Opinion - The Daily Cardinal

OPINION

Social media could help end bullying

By By: Jon Shapiro | Oct. 3, 2012

School seminars are devoted to preventing bullying, as is extensive news coverage and several educational films. Still, it persists in spite of all of the condemnation it receives. UW-Madison recently conducted a study in which researchers taught a computer to scan the social networking site Twitter to identify bullying-related tweets. About 15,000 of them were tied to bullying. As seen in many cases today, though bullying used to be a face-to-face encounter, it is now digitized and depersonalized. The thing that keeps most people from bullying, the reason why they don’t terrorize and taunt others at will, is an inability to face their victims. Social networking takes this barrier completely away from the situation and allows for bullying to take place from behind a curtain.

OPINION

U.S. should follow Canada’s lead and get rid of the pointless penny

By By: Evan Favill | Oct. 2, 2012

Who among us remembers heading down to the grocery store and picking up a postcard for a penny? No? A stick of gum? There’s just not too much out there that can be bought with those little scraps of copper-plated zinc lying around taking up space in your spare change jar. Personally, I keep them handy for when I want to buy a cup of coffee and my total’s just a wee bit north of a nice round number. But let’s face it, there’s very little that screams “Convenience!” in your ear when you load up your coin purse and/or pockets with a bunch of pennies. That goes for any kind of coin really, but I find carrying around five nickels is much more preferable then 25 pennies. So really, there’s nothing particularly useful that can be done with pennies on their own without hurting your back lugging them around in a duffel bag, besides spitefully paying a parking ticket. The way I see it, the time has come to do away with this outmoded chunk of metal and upgrade to a better business model.

OPINION

Obama and Romney are too close for comfort

By By: Steven Nemcek | Oct. 2, 2012

The website politicalcompass.org has mapped out the 2012 presidential candidates on its grid based on all elements of their policy, and the results should horrify anyone who bothers to look. On the organization’s graph of political positions, they have a scale of the political “left” and the political “right” on the x-axis and authoritarian and libertarian on the y-axis. On the graph, the points representing Obama and Romney nearly overlap, which should send a strong message to voters; whatever happens this election cycle, nothing is going to change. The policies advocated for by the executive of the United States, for all practical purposes, will be nearly identical. Also, because both candidates represent right-of-center authoritarian viewpoints, with Romney being a smidgen more right and more authoritarian than Obama, civil rights activists, libertarians and other espousers of freedom should be worried.

OPINION

Letter: Domestic violence affects all students

By Mario Puig and By Maggie DeGroot | Oct. 2, 2012

When it comes to sexual violence, particularly domestic/dating violence, it is easy for students to dismiss the issues believing it an issue that does not affect them. Unfortunately, students are more at risk than many believe. According to domestic violence expert Dr. Sandra Stith, about 30 percent of college students have been in relationships involving physical aggression and even more have been in emotionally abusive relationships.

OPINION

Obama's concrete economic plan better than Romney's vague one

By By: Max Cisneros | Oct. 1, 2012

The bomb that hit the economy in 2008 left everyone with lighter pockets. The government took action and it appeared as though the worst of it was over; the situation soon took a turn for the worst.

OPINION

Chinese economic liberalization has not gone far enough

By by Michael Brost | Oct. 1, 2012

Since the economic liberalization policies of Paramount Leader Deng Xiaoping beginning in 1978, China has experienced a tenfold increase in its economic output. In 2010, amid a global recession, China experienced a real growth rate of 10 percent and became the world’s largest exporter. What’s more, investment accounts for 45 percent of China’s Gross Domestic Product—roughly four times America’s investment as a percentage of GDP.

OPINION

Voter I.D. laws objectively negative in the U.S.

By By: Mitch Taylor | Oct. 1, 2012

One Person One Vote is a critical tenet of democracy, and one we didn’t really get around to until about fifty years ago. There are two important factors in ensuring this ideal is upheld. The first is making sure that voting is available to as many people as possible, so the vote actually represents the maximum amount of the population. The second is preventing voter fraud, so every person only gets one vote. Mostly within the past year, 33 states—including Wisconsin—have passed laws that aim to reduce voter fraud by requiring photo IDs at voting locations on election day. So, no more voter fraud. Democracy is saved. Moving on.

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.