Celebrity gossip warms a certain dark part of my soul. I freely admit to watching the train wreck that is Britney Spear’s life with amusement. I even enjoy listening to them pontificate on matters of global importance on which they have no claim to expertise, à la Live Earth. What I cannot understand, however, is why celebrity endorsements are so important in elections.
On October 11, 2007, the House Committee on Foreign Affairs passed House Resolution 106 to be sent for a floor vote, which formally recognized the deaths of about 1 million Armenians under the Ottoman Empire between 1915 and 1916 as genocide and officially condemned the Turkish government for this crime against humanity. Under most circumstances it would be completely appropriate for the United States to encourage such a measure as this event represented one of the first systematic mass murders perpetrated by a modern government, but in this case, the Congressmen who supported this resolution may have sparked a diplomatic crisis with Turkey.
On July 19, the Dow Jones reached an all-time high of 14,000 points, but by August 15 it suffered an almost 10 percent loss, going back down below 13,000. This stock market tremor was just one result of the current American economic crisis surrounding several years of rising housing prices and the practice of subprime lending. The government now must deal with threats of a recession, diminished investor confidence, and borrowers facing foreclosure on their homes, as well as questions on the proper level of federal involvement in the free market.
A stereotype is an image of a person or group of people that, while likely overly simplistic, demonstrates the perceptions others have of them based on behavior, dress, speech, and other significant features. In our society it has become a social taboo to base one’s perceptions of groups of people on stereotypes because many people believe it is unfair to characterize an individual based on the group he is in. Obviously the use of stereotypes can be, and often is, harmful. However, this is not always the case. Despite the potential for abuses by racists, misogynists, and other bigots, in some instances, the use of stereotypes is economically efficient and quite useful. While it is certainly important to work toward the elimination of harmful stereotypes, we should think carefully before dismissing all uses.
The United States Navy recently confirmed that on October 26, a Chinese Song-class submarine was able to stalk the aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk and remain undetected by the strike group until it had surfaced and was spotted by a surveillance plane. While this incident surely embarrassed this strike group and the Navy as a whole, as the submarine was able to get in range to fire torpedoes and anti-ship missiles, the United States should be more worried than embarrassed. This recent event is one example of the growing Chinese military strength and aggression that could create diplomatic problems between the two countries and a significant threat to America as a whole.
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