The Princeton

ToryOctober 2008

Rethinking Green: Escaping the Cult of Sustainability

at Princeton e

r a g o r m e f o v e r P e g e o ll T o 2008 Ce d l C a i m a n c t i o n t e F i l e r h E t W e n th o u r C i Y W : e w i s e L r o n g h Also T s W t ’ o w a H h October 2008 W

The Princeton Letter from the Publisher Tory Everyone’s Got One t is common for civilized debates to conclude October 2008 with one participant saying to the other: “Well, I Volume XXV - Issue IV Iguess that’s just your opinion and you’re entitled Table of Contents to it. I respect that.” Alternatively, the person losing the debate might fall back on the following weak Publisher rhetorical crutch: “Look, I’m just saying that this is Joel Alicea ‘10 my opinion. I’m not saying that yours is wrong or anything.” The implicit assumption in both of these Editor-in-Chief Managing Editors statements is that everyone is entitled to their opin- Leon Furchtgott ‘09 Brandon McGinley ‘10 ion simply by virtue of the fact that they are a fellow Andrew Saraf ‘11 human being. Copy Editors But should we accord respect to the opinions Robert Day ‘10 Production Manager of others without something more? I would venture to support a different formula- Katie Fletcher ‘10 Robert Day ‘10 tion: a person is not entitled to his opinion until he has made a good-faith effort to Shivani Radhakrishnan ‘11 adequately familiarize himself with all the major arguments on any given issue and Production Assisstant sincerely sought the truth of the matter. Of course, this does not mean that he must become an expert in an area before having the right to his opinion, and surely there Financial Manager Alfred Miller ‘11 are many areas in which the wisdom of real-life experience suffices to bestow a Brendan Lyons ‘09 stamp of legitimacy upon a person’s view. But as a general rule, on controversial Operations Manager issues where reasonable people of equal intelligence and goodwill disagree, a person Publisher Emeritus Johnny Love ‘09 should educate himself before coming to a definitive conclusion. Otherwise, we too Matthew J. Schmitz ‘08 often present ourselves as uninformed buffoons. Editor-in-Chief Emeritus I should know; I have often seemed like a nincompoop myself. I look back with Sherif Girgis ‘08 increasing alarm at some of the foolhardy opinions I have espoused within the pages of the Tory. For example, it is with marked horror and shame that I consider what I Staff Writers wrote in the spring of my freshman year for the Reunions issue of this magazine in an article entitled “Brood of Vipers.” The editorial—a blistering diatribe against cer- Douglas Lavanture ‘09 Aaron Smargon ‘11 tain elements of the so-called “religious right”—is stunning in its lack of intellectual Clint Montague ‘09 Emma Yates ‘11 rigor and unabashed willingness to generalize and insult whole groups of people. It Emely Peña ‘09 Stuart Chessman ‘12 was a judgmental exercise in poltroonery, for no person with the intellectual courage Kyle Smith ‘09 Nicholas Elan ‘12 to consider alternative arguments could write such an article. It is an essay I eagerly Katie Fletcher ‘10 William Herlands ‘12 renounce. Amy Osterman ‘10 Steven Lindsay ‘12 Yet one year later I was still no better, blindly writing an article for the May Joelle Birge ‘11 Raphael Murillo ‘12 issue of the Tory called “A Matter of Prudence.” The editorial makes the case for aggressive government action to combat the effects of global warming. While I stand Christine Bokman ‘11 Sam Norton ‘12 by the thesis of that article, there was one paragraph where I came close to affirm- Bobby Marsland ‘11 David Schuster ‘12 ing a cap-and-trade system on carbon emissions, a position I hesitantly held at the Alfred Miller ‘11 Shivani Sud ‘12 time. Such a reckless opinion was born of ignorance on my part, which a summer Shivani Radhakrishnan ‘11 spent at the American Enterprise Institute studying and researching energy policy for former Speaker Newt Gingrich soon cured. What I had failed to do on my own was Board of Trustees imposed on me at the Speaker’s office: examining the full range of facts on the issue Peter Heinecke ‘87 Timothy Webster ‘99 of controlling carbon emissions. It was only after I had taken the time to carefully Anna Bray Duff ‘92 Peter Hegseth ‘03 inform myself of what the various options were for dealing with this problem and Brian Tvenstrup ‘95 Ira Leeds ‘06 had thought through the problem that I could come to a mature and educated posi- tion worthy of respect. Wickham Schmidt ‘99 This letter may, in the end, appear to be nothing more than a blatant attempt The Princeton Tory is a journal of conservative and moderate political thought at a mea culpa by the publisher of this magazine. Well, yes, that was part of the written, edited and produced by Princeton University students and delivered free of charge to all Princeton students and faculty. The Princeton Tory is a publication of motivation for writing this. But what was far more important to me was that others The Princeton Tory, Inc. Opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and not not make the same mistakes I made, and I thought it was best to use myself as an necessarily those of the editors, trustees, Princeton University, or The Princeton Tory, example of the humiliating and unfathomably foolish opinions that can result from Inc. The Princeton Tory accepts letters to the editor. Direct correspondence to: an uninformed mind. We all have opinions, but the question is whether they are all P.O. Box 1499, Princeton, NJ 08542; or by e-mail: [email protected]. Advertise- worthy of respect. I firmly believe that the answer must be no, and that, with the ment rates for The Princeton Tory can be found on the magazine’s website at www. princetontory.com. Donations to The Princeton Tory are fully tax-deductible. Please exceptions mentioned above, only those opinions rooted in a full understanding of mail donations to: P.O. Box 1499, Princeton, NJ 08542. the issues and arguments put forward can be considered worthwhile. Otherwise we The Princeton Tory is a member of the Collegiate Network. The Princeton are left with empty rhetoric devoid of intellectual rigor that makes people seem like Tory gives special thanks to the Intercollegiate Studies Institute, Princeton Alumni Viewpoints, and The Bachman Foundation. fools. I should know; I have played the fool many times. The Princeton Tory, Inc. is a non-profit corporation registered in New Jersey. No part of this publication should be construed to promote any pending legislation or to support any candidate for office. No part of this publication may be reproduced Best, without express written consent of the Publisher. Joel Alicea ‘10 Copyright © 2008 The Princeton Tory

2 The Princeton Tory October 2008 the

princeton tory October 2008 - Volume XXV - Issue IV www.princeton.edu/~tory

Table of Contents

4 - Po i n t s a n d Pu n t s Staff

Ca m p u s

6 - The Whitman Experiment: Can It Ever Work? by Joelle Birge ‘11 The Struggle to Build “Community” at Whitman College

8 - Rethinking Green by William Herlands ‘12 Escaping the Cult of Sustainability

10 - Arts Initiative Tanks by Douglas Lavanture ’09 The Lewis Center’s First Year Flops

US & Wo r l d

13 - The Credit Crunch by Kyle Smith ‘09 & Johnny Love ‘09 Goverment Regulation a Major Cause of the Mortgage Crisis

14 - Faith, Feminism and Sarah Palin by Shivani Radhakrishnan ‘11 & Stuart Chessman ’12 On the VP Nominee’s Battle with the Feminist Left

16 - Pakistan: That OTHER Election... by Matthew Sanyour ‘11 A Pakistani Student’s Perspective on the Future of Pakistan’s Democracy and Relations with the US

La s t Wo r d

18 - The Unencumbered Mind by Brandon McGinley ‘10 Musings on Princeton as an Intellectual Battleground, the Horrors of Abortion, and Senator Barack Obama’s Corrupt Philosophy

