The Political Review Political Vanderbilt Spring/Summer 2010 t h B e a h l n e a a a n t l c t i o i h n n g ’ s Opinion by Guy Kopsombut, Senior, College of Engineering Spring/Summer 2010 VPR Volume 3, Issue 2 TheVanderbiltOnline Co-Presidents Gracie Smith Political Review Matthew Taylor Sideshows and Sensationalism Vice Presidents Allegra Noonan Jeffrey Jay Naveed Nanjee Secretary Melissa O’Neill Thursday, August 5 marked the end of relentless, direct and, some- Treasurer Ryan Higgins times, inflammatory political advertisements in Tennessee, Vanderbilt’s home state. Numerous primary elections were held across the state, Editor-in-Chief Libby Marden but the headlining event was the primary held to determine the Re- Online Director Noah Fram publican nomination for Tennessee’s upcoming gubernatorial election in Events Director Hannah Jarmolowski November. Bill Haslam, Knoxville mayor and prominent state business- Public Relations Lauren Ashley Rollins man, secured the nomination in a landslide victory over U.S. Represen- Lindsey Bohl tative Zach Wamp and Lieutenant Governor Ron Ramsey, but odds are that, unless you are a resident of Tennessee, you do not know anything Community Outreach Allena Berry about these politicians. However, I am willing to bet that, at the very Alumni Relations Grace Aviles least, you have heard someone mention the name Basil Marceaux in the last few weeks... Print Editors Eliza Horn Vann Bentley Read More: Gabriel Nunez http://vanderbiltpoliticalreview.com/2010/08/07/sideshows-and-sensationalism/ Nathan Rothschild Christina Rogers Musings of a Disgruntled South Carolinian Hannah Rogers Noah Fram Andrea Clabough Brittany Jenkins Before I begin, let me apologize. I do not normally allow my emotions Emily Morgenstern to get the better of me, but this situation simply could not be analyzed David Yampolsky objectively.There is real and valid debate over good and bad ways to combat poverty in this country. Some think that it must be reduced by reducing the income gap between the poor and the wealthy, or by of- John Foshee Online Writers fering more substantial financial assistance to persons and families in Jeff Jay distress. Others say the dilemma is one of incentives, and that benefits Brian Mason ought be curtailed, thus encouraging people to find work... Maggie Martinez Jillian Hanneken Read More: http://vanderbiltpoliticalreview.com/2010/01/29/musings-of-a-disgruntled-south-carolinian/ Events Staff Brittney Johnson Michal Durkiewicz Zaid Choudry Vanderbilt‘s first and only multi-partisan academic journal featuring essays Caitlin Rooney pertaining to political, social, and economic events that are taking place in Keneth Colonel our world as we speak. Founded in spring 2008 by Jadzia Butler, the organization published its first Faculty Advisers Mark Dalhouse issue in fall 2008. Since that time, VPR has expanded into a three branched organization through print, online, and events. Francis Wcislo 2 VanderbiltPoliticalReview.com VPR | Spring/Summer 2010 4 A Professor’s Perspective: John Lachs Interview conducted by Allegra Noonan and Matthew Taylor 5 Constructing the Obama Doctrine: How to Assess and Address Global Warming Tarun Galagali Dartmouth College 7 The Mad Hatter’s Tea Party: A Trip Through Rhetorical Wonderland Kenneth Colonel Class of 2012 College of Arts & Science 8 Virginia’s Gubernatorial Election: A sign of ‘Change’ in 2010 Garrett Sweitzer Class of 2012 College of Arts & Science 10 Economics, Gorillas, and Frying Pans Blake Green Class of 2013 College of Arts & Science 11 Should the UK Join the Euro? Jennifer Verran-Lingard Class of 2010 College of Arts & Science 12 World Cup 2010: Hopes set too high for the Rainbow Nation Naveed Nanjee Class of 2011 College of Arts & Science 13 Israel, Palestine, and the Real Shadow War Noah Fram Class of 2013 College of Arts & Science 14 How Should You Treat A Friend? On the current state of American-Israeli relations Theo Samets Class of 2011 College of Arts and Science The Vanderbilt Political Review | Spring/Summer 2010 3 A Professor’s Perspective: John Lachs A Professor’s Perspec- there will be some rationing. We have ra- but not for me. tioning now, but it operates on different tive: John Lachs principles. This is systematic rationing. VPR: On the other end of the spectrum, What worries me is that when governed what do you think about the death pen- by a panel, bureaucrats and politicians alty? will make it so there are no exceptions. That is very inhuman. If you put the three Lachs: The classical justification for together (the bureaucrats, the