Tuesday, September 24, 2002

by Megan Mills and Charlie Buffie – Gazette News Reporter
with additional reporting by Nelson Pavlosky

The Scheuer Room was filled last night with people eager to hear the opinions of
four
Swarthmore faculty members on the possible US war against Iraq. Professors
Timothy Burke,
Jerry Frost, Jeffrey Murer, and James Rego all sat on the panel discussing this
complex
issue.

The panel began with Murer, a professor of political science, giving a bit of
background
history on Iraq. He described the diverse ethnic makeup of the nation, as well
as its
history of repeated aggression towards Kuwait. Saddam Hussein came into power in
1969 and
has been considered a threat since 1979, the year that saw the beginning of an
eight-year
war between Iraq and Iran. The US worried that this conflict would produce
political
imbalance in the Middle East, destabilizing critical American energy interests. 
This fear
would be confirmed when, after the war ended in 1988, Hussein attempted to use
his remaining
military might to seize Kuwait.  The US and UN retaliated, resulting in the
Persian Gulf
War. Murer then mentioned that the Bush administration’s current goal of
disarming Iraq
might be better achieved through effective weapons inspections, rather than
military action.

Representing the Chemistry Department, Professor Rego opened his comments by
noting a
kinship to former presidential candidate Ross Perot’s running mate, Admiral
James Stockdale.
Reflecting the latter’s infamous remarks during a presidential debate, Rego
confessed that
he didn’t know “who I am or why am I here?”  In this self-deprecating fashion he
brought the
layman’s view to the table, offering many philosophical questions such as: “Is
any war
justified? Is it possible to be anti-war and pro-regime change? Anti-war and
pro-threat?” He
also recalled the “video-game quality” of the Gulf War, and questioned whether
the US
required an antithetical enemy in order to define and identify itself in the
international
arena. After discussing his fear that the US was about to set a dangerous
precedent, blinded
by its desire to “kick butt” after 9/11, Rego ended his portion with a plug for
the Chem 22
class.

Professor Frost, of the Religion Department, offered a very precise discourse on
the ethics
of humanitarian intervention, defining each term singly – “ethics” as universal
moral codes
not dependent on culture, “humanitarian” as an effort not concerned with
national interest
that must improve the status quo for all parties involved, and “intervention” as
action
against the will of the state through military force. He described war as a
“mournful
necessity” and stated that the US should obtain UN and Security Council approval
for a war
with Iraq to have legitimacy. In order to intervene he believes that the cost
must be less
than the good, it must be a last resort, and that the result must be good for
the Iraqi
people. Frost also highlighted the ease in making hypothetical arguments about
what might
happen, and discussed how the current Bush administration would need to ignore
all of its
previous domestic spending promises in order to finance the war with Iraq and
the subsequent
rebuilding that would be necessary. He concluded by worrying that any military
action would
be “not just war” but instead “just a war.”

Updating his self-described stance as a “warmonger,” which was based on his
views of the war
against terrorism in Afghanistan, the History Department’s Professor Burke
reviewed his
support for war on that first front and explained how those principles led him
to disagree
with the possibility of an “insane” war on Iraq. Perceiving that the war on
terror has been
relatively successful thus far, he did not believe the initial reports of an
intervention in
Iraq, instead classifying them as part of an elaborate disinformation campaign.
However,
when they persisted, he became frightened. After all, by his way of thinking,
such a war
would be the “fulcrum” on which the fate of the US would turn in our time, and
the end of
the “pax Americana.” The world would not be content with a unilaterally-acting
America, and
we would become a threat to world security. According to Burke, going into Iraq
would be so
detrimental to the war on terrorism that the US might as well make posters
saying “Uncle Sam
Wants You to Join Al Qaeda!” Furthermore, he admitted that this issue had driven
himself
into a reluctant alliance with Henry Kissinger and James Baker, both secretaries
of state
under Republican presidents.

After these four opinions, the floor was opened to questions. One student
brought up the
possibility that economics would be a large factor, but Frost cited historical
instances
that downplayed the effect of money, such as Great Britain fighting Germany in
WWI despite
strong financial ties. He also used his response to praise the intelligence of
the current
French and Russian leadership in sorting out these complex issues, as well as to
raise
doubts about the brainpower of the American presidency.

In response to a question concerning the lack of Congressional opposition to the
White
House’s plan, Burke replied that the Democrats are fearful of expressing too
much anti-war
sentiment and meanwhile hope that someone will “save their fanny” by stalling
any
intervention until after the November elections. Murer also mentioned that to
attack Iraq
unilaterally and without provocation would be to go against UN Charter and US
law –
transforming the US into a “rogue nation,” according to Burke. Frost offered a
counterargument that the religious roots of international law, dating back to
Thomas
Aquinas, could potentially support such an intervention, as America could claim
that its
attack was wholly preemptive based on its knowledge of Iraqi plans.

