So, then i found this article. Since we're all so gung-ho about being like the Scandanavians i love that it was a Norwegian who proposed this. (And of course he's "a right-wing independent," because now that we know that we can just write him off as one of those crazy right-wingers. /snark) I'm not sure why he had to mention Israel as the example of whom Saddam could have attacked ('cause the other Middle Eastern countries don't matter?) but let's see: 'Sometimes it's necessary to use a small and effective war to prevent a much more dangerous war in the future' and "Simonsen said the war had 'made it possible to create democracy and respect for human rights in a country which for so many years has been ruled by one of the worst dictators in modern times.' " I get the issues that people have with the war, and for all my utilitarian verging on "ends justifies the means" i have really troubled feelings about giving someone a peace prize for a war. I remember the furor over Jimmy Carter getting one, the idea that it was done just to say "We bite our thumbs at you" to the warmongers and (while as always i really should do more research on this before making a statement) the idea of using that merely to make a political statement tarnishes the whole process and this has analogies to the issues so many people have with the UN but i really don't know enough about all this so i'm stopping now.
I wish i had been able to go to the talks about Madeleine Albright because i really don’t know much about her, and i do hope we get a cool writer for our commencement, but honestly i think i'd rather have a controversial political figure than just some actress. I mean, maybe i'm missing something, but i mean, Meryl Streep? And, um, Bono is up for a Nobel Peace Prize? What has he done for the cause? He's a rock star and, like so many celebrities, used that position to speak his political beliefs. If you have done real things to advance the cause... but then this gets strange because while it's easy to see how someone has helped do work for lots of social justice causes, working for peace is often more stopping things than causing things, so it's harder to see, but that "peace is an act of creation" line is sticking in the back of my brain and i know i shouldn't be trying to write about this stuff at 1 in the morning when i obviously don't have all my info nevermind all my theories lined up.
At the liaison meeting Betsey Harries mentioned that Jane Yolen will be getting an honorary degree. “Didn’t she already get a real degree from us?” i asked. (She did.) I have issues with honorary degrees. I should really look into what exactly the point is, but i feel like it's basically saying, "We think this person is cool and wish we could claim them as an alum" and the honoree gets to say "Look how cool I am that prestigious institution X gave me an honorary degree."
I’m raising an actress. Or a sociopath. And the difference is? Discuss.
Okay, i'm done pissing people off, for the moment.
