Cornell Insider

a blog by the writers of the Cornell Review

Archive for May, 2009

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The American Freedom Scale

Posted by Joe Bonica on May 30, 2009

I came upon an interesting article on realclearpolitics.com about a recent study entitled  ”Freedom In the 50 States: An Index of Personal And Economic Freedom”, which assessed the “freedom” of all 50 states in the Union,  with New Hampshire, Colorado, and South Dakota finishing 1, 2, and 3, respectively. All three are moderately conservative states, despite NH and Colorado voting for Obama in 2008. And, just my luck, Rhode Island, New Jersey, and New York finished 48th, 49th, and 50th. As I struggled with the fact that I lived in the least free state in the Union, I came upon an interesting conclusion: it was the moderately conservative states such ast Texas and Arkansas which scored the highest, and the most liberal states which scored the lowest, but the strongly conservative states such as Alabama, Georgia, and Louisiana also scored low.

        This is an interesting trend to look at ; all three states contain some of the most dangerous cities in America ( Birmingham, Atlanta, and New Orleans respectively), which are all heavily Democratic. Could this have led to a lower score? Maybe. Still, this would be an interesting trend to discuss.

Posted in Miscellaneous, National News | Leave a Comment »

Sotomayor revisited by the (Kraut)Hammer

Posted by Oliver Renick on May 29, 2009

It’s been two days since Dennis’s post on SCOTUS Judge nominee Sotomayor, and today’s Washington Post featured its weekly editorial by Charles Krauthammer, who unveiled his advice for the conservative reaction to the nominee.  Krauthammer says: (I will include lots of quotes because an account is required to read the article at the website)

What should a principled conservative do? Use the upcoming hearings not to deny her the seat, but to illuminate her views. No magazine gossip from anonymous court clerks. No "temperament" insinuations. Nothing ad hominem. The argument should be elevated, respectful and entirely about judicial philosophy.

Krauthammer’s article focuses on one of Sotomayor’s past rulings, that upheld the decision made by the New Haven Fire Department to dismiss 20 men’s promotions based on the grounds that none of the black applicants passed a required test to achieve those promotions.  Krauthammer goes on to talk about the problems surrounding Sotomayor’s tendency to be empathetic in rulings, and her obvious ‘identity politics,’ an issue I slightly brushed upon in the comments section of Dennis’s last post.

…and on her statements about the inherent differences between groups, and the superior wisdom she believes her Latina physiology, culture and background grant her over a white male judge. They perfectly reflect the Democrats’ enthrallment with identity politics, which assigns free citizens to ethnic and racial groups possessing a hierarchy of wisdom and entitled to a hierarchy of claims upon society.

Sotomayor shares President Obama’s vision of empathy as lying at the heart of judicial decision-making — sympathetic concern for litigants’ background and current circumstances, and for how any judicial decision would affect their lives.

. . .

But all that stops at the courthouse door. Figuratively and literally, justice wears a blindfold. It cannot be a respecter of persons. Everyone must stand equally before the law, black or white, rich or poor, advantaged or not.

His basic conclusion is the same assumed by Dennis in the Insider’s last post: that, as George Costanza might say, ‘barring some unforeseen incident,’ Sotomayor will indeed be confirmed.  One of Krauthammer’s other resounding points in the article takes this a step further, saying that she should be confirmed, only because it is an American’s responsibility to give deference to a President’s nominee, saying that “elections have consequences.”

Vote Democratic and you get mainstream liberalism: a judicially mandated racial spoils system and a jurisprudence of empathy that hinges on which litigant is less "advantaged."

