As an editor and avid reader, I make sure to always check out the New York Times. Every morning, I am pleased to find hundreds of stories that take place all over the world. I have also made it a practice to cut out the articles which I find particularly amusing, but more in the "Ha ha, I have to laugh because the world is ridiculous" way than in the "Ha ha, good joke" way. Since I know that many students don't care to pick up a copy each morning for free throughout campus, or there aren't any left when you show up, I decided to highlight a few stories for everyone.
The best days to look for stories are the days when something else big has everyone's attention. What happens then is a process known as "burying" - a story is slipped in on a back page so people will not read it with as much seriousness. Yesterday, the sixth of February, was a perfect example. With Colin Powell's picture on the front and transcripts on each page inside, the stories that didn't have to do with Iraq were very interesting.
To start, there was a story about the Strategic Offensive Reductions Treaty, brokered by President George W. Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin back in May. The Senate Foreign Relations committee recently passed the treaty unanimously, and it is being championed as the center of Bush's effort to reach out to Russia and form better relations.
Deep in the article, however, is the true nature of the treaty: "The new accord does not require the actual destruction of warheads. Instead it allows both sides to keep the weapons in storage, so they can be reactivated and reinstalled on missiles or bombers on relatively short notice." As if that couldn't get worse, it continues: "Unlike past arms control pacts, the treaty does not set out a timetable for cuts, requiring only that the total number of strategic weapons does not exceed 2,200 on Dec. 31, 2012. The treaty expires on that day if the two sides do not choose to renew it. In addition, both countries reserve the right to terminate the agreement on three months' notice, half the notification period of most previous arms control treaties."
Let me explain that. If neither country does anything for 10 years, they are in full compliance with the treaty. If they feel the need to use nuclear weapons at any time during the next 10 years, all they have to do is say so and then wait three months. It is no surprise that both sides were so quick to sign, as it does absolutely nothing. Some centerpiece.
On the economic front, there are two stories. One, an op-ed by Bob Herbert, and two, a story about Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld going in front of Congress and asking for billions of dollars a day. Both spell trouble for the American people. Herbert's story details the plight that many youngsters are having in Chicago. They are faced with the poor economy and are not able to find jobs that will help them.
While even a few millions could help give work to people ages 18-26, Donald Rumsfeld has the gall to go in front of Congress and ask for even more billions tacked on to the anti-war effort. This is money that is not included in the congressional budget, and it isn't certain where it is going to come from, or why the $380 billion already awarded isn't enough. Either way, the focus of the nation has clearly shifted away from the youth and into the pockets of those who are already rich.
Those mistakes will clearly haunt us in the future, and the fact that we have yet to learn from the now astounds me. Also in the category of "Should have learned" is Representative Howard Coble, a Republican out of North Carolina. During a radio show, Mr. Coble thought it would be a good idea to tell everyone that he thought that Japanese internment prior to and during World War II was a good idea.
After what happened to Trent Lott, for any politician to come out with racist claims in a public forum is merely stupid. The article about him also points out that he voted against former president Ronald Reagan's bill to set aside reparations to families who were desecrated during that period. This, of course, is in relation to the systematic counting and pressure on citizens of Arab descent. But again, we never seem to learn, and we are taking big steps in the wrong direction.
Of course, the New York Times only goes so far. People go all over to find their news, and many only make it five minutes into a televised news broadcast before flipping channels to the Simpsons or Joe Millionaire. The only thing I want more than for him to pick Zora is for Americans to become more involved with the news. If we open our eyes to the world around us, we will see a lot of scary things, and only by doing this can we make sure that the government represents the interests of the people.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