The final discussion on the panel centered around what could be done to
effectively express
anti-war sentiments. Rego suggested getting the word out that it is actually
acceptable, and
even patriotic, to be opposed to the war, while Burke advised that Swatties do
something
different for a change and “shut up” and listen to the populace. He warned
against offending
people by starting conversations with claims that the US deserved attacks of
September 11th.
Frost recalled that in the Vietnam War era, teach-ins eventually led to support
from the
clergy, who could provide very strong allies in protest, but only if these
mainstream
objectors aren’t drowned out by media coverage of the radical fringe.

Concluding a very informative evening, Frost noted that “we don’t have an
effective way of
getting rid of a tyrant in the twentieth century,” to which Burke replied,
“Fortunately,
it’s the twenty-first.”

by Evelyn Khoo
Living & Arts Editor

In the shop window of Eats and Treats sits a stuffed gorilla with a baseball cap
on its head
and a permanent grin on its face. Its jolly demeanor is not so unlike that of
its owner,
Richard Williams, 45, the chirpy proprietor of the Ville’s latest offering, Eats
and Treats.

The snack shop, taking the place of Celebrity Deli, threw opened its doors for
business on
Sept 3rd and since then, according to Williams, has been experiencing modest
success.

Although the profits have been coming in, it appears that money was not the
first object
with Williams.

“I actually opened this store for my parents. They are really into crafts, my
mother sews
and my father does the woodwork. I wanted to give them a place they could
display their
art,” proclaimed Williams. The cuddly Raggedy Ann dolls and wooden flags that
line the
shelves of Eats and Treats, all products of the fine work of Williams’ parents,
definitely
help create the cozy, sepia-print atmosphere of the store.

Williams, who works two other full-time jobs, leaves the store to his parents
and other
family members to tend on the weekdays and only comes in on Sundays to take
inventory and
set up the specials for the week.  Says Williams proudly, “My girlfriend, her
brother-in-law, his daughter, they all come and help out – it’s a family
business!”

This 1950s-style homelike simplicity is definitely echoed in the menu, with an
array of
simple baked goods everyday. “I try to keep everything fresh and homemade,” says
Williams.

But the best part? The similarly-themed 1950s-style prices, where nothing seems
to go above
$5.00. Yum.

—————-
Opening Hours:
Mon-Fri: 7.30 a.m. – 7.30 p.m.
Sat: 9:00 a.m. – 7.30 p.m.

* Israeli tanks and helicopters pushed into Gaza City early Tuesday. The clashes
that
occurred as a result of the incursion killed nine Palestinians and wounded 24.
Witnesses
reported that the attack was an attempt to enter the homes of Palestinians
killed by
Israelis earlier this year. One of the nine men killed, Mohammed Kishko, was a
member of the
Al Aqsa Matyrs Brigade Militia, which is linked to Palestinian leader Yasser
Arafat’s Fatah
movement.

* The Center for Disease Control in Atlanta released a manual on Monday to all
fifty states,
detailing a plan of action in the event of a bioterrism attack. Focused
specifically on
smallpox, the plan would vaccinate all of the US population within five days. Up
to 1971,
the government routinely administered the vaccine to all children. Though a
full-scale
vaccination prior to an attack was discussed, this plan was eventually dismissed
because of
the possibility of the vaccine itself killing up to 300 people.

*A trio of storms are ravaging the US and Latin America. Isidore, which had been
downgraded
to a tropical storm on Monday, has the possibility of turning back into a
hurricane and
affecting the Gulf Coasts of Texas and Louisiana within the next two days.
Meanwile Lili,
reporting winds of 75 mph, continues to assail Barbados and is expected to
become a
full-scale hurricane within 72 hours. Tropical Storm Kyle may strengthen
slightly and
threaten Atlantic shipping interests.

*****

Aikido Club Practice
Wrestling Room – Lamb-Miller Field House, 7:00 p.m.

Lecture: “As Imagination Bodies Forth”: English Classics from Beowulf to Twelfth
Night
LPAC 301, 9:00 p.m.

Argentine Tango Class
Upper Tarble, 9:00 p.m.

*****

SPORTS UPDATE

Today:
There are no contests scheduled for today.

Tomorrow:
Men’s soccer at Neumann, 4:15 p.m.
Women’s soccer at Franklin & Marshall, 4:30 p.m.

*****

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“Partying is such sweet sorrow.”
–Robert Byrne

*****
.
Interested in reporting or writing for the Gazette?
Got a news or sports tip for us?
Just want to tell us what you think?