authorities came to the park to investigate the conditions, but Disney officials pressured the arriving inspectors into leaving their badges and uniform hats behind before entering the park to avoid the park’s visitors from becoming suspicious.
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One year later, Darfur genocide pressing as ever

Darfur, a region in the west of the Sudan, has been the location of atrocities for several years. Thousands have been killed, raped or mutilated, which last year led to U.S. officials chastising the world for standing idly by.

Exactly one year ago today, Secretary of State Colin Powell used a widely publicized speech at the United Nations to address the situation as what it is: genocide.

One year later, little has changed for the afflicted. This cannot be said about the resolve of United States officials to end the plight of millions in Darfur and the surrounding regions, where refugees are holding out in camps with little food and water.
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Campus needs to become second home

With the opening of the Library’s new Information Commons earlier this semester also came a room where students can meet, study or simply hang out. Such amenities are vital to a campus’s social life, yet they are largely missing from the University of South Florida’s campus.
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USF shuttle takes turn for the worse

One of the University of South Florida’s main strategies for its development is to establish a stronger sense of community and identity. An effective way to achieve this started in summer 2000 when the USF shuttle service route was established, connecting the overwhelmingly student-populated blocks north of campus with the campus itself. This semester, though, students are appropriately complaining that what was almost an ideal service has taken a turn for the worse.
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Bush’s last chance to represent ‘all’ Americans

Months ago, after a grueling night of uncertainty, George W. Bush emerged as winner of the 2004 presidential election and vowed to be a president for “all Americans,” not merely those who cast their vote for him. The statement was almost immediately criticized by Democrats, who pointed out that Bush’s past actions did not indicate that this promise would be kept. The passing of Supreme Court Chief Justice William Rehnquist Saturday, gives the president an important chance to stand by his word. Bush has the opportunity to ensure that not only those who voted for him but also those Americans who did not are going to be represented by the Court.

With Rehnquist’s passing and Sandra Day O’Connor’s resignation from the Court earlier this year, a historic two-seat vacancy must be filled. The upcoming nomination and confirmation proceedings have the power to affect Supreme Court rulings — and thus, the law of the land — for years to come. The nation’s most influential court’s political makeup is about to be redefined, and all past efforts to establish a well-balanced court may be swept away if Bush nominates two conservatives to the court.
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FDA overruled, undermined by politicians

After an intensive discussion and careful deliberation, the pill often nicknamed “morning-after pill” or “plan B” was to become openly available over the counter at drug stores. But now its release has been delayed once again even after the Federal Drug Administration had officially declared it safe, undermining the reason for which the organization was founded.

It is obvious that the numerous delays, including the newest one, are not caused by scientifically founded concerns for the safety of women who would use the drug, but by roadblocks put into place by those that have ideological qualms about its use.
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Use of A&S funds for SG banquet, retreat unacceptable

Student Government officials don’t earn much money; that much is clear. But SG’s logic that because its members are underpaid it has the right to party on student funds is an affront to the trust students put into their supposed representatives.

Last week The Oracle detailed how SG had chartered the StarShip, a luxury cruise ship in Tampa, and dug into Activity & Services fees to pay most of the costs of the dinner and “appreciation gifts.” Each SG member attending the event paid $10, but students paid the remaining $2,763.
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ISSS example of professionalism

When something goes amiss in USF’s mazelike bureaucracy, it usually doesn’t bode well for students. But if this happens to an international student, the experience can be outright frightening. Thankfully though, International Student and Scholar Services exhibits a sense of professionalism that often goes well beyond what USF is required to do for students. And even though one of the key staff members in those offices is leaving this week, many other sectors of USF could learn from ISSS.
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Administration pressuring media into submission

New York Times journalist Judith Miller was jailed Wednesday for doing her job. Miller, as well as Time magazine reporter Matthew Cooper, had been under investigation by the federal government for covering the disclosure of an undercover CIA operative by nationally syndicated Chicago Sun-Times columnist Robert Novak.

Novak revealed the wife of former U.S. Ambassador Joseph Wilson, Valerie Plame, as a CIA operative. This action was a clear warning shot to those who would dare to openly criticize the Bush administration’s plans. In this case it was to silence Wilson; yet, Novak remains one of the few journalists who reported on the case but have not been beset upon by the administration, despite committing a major crime by publishing the name of an active CIA operative.

It is becoming increasingly clear that the Plame case is not only intended to scare politicians critical of the White House into submission, it is also intended to do the same to the press.

The source of the information that was leaked to Novak has been narrowed down to someone within the White House, and is now rumored to be Karl Rove, one of the president’s closest advisers, and a man that has been referred to by the president as the “architect” of Bush’s campaigns and his administrations political battle plans.
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President Bush cries ?9/11? one too many times

The president had a chance to level with the American public Tuesday night in a televised speech at Fort Bragg, NC. Once again, the chance to come clean was squandered. Instead of addressing reasonable concerns of the public, he may now be remembered as the president who cried ?9/11!? one time too many.

Invoking the attacks of Sept. 11 has been a parlor game at the White House and Congress for years now. But to invoke a national tragedy just because it is convenient to help further the agenda of the day is as despicable today as it has been the numerous times the administration has done so in the past.

The president claims that if we do not stop terrorism in Iraq, it will come to our shores again. This makes about as much sense as the claim made last century that if we do not stop communism in Vietnam, it will take root in the United States.