October 2008 The Princeton Tory 3 Po i n t s & Pu n t s The Tory staff, perhaps particularly embittered by this year’s election season, are left to their own devices to discuss Facebook friendship, white supremacy and that politician who refuses to just go away. s of this writing, it has become clear that Sena- reverse-racism. Clearly that’s not the case. But seriously, tor Obama is likely to win this election. In an Melissa, why the harsh words? It’s not like the delegates Aeffort to cope with the potential ramifications at the RNC were wearing Klan outfits or anything. We of this travesty, the Tory has sought to find some sort of suggested it but John and Sarah thought that was sooo silver lining in Barry’s election. True, it’s likely Amer- 1950s. icans will face the largest tax increase in American his- tory, but we can all agree it’s a good thing that America ey, McCain, what are you will elect the first Muslim-American president of the United States. The historic nature of a president taking afraid of—seatbelts? The Prince- the oath of office with his hand on the Koran will be ton Independents have posted flyers all over enough to make even Michelle proud of America. And Hcampus urging students to consider voting for Ralph Na- yes, President Obama will have a chance to shape the der, using several hundred sheets of paper made from direction of the Supreme Court for decades to come. old-growth rainforest trees. These ubiquitous posters But at least now we’ll have a former terrorist ally fight- encouraging support for the environmental activist and ing the War on Terror and a former druggie fighting perennial candidate have blown off of walls and sign- the War on Drugs. It’s kind of like having an insider’s posts, leaking toxic chemicals into the water supply and advantage, right? suffocating dozens of baby squirrels in the process—ren- dering the posters almost as irrelevant as Nader’s own candidacy. peaking of absurd characterizations, Princeton Politics Department Professor Melissa Harris- Lacewell’s assertions on her blog “The Kitchen he left wing blogosphere was sent into an uproar S some weeks ago following an interview by Sarah Table” place her in contention for this year’s “Most In- sane Professor of the Year” award. Her uncanny ability TPalin with Charlie Gibson. In response to a query to make baseless and intellectually bankrupt comments from Gibson about her opinion of the much-maligned but is exemplified by statements like: “The Right is so ri- multifarious and diffuse Bush Doctrine, Palin asked for a diculously predictable. Their absolute commitment to clarification: “In what respect, Charlie?” This was taken as white supremacy used to just peep out like a hanging a damning confirmation of Palin’s foreign policy naïveté, slip, but now they are wearing their racism front and fueling the now-familiar narrative about her stupidity com- center… Let me be clear. I am not saying that every pared to Barack “57 state” Obama and Joe “Three-state person who chooses McCain-Palin is a racist. I expect Iraq” Biden. But consider what Princeton’s own Anne-Ma- Republicans to vote for the candidate nominated by rie Slaughter had to say when confronted with a question their party. I am making a judgment about the collec- about the Bush Doctrine. Asked interviewer Alan Johnson: tive outcome. This election is a referendum on white What are the central differences, and what are the supremacy.” elements of continuity, if any exist, between “the Bush doctrine” and the “grand strategy of forging Well thank God she cleared a world of liberty under law”? that up. We were beginning to think she was making a How did Slaughter respond? “Tell me what you mean by blatantly false and repre- ‘The Bush Doctine’.” Sorry, Daily Kos. On this issue, hensible accusation that Sarah Palin is at least as qualified as the has no basis in reality and can only be construed as dean of the Woodrow Wilson School.

4 The Princeton Tory October 2008 Points and Punts

o what did we learn from the COMBO survey? he Tory was shocked to learn that President Students who self-identify as upper class say that Tilghman, by her own admission, has been Sthey are happier. Bicker clubs and Greek organi- Tscouring Facebook and reading Princeton stu- zations attract wealthier students. Lower class students dents’ profiles. Perhaps President are more concerned about their finances. Whoop- Tilghman sees stalking students as an expression of endearment, but dee-do. we at the Tory find it plain creepy. The reaction to COMBO was a ridiculous exer- But President Tilghman’s re- cise in self-righteous bellyaching as columnists and marks at Opening Ceremonies editorial boards tripped over themselves clambering to got us interested in getting most strongly denounce pernicious social segregation. to know our administrators Take this gem from an editorial in The Daily Princeto- better on Facebook. We nian: “The University community must discuss these is- found a Facebook profile sues, for only by recognizing publicly that the Princeton for Shirley Tilghman, experience is not equally positive for all students can complete with a presi- it begin to fix the problem. This discussion may be un- dential photograph, but pleasant and uncomfortable for some, but the problems we were prevented from identified must be solved rather than left to grow and seeing it by the privacy set- fester.” All hail the editors of the Prince, defenders of tings. We did see her list of friends, though, and Face- the downtrodden, crusaders against inequality, bastions of unencumbered arrogance. book told us “Shirley has no friends.” Yes, Shirley In all seriousness, though, the administration’s cam- has no friends. paign for four year colleges will only serve to exacer- bate the natural social structure identified in COMBO by siphoning members from Prospect Avenue’s sign-in Say it ain’t so, Joe! clubs, leaving the bicker clubs unscathed. The result lthough the vice-presidential debate certainly will be a completely stratified social hierarchy between didn’t provide Americans with any memora- patrician eating clubs and plebian residential colleges – Able Biden gaffes such as describing of Barack far worse than anything COMBO could imagine. Obama as “clean,” Good Ol’ Joe proved once again that political years of Senate experience only encourage s consummate anglophiles, the Tory is intrigued logorrhea. When asked about foreign policy interven- by the discussion in Britain over the accep- tion, Biden responded that “when a country engaging Atance of Islamic Law, the Sharia, into its juris- in harboring terrorists and will do nothing about it, at prudence. We think that honor killings for fornication that point that country in my view and Barack’s view could be a positive development for the hook-up culture forfeits their right to say you have no right to intervene as well as the purity of our women. at all.” In case you missed it, Joe’s statement was ac- Thoughts, Anscombe Society? tually an endorsement of—you guessed it—the Bush Doctrine! Or, at least, one of the now growing number of Bush doctrines. Even if Sarah Palin might not know a definition of the Bush Doctrine, at least now we know that Joe Biden supports one version of it. Of course, it could just be that he doesn’t know what constitutes the Bush Doctrine either. Either way, Senator Biden Po i n t s & Pu n t s , representing the said enough in support of the Doctrine for both himself opinions of individual writers, were and Sarah Palin. Maybe even enough to make Charles compiled by the editors. Krauthammer proud.

October 2008 The Princeton Tory 5 CAMPUS

Can it Ever Work?

This deceptively generic choice is actually Many Whitman students find that while Joelle Birge ’11 an explicit assertion of Whitman’s central they may live nearby students of other ages, goal. According to the college website, befriending them is another matter. Katie ast September, hundreds of stu- “Whitman College is forging new tradi- Mumma ’11 commented that while “friend- dents flocked to the southwest cor- tions to further strengthen the deep sense ships between upperclassmen and freshmen Lner of campus in anticipation of of community that characterizes education- do exist…the hallways don’t make for very Princeton’s newest celebrity—the recently al life at Princeton.” The name Commu- easy social interactions.” On a similar note, constructed and optimistically received nity Hall was no chance decision. Rather, Jessica Westerman ’12 admitted that she Whitman dining hall. Despite Whitman’s it was one small (but calculated) step to- “hasn’t really had any formal contact with immediate success, however, one of the ward transforming Whitman College from upperclassmen other than her RCA.” As college’s points of distinction soon became a mere residential hall into a unique four- Jessica pointed out, most freshmen agree problematic: Whitman’s innovative circular year “community.” that “only a select few upperclassmen make tables were largely inefficient. Although As the failed debut of the circu- the effort [to meet younger students].” As intended to foster conversation, they sim- lar tables shows, however, trying to instill for grad students, Jessica “hadn’t seen one ply could not accommodate many trays community by artificially forcing friend- since her first day.” and were never fully-filled. Rather than ships has its limits. The trials of the Com- This perception of an invisible barrier facilitate interactions, Whitman had turned munity Hall point to Whitman’s funda- separating freshmen from upperclassmen each dinner into a game of musical chairs. mental problem: the ineffectiveness of its and grad students is a difficult one to over- This year, expecting larger crowds during desperate attempt to forge a sense of com- come. Upperclassmen draw into Whitman the Butler/Wilson renovations, Whitman munity. Whitman College is unique in its with pre-established groups of friends and quickly swapped the small round tables for attempt to bring freshmen, upperclassmen usually are not looking for new acquain- more traditional (and efficient) rectangular and even graduate students together under tances. Freshmen, meanwhile, are simply ones. Besides being better suited to cum- the same neo-gothic roof. The administra- too intimidated to approach older students, bersome trays, as Whitman resident Re- tion hopes to mold this diverse student body especially those who do not reach out to becca Kaufman ‘11 pointed out, “the new into one cohesive “learning community,” their hall mates. Although Whitman may be seating lets you sit down next to someone as its website calls it. The goal of integrat- able to house a variety of students together without feeling awkward” because of space ing “sage” upperclassmen with younger physically, meaningful interaction is much constraints. students is certainly an admirable one, but harder to obtain and tends not to magically So why the circular tables in the first as the failed dining system has exemplified, occur simply because of proximity. Much place? An answer lies in the dining hall’s such an idealistic utopia is far from readily as Whitman tries to become a cohesive so- strategic choice of name: Community Hall. obtainable. cial unit, its holistic approach to commu-

