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May 17, 2005
Warring sides on the Ivy Coast
"We cannot seal ourselves off from the world's benefits - or the world's curses." So opines University of Pennsylvania President Amy Gutmann on the selection of Kofi Annan to deliver the commencement address yesterday (where the university also honored him with a Doctor of Laws degree). As part of the buildup, President Gutmann had previously described Annan as the "perfect speaker": Annan's commitment to international peace, human rights, and the universal values of equality, liberty, opportunity and human dignity make him the perfect speaker to address Penn students.I believe in free speech, and I am against all forms of censorship. And at the risk of being called a fascist, I just don't think "perfect" is an adjective I would use to describe Annan, and with all due respect for Dr. Gutmann, I don't think it's appropriate. Nor do all Penn students agree that Annan was perfect for their commencement. Those against honoring him at commencement formed a group called Kofi Off Campus, and gathered signatures on a petition -- "200 online, and 500 on paper" according to the website. The group's president, Brian Quimby was a guest on Fox News Live this past Sunday: A spokesman from the Penn College Democrats declined an invitation to appear with him.Oh well. I'm sure someone is learning something about the U.N. (More in the Philadelphia Weekly.) Last week's Carnival of the Vanities host Fresh Politics, a blog run by Penn students, has been following the Ivying of Annan: All those "freedom froms" should tell you right away what brand of philosophy he follows. Annan is the quintessential statist, a believer in a philosphy inherently opposite to the American philosophy of individual liberty. (It's not freedom of (speech, press, congregation...), it's freedom from.)Fresh Politics also provided a link to the live webcast yesterday, but that doesn't seem to be working now, so those who want to watch the video should probably check back. The honoring of Annan was noticed by New York blogger Slant Point, who linked to a particularly scathing piece by Clifford May, president of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies. The latter, writing in the New Hampshire Union Leader, called the event a "ray of sunshine" for Annan: through the cloud that hangs over Annan, a ray of sunshine has found its way to him. Amy Gutmann, president of the University of Pennsylvania, that prestigious Ivy League seat of learning, has invited Annan to serve as this year’s commencement speaker. And that’s not all: In what can only be seen as an expression of wacky collegiate humor, the university also will award Annan an honorary — yes, honorary — doctorate of law — yes, law.Whew! Tough words for tough times, but I guess we shouldn't seal ourselves off from the world's curses. I have to disagree with Clifford May's characterization of Penn as "once great," though. Because if he is right, then it might follow that no commencement speaker could have been more perfect. UPDATE: In other Ivy news, Power Line has an unconfirmed report that Columbia students were treated to a speech likening Americans to an obscene gesture: Ms. Nooyi began to compare the world and its five major continents (excl. Antarctica and Australia) to the human hand. First was Africa - the pinky finger - small and somewhat insignificant but when hurt, the entire hand hurt with it. Next was Asia - the thumb - strong and powerful, yearning to become a bigger player on the world stage. Third was Europe - the index finger - pointing the way. Fourth was South America - the ring finger - the finger which symbolizes love and sensualness. Finally, the US (not Canada mind you) - yes, you guessed it - the middle finger. She then launched into a diatribe about how the US is seen as the middle finger to the rest of the world. The rest of the world sees us as an overbearing, insensitive and disrespectful nation that gives the middle finger to the rest of the world.Assuming this happened, I think that such attempts to shame students who are just starting out in life might have a way of backfiring in the long run, because not everyone subscribes to the idea of collective guilt. MORE: I don't know how many people are interested in historical trivia, but according to Straight Dope, the middle finger is a classical tradition: The "one-finger salute," or at any rate sexual gestures involving the middle finger, are thousands of years old. In Gestures: Their Origins and Distribution, Desmond Morris and colleagues note that the digitus infamis or digitus impudicus (infamous or indecent finger) is mentioned several times in the literature of ancient Rome. Turning to our vast classical library, we quickly turn up three references. Two are from the epigrammatist Martial: "Laugh loudly, Sextillus, when someone calls you a queen and put your middle finger out."Let's have some respect for the ancients around here! UPDATE (05/18/05): Many thanks to the Philadelphia Inquirer for linking this post in its Blog Cabin column. Welcome Inquirer readers! If any of you are new to the blogosphere and want to learn more, well, you're in luck! Because, the post you are reading was also linked by today's Carnival of the Vanities, which provides an overview of the blogosphere with reviews of many excellent blog posts submitted by a wide range of bloggers. It's a sort of BEST OF THE BLOGOSPHERE, so be sure to click on this Carnival link to learn more. posted by Eric on 05.17.05 at 08:55 AM
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Let's take a break from the Virginia politics for a minute. You'll hear no mention of gubernatorial candidate Jerry Kilgore in this post. Welcome to Commonwealth Conservative! My name is John Behan, and I like to style myself as the internet's firs... [Read More] Tracked on May 18, 2005 12:50 AM
Comments