Posted in National News | Tagged: , , | Leave a Comment »

Sotomayor Nomination

Posted by Dennis Shiraev on May 27, 2009

Yesterday President Obama nominated 2nd Circuit Federal Judge Sonia Sotomayor to fill the soon to be vacated Supreme Court seat of David Souter. GW Law Professor Orin Kerr writes on VC that her confirmation is likely: 

…at this point I would think Sotomayor is very likely to be confirmed. I don’t know a ton about Sotomayor, but her resume hints at someone who is sort of like a liberal mirror image of Samuel Alito: the humble kid who goes to Princeton and Yale Law, becomes a prosecutor, and then gets appointed at a young age to the federal bench and puts in 15 years as a respected (if not particularly high profile) federal judge. In some ways, that makes Sotomayor a pretty conservative pick: Her resume is the kind of very accomplished resume that Supreme Court picks have tended to have in the last two decades or so. Given the make-up of the Senate, and the absence of surprise, I would imagine at this point that Sotomayor is very likely to be confirmed.

Here’s another rather comical excerpt from Ronald Cass’s column on Sotomayor’s “identity problem”:

Judge Sotomayor attended prestigious schools (Princeton, Yale Law), did well, achieved professional milestones as a prosecutor, district judge, and court of appeals judge, and became well enough known to be widely touted as a potential Supreme Court appointment. She isn’t seen within the profession as brilliant, a creative legal thinker, especially able at crafting legal decisions, a master of legal analysis, or exposition. But she’s competent enough not to be lumped in with the likes of G. Harold Carswell, the Nixon nominee defended on the ground that people who are mediocre deserve representation on the Supreme Court.

At this point, I would probably bet money on her getting the confirmation. Despite her alleged lack of brilliance, some controversial rulings (see Ricci v. DeStefano), and joking statements about how appeals courts “make laws,” I don’t think this is a fight the Republicans are going to pick out. I’ve heard many commentators say that she is very difficult to work with and is not particularly well liked by her colleagues, so she probably won’t be the leader of a new and improved liberal bloc of the court.

Posted in National News | 4 Comments »

Cornell’s colleges and the emerging economy

Posted by Oliver Renick on May 25, 2009

The following is a piece I wrote for another blog, collegejolt.com, a website run by College Prowler Publications that keeps high school students and college kids up to date and informed on all sorts of things from the latest episode of Gossip Girls to sports and collegiate news / advice to high school pre-frosh. I write the column ‘Congress and College,’ and here is my first piece on the new economy and how it could affect the value of different college majors.

My college, Cornell University, is separated into seven different schools: Arts and Sciences, Engineering, Architecture Art and Planning, Hotel Administration, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Human Ecology, and the School of Industrial Labor and Relations. So, when high school students apply to specific schools (as is the requirement), this arrangement naturally begs the question: what do I want to do with my life? Which, in turn, is often directly associated with an equally important question: what is going to make me money? Well, there is no ‘right answer,’ but with a new economy emerging, there are certainly some specific areas that look promising.

To get an idea of what is thriving in the job sector, let’s first check out what’s currently hurting. Of course, the first things to come to mind, the biggest, are the auto industry and the financial sector. Both ailing and striving to recover, it doesn’t take a genius to realize that now may not be the best time to pack up and move to Detroit to work on auto production, or speed off to the Big Apple to claim that dream job as a banker. At the same time however, there are specific caveats to each scenario.

Although the ailing banking and financial sector will contract and the number of available jobs for aspiring bankers and Wall Street economists will shrink, the general need for bright and creative economists and the opportunities for econ majors in other economic fields will continue to offer employment. Similarly, while automobile production is currently undoubtedly dwindling, there already is, and will continue to be, a great demand for designers and engineers to create the next generation of hybrid and energy-efficient cars. President Obama has already intervened in this field, as car companies in the future will have basic requirements and standards to maintain in regards to energy efficiency. Simultaneously, though, the supply of such jobs is subject to change, depending on the success of this new fleet of cars and the general public reaction to driving very different automobiles.

Which leads us to the biggest, (currently) the most promising industry to emerge; the ‘green-collar’ industry. According to the current issue of US News, President Obama has promised to create 5 million of these green-collar jobs. These jobs reach into the auto industry, energy industry – solar, wind, especially, and of course, lawmakers and lawyers to create regulations. In tandem with these, there will be plenty of opportunities in research, manufacturing and construction. So with Obama’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (stimulus), where can high school and college students look to find promising majors?