6 The Princeton Tory October 2008 CAMPUS nity ignores the natural generational bonds access to its weekly events. Whitman-only the risk of alienating, rather than uniting, that link members of the same class and in- events contribute to the residential college fellow students. hibit cross-class exchanges. Moreover, by community at the expense of encouraging Dean Graves insists “there is no con- defining its community through shared ge- resentment among students in surround- tradiction between a strong residential col- ography, Whitman loses sight of students’ ing colleges such as Butler and Wilson. To lege community and a strong Princeton individual priorities. these “outsiders,” Whitman’s exclusivity community.” But do not restricted-access Inherent to Whitman’s dilemma is a is seen not as an opportunity for bonding, residential college events undermine the conflict of interest between the adminis- but as an assertion of one college’s supe- Princeton community by excluding other tration and students. The administration riority. Placing stress on an intra-college Princeton students? Weekly Whitman-only seeks to set Whitman apart as an integrated community concurrently damages inter- events may be popular with some Whitman learning community; students, on the other college perceptions and enhances social students, but they send conflicting mes- hand, remain interested in more tangible segregation. sages about Whitman’s role, seeming to assets. Five-room quads and pizza ovens Adding to this strain on campus dy- elevate the college rather than incorporate are more pressing concerns than a vague namics is the tension created between it into campus. More importantly, the ad- concept of “community.” four-year residential colleges and eating ministration of Whitman still have not con- To overcome these obstacles, the clubs. The four-year residential college quered the social obstacles of the four-year Whitman administration has sponsored a epitomized by Whitman looks to supplant residential college system. So far, such number of community-building, Whitman- eating clubs by offering an alternative events as College Nights and Whitman only events. Last month’s Whitman Olym- source of social belonging. However, what Olympics have made little progress toward pics tried to motivate people from different a Whitman-style system must realize is scaling the communication barriers pre- hallways to compete in several team-build- that the eating clubs have been successful venting underclassmen from mingling with ing activities. Although well-publicized, in large part because their members self- older students. Ultimately, to be successful, the event was poorly attended, free T-shirt select their social surroundings. Students Whitman must view its own community in giveaways notwithstanding. The week- choose to be a part of those communities connection to the larger Princeton commu- long “Whitmania” of last spring experi- because they share common interests with nity. Is a potentially unobtainable Whitman enced similarly mediocre participation. If the clubs’ members. When one instead family worth balkanizing the campus? indeed Whitman residents are disinclined brings together students of disparate inter- to bond with their fellow Whitmanites, ests who interact only in passing, a natu- then the administration’s sought-after com- rally cohesive community is not feasible. munity will remain in name only—much Although upperclassmen elect to live in like Community Hall. Whitman, most do so because of its up- One idea, however, that so far has suc- to-date facilities and spacious rooms, not ceeded in engaging Whitman students is social fulfillment. Whitman College Dean the weekly College Nights program. Many Rebecca Graves says that “it is too early to Joelle Birge is a sophomore from residents relish this opportunity to enjoy know if Whitman has been successful in Chicago who intends to major in elegant tablecloths and smaller crowds, but creating a sense of community.” Perhaps, English. other students question its exclusivity. Col- but the early evidence suggests that the lege Nights at other dining halls are open administration’s quest for a self-focused, to all students; even the popular Rocky/ socially independent college community Mathey dining hall stops short of restricting may be unattainable. Worse yet, it runs Angry? Frustrated? Tell us what you’re thinking...

Send the Tory an e-mail at [email protected] for a chance to have your letter published unal- tered in the next issue.

October 2008 The Princeton Tory 7 CAMPUS Rethinking Green Escaping the Cult Of Sustainability

William Herlands ’12

ver the past few years, the sus- tainability and environmental Omovements at Princeton have been growing at an exceptional rate. From student organizations such as Students United for a Responsible Global Envi- ronment (founded in 2003) to new edu- cational programs such as the certificate in sustainable energy (created in 2008), this new movement has established itself in the culture, academic philosophy, and administrative policy of the University. Such expansion reflects a broader,- in ternational trend, as presidential can- didates now debate the most effective sustainability strategies and the world’s nations plan to assemble this Decem- Some of the sustainibility investments will go towards expanding the “natural areas” on campus. ber for the UN Convention on Climate Change. While the desire to heighten our secure humanity’s survival. session of the urban poor. This phenom- fast-paced civilization’s awareness of the As noble as its intentions are, the enon is seen in the exodus of tens of thou- importance of environmental protection is movement’s recent activity has been criti- sands of blacks after the implementation laudable, critical analysis of national and cized by conservative and moderate com- of such policies in San Francisco, Los An- University policies is necessary in order mentators as politically polarizing and geles, and Monterey, which has become to determine their long-term viability. counter-productive. Claims of human- the least affordable area to live in the During the late 1980’s and early caused climate change have taken on a United States, according to the National 1990’s, the global sustainability move- dogmatic zeal, with environmental lead- Association of Home Builders’ 2008 af- ment gained legitimacy when the unusu- ers such as Pulitzer-Prinze-winning jour- fordability rankings (see Thomas Sowell’s ally hot summer of 1988 and the United nalist Ellen Goodman, former president Applied Economics for more details on Nations’ first Earth Summit conference in Al Gore, and leader of the Green Party this). The extremism of the sustainability 1992 sparked the public’s attention. While of Canada Elizabeth May, vilifying those movement and its frequent refusal to con- there are many competing definitions of who do not conform to their scientific the- sider other consequences has caused acute the idea of “sustainability,” the move- ories and political remedies with the use economic and social damage. Given these ment’s general goal is to foster the devel- of explicit Holocaust analogies, such as serious concerns, Princeton students must opment of a society which, as the UN’s Ms. Goodman’s famous quote, “Let’s just determine whether such tendencies could Brundtland Report puts infect the sustainability movement it, “meets the needs at Princeton, preventing meaning- of the present without Critical consideration of tradeoffs ful reforms and stifling academic compromising the abil- and sober fiscal analysis risk being discourse. ity of future genera- In 2006, after years of dis- tions to meet their own sacrificed for the sake of good PR. cussion and student advocacy, the needs.” To this end, the Office of Sustainability (OOS), movement’s organiza- managed by Shana Weber, was tions have sought to establish “green stan- say that global warming deniers are now established in order to advocate and co- dards,” a nebulous term that describes the on a par with Holocaust deniers.” ordinate the various sustainability initia- environmental neutrality of a product or Additionally, many of the zoning tives on campus. In the fall of that same policy based on a varying list of ecologi- policies advocated by the sustainability year, the Daily Princetonian blasted the cal criteria. The sustainability movement movement in order to maintain “green University in an expose’, claiming that its also stresses the need to stem the prolif- space” or sustain “smart growth” have led “commitment to green building has been eration of greenhouse gases in order to to inflated housing prices and the dispos- lukewarm,” and citing Whitman Col-