Glad you're back with a new name. But be nice this time -- and please do not insinuate that Penn is not part of the Ivy League! Eric Scheie · May 17, 2005 09:56 AM That's all you have to say? I posed several questions - as usual, you avoid answering them. I hope they pay you well. Watch your back because the Night of the Long Knives is coming. (Watch "The Damned") The Brownshirts just killed a webmaster: http://www.forsakethetroops.info/ When they're done with the gay pro-war people, they can only do that which will please their Rapture crowd benefactors. If this is about the oil for food scandal, check this out. I realize that its on that commie pinko Guardian, but facts are stubborn things: http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,1485649,00.html In fact, the Senate report found that US oil purchases accounted for 52% of the kickbacks paid to the regime in return for sales of cheap oil - more than the rest of the world put together. "The United States was not only aware of Iraqi oil sales which violated UN sanctions and provided the bulk of the illicit money Saddam Hussein obtained from circumventing UN sanctions," the report said. "On occasion, the United States actually facilitated the illicit oil sales. The report is likely to ease pressure from conservative Republicans on Kofi Annan to resign from his post as UN secretary general. The new findings are also likely to be raised when Mr Galloway appears before the Senate subcommittee on investigations today. David Howe · May 17, 2005 12:33 PM Did you just publish (or repeat) a unconfirmed story? You are supposed to get three confirmations. Do you not get the irony of your campaign against Newsweek while you repeat unconfirmed and often obviously false information? David Howe · May 17, 2005 12:35 PM Thanks for telling me that I'm supposed to get three confirmations, but you'll just have to be more patient. Seriously, I'm all booked up with baptisms, funerals and marriages this week, and I don't know if I'll be able to squeeze in the confirmations. Getting all ready for the Rapture, you know.... Eric Scheie · May 17, 2005 01:33 PM Glib. That's cute. You lied. People died. David Howe · May 17, 2005 03:04 PM That's a catchy rhyme. I also like, 'if it doesn't fit, you must acquit.' There are rumors Michael Jackson has pressed his attorneys to adopt that strategy, though it's been wisely rejected. Ba-dum-bum. Dennis · May 17, 2005 03:21 PM Some say Democratic Underground lied when they said he died!
A controversial Web site that has called wounded soldiers “leeches” and celebrates when U.S. servicemen are killed in action, is claiming its Web master was beaten to death yesterday. Eric Scheie · May 17, 2005 04:44 PM Dammit, Eric, I'd been able to ignore the fact that Annan was speaking at commencement this year *so well*--even when our alumni club here in Japan sent me a message that the ceremony would be...what do you call it, simul-web-cast? I'd be willing to bet that there are complaints about the speaker every year. Ten years ago, we had Jane Alexander, who was still head of the NEA at the time. (This was the era of big controversy over arts funding, but, of course, her speech steered away from anything that might have been divisive.) Anyway, unapologetic capitalist though I be, I couldn't help laughing at the predictable way all the letters in the DP against her selection, many from people who complained that she wasn't "high-profile" enough, were from Wharton kids. I doubt Annan's speech affected this year's crew much one way or another; unless a commencement speaker launches into a tirade or does something else especially memorable, I rather think most graduates forget what he said by the time they're on their third drink later that night. But as a gesture, inviting him wasn't such great judgment. Possibly better than Bono, though. Sean Kinsell · May 17, 2005 11:30 PM Kofi Annan has declared the UN useless. W.C. Varones · May 18, 2005 12:10 AM Sean, thanks for getting "off thread" and back to the topic! Always nice to see you!
Eric Scheie · May 19, 2005 12:45 AM The UNO is worse than useless. The John Birch Society was exposing the UNO back in the 1950s. People are now starting to wake up. It is a Communist front, the House That Hiss Built, to bring about a One-World Socialist Social Change. I oppose that. Steven Malcolm Anderson the Lesbian-worshipping man's-man-admiring myth-based egoist · May 23, 2005 05:20 AM |
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1. "Perfect" is not the same as "perfect speaker". The individual did not say that Kofi was perfect, but a perfect speaker. See the difference? However, I don't see how or why anyone would call you a fascist for making that remark. Am I missing something?
2. "Not all Penn students agree?" Sound the alarms! ALL students have to agree to the commencement speaker?
3. I fail to see how "Kofi Off Campus" is comparable to "Student Democrats." Is the anti-Kofi faction inherently Republican? This sounds like Fox News capitulation since the comparison makes no sense.
4. The "statist garbage" is never explained. Is this a type of hate speech? Please remember that Kofi Annan is not an employee of the USA. Nor is the UN a branch of the USA. As a separate entity, it has no obligation whatsoever to uphold any "American" ideals. Nor does Annan.
5. Is the University of Penn in the Ivy League?
6. Did Annan do something wrong regarding the Oil for Food program? Are you aware that Bush friends the world over were involved in corruption while Annan was not?
7. Are you sure this isn't about the lack of UN support for the Iraq invasion?
8. Are you aware that all of the rationalizations for the invasion have been proven to be false and have been proven to benefit some of Bush's friends and cronies?
9. Did the writer really accuse Annan of human rights violations? Surely you are aware of the human rights violations in Guantanamo Bay (much worse than books in the potty) and Abu Graib. The depleted uranium, the dead children, the civilian targets, the illegal, immoral invastion, the violation of the very principles (individual rights?) that the blogger claims to hold dear.