As most of us enjoyed a carefree spring break, the nightly news was not comforting. Recent stories reported on severe financial troubles for America’s largest automaker, General Motors, and for our largest telecommunications equipment manufacturer, Lucent Technologies. Bloodshed marked last week’s third anniversary of the Iraq War. Events like these raise questions about America’s strength. However, while the problems they represent are serious and must be addressed appropriately, they do little to seriously damage America’s unquestionable dominance in the strategic and economic realms. This dominance has, over the past few years, evolved into a feeling of superiority. Although it is justified in some ways, we all too frequently take it to the next — undeserved — level, converting it into invincibility. Such an assumption is false and dangerous. Despite its hegemonic status, America is not invulnerable. This is reflected in present problems with two issue areas: non-state actors and the environment. Traditional dominance-building tools, such as amassing further military power or encouraging additional economic growth, are useless, for America can dominate neither area and must not even try to dominate the environment.
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To the Editor:
The recent article and letter in The Dartmouth about the Hovey murals (“Thayer likely to be torn down by 2010,” Feb. 28; “Racism and the Hovey Murals,” Mar. 7) suggested that they may be destroyed. This is not correct, as it has already been determined that the murals are important cultural artifacts of Dartmouth’s history and will be saved. As of this date, a committee is in the process of being formed under the direction of the Provost’s office to consider how best to remove and preserve them.
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To the Editor:
The Dartmouth’s coverage of the death of College President Emeritus James O. Freedman (“Freedman’s legacy visible today,” “Freedman well received among faculty, students later follow,” March 28) accurately recognizes and honors his legacy to Dartmouth College. However, I find the theme of Freedman as a “light-bringer” to a barbarian Dartmouth a little bit offensive. Indeed, I must say I bristle at the notion, suggested off-handedly in several of the articles about Freedman, that the Dartmouth of my day was the equivalent of a community college or vocational training school.
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To the Editor:
The late College President James Freedman’s tenure was before my time, but I had heard and read on several occasions how he had helped to make the Dartmouth campus safe for all, particularly women and Jewish students. Last year, studying Higher Education in graduate school, I decided to write a paper on anti-Semitism in academia.
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