8 The Princeton Tory October 2008 CAMPUS lege’s conspicuous lack of basic sustain- petitive mentality endangers responsible such spots as Café Vivian limits students’ ability standards as the flagship of failure. sustainability efforts by encouraging the freedom of choice and disproportionately In the interim, the OOS, in conjunction institution of poorly analyzed policy, impacts the less affluent subsection of the with student groups and the administra- which is rushed through the approval student body, which cannot afford to be tion, has developed the new Princeton process in order to be printed as a bullet environmentally conscious at such luxuri- University Sustainability Plan, a compre- point on the next informational pamphlet ous prices. The sustainability plan claims hensive proposal which outlines near and and showcased to upstage Princeton’s that the food program is geared to “edu- long term objectives, including commit- Ivy brethren. Critical consideration of cate the campus community concerning ments to “decrease campus carbon diox- tradeoffs and sober fiscal analysis risk the environmental, social and economic ide emissions to 1990 levels by 2020,” being sacrificed for the sake of good PR. impact of their food choices.” Regret- and to “convert to 100% Green Seal or An example of this can be seen in the tably, it seems as though only some stu- equivalent cleaning products by 2009.” form of the “voluntary carbon tax.” Be- dents can afford this education. Among the most controversial and fore the new sustainability plan, all ener- In its frenzied attempts to “out-green” promising elements of the proposal is the gy-efficiency initiatives were undertaken the Ivy League, Princeton’s sustainabil- pledge not to purchase carbon offsets, a based on a straightforward cost-benefit ity movement has thus unwittingly fallen strategy which, they claim, has “little (or analysis: the gross cost of these initia- prey to the same willful blindness of mu- no) impact on the emission of greenhouse tives was measured against the gross nicipalities’ efforts to establish ever-in- gases.” The OOS correctly notes that cost of the wasted energy that Princeton creasing amounts of “green-space.” Just the money generated by carbon offsets, would incur without them. According to as the fiscal brunt of these municipalities’ which “give the purchaser the right to the new policy, however, the gross cost policies was forced upon the poorest seg- continue emitting greenhouse gases,” in of failing to pursue efficiency initiatives ment of the population, so too, at Prince- truth “never actually get used to pay for will now incorporate both the true energy ton, poorly thought-out “sustainable” and environmental improvements.” The rec- cost to Princeton and the vaguely defined “environmentally responsible” initiatives ognition of the ludicrous have the potential to dis- nature of such a policy is proportionally burden particularly laudable given Demanding that students pay Whole students on financial aid. the national sustainabil- These programs require ity movement’s infatuation Foods prices at such spots as Café Viv- thoughtful consideration, with offsets, as evidenced careful analysis, and by the proliferation of doz- ian limits students’ freedom of choice prudent planning in or- ens of newly incorporated and disproportionately impacts the less der to mitigate their ad- companies offering carbon verse consequences, and offset strategies to individ- affluent subsection of the student body. achieve lasting results. uals, companies, and com- To establish a truly munities. Additionally, the effective sustainability rejection of offsets encourages students external, environmental cost of the car- policy, we must not cling to a dogmatic to learn how to practically deal with en- bon that this energy would emit into the ideology, nor allow college rivalries to vironmental issues after graduation, when atmosphere (the “tax”). This artificially dominate our decisions. Instead, we must most of us will not be cushioned by a $16 reduces the net cost of any prospective foster an intellectual culture that under- billion dollar endowment. The OOS’s de- energy efficiency initiative, creating a stands that sustainability concerns must be cision suggests an openness to new envi- situation in which Princeton may pursue incorporated into decision making with- ronmental approaches that is needed in initiatives whose costs exceed the actual out occluding rational judgment. Only by our time. energy savings to the University. What- paying attention to the fundamentals of Other aspects of Princeton’s environ- ever environmental benefits the OOS science, sociology, and economics can we mental effort, however, are not so prom- may conjure up to justify its decision, create policy that ensures an effective ap- ising. The spirit of competitive “green- the bottom line is that Princeton will proach to sustainable living. ing” should be particularly troubling to be spending more money—money that any proponent of reasoned policy. This could go to alleviating students’ college spirit is exemplified by “RecycleMa- costs—with no clear promise of future nia,” a competition in which 400 colleges financial benefit. from around the country strive to amass The new sustainability plan also William Herlands is a freshman the largest amount of recyclables and the pledges to “substantially increase the from New York, NY. He is a resident least amount of trash over a ten-week pe- percentage of sustainably produced food of Bloomberg Hall. riod. Following in this trend, almost ev- items.” With the real cost of college at a ery article written about Princeton’s sus- record high, and as most students attempt tainability efforts uses comparisons with to learn how to economize, the Universi- the accomplishments and sustainability ty’s push to offer only expensive, sustain- statistics of either Harvard or Yale as an able food is a dubious move. Demanding impetus for Princeton to act. This com- that students pay Whole Foods prices at

October 2008 The Princeton Tory 9 CAMPUS

Arts Intiative Tanks The Lewis Center’s First Year Leaves Much to be “Aspired”

Douglas Lavanture ’09 A Broken Philosophy

ast semester an amazing thing happened. I saw, for the Almost three years have passed since Peter B. Lewis an- first time, a theatrical production crash and burn. nounced his 101 million dollar donation—the single largest in L Having been involved with student theater groups Princeton history—to fund an “arts initiative” at the Univer- such as Theatre Intime and the Princeton University Players sity. Shirley Tilghman, President of the University, lauded the for the past four years, believe me when I say that I have seen gift as one that furnishes an opportunity to fulfill the Univer- my fair share of close calls—near disasters that left the mem- sity’s aspiration to “create a distinctive educational model that bers of the all-student boards of both organizations biting their seamlessly integrates the creative and performing arts into an fingernails, calling their lawyers, praying, cursing, often until undergraduate liberal arts program that is second to none.” the house lights went down on opening night. I was even in- Princeton has been given an incredible opportunity to re- volved on the artistic end energize one of the few of a couple of projects ailing programs of this which fell into this cat- It is difficult for a student to appreciate University. Even Presi- egory. But the students a collaborative production that doesn’t dent Tilghman admits, involved always, always “None of the programs stepped up and did what showcase the student participants. [in the fine arts] has a was necessary to prevent sufficiently large teach- impending doom. The shows always went up, and what re- ing faculty to meet—or, indeed, come close to meeting—the sulted was often, believe it or not, good. demand for instruction.” But which student group was responsible for that produc- But other than a massively improved website and the addi- tion last semester that actually crashed and burned? Well, tion of a few personnel, students in the creative arts programs here’s the surprise: A student group didn’t produce it. here at Princeton have seen little, if any, change in the depth, It was produced by the Lewis Center for the Art variety, and quality of the courses and opportunities the Univer- sity offers. Some recent productions have left many students