Primarily sciences-oriented fields: engineering, pure science research, civil engineers and architects for developing the new infrastructure also included in Congress’s stimulus package, and lawyers, entrepreneurs, and businessmen to help shape and sell said emerging technology and lifestyles. While many economists point to a bright future in the next four years or so, those graduating and beginning work sooner will obviously find it much harder to obtain the success they want by working in fields that capitalize on people spending and indulging in luxuries; i.e, restaurant, hotel, travel, transportation, fine art, etc.

On the other hand though, students entering college in the next few years can most likely rest assured that a concentration in a science-oriented field such as the ones mentioned above will find good profit in the current administration’s implantation of the stimulus package.

I would also like to add, as this is a Cornellian-viewer dominated website, an elaboration upon the last few paragraphs. As I said, luxuries are certainly not a booming industry right now – as an employee in Ithaca at the Statler Hotel, and Outback Steakhouse in Virginia, I can personally attest to the shrinking amount of customers in this area over the past six months. Outback Steakhouse has gone so far as to completely revamp and revise their menu; the new one has slightly higher prices on previously cheap appetizers and side items, but now offers a plethora of choices under $15 in order to maintain their image as an affordable yet great choice in dining.

At the Statler, I work in the banquets kitchen, where we provide food for large gatherings, usually in the form of Cornell department meetings, business gatherings, weddings, seminars, and company conventions, conferences. This business has seen dramatic loss in profit, as well. Which makes me wonder about an article I recall reading a few months back about hotel executives lashing out against Congress for making regulations on company expenses used for travel and accommodation. A coincidence?

Posted in Campus Insiders, Miscellaneous, National News | 2 Comments »

Lax National Championship 1:00 ESPN

Posted by Dennis Shiraev on May 25, 2009

Be sure to check out our Big Red lacrosse team as they fight for their first national championship since 1977. Cornell advanced to the championship game against Syracuse after administering a downright thumping (15-6) to the heavily favored and #1 ranked UVA Cavaliers on Saturday. In case you haven’t been following Big Red lacrosse this season, here are some pieces to get you up to speed on today’s matchup:

ESPN’s Dana O’Neil writes on the historical significance of today’s game. Although lacrosse has gained tremendous popularity outside of the Northeast in recent years, today’s matchup will see the historical powerhouses of the game meet to settle an old rivalry. 

See Inside Lacrosse’s official preview of the matchup. 

Plus a heartwarming story about a Big Red lax player.

Posted in Campus Insiders | 2 Comments »

Terrorism comes to life in ‘Body of Lies’

Posted by Oliver Renick on May 22, 2009

Summer for me means lots of movies, so for the readers of the Insider, that consequently means lots of movie reviews (hopefully these will be politically or Cornell[ialy] relevant).

Last night I watched Russell Crowe and Leonardo DiCaprio star in Ridley Scott’s most recent film Body of Lies. In BOL, Crowe cedes his usual leading role to DiCaprio, who dominates the screen with the same powerful presence he emanated throughout the Departed and Blood Diamond.  DiCaprio, in his role as a CIA operative in the middle east, certainly brings intensity that the film needs, but often sacrifices a much needed subtly that the most veteran actors often retain.  In a word, he ‘over-acts.’  However, with Crowe taking the slower role as an overweight, sarcastic and calculating operation leader in Langley, and the script lacking the twists and turns normally seen in this genre, DiCaprio’s intensity is vital to the film’s success.

The best aspect of the movie is certainly director Ridley Scott’s keen ability to recreate the setting of his films, and in the case of BOL, this is the feeling of terror around every corner; Scott does an incredible job bringing terrorism to life in a frighteningly realistic manner.

