Wednesday, February 7, 2007

Money Issues

There is no nice way to say this: we are broke. You have probably noticed that the Right World View is formatted very differently than it usually is. Fear not, if you prefer to read this publication in its standard format (11x17 tabloid) it is available (in color) on our website (www.RightWorldView.com). You would think that as a member of the Finance Board (the Chair no less) that I would be able to ensure full funding for any club I am affiliated with. This couldn't be further from the truth. To prevent even the hint of favoritism, Finance Board members are required to recuse themselves in any matters pertaining to clubs they are involved with. In other words, I had no impact on how much money this publication would receive from the school, and had no input as to whether the Right World View would even be approved as a club.

The school did provide us with some funding, for which we are grateful, but it was not near what creating a school publication would need. Like any good club that needed more money, we set out to fundraise. We have had great success doing so, fundraising almost double the amount of money given to us by Manhattanville. Obviously, we have hit a snag. The funding we had lined up for this issue fell through at the last minute. We are doing everything in our power to ensure that this will not happen again for any future issues.

The problem (besides the funding) is that if we did not put this issue out now, the information it contains would be outdated by the time we were financially able to print it. Additionally, we would not be able to classify ourselves as a monthly publication. In order to be considered one, the publication must have an issue come out each month (at least six issues at this point, and certainly no less than five). We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your understanding.



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Iraq Surge or Withdrawal?

Iraq Surge or Withdrawal?

In light of the recent anti-war protest, we have decided to take a look at the war in Iraq and what should be done.

Right World View


As you read this, multiple wars are being fought. The one most muddled in controversy can easily be said to be Iraq. At the time of its start, it seemed necessary. Regardless of the reality of the situation then, this perception led to hostilities. Right or wrong, we cannot go back in time and change what happened and we must make the best of the current situation. So, what is to be done now?

Some say we should drop everything and leave now. This is probably the worst thing we can do. It would show the world that Americans are unwilling to take casualties. As our enemies have said, give the Americans a bloody nose and they will withdraw. Proving them right will only invite further attacks. Don't get me wrong, every American casualty (or that of an innocent bystander) is a tragedy, but they are also virtually unavoidable. Don't think for one second that if we left today the violence would end tomorrow. Leaving before the country is stabilized will ensure continuing conflict with the strong possibility of frequent massacres.

Maintaining the status quo does not seem like a good solution either. Although in the scheme of things, losing a few soldiers a day doesn't jeopardize our national security, that does not mean that it is something that should just be accepted. Everything possible must be done to reduce our long term projection of casualties that, at the same time, won't plunge a vitally important region into massive chaos.

Some things are worth fighting for. The prospect of losses must not deter people from accomplishing what must be done. As mentioned before, casualties are bad, but are also sometime necessary. The "good fight" must be fought.

An increase in troop levels holds the potential to bring this conflict to a favorable resolution. Our overall strategy has to be one of empowering the Iraqis to defend themselves. Before we leave, Iraq must be able to defend itself from without (from Iran in particular) and from within (the insurgents). We should not let Iraq revert to its former state. Stability at the price of freedom is not worth paying. The chaos of freedom is preferable to the stability of mass graves.

As for the war protester, they have a right to protest. It is a right that virtually all Americans cherish even if they elect not to protest themselves. There is something to be said about decency, though. It was reported that some protesters were spitting on a wounded Iraqi war veteran who was counter protesting. That kind of behavior crosses the line. Despite the actions of (hopefully) only a few protesters who crossed that line, protesting itself is generally a healthy form of voicing your opinion. When the conflict does come to an end, protesting is a freedom that Iraqis will hopefully be able to enjoy without fearing a suicide bomber will disrupt their gathering.



Right World View Article Link:
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Letter From the Editor (Right World View Vol. I, No. 6)

Let me start this letter by sending my sincere condolences to Joseph Zahornacky's friends and family. Though I did not know him well, based on the many stories circulated after the tragedy, it is regrettable that I did not get to spend more time with him. If you read nothing else in this issue, I would encourage you to turn to pages 4 and 5 for a tribute to Joseph Zahornacky by some of his close friends here at Manhattanville.

It is notable the way the entire campus came together in the wake of the tragedy. Here at Manhattanville, there was a massive outpouring of sympathy and support from both the student body and the administration. Despite our relatively small population, enough people cancelled their previous plans to fill a significant portion of the O'Byrne Chapel during the memorial service.

The beginning of this semester has also seen the administration and student body getting along in other matters. Though it started out a bit rocky, on the two major issues thus far into the semester, notably 100 Nights and the finals week schedule, we have managed to come to amicable solutions before it was too late for both issues.

Changing topics, hearing people "trash talk" our country lately has led me to compare our country to others. Perhaps the most striking difference between our country and the so called "better country" (from the perspective of some), the USSR under Stalin, is that we are free to voice any of our dislikes of this country. People living under Stalin in the Soviet Union had no such luxury.

Here in America, people of differing view points will ban together to ensure the right to express their differing viewpoints. Free speech is something that nearly all Americans hold dear. Trying the same dissident speech permitted in our country in the USSR under Stalin would have resulted in vastly different outcomes.

Voicing opposition to the government was not permitted. If you were caught speaking out against the country you were likely to disappear. Not only were you picked up in the dead of night never to be seen again (either killed or sent to rot in some prison for the rest of your life), but the Soviets (or "Reds" as they were sometimes referred to) might then set out to erase you from history. It would be as if you never existed. Quite frankly, I'm proud to be an American living in a country where I and everyone else has no need to fear free thought and expression; a place where behavior like that (making people disappear) certainly wouldn't fly.



Sincerely,
Andrew Berman
Editor-in-Chief
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