10 The Princeton Tory October 2008 CAMPUS feeling alienated and confused about the direction the Center is pretty on stage was a direct result of the massive resources heading. The Arts Initiative has, so far, failed to deliver. the Lewis Center invested in the three coordinators and in the The term Arts Initiative has become a kind of catch-phrase. technical aspects of the production. Theater historian Peter It is as prevalent as Going Green or Change. The problem Brook states in his book The Empty Space, “The theatre has with catch-phrases, however, is that they are powerful, easily- often been called a whore, meaning its art is impure, but to- remembered and regurgitated linguistic devices that carry a day this is true in another sense – whores take the money and wealth of rhetorical power but a dearth of explicit meaning. then go short on the pleasure.” This production was a indeed This is the issue with The Arts or an Arts Initiative. Per- “money-whore,” and it was not the only one under the Lewis haps it is because to define the arts themselves is nearly impos- Center. sible, as they encompass and embrace so many aspects of the So how can a program that is so well-funded allow a human creative spirit. Perhaps to question funds allocated to collaborative project with arguably brilliant artists and dedi- the arts is in its very nature to be anti-art. And, besides, what cated students collapse into a debacle that one Atelier student could possibly be wrong dubbed, “quite possibly or go wrong with mas- the worst experience of my sively increasing funding How can a program that is so well- life?” for the arts? It’s simple. The Cen- The answer is a lot. funded allow a collaborative proj- ter funded them immensely This brings us back to ect... collapse into a debacle that one but failed to hold them ac- the aforementioned failed countable for the quality of production, which was Atelier student dubbed, “quite possi- the product. produced by the Princeton Another case in point: Atelier, a program which bly the worst experience of my life?” This past summer, three exists under the umbrella students received a Joint of the new Lewis Center for the Arts. The production was Summer Fellowship Award of an undisclosed amount from the Wind-Up, created by directors of the Headlong Dance Theater Lewis Center to develop a new musical called The Nightmare. and Pig Iron Theatre Company, David Brick and Dan Rothen- Theatre Intime, a student group and one of the oldest student- berg, with scenographer Mimi Lien, performed by both Princ- run theaters in the country, picked up the show as part of its eton Atelier students and professional performers. 2008-2009 season. According to the Lewis Center, the Princeton Atelier pro- Intime subjected the then-unfinished Nightmare to a rig- gram exists to foster the “creation of new and exuberant per- orous series of reviews as part of its season-building process. formance works that defy easy categorization” by “bring[ing] Each production proposed for a season must undergo the same professional artists to campus for intensive collaborative work scrutiny. with students and faculty.” Despite the project’s endorsement by the Lewis Center, While in the classroom setting there was undoubtedly a which promised a product of the highest artistic merit, Theatre wealth of collaboration between the students and the Atelier Intime canceled the production in early September because of coordinators, the student performers had miniscule stage time. disagreements between the collaborators and a lack of prog- The audience was packed with Brick and Rothenberg’s New ress. The Lewis Center provided no oversight on the project York and Philadelphia cronies, but when the performance after pumping it with funding. The money was wasted and the ended and the final light cue faded, after only approximately project still sits unfinished. 70 minutes, the audience began to applaud only when urged And last April, Princeton witnessed Roger Q. Mason’s Or- by Brick and Rothenberg. It is impossible for a performance ange Woman: Ballad for a Moor, a production heavily publi- piece to succeed when it fails to take the audience on a journey, cized by both the department and Mason himself, but in much and it is difficult for a student to appreciate a collaborative the same vein as the previous two projects, one that utterly production that doesn’t showcase the student participants. As failed to deliver. Lucas Barron eloquently summarized this a production for and by students, it was a failure. fiasco in the April 2008 issue of The Nassau Weekly. The But it certainly was visually stunning, and that it was so production’s most blatant atrocity was “the plain fact that, for

The over-the-top promotion of Mason’s senior thesis “Orange Woman” highlighted The Lewis Center’s perverted prioritization of appearance over substance. It is only one example of Center’s misappropriation of its funds. October 2008 The Princeton Tory 11 CAMPUS

all its munificence, Princeton has failed to make good on its proachable. This is irresponsible and violates the liberal arts only true promise to Mason: to make him write a play. Instead ideals of the University. Robert Day ‘10 is a philosophy of forcing him to address the same basic problems as other Tilghman believes that “Princeton ought not to follow the major from Philadelphia, PA. thesis-writing seniors, […] the product [was] dressed up in lead of those institutions that have chosen to offer conserva- costumes from the Met and thrown triumphantly on stage”. tory-style, professional-school education in the fine arts to a It is not abnormal to see one flop in any organization’s ar- cadre of students focused on vocational goals.” And while I tistic season, especially in the university setting where the pro- agree with her push for inclusion, the Lewis Center must nev- ducers of the shows are students who are still willing (thank- ertheless be held to the same standards a conservatory holds fully) to experiment. But three utter catastrophes produced by for teaching and preserving the craft of art, not just creativity. an organization called upon by Tilghman to “establish itself as And for the performance arts especially, perhaps an aca- a global leader in the quality of its offerings” is abysmal. demic is not the best person to have in charge of constructing and promoting a season of the scale the Center envisions in the future. The Center has already taken massive strides by hiring An Ineffective Administration the non-academic Marguerite d’Aprile-Smith to publicize its events and the professional Production Stage Manager Carmel- ita Becnel to serve as liaison between students in the Theater The failures of the Wind-Up, Nightmare, and Orange Certificate Program and the Center itself. The Center, how- Woman projects point to more troubling macroscopic issues ever, should take another step before construction on the new which face the Lewis Center. As the organization strives to arts neighborhood begins: it should hire a production manager strengthen its relationship who is directly responsible with the university and the for ensuring the quality of global arts community, it is the productions and exhibi- crucial that its primary focus tions the Lewis Center spon- be on promoting an image of sors. But even before even itself that is not only attrac- that, it must critically assess tive to patrons and prospective how and why it spends its students, but also one which is new monetary gift, and to true. organize itself in such a way Take a look at the sea- that those monies are spent son poster for the Program in responsibly. Theater & Dance. An attrac- Arts rely on risk-takers, tive black girl and a handsome people who live on the edge. white man in beautiful, luxu- Duke Ellington once said, rious period costumes grace “Art is dangerous. It is one the page. The photograph is of the attractions: when it seductive, alluring. It is poster ceases to be dangerous, you from the aforementioned Or- don’t want it.” This sense ange Woman, and more im- Mr. Lewis was thanked with plenty of pomp, which is all that his investment of danger attracts the most portantly, a symbol of the in- into the arts has so far amounted to. unconventional thinkers, eptitude of the Lewis Center. ones who can step outside This image presents, to anyone who saw that production, an of the box. Such thinkers are the kinds of students the Univer- image of the Lewis Center as an organization more interested sity desperately wants to add to its ranks. in promoting a stylized, but ultimately untrue, version of itself For the Lewis Center to accomplish this goal and to be- than endeavoring to produce material that is in keeping with come a hub for the Arts on campus and in the academy at large, its mission statement – performances which will draw patrons it must not only embrace this sense of danger and encourage and students with a passion for the arts. its students to take risks, but it must have the necessary tools In the short term, the Lewis Center does not need a new at its disposal to take action when failure is imminent and the facility or even increased funding. The Center must be com- institutional accountability to ensure the presentation of pro- posed of an administration whose sole aim is to support its ductions that do not just look impressive but are impressive. students and to produce material of the highest quality. To be successful, relevant, and responsive to the needs of its stu- dents, the Center should seriously consider dismantling and rebuilding its entire administrative branch, to establish a clear Douglas Lavanture is a senior in the Eng- hierarchy of power for each of its respective departments, and lish department and is pursuing certificates to make clear to its students what responsibilities each faculty in East Asian Studies and Theater & Dance. or staff member wields within the organization. The Center He was born and raised in Bristol, Indiana. as it exists today does not have a transparent administrative body composed of personnel addressing students’ specific and varied needs. At times members of the Center are utterly unap-

12 The Princeton Tory October 2008 U.S. & WORLD The Credit Crunch Misguided government policies exacerbate mortgage crisis

