Opinion - The Daily Cardinal

OPINION

Leftist motivation and its concerns

By by Noah Phillips | Oct. 1, 2012

I recently finished a brilliant book called The Unbearable Lightness of Being, by Milan Kundera. It was brilliant in several respects, but one of the most brilliant elements of it, for me, was its portrayal of “the Left,” and “Leftists.” The thread of the Left, according to this book, is not the thread of this ideology or that doctrine. A Leftist is not necessarily a communist or an anarchist or a democrat or a republican (though these ideals have been and are espoused by those who identify as Leftists). The thread instead is that of the idealists who sat around my dining room table this morning, conversing with bright eyes and loud voices.

OPINION

More summer classes should be offered

By Steven Wishau - The Daily Cardinal and by Kate Krebs | Sep. 30, 2012

Summertime is sacred to the student. It’s a chance to relax, work extra hours to save up some money and maybe even go on vacation.

OPINION

Romney should listen to Latino voters

By By: Jacob Riederer | Sep. 27, 2012

Latinos are the fastest-growing ethnic group in the United States, accounting for half of the nation's total growth in the past decade. Thus, this ever-growing voting block will undoubtedly have a significant impact in the upcoming presidential election, especially in key swing states like Florida, Colorado and Nevada. Historically, Latinos have voted Democratically ,with 67 percent of all Hispanics voting for Barack Obama in 2008. However, this could change if Republicans adopt smart, modern, pro-immigration policies.

OPINION

YouTube video embarrassing and disgraceful to America

By By Michael Penn | Sep. 27, 2012

Americans are messed up with privilege. There is no other way to begin this. This is the initial thought I conjured as I rattle through my pop culture-bred membrane as we discover detail after detail of the production of “Innocence of Muslims,” a film that has incited riots and a U.S. embassy attack which left an ambassador dead and three others wounded.

OPINION

Politicians need to be honest to spark genuine debate

By Andrew Haffner and By Jonny Shapiro | Sep. 26, 2012

The first lesson you learned about honesty probably involved telling your kindergarten classmate that it was you who ate his pudding. What you won’t learn in kindergarten is the slightly more serious and considerably more cynical idea that honesty is not always the best policy. Mitt Romney and his now-infamous 47 percent speech exemplify this in the field of today’s competitive politics. Not to say that his statements were correct in any way, and not to say that they didn’t mark his entire political party with a label of disdainful arrogance, but it does say something about whether or not candidates should really be honest with the public. Is it in a candidate’s self-interest to divulge their real opinions?

OPINION

Ordinances invoke opposite reactions

By The Daily Cardinal Editorial Board | Sep. 26, 2012

In recent weeks, the city passed two ordinances aiming to improve Madison’s safety and comfort. One, supported by Mayor Paul Soglin, tries to make State Street a more comfortable area by outlawing panhandling, or begging, on its grounds. The other, which lacks the mayor’s support, allows cabs to pick up flagging patrons on the 500 block of State Street between 10 p.m. and 4 a.m.

OPINION

Politics losing sight on foreign policy

By By: Evan Favill | Sep. 25, 2012

American politics seems to have undergone a sort of implosion in recent years. No, I’m not referring to the increased partisanship and extremism that has dominated the news for the past few election cycles. What I’m worried about is a reduction in the scope of our concerns.

OPINION

More self-questioning needs to accompany political discourse

By By: Mitch Taylor and Alex Pacheco | Sep. 24, 2012

This past weekend I returned to my hometown, Milwaukee, Wis., to cross an item off my bucket list that’s been there since 2008: Watching President Barack Obama, the first African-American president and one of the best campaigners in recent history, speak in person.

OPINION

President Obama impresses in Milwaukee

By by Michael Brost | Sep. 24, 2012

This past weekend I returned to my hometown, Milwaukee, Wis., to cross an item off my bucket list that’s been there since 2008: Watching President Barack Obama, the first African-American president and one of the best campaigners in recent history, speak in person.

OPINION

Israeli aid needed for Palestine to provide for its citizens

By by Zac Pestine | Sep. 23, 2012

Let me start off by addressing the fact that solely by virtue of being human, every person throughout the world possesses fundamental, inalienable human rights. To quote John Locke, and later Thomas Jefferson, among these rights are “life, liberty and property” (or “the pursuit of happiness”). Just as human beings have these inalienable rights, nations too have rights that must be preserved and cannot be infringed upon. The Palestinian people are a nation. They have a history, they have a culture and they maintain the right to be a sovereign state. Regardless of Mitt Romney’s views, as a people they are not hell-bent on obliterating Israel, and their culture is not inherently inferior to that of the Israeli’s. Why then is this Israeli/Palestinian peace process such an ordeal? Why does it continue to remain stagnant? Why is there still such a great magnitude of animosity harbored on both sides?

OPINION

Permanent shelter needs more support

By by Kate Krebs and JoEllen Amato | Sep. 23, 2012

On any given day, if you walk down State Street just past State Street Brats, you will undoubtedly see several homeless people begging for money. And, as awful as it is to say, you will likely ignore them or lie about not having any cash.