If the ?terrorists? ? a conveniently vague term that apparently can include any group at the administration?s whim ? truly intend to attack on American soil, why would they waste their time in Iraq?

We are told that on Sept. 11 it only took a few men with a twisted calling and box cutters to attack some of the nation?s most emblematic buildings, the World Trade Center towers and the Pentagon. Why would the next attack be any different, and why would it have to be devised in Iraq as the president claims?

Americans watching the speech were hoping for a sign that the Bush administration?s practice of misconstruing facts to fit its agenda is a matter of the past. Instead they saw a canned speech that contained nothing that had not been said before. No strategy to win the conflict was offered, nor did the president address criticism over military readiness, slumping enlistment numbers, lack of equipment such as body armor or the fact that most of the few allies the United States had in the conflict have left.
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USF?s clash with Greeks was inevitable

The University of South Florida is finding out why it is problematic to place Greek housing on campus. For some students, Greek societies belong to the college experience as much as Spring Break and Homecoming, but part of their appeal is their exclusiveness.

By expecting the organizations to abide by the same rules as ?average? resident students, the University would take away what makes such organizations alluring to students. But if the University allows members of fraternities and sororities to live by different rules, it will create a hierarchy dividing students between Greeks and non-Greeks.
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Election tampering evident in Ohio, reform needed

For most Americans, the Presidential Election of 2004 is old news, but a group under the auspices of the Democratic National Committee has spent the past five months investigating allegations of foul play in the state of Ohio. The state provided the deciding electoral votes in a very close election, making the report?s findings troubling, if not damning.

Rather than being dismissed as partisan sour grapes, as has been the case, the report is yet one more warning sign that America?s democratic process is in serious trouble.

The report, released yesterday, paints a damning picture: More than one-fourth of the voters in Ohio had trouble voting.

Such claims range from excessive delays for black voters ? who, on average, spent 52 minutes waiting compared to the white voter?s average of 18 minutes. Intimidation tactics, such as ?unlawful requests for identification,? were also reported by 16 percent of black voters. Ohio law requires only first-time voters to provide ID, but while just 7 percent of Ohio voters were newly registered, 67 percent of two different groups ? black males and voters under the age of 30 ? were asked to show ID. Only 5 percent of aggregate white voters claimed intimidation by such tactics.

Due to such practices, only 19 percent of black voters said they had confidence their vote was counted, while among white voters that confidence was 71 percent.

Leading up to the election, a legal battle ensued over whether either party was allowed to have representatives present that would be allowed to question voters. The Republican Party had been planning to pay 3,600 poll workers $100 each and drive them into heavily Democratic precincts to question individual voters? right to vote, The New York Times reported.
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Safety standards at theme parks worth a closer look

The four year old who collapsed and died after experiencing a ride at Disney World?s Epcot Center certainly received some media attention. The death has raised concerns over the safety of not only the ride on which the incident occurred, but also about America?s theme parks in general. While it is important not to over-react, closer inspection of safety rules may be in order.

Ever since Walt Disney opened Disney World, California, in the mid-50s, theme parks have become icons of America?s way of life. Since then audiences have craved faster and more elaborate thrill-inducing rides.
Rides now often carry up to several thousand visitors a day. Some accidents, such as bumps and bruises, are therefore bound to happen sooner or later and in most cases, the riders themselves are to blame. But it is important that such accidents, as well as security regulations in general, are not simply brushed aside to attract a few more customers.

Tampa?s Busch Gardens is no exception to this. By opening SheiKra, one of America?s most extreme roller coasters, the park was hoping to attract up to 15 percent more customers in the first year of its operation. But the ride is also one of those cases where thrill was prioritized over safety, at least in the first days the ride was in operation.
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Rift forming within Republican majority

A division is emerging in our government. While Cabinet members are still keeping close ranks around President George W. Bush, senators and members of the House of Representatives are beginning to question recent strategic decisions and are carefully distancing themselves from the president, all due to the looming midterm elections of 2006. Interestingly, the criticism does not come from the Democratic minority, but is increasingly voiced by members of the president?s own party.

One such clear division is due to the scandal surrounding the internment camps the United States is operating in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and other alleged secret locations.

In Guantanamo Bay alone, nearly 540 so-called ?enemy combatants,? a term used to circumvent the Geneva Convention, are held without charges and access to international organizations or lawyers. Both are violations of U.S. and international law. An unknown number of inmates have been released after years of imprisonment when it was decided there was no reason to hold them any longer.

Vice President Dick Cheney was quoted in Monday?s Washington Post as saying, ?The important thing here to understand is that the people that are at Guantanamo are bad people.? President Bush had similarly dismissed a report issued by Amnesty International that claimed deplorable actions were occurring in the camps as ?absurd,? and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld said Tuesday the camp would be needed for years to come.

It is disturbing that the highest officials of the United States government are professing to be spreading U.S. ideals in the world, yet throw out one of the most profound of said ideals ? innocent until proven guilty ? as soon as it?s convenient to do so.

Such treatment seems more fitting for a colonial power than the benevolent big neighbor the United States portrays itself as being. As Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) said, the United States is ?losing the image war around the world.?

This is what should be called absurd, and not the criticisms aimed at it ? and thankfully an increasing number of senators are warming up to the debate, urging their leadership to reconsider or at least acknowledge previous mistakes.
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