Johnny Love ’09 & Even though the underestimation of nified their profits in the boom years but risk has been a huge factor in starting the cri- also made them more susceptible to large Kyle Smith ’09 sis, misguided government regulation likely losses when things turned for the worse. s one financial institution after has increased the severity of it. Fair Value While banks ultimately made the decisions another fails or enters a merger to Accounting, the way the Securities and Ex- to keep their leverage levels high, the tax Aavert disaster, many of us wonder change Commission (SEC) tells companies code certainly did not (and still does not) how we got here. For many Princeton stu- they have to value their assets, contributed encourage safe leverage. dents, the decision to go into investment to banks like Lehman Brothers posting such Government regulation is not neces- banking was merely a formality, but now huge losses. Fair Value Accounting requires sarily inherently bad. Limited government career options are shifting. Why is all this that firms price their financial instruments regulation can be a good thing, and in some happening? on their balance sheet at market price. This cases it is very much needed for markets to While many factors function properly. As we are implicated in the cur- have seen with this finan- rent financial crisis, one In the midst of the swirling debate cial crisis, the worst in major culprit was risk mis- generations, even seem- management. A number of about bailouts and economic policy, ingly minor problems in investment banks had a sig- Congress needs to pay attention to and government policy can nificant part of their assets exacerbate major finan- in mortgage-backed secu- fix these entrenched policy mistakes. cial distress. This is not rities, which are formed necessarily to say that the by lumping hundreds of government is the primary mortgages together to reduce the risk of practice sounds reasonable, but in times like cause of our problems, but rather that the se- holding them. To understand why a bank the present, when temporary financial tur- verity of this crisis would most likely not be would do this, consider a person who does moil reduces the market price of mortgage- as significant had there been better policy in not have good credit and has a chance of backed securities well below the reasonable place, such as a more aggressive SEC, which defaulting on his or her mortgage. Buying discounted value of the payments one would could have helped sniff out many reckless the mortgage alone, that is, buying a claim receive by holding the security, it forces financial practices. In the midst of the swirl- to the cash flow generated by the mortgage firms to report massive losses that are not ing debate about bailouts and economic pol- payments, ordinarily involves taking an un- real in any permanent sense. Those securi- icy, Congress needs to pay attention to and necessarily high risk. However, holding a ties are at that low price for now, certainly, fix these entrenched policy mistakes while security that is based on the payments from but they are not going to stay that way in ratcheting up oversight so that the market a hundred of those mortgages in theory sig- the long-term, and, therefore, companies are can work properly, but under the watchful nificantly reduces the risk. While a few of still forced to post unrealistic losses. An al- eye of a vigilant government. the mortgages in the latter case might de- ternative system would be, in times of crisis Some might seize upon this financial fault, the security will not lose much value when a financial instrument has a market crisis as an opportunity to attack free mar- since the vast majority of mortgages in the price a certain percentage below its value kets, but it should not be seen as a reason pool on which that security is based will derived from a discounted cash flow anal- to turn our backs on their inherent vitality. not default. In theory, this practice is sound ysis, to use this latter valuation method to Rather, in light of a better understanding and can explain why a combination of high- protect the firm from being forced to report of our financial system, the current crisis risk mortgages can increase the grade of a temporary large losses that unnecessarily provides an opportunity for reform, making mortgage-backed security. make a firm insolvent. our markets more efficient and trustworthy However, the problem into which Another misguided government policy engines of economic growth. many banks fell is that they seriously un- is the tax code’s treatment of debt versus derestimated the risk that a high number of equity. Right now, equity is subject to subprime mortgages would default nearly more tax than debt, which creates perverse Kyle Smith is a senior in the Eco- simultaneously. Among many reasons, the incentives for firms to hold relatively more nomics Department from Oakton, VA rapid decrease in housing prices left thou- debt. Holding more debt relative to equity sands of people unable to pay their mort- means that a firm becomes more leveraged, gages and suddenly unprepared banks had putting it at a higher risk for losses. Banks Johnny Love is a senior in the ORFE to cover losses that were never seen as a like Merrill Lynch and Lehman Brothers Department from Baton Rouge, LA. realistic possibility. were very highly leveraged, which mag-

October 2008 The Princeton Tory 13 U.S. & WORLD Faith, feminism, and Sarah Palin The Uphill Battle Facing a Woman of Principle

Shivani Radhakrishnan ’11 & and criticized her for her lack of polish or faith, insinuating that her views are far Stuart Chessman ’12 elite education. Such juvenilia is to be too radical for the American people. expected in the rhetoric of the angry Left. The urban, professional, secular bias of n his 2004 speech to the Democratic But their treatment of Palin’s approach liberal sources such as the Huffington National Convention, Barack Obama to two issues—faith and feminism—is Post is evident in its apparent surprise at Ifamously declared that “there is not revealing. the fact that Palin’s “world view is deeply a liberal America and a conservative The Democratic Party has taken great impacted by religion.” America— there is the United States pains to paint conservatives as impervious In suggesting that Palin’s belief of America.” But for all his supposed to the needs of the blue-collar worker and in basic tenets of Christianity such as commitment to unity and inclusiveness, the middle-class American. Given their baptism and miraculous healings are his supporters on the Left have taken portrayal of Republicans, their response somehow bizarre, the Left insults the over a very different approach. In their to Palin’s religion, a response echoed 76 percent of Americans that identify treatment of Sarah Palin, they have by their many friends in the media, is of as Christians. Her views might seem displayed a disappointing penchant for particular interest. Liberal media sources wholly shocking to many Democrats divisiveness and disdain. They have (as well as many mainstream ones) have and much of the mainstream media, mocked Palin for being from rural Alaska raised numerous questions about Palin’s but to the average Christian, they are

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14 The Princeton Tory October 2008 U.S. & WORLD quite normal. This reveals a troubling distance between modern liberalism and the average American. Liberals criticize conservatives for being oblivious to the needs of the middle class while simultaneously failing to understand the importance of faith to a majority of Americans. The Left has been similarly out-of- touch on women’s issues. Feminists have worked enthusiastically to convince the country that, despite the historic nature of her candidacy, Palin’s ascension to higher office would not represent a major advancement for women and their rights. As Eleanor Smeal, president of the Feminist Majority Foundation, writes, “we are not against a woman being on a ticket for president. We wish it was a ticket that stood for women and women’s rights. Since it doesn’t, we’re opposing that ticket.” Sarah Seltzer echoes this view in the Huffington Post, complaining that “[i]t’s as though the McCain Camp Sarah Palin has become a victim of the ever-hypocritical leftist feminists. believes our irrational she-hormones will lead us, like sheep, to pull the lever for allowing it to encompass other issues and and recognize her deep understanding any candidate who looks like us, even perspectives. This potential is grounded in of their anxieties and values. They fear if she has a strong record, as Palin does, Palin’s own life. She has had to handle the a future in which the faith of a vast of standing against women’s interests.” stresses of raising a family while working majority of Americans is acknowledged Here, as with middle-class and blue- a strenuous job, and these experiences and celebrated, and in which “feminist” collar Americans, the Left claims that it have taught her that curtailing the size of is more than just shorthand for “liberal has the true interests of women at heart. government and lowering taxes are the female.” In the end, their incessant attacks The mainstream feminist definition best policies for middle-class working have only proven how distant they really of these interests, however, is strikingly moms. She understands that government are from the beliefs and concerns of those shrinkage and tax cuts they claim to speak for. will remove obstacles Feminists have worked to women’s success; she recognizes that women, enthusiastically to convince the no less than men, can be trusted to make economic country that, despite the historic choices without the “help” nature of her candidacy, Palin’s of the state. It is no surprise that the people of ascension to higher office Alaska, men and women alike, have given her the would not represent a major highest approval rating Shivani Radhakrishnan advancement for women and in the nation, supporting is a sophomore from Mt. her efforts in stamping Hope, NY and a prospective their rights. out corruption in Alaskan philosophy major. politics and slashing costs in three hundred narrow, constrained by the agenda of the construction projects across the state. Stuart Chessman is a freshman modern Left. Feminists are particularly The criticisms directed at Sarah and prospective Classics major. vexed by Palin’s staunch pro-life record Palin—the claims that she is out of touch He is a committed and thinking and her opposition to the expansions with the very segments of the American paleoconservative. of government that they call for. Sarah public that she belongs to and personally Palin’s nomination has the potential to identifies with—stem from a profound take feminism beyond its obsession with sense of fear. Palin’s detractors fear Roe v. Wade and tax-and-spend policies, that voters will see her as one of them,