politicians, capital punishment may not work, but and the rationing), it becomes very prob- it’s the classical one. It was worked out, lematic. oddly enough, by Kant, who is known to us as the person saying things like, “You VPR: Do you think that it’s the “ration- must never use human beings as a means ing” that has made people so violent, or only.” What the hell are you doing then? is it something else? Death is an ends to itself. The justifica- tion works. You do something, and you Lachs: I think people view it as they view know that it has consequences. So, you their relationship to government….In the don’t just choose the act, say of killing U.S. more than in Europe, deep suspi- somebody, you choose the entire bundle, cion in government is not always valid, including the consequences. So, there- Interview conducted by Allegra Noonan and but it is real. Actually, it’s not valid, but fore, we put you to death. Suppose we Matthew Taylor it’s real. [It’s] the idea that somehow bu- have laws saying, you kill someone we reaucrats and politicans will govern the put you to death. We’re not using humans VPR: Do you think that health care re- treatment that we’re going to going to as means, we’re honoring your choice. form is ethically imperative? receive at the hand of our physician, that But, I am not a Kantian, much closer there’s not going to be a personal rela- to a sensible utilitarian. I want to know, Lachs: No. It has some good features to tionship between physician and payment, does killing people work? And we have it but some very problematic ones. If you but instead there will be a third party. It’s all sorts of contradictory data on that. It’s consider companies that turn a profit, you bad enough if it’s an insurance company, full of contradiction. All I can be sure of have to consider that they’re now going but it’s real bad if it’s the government. I is one thing: anybody put to death is un- to have to take everyone no matter their think that’s got something to do with it. likely to commit the same crime again. medical condition. and they are going to have to make no exceptions. What does VPR: Do you think some of it is mean- VPR: During President Obama’s cam- that mean? Inevitably, the price of insur- spiritedness? paign, he promised to close down Guan- ance will rise. That’s a given. People are tanamo Bay, and he hasn’t. What do you going to game the system because they Lachs: Sure. You know that people are think about the ethics of using that as an always game the system, and they’re go- not nice. At least, not always. extraterritorial place where the govern- ing to go ahead and not sign up until they ment does what it wants? need to sign up. It will be very costly. VPR: Another major problem people The real problem grows out of this. That have with the health care bill is its provi- Lachs: What the government does tends is, sooner or later costs will get so high, sion for abortion funding, what do you to be heavy-handed, almost always. there will have to be choices made about think about that? Guantanamo Bay is a classic case. We what is covered. They will have to decide don’t know who’s a killer, we don’t know what will and will not be covered and Lachs: That’s a special deal for some who’s in Al Qaeda, and we don’t know who will and who will not be covered. people. That’s very problematic for some who is a terrorist so we keep them. That’s This will be very bad for older people. In- people. I, personally, don’t believe it’s not good. On the other hand, you release evitably, there will be things that simply very problematic at an early stage. It’s a them and they’ll be in Afganistan within will not be done. And we’re gonna give huge issue for some people but not for two weeks, so that’s not good either. It’s the reasoning that they’ve already had me. Whether that should be paid for by really a very nasty situation. Now, there’s their lives. A death sentence for seniors federally sanctioned funds is not an issue no easy way out. We don’t want the nasty is too dramatic, but there’s no question that I… it’s a huge issue for some people, ones next door. Other countries won’t 4 VanderbiltPoliticalReview.com take them. The real bite is that there were pieces of legislation. This just needs to be self-control. And one of the things that I some among them. A number of them part of the legislation. come to again and again is that I don’t were actually harmless but were swept believe that there is such a thing as ad- up in an operation and they ended up in High security is dangerous, [such as] giv- diction.