Debate Club News

China’s role in supplying weapons and bombs to the Muslims of Darfur was thoroughly researched and discussed by our panelists, Joe Kelner, George Kamilar and Mike Barnett. The well-informed audience applauded them and added their views with keen insights and eloquent rebuttals. There was little actual debate about the veracity of China’s policies, but how to stem their influence in the continuance of chaos created more disagreement. Some would have the forthcoming Beijing Olympics used as a method, others suggested the UN use some force, and some wanted strict sanctions by all individual nations.
The report of a newspaper feature about an ailing high school junior who raised $57,000 from her sick bed for a Cambodian school by collecting $25 for a chair from donors gave us pause to think how we at North Shore Towers could start programs of that nature to help victims of natural disasters. Someone suggested a White and Blonde Panther Brigade! It would publicize our community in a very positive way.
The next two topics were intertwined - energy independence possibilities and the influence of Arab oil money permeating international cultures. There were heated discussions about finding alternative fuels and using wind, solar, tidal, geothermal and other natural resources.
A lot of blame was thrust at the Bush administration for their lack of policies to investigate and promote research and development on a government level and not curbing the use of gas guzzling vehicles by taxation and other means. The help the government gave for better education in science education after the Sputnik experience was a case in point.
American universities, like NYU, have been enticed by Arab oil money to start satellite sections in their countries with American degrees. This would include policies and regulations as to the student body and curriculum by the country involved and not in the American tradition. Some universities, like Harvard, have turned down the huge money sums for that reason. Most panelists and the audience were in agreement with that policy, but most realized that Harvard has an enormous endowment fund and can afford to be noble when pushed, as it was by their faculty.