October 2008 The Princeton Tory 15 U.S. & WORLD Pakistan: That OTHER Election... A conversation with Pakistani student Faaez ul- Haq ’11 about the future of U.S.–Pakistan relations

region. You cannot begin as if every day Pakistan and India have continued Matt Sanyour ’11 is a new day.” to dispute territory located near the 1947 The Pakistani nation, originally a border, most notably in the province akistan has loomed large in recent part of the British Raj, broke away from of Kashmir, a region that has inspired months as it has undergone a a newly independent India as a result of no fewer than four wars. Relations Pwrenching transition from nearly religious strife between Muslims and between India and Pakistan worsened a decade of military dictatorship under Hindus. Pakistan witnessed the outflow of when both states conducted weapons General Pervez Musharraf tests signifying their nuclear to the inauguration of its power status in 1998. For all first democratically elected these reasons, Pakistan’s brief president since 1999, Asif Ali history has been marked by Zardari, leader of the Pakistan periodic wars and alternating People’s Party and widower of currents of democratic reform former Prime Minister Benazir and authoritarian crackdown, Bhutto. The first presidential culminating in the collapse of debate featured a heated the most recent military regime. discussion of the reliability of Faaez observered, “We have Pakistan as an ally in the global not had a continuous stretch war on terror, suggesting that of democracy for more than this issue will be central to the ten years. Because it has been next administration. interrupted, the civil society Where will the U.S.- has not developed properly.” Pakistan relationship go over And, despite its political the next four years and beyond? youth, Pakistan is also a land of What does its transition to ancient civilization predating democracy mean for this the political strife of the relationship? To answer these twentieth century and including questions, an examination of both eras of great achievement, Pakistan’s troubled history and times of troubles. The and unsettled current situation nation still bears the scars of is called for. In addition to ambitious empires long since my own research, I sat down fallen, a problem that has with Pakistani student Faaez contributed to its tribal unrest. ul-Haq ’11 to discuss his own Musharraf’s commitment perspective on these issues, to the prosecution of the War as well as his opinion of the on Terror has always been a two candidates’ divergent source of controversy. While Musharraf has been more likely to support the US in word than in deed. approaches to U.S.-Pakistani he stepped forward as a U.S. ally relations. its regional Hindu minority and the mass after 9/11 at great risk to himself and his Pakistan is a relatively young country. immigration of Muslims from Hindu- government, prior to 9/11 his regime was It has only existed as an independent entity dominated regions in modern-day India. one of only three nations to recognize since 1947. As I began my conversation For this reason, Pakistani nationhood has the Taliban as the legitimate Afghan with Faaez, he emphasized this particular long been shaped, for better or worse, government. Pakistan’s government point several times. “America,” he said, by its antagonistic relationship with its initially aided U.S. efforts in the nearly “needs to understand the history of the majority-Hindu neighbor to the west. impregnable Hindu Kush region along the

16 The Princeton Tory October 2008 U.S. & WORLD

Afghan-Pakistani border, only to fall back than “buffer zones” against terrorist by “what may be called the problems in 2006 due to security concerns within activities in Afghanistan, to use the term of a failed state” in infrastructure, the country and sign a peace agreement Faaez applied to the attitude of the central hierarchy, and civil institutions is an with the rural resistance that called itself government toward Baluchistan. important distinction to make, in contrast the “Pakistan Taliban” in exchange for an Yet Pakistan has shown promising to Obama’s less sympathetic posturing end to hostilities. Though a firm ally of development in these past several toward Pakistan. the United States in words, the Pakistani months. Though, as Faaez government has often struggled to match said, Pakistanis “knew this commitment in practice. the transition would not With Musharaff’s decline, prospects be an easy time,” fears of Although Pakistan is making for the future of the U.S.-Pakistani a political meltdown in strides towards democracy, relationship remain uncertain. Although one of the world’s most Pakistan is making strides towards unstable nuclear powers it retains many features of a democracy, it retains many features of a were assuaged. U.S. aid is troubled state, particularly in the troubled state, particularly in the forms crucial to building on this of corruption and nepotism. promising foundation, but forms of corruption and nepotism. In a controversial verdict reached in this aid must be provided April of this year, Zardari was acquitted with an awareness of of several counts of murder in the Pakistan’s political and bureaucratic Faaez’s assessment was relatively homicides of a retired judge and his son realities. As Faaez stressed, American even-handed, offering that both candidates in 1996, and a Pakistani steel tycoon in funding “must be made public and had their strengths and weaknesses. 1998, all of which were believed to be transparent, not through the I.S.I. [the However, Senator McCain’s stance seems politically motivated. The undeniable Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence, to indicate a more acute awareness of nepotism in Zardari’s succession to the Pakistan’s primary covert organization the issues facing Pakistan in its difficult leadership of his wife’s party is also with strong ties to the outgoing military transition and of the sensitivity required troubling. However, Faaez said that regime].” He pointed out that, despite the in dealing with these issues. Obama’s despite Zardari and his party’s history incentives to corruption that sending aid baffling belligerence risks sending the of nepotism and corruption, “[i]t is very money through parliamentary channels wrong message to the Pakistani people important to support the process and the would provide, the use of such channels at exactly the wrong time, endangering institutions; democracy and the courts.” is worth the benefit of weakening the Pakistan’s progress and thus endangering Prospects for Pakistan’s role in the ISI’s hold on much of the government. the prospects of its development into a War on Terror are also unclear. While In light of this complex situation, stable, reliable ally in the War on Terror. President Zardari pledges support for it is worth closing with a review of Whoever becomes president, however, it American efforts, he is in a difficult both presidential candidates’ stances on is clear that, in dealing with our embattled position to offer very much assistance. Pakistan and what they promise for the ally, he will face an exceedingly difficult next four years. task. Faaez’s comments on Prospects for Pakistan’s role the candidates suggest that Pakistanis are ambivalent in the War on Terror are on the future: “Obama was unclear. While President correct to say America should not have supported Zardari pledges support for Musharraf against the people—a 21st century American efforts, he is in a power should not do this… Matthew Sanyour is a sophomore difficult position to offer very But there is a glaring from West Chester, Pennsylvania, contradiction in Obama’s planning to major in Politics. much assistance. foreign policy—the air strikes. The [Pakistani] people will not be with you To the contrary, Pakistan remains if you violate their sovereignty.” dependent on American aid as it battles Of Senator McCain, he said, “McCain an increasingly bellicose secessionist is right when he says Pakistan is a failed movement in Baluchistan, the tribal state…That is obviously a failed state province in which infamous 9/11 because the primary purpose of a state is to mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed ensure the safety of its citizens. McCain (KSM) was born and raised. For too long, is totally right.” Faaez went on to say the Pakistani government has neglected that McCain’s contention that Pakistan’s these regions, treating them as little more government is a US ally that is hindered

October 2008 The Princeton Tory 17 LAST WORD The Unencumbered Mind Musings on Princeton as an intel- lectual battleground, the horrors of abortion, and Senator Barack Obama’s corrupt philosophy