In BOL, DiCaprio’s character is investigating the roots of several European terrorist attacks that are believed to be the work of Ali Salem, a reclusive Al-Qaeda member operating within Jordanian borders.  With DiCaprio’s boss Crowe keeping tabs on him via satellite and surveillance technology at all times, the operative begins to work in tandem with Jordanian security specialists to track down and lure Salem. 

This creates a very interesting idea presented by the movie – the juxtaposition of the Jordanian anti-terrorism methods with those of the United States.  Without unveiling too many spoilers, the film seemed to convey two ideas about the Jordanian ‘secret service.’ 1) The Jordanian secret service has no problem inducing torture while 2) at the same time, they manage to operate with much greater nuance and foresight.  Perhaps the most interesting concept brought up by the film, however, is the greatest flaw in the United States special intelligence: the limited capabilities of satellites, information technology, and tracking systems; while our arm reaches further than possibly anybody else in this field, Body of Lies clearly distinguishes where this reach stops, and the ineffectiveness of technology in comparison to actual human spies and operatives working under cover.

While it’s not exactly invigoratingly intense or edge-of-your-seat surprising, Body of Lies is an intellectually stimulating and entertaining film that’s well worth your two hours.

Posted in Reviews: Movies | 2 Comments »

SAT Debate

Posted by Dennis Shiraev on May 20, 2009

Last month I wrote on my blog about the great SAT debate and whether or not colleges should put more or less consideration into standardized test scores with their current format. My point was that, in general, the SAT is a good indicator of a student’s potential to do good college level work, but that putting more emphasis on SAT II subject tests would give admissions officers better ideas of students’ abilities and erase many problems with grade inflation at different high schools.

Accuracy and predictive power is one aspect of the debate, but there are also many questions about the alleged fairness of the exam. If coaching and tutoring can improve test scores, then people with the most money will definitely be the ones getting the best scores and admissions offers from the best colleges. There is now new research that says that, on the whole, SAT coaching produces at most moderate improvement in test scores:

The NACAC study was prepared by Derek Briggs, chair of the research and evaluation methodology program at the University of Colorado at Boulder. He reviewed all the existing studies of SAT and ACT test preparation services and found that “a consensus position” has emerged over the last 10 years. That view is that coaching has a demonstrable, but minimal impact in improving SAT scores — about 10-20 points on average in mathematics and 5-10 points in critical reading. Far less work has been done on the ACT and evidence is inconclusive, Briggs writes.

At the same time, even these small boosts could have large implications on which students are given admissions offers. Nothing is mentioned about the SAT II subject tests, but I imagine that there is much more coaching potential for these examinations that definitely test subject matter more than general test taking abilities. Full article here.

Posted in Miscellaneous, National News | Leave a Comment »

Perspective: Obama and Gay Rights

Posted by Dennis Shiraev on May 16, 2009

In his most recent column for The Atlantic, Andrew Sullivan offers a telling perspective on his feelings about the Obama administration’s approach to gay rights issues. Although he genuinely believed that Obama would make a real push for the cessation of anti-gay discrimination by the government, he is now much more skeptical of the administration’s true intentions. Here’s an excerpt:

Translation: we’re doing the bare minimum to make us look no worse than Bush, but we have no real interest in this and are letting the bureaucracy handle it, and we guarantee nothing. On gay servicemembers, the president is writing personal notes to those he has fired and intends to continue firing. Will he write some personal notes to the people with HIV he deports? Will he write personal notes to the gay spouses suddenly without a home or their late spouse’s savings or forced by his administration to relocate abroad because he has no intention of actually fulfilling his promises?

I can only start to imagine what other “progressive” points of Obama’s campaign will turn out to be “same old same olds” in the coming years.