OPINION

Letter: President Obama more worried about election than national security

By Whitney Newman and By: John Rizner | Sep. 23, 2012

The selfishness, arrogance, and incompetence of the Roman emperor Nero is often encapsulated in the expression, “Nero fiddled while Rome burned.” Although President Obama cannot play a musical instrument, his actions during the violence-filled anniversary week of 9/11 demonstrate that Obama does not need a fiddle to neglect his duties as America’s head of state. On the anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks, gunmen struck the U.S. consulate in Benghazi with rocket-propelled grenades and killed four Americans, including Christopher Stevens, the U.S. ambassador to Libya. The disorder spread to other Middle Eastern states, and American embassies in Tunisia, Yemen, and Sudan were assaulted by protestors. As the U.S. consulate in Libya smoldered and American embassies around the world were besieged by hordes of militant protestors, Obama enjoyed a campaign visit to Las Vegas, an appearance on the “Late Show with David Letterman” and a lavish fundraiser in New York hosted by pop stars Jay-Z and Beyonce. Prior the brutal attacks on America’s diplomatic missions, TV interviews were added to the President’s schedule, while national intelligence briefings were skipped. The President’s choice to scrounge for votes and stuff his election coffers, rather than review national security threats or strongly respond to Muslim extremism, indicates that the White House prioritizes re-election over the protection of U.S. institutions and citizens. The White House’s decision to serve its own political interests rather than serve the national interest should worry any American who feels that the defense of the American people - and not the electoral gain of a particular party or politician - is the principal duty of his/her President. John Rizner is a sophomore majoring in history and economics. He is a member of the UW College Republicans. Please send all feedback to opinion@dailycardinal.com.

OPINION

Stop staring down at your phones while you are walking

By By: Morgan Haefner | Sep. 20, 2012

Do it, I dare you. Run into me one more time.

OPINION

Judge Juan Colas' decision is absurd

By By: Steven Nemcek | Sep. 20, 2012

When Chief Justice John Roberts ruled the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act’s mandate provision could be construed as a tax—even after President Obama denied that the mandate was a tax, and even after Congress explicitly removed all language that would indicate that the mandate could be construed as a tax—I was, like most Americans who actually bothered to read the decision, baffled. Roberts’ use of doublespeak to redefine the word “penalty” by denying its dictionary implications of violation of law was remarkable.

OPINION

How can you even think about voting for Romney?

By by David Ruiz | Sep. 19, 2012

The night after the Packers won the Super Bowl in 2011 my palm was burning from all the high-fives I got during and after the game. State Street was awash in Green and Gold fans celebrating in the temperate winter conditions. I remember watching the Wisconsin vs. Ohio State game where J.J. Watt and company steamrolled the No. 1 ranked Buckeyes. The city erupted, students and visitors crammed the bars and the streets until the early morning.

OPINION

Eggs for tuition is just plain gross

By by Kate Krebs | Sep. 19, 2012

Paying for college is rough. That’s not a surprise, and because it can be so expensive, people have to turn to less-than-favorable means of earning money to get through it. Madison even boasts its very own plasma center, where donations are compensated in cash.

OPINION

A few words of advice to whoever eventually takes over The Orpheum

By by David Ruiz | Sep. 19, 2012

Looks like the Orpheum Theater, an icon on the 200 block of State Street, will soon be shutting its doors after being mismanaged straight into the ground. The details of the demise of the Orpheum aren’t exactly clear to me, but I know that a lost liquor license, shoddy booking and inconsistency in every other aspect of running the company surely didn’t help. This is an open letter to whoever sinks the time and money into the next iteration of the Orpheum theater, conveniently organized for you, future owners.

OPINION

Judge Juan Colas should stay his repeal

By by David Ruiz and JoEllen Amato | Sep. 19, 2012

Late last week Judge Juan Colas struck down major portions of Act 10, the law that severely curtailed how public employees can collectively bargain. Judge Colas argues that the implementation of the law violates the constitutional rights of state employees, specifically the rights of free speech, association and equal representation under the law. Colas views Act 10 as illegally denying public employees the rights afforded to workers who earn their wage in the private sector.

OPINION

PETA, despite reputation, could be useful on campus

By Whitney Newman and by The Daily Cardinal Editorial Board | Sep. 19, 2012

We have all heard the stories of the extremes members of the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals have gone to in order to turn heads and call attention to incidents they determine to be animal cruelty. So upon learning of PETA’s accusations that a UW-Madison animal research lab violated animal welfare laws while using cats to perform brain experiments, many of our initial reactions were to question the legitimacy of the claims. But while the group is controversial and sometimes disruptive, we welcome its insight onto our campus.

OPINION

Netanyahu is not pulling any U.S. strings

By by Zac Pestine | Sep. 17, 2012

There are two holidays that I absolutely love, that I eagerly anticipate each year: Thanksgiving and the Fourth of July. This past summer was the first time in my life that I was not able to celebrate the American Independence Day within United States’ borders. As a second semester junior, I chose to study abroad. After a long and careful search for the right program, I discovered that the Hebrew University of Jerusalem appositely fit all of my wants and needs. Consistently esteemed in world rankings, in the heart of a land that I love and a region I wanted to learn more about, and equipped with easy access to Europe for vacation getaways, H.U.J.I. appeared as an easy choice for the place I would spend my semester. But as my travels there extended until July 9, I was forced to celebrate the Fourth of July there.