relationships and the transcendent power themselves of reason), may take us to Brandon McGinley ’10 of faith. very inhuman places. This is what I But here I am, and it is a decision feared coming to Princeton; this is what eople who know me well have that I do not regret for a moment. Rather we fight. heard me speak of a strain of anti- than a colony of high-minded eggheads All of these thoughts came flooding Pintellectualism that runs through (although they’re certainly still around), back to me over the course of one day in me and my worldview. By this, I do not I found here at Princeton an intellectual early October. October 5 was Respect mean that I harbor some sort of passive- battleground on whose front lines this Life Sunday, a day dedicated, as Pastor aggressive disdain for my Matt Ristuccia so eloquently professors or that I eschew explained at the interfaith the marketplace of ideas service that afternoon, to and intellectual discourse remembering those innocent that is the lifeblood of the There is a tendency... to lose oneself victims of the horror of university. I have, though, in the life of the mind, to entangle abortion, reordering our for many years, maintained priorities in our hearts and an intense skepticism for the oneself so thoroughly in the minds, and recommitting to life of the mind untethered the struggle of the cause. It is to, unencumbered by, and thickets of theories and criticisms on days such as these that we unintegrated with the life of are poignantly and concretely this world and its emotional that the vital connections to the reminded that our work and physical realities. human experience are severed. at Princeton is not merely This was precisely the an intellectual exercise in reason that, two and a half argument for argument’s sake, years ago now, I seriously but an effort in defense of the considered rejecting Princeton’s offer magazine fights. Rather than being very lives of those millions each year who of admission in favor of that from the surrounded and eventually swallowed by are far too weak to defend themselves. University of Notre Dame. At the the unencumbered mind, I have joined the Later that afternoon at the Pro-Life, time, I more coarsely defined my anti- struggle against its excesses. Pro-Family reception for students and intellectualism as the preference for For there is a tendency, perhaps even faculty, Professor John Londregan spoke practicality over theory, but in retrospect a temptation, and I do not know from the words that were the primary impetus I recognize that my current formulation where it originates, to lose oneself in the for this essay. He reminded the audience explains my sensations toward the two life of the mind, to entangle oneself so that, when a child emerges from the universities. Princeton was to me solely thoroughly in the thickets of theories and womb, the toddler into whose family the the realm of the mind where thoughts criticisms that the vital connections to the new life is born invariably recognizes his and theory carried the day regardless of human experience are severed. Reason sister as a baby. She is not a particularly their ultimate connection to the reality of is certainly one supremely important, well-developed fetus. She is not a drain our experience. Notre Dame, although some would say sacred aspect of our on the family’s emotional and financial certainly a place of fine thoughts, seemed humanity. But the mind, untethered to resources. She is not an “it.” She is a to ground itself in a world that I recognized, such touchstones as human dignity and sister; she is a daughter; she is a child. one defined by the sacredness of personal compassion (products, it must be said, The statement was devastating to

18 The Princeton Tory October 2008 LAST WORD those who would claim that the infant is began advocating for the legislation that makes Senator Obama’s candidacy so a non-person, as the toddler immediately, Senator Obama consistently opposed. disconcerting. The mind that can justify instinctively recognizes one of his own. Such abject cruelty can only be the slaying of live infants based on the To take her life as she first sees the light countenanced by a person whose mind has ideology, the theology, of choice is not of this world by sucking out her brain hurdled the obstacle of moral intuition. one that is conducive to general political with a vacuum would be recognized by The senator’s official explanation is that moderation, as the senator is selling her brother as an act of inconceivably the legislation was written so broadly that himself to the American people. The fact inhuman brutality. To deny the personhood potentially, at some point in the future, it is, we do not know what exactly Barack of the helpless infant is a denial of every could be construed to limit some types Obama thinks, save for rare moments intuition written on the hearts of ideological candor, such of man, whether by his as his aforementioned votes Creator or by nature, and can The mind that can justify the in Illinois and his infamous only be reached by the mind “clinging” comment. The which has lost itself in theory, slaying of live infants based on the unintegrated intellect is unintegrated with the finer pernicious enough in the ivory truths of our human nature. ideology, the theology, of choice towers of the academy; its Most distressing this is not one that is conducive to effect in the White House will October, though, is that the only be able to be accurately phenomenon of unintegrated general political moderation, as measured by history. intellectualism, often thought And so my original to be primarily confined to the the senator is selling himself to the simplistic anti-intellectualism, academy, has risen to national born back in the angst- political prominence in the American people. filled days of conservative person of Senator Barack adolescence, has not only Obama. Senator Obama survived more than two voted four times in the Illinois State of abortion. This points to a disturbing years of Princeton, but has morphed and Senate to deny those infants who survive moral prioritization of ideology over matured into an idea, dare I say, a theory, botched abortions, termed aggravated basic human dignity. that informs my politics, my ethics, my assault or attempted murder in every An intellect and a philosophy life. It is the purpose of the university other circumstance, their right to life. A unencumbered by the reality of the human student to experiment with ideas and to Chicago nurse who had been ordered to experience, including the moral intuition engage in the life of the mind. But the leave a child to die in a hospital’s utility of dignity and compassion, cannot simply questions must always but posed as we closet and watched him perish in her arms manifest itself in life issues, which is what delve deeper into the thickets: Does this comport with my experience? Does this comport with the human experience? If the answer is yes, then by all means press forward, keep digging, search for that truth. If the answer is no, then it is time to turn around, to find a new path, to reconnect with the touchstones of our humanity before it is too late.

Brandon McGinley is a junior ma- joring in Politics from Pittsburgh, PA. He is a Managing Editor for the Tory.

Senator Obama’s stance on abortion reflects an alarming apathy towards the human condition.

October 2008 The Princeton Tory 19 In Memoriam

Sgt. 1st Class Daniel R. Sexton September 10, 2008 Non-Combat Related Incident Pvt. Michael W. Murdock September 11, 2008 Hostile Fire Senior Chief Petty Officer John W. Marcum September 11, 2008 Hostile Fire Chief Petty Officer Jason R. Freiwald September 11, 2008 Hostile Fire Chief Warrant Officer Michael Slebodnik September 11, 2008 Hostile Fire Chaplain (Col.) Sidney J. Marceaux, Jr. September 14, 2008 Non-Combat Related Incident Sgt. Wesley R. Durbin September 14, 2008 Non-Combat Related Incident Staff Sgt. Darris J. Dawson September 14, 2008 Non-Combat Related Incident Lt. Col. Ralph J. Marino September 14, 2008 Non-Combat Related Incident Staff Sgt. Jason A. Vazquez September 17, 2008 IED 1st Lt. Mohsin A. Naqvi September 17, 2008 IED Capt. Bruce E. Hays September 17, 2008 IED Sgt. Joshua W. Harris September 17, 2008 IED Pfc. Leonard J. Gulczynski I September 17, 2008 Non-Combat Related Incident Capt. Darrick D. Wright September 17, 2008 Non-Combat Related Incident Staff Sgt. Brandon W. Farley September 18, 2008 Hostile Fire Lt. Col. James L. Wiley September 18, 2008 Non-Combat Related Incident 1st Lt. Robert Vallejo II September 18, 2008 Non-Combat Related Incident Cpl. Michael E. Thompson September 18, 2008 Non-Combat Related Incident Chief Warrant Officer Brady J. Rudolf September 18, 2008 Non-Combat Related Incident 1st Sgt. Julio C. Ordonez September 18, 2008 Non-Combat Related Incident Sgt. Anthony L. Mason September 18, 2008 Non-Combat Related Incident Sgt. Daniel M. Eshbaugh September 18, 2008 Non-Combat Related Incident Chief Warrant Officer Corry A. Edwards September 18, 2008 Non-Combat Related Incident Sgt. Jerome C. Bell, Jr. September 19, 2008 Hostile Fire Capt. Bruno G. Desolenni September 20, 2008 IED Third Class Petty Officer Matthew J. O’Bryant September 20, 2008 Hostile Fire Pvt. Joseph F. Gonzales September 20, 2008 IED Staff Sgt. Nathan M. Cox September 20, 2008 IED Maj. Rodolfo I. Rodriguez September 20, 2008 IED Staff Sgt. Matthew J. Taylor September 21, 2008 Hostile Fire 1st Lt. Thomas J. Brown September 23, 2008 Hostile Fire Capt. Michael J. Medders September 24, 2008 IED Staff Sgt. Ronald Phillips, Jr. September 25, 2008 IED Pfc. Jamel A. Bryant September 27, 2008 Non-Combat Related Incident Sgt. William E. Hasenflu September 28, 2008 Hostile Fire Sgt. 1st Class Gary J. Vasquez September 29, 2008 IED Sgt. 1st Class Jamie S. Nicholas September 29, 2008 IED Capt. Richard G. Cliff, Jr. September 29, 2008 IED Spec. Christopher T. Fox September 29, 2008 Hostile Fire Pfc. Christopher A. Bartkiewicz September 30, 2008 Hostile Fire Spec. Jason E. von Zerneck October 2, 2008 Non-Combat Related Incident Pfc. Tavarus D. Setzler October 2, 2008 IED Sgt. William P. Rudd October 5, 2008 Hostile Fire Col. Michael R. Stahlman October 5, 2008 Non-Combat Related Incident

20 The Princeton Tory October 2008