2008 Woodie Awards
LEFT TURN ONLY: During times of uncertainty, how will you choose to live your life?
Garon Anders
Issue date: 1/31/06 Section: Opinions
I have admitted in my column before that I am a news addict. For the most part, I believe in reading the news online via Yahoo, Google, and CNN. Recently, I have become increasingly aware of how distressing the news is. Psychologists often advise patients who suffer from anxiety to refrain from reading or watching the news. It is sage advice in these troubling times. My addiction to the news has lead to something akin to Sartrean angst. There is a certain fear of the unknown, questions that cannot be answered, and major problems that have no apparent resolution. As this trend has become more apparent to me, I have begun to wonder about the collective psyche of our school and even our nation. I have asked myself the question, "Is this something which we are destined to accept and live with or is there a way around what Jean Paul Sartre described as 'nausea'?"
There have been three leading stories in the news over the past few months. The first is the near-constant struggle for power between the Democrats and Republicans. For most of us, this is a battle that we have learned to accept as being inevitable. As long as our democracy is based in a multi-party system, then the battle will continue. Though the political power struggle is as old as our democracy, recent times have led to a more passionate debate. Although Clintonian healthcare reform was certainly an important issue, it did not seem to carry the same gravity that the current war in Iraq does.
Our political system faces an ever-increasing budget deficit. During the 1990's, America experienced unprecedented economic growth. This has now changed as our federal and state monies are being shifted to fund a terribly expensive war in Iraq and a war on terrorism. The dot-com era was filled with economic and technological optimism. Since the dot-com bust, this is no longer the case.
Another leading story is the war in Iraq. More and more, Americans are beginning to question our presence in the country. People are genuinely asking themselves, "Did our government mislead us" and "Are the Iraqi people better off since the fall of Saddam Hussein?" Although I have strong feelings about both questions, I believe the verdict is still out for the American populace. Nonetheless, these questions are being asked. The war in Iraq has lead to another question that seems to lack a definitive answer…does our government have an exit strategy and what will be the result when we implement it?
Iran's interest in nuclear proliferation has also caused a great deal of concern in international forums. Like the gift of fire given to humans by Prometheus, nuclear development of any kind - domestic or military - carries with it a great amount of responsibility. Can the United States, the UN, or the EU trust a state like Iran with a nuclear research and development program? The greatest cause for concern with respect to this situation stems from Iran's rogue presidential leader, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. It may be a bit hasty to refer to Ahmadinejad as a rogue. However, recent anti-Semitic statements have given credence to the belief that Ahmadinejad is not necessarily a "constructive-engagement" kind of guy.
So, in these times uncertainty, it appears that we have three possible solutions. We remove ourselves from society and live as hermits. Seeing as that no man is an island unto himself, we can dispense rather quickly with this option. Who wants to live as a hermit anyhow?
The second option is to follow your psychologist's advice, turn off the news, and live a life of obliviousness. Here is a viable option. The question that arises is, "How can one live unaware of current events and remain a contributing member to society? Can you work for change when you are ignorant to the things going on around you?"
The final solution is to simply accept the angst, frustration, and the absurdity of the world in which we live, remain informed, and do your best to make a difference. This is a daunting task and one that does not come with instant rewards. For the time being, I have chosen the third of these options.
Yes, it remains difficult to watch the news and see anti-American protests abroad and worry about the fate of Jill Carroll. However, there is a sense of gratification that comes with knowing our democracy continues to function, prisoners do get released, and wars do end. How are you going to choose to live your life?
You can email Garon at uncgaron@gmail.com.
There have been three leading stories in the news over the past few months. The first is the near-constant struggle for power between the Democrats and Republicans. For most of us, this is a battle that we have learned to accept as being inevitable. As long as our democracy is based in a multi-party system, then the battle will continue. Though the political power struggle is as old as our democracy, recent times have led to a more passionate debate. Although Clintonian healthcare reform was certainly an important issue, it did not seem to carry the same gravity that the current war in Iraq does.
Our political system faces an ever-increasing budget deficit. During the 1990's, America experienced unprecedented economic growth. This has now changed as our federal and state monies are being shifted to fund a terribly expensive war in Iraq and a war on terrorism. The dot-com era was filled with economic and technological optimism. Since the dot-com bust, this is no longer the case.
Another leading story is the war in Iraq. More and more, Americans are beginning to question our presence in the country. People are genuinely asking themselves, "Did our government mislead us" and "Are the Iraqi people better off since the fall of Saddam Hussein?" Although I have strong feelings about both questions, I believe the verdict is still out for the American populace. Nonetheless, these questions are being asked. The war in Iraq has lead to another question that seems to lack a definitive answer…does our government have an exit strategy and what will be the result when we implement it?
Iran's interest in nuclear proliferation has also caused a great deal of concern in international forums. Like the gift of fire given to humans by Prometheus, nuclear development of any kind - domestic or military - carries with it a great amount of responsibility. Can the United States, the UN, or the EU trust a state like Iran with a nuclear research and development program? The greatest cause for concern with respect to this situation stems from Iran's rogue presidential leader, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. It may be a bit hasty to refer to Ahmadinejad as a rogue. However, recent anti-Semitic statements have given credence to the belief that Ahmadinejad is not necessarily a "constructive-engagement" kind of guy.
So, in these times uncertainty, it appears that we have three possible solutions. We remove ourselves from society and live as hermits. Seeing as that no man is an island unto himself, we can dispense rather quickly with this option. Who wants to live as a hermit anyhow?
The second option is to follow your psychologist's advice, turn off the news, and live a life of obliviousness. Here is a viable option. The question that arises is, "How can one live unaware of current events and remain a contributing member to society? Can you work for change when you are ignorant to the things going on around you?"
The final solution is to simply accept the angst, frustration, and the absurdity of the world in which we live, remain informed, and do your best to make a difference. This is a daunting task and one that does not come with instant rewards. For the time being, I have chosen the third of these options.
Yes, it remains difficult to watch the news and see anti-American protests abroad and worry about the fate of Jill Carroll. However, there is a sense of gratification that comes with knowing our democracy continues to function, prisoners do get released, and wars do end. How are you going to choose to live your life?
You can email Garon at uncgaron@gmail.com.