Posted in National News | Leave a Comment »

Summer Blogging

Posted by Dennis Shiraev on May 14, 2009

Thank you to all of our readers for making this a successful first academic year for the Cornell Insider. We started this blog in December with the intention of creating a more interactive online presence for the Cornell Review and keeping up the conservative dialogue between the bi-weekly paper issues of the newspaper. Since the inception of the site, we had more than 200,000 unique hits over a five month time period! Some of our most popular campus stories included Chaos in the Quad, Coulter on the Intricacies of Cornell’s schools, as well as Jordan’s live blogging of the SA candidate forum. 

The goal of the Insider is to supplement the Cornell Review by filling the gaps in campus coverage and national news analysis between issues of the newspaper, and we will continue blogging throughout the summer months. Although our content will understandably be less focused on campus events, be sure to look out for new features like weekly reading lists, interactive discussion threads, and audio podcasts.

Posted in Campus Insiders | Leave a Comment »

Bush’s Last Stand: a Rebuttal of the Undeserved Criticism

Posted by Oliver Renick on May 9, 2009

I have recently come across a very good, scholarly paper written by Ryan Stack ’12, titled: Bush’s Last Stand: A Rebuttal of the Undeserved Criticism. Continuing along the same lines the Insider drew out in earlier posts about writing seminars, the following paper was written for Stack’s writing seminar, Causes of War and the War in Iraq. Probably alone on a very small island of Bush apologists (one on which I stand, and stand again), Stack’s paper concentrates on why the media turned so sour against Bush so quickly, and why the public’s opinion of the president plummeted.

One of the more interesting points I thought he brought up was that at the onset of the Iraq War, the media was quite unwaveringly on Bush’s side and supported the administration, and then shortly reverted on that stance. Stack’s paper points out that many leading news figures including Dan Rather and Bob Woodward publicly apologized for their irresponsibility in making the case for the Iraq war, and then proceeded to overcompensate by becoming the egregiously biased media outlets that they now are. The following is Stack’s introductory paragraph, and a downloadable version of the paper here.

Bill Maher, liberal comedian, once quipped, “I do think the patriotic thing to do is to critique my government. How else do you make a country better but by pointing out its flaws?” Exercising the freedom of speech is not only an inalienable right protected by the first amendment, it is a duty Americans are indebted to fulfill as citizens of a democratic nation. However, as Americans we are not always rational, and our self-control is not equal to all emergencies. Thus, when the general populace is left entirely uncensored, government officials are defenseless against our projected discontent. On that note, Maher, and the rest of the liberal media, have recently failed to critique both themselves and the irrational impulses of the American public. As a result, on January 20th, 2009, George W. Bush left office with a final approval rating of 22 percent, and both the American citizenry and the media crucified the former president for his initial decision to invade Iraq (CBS NEWS). Let it be noted that several of the Bush administration’s justifications for invading Iraq were exaggerations based on inconclusive evidence; nevertheless, the extent to which the American people condemned George Bush was unwarranted. The unchecked, irrational impulses of the American citizenry, combined with attacks from liberal media, created a synergistic effect that led to an explosion of anti-Bush.

The argument of my essay will proceed in four phases: The first phase of my argument will be dedicated to refuting an example of unfair publicity George W. Bush received in the latter end of his presidency. More specifically, I will counter the allegation that the invasion of Iraq was a conspiracy to increase the United State’s control of foreign oil. Next, I will briefly compare and contrast how the invasion of Iraq parallels U.S foreign policy in the Middle East during the 20th century. This comparison will beg the question: why was Bush criticized so severely relative to other presidential administrations that were intimately involved in Middle Eastern affairs? The next phase of my argument will be dedicated to answering this question, and I will analyze the two most significant factors that aggravated the American public and impelled them to wantonly criticize Bush. Lastly, I will examine why the liberal media was so inclined to embrace the emotions of the general public and tarnish the legacy of Bush’s presidency.

Ryan Stack, Cornell CALS Class of 2012, a member of the Cornell Republicans and one of next year’s Vice Chairs, can be contacted at rms322@cornell.edu.

Posted in Campus Insiders, Miscellaneous | 2 Comments »

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