COMMENTARY

E D I T O R I A L S:

Cruise-missile diplomacy
Obies' get out of jail free privilege

Cruise-missile diplomacy

How many of us, if asked, could point out Kosovo on a map? Even point to the right continent? For a real curve ball how about this; why are we bombing the Serbians? Yet, as we speak NATO continues to escalate bombing in eastern Europe. And as the bombing and carnage intensifies, so do questions concerning our involvement as outsiders in a long standing internal conflict.

Sound familiar? The current conflict in Kosovo sounds eerily reminiscent of our most divisive conflict of this century, Vietnam. In Kosovo we are plagued by the same problems we faced thirty five years ago, a conflict we do not understand, cultures we're not the least familiar with, and most importantly, the lack of a clear directive or foreign policy objective. It looks like Bill's need for a legacy and Madeline's cruise-missile diplomacy may have gotten us into a real sticky situation, which is going to prove a lot harder to get out of than it was to get into.

What our Western, CNN education has failed to illustrate is the true depth of the conflict between the Serbians and Albanians, and the possible repercussions our bombings may have within the region. Tension between Serbians and Albanians has raged off and on for literally hundreds of years, and both sides have valid arguments for controlling Kosovo. Regardless of which side is right, and no such truth exists, taking a side and bombing their opponent is anything but a deterrent to further conflict. Instead, it will solidify Serbian resolve, arousing further anger towards both the Albanians and the west.

But how can we blame the Serbs? Our liberal pretensions aside, if cruise missiles and depleted uranium shells started raining down on Oberlin we would fight tooth and nail for our homes. Much like Iraq, we have one major beef with a leader and his administration. And just as it is in Iraq, rest assured that Slobodan Milosevic is sleeping soundly in a fortified bunker, while it is the innocent civilians who are going hungry and fearing for their lives.

The current bombing runs we are flying over Serbia and Kosovo have become a preeminent feature in American foreign policy. We try to be John Wayne riding into town with the white hat and pearl handled pistols, but when it comes time to defend our ideals in the face of competition we skip town right quick. As a result, the globe is littered with unresolved conflicts, worsened through our hit and run interventions.

Now that we have the ball rolling how do we stop? There is no simple solution. If the bombing stops tomorrow or goes on for weeks or months we have irrevocably changed the natural course of events. If we send troops in we could easily find ourselves in a protracted war of attrition and guerrilla warfare. If we abandon the conflict we leave the Albanians sitting ducks for further aggression. All we can do now is remain vigilant, keeping close tabs on what NATO and the U.S. choose to do. The best we can hope for is peace in Yugoslavia and the surrounding countries. Unfortunately, this is much easier to hope for than it is to attain.


Obies' get out of jail free privilege

We all know at least one or two people who enjoy a little recreational weed. A few of those happy hashers got caught with a closet full o' cannabis in South over Spring Break. Security was called by an RC who noticed a broken door knob, investigated, and smelled a strange odor. He called in carpenters to fix the knob and the Keith James' gang to take care of the smell.

Someone told the Oberlin Police Department - an almost unheard of occurrence on this campus, where matriculation seems to be packaged with a built-in "stay out of jail free" card. Were these students "mere townies," the Dye umbrella wouldn't unfurl to diffuse the police attention. Now, it's uncertain who'll take charge of disciplining these errant Obies, but the college will most likely get the bid.

Discussions about "room search rules" aside, the protective fashion we're treated in cases of drug possession seems unique. Discussions about legalizing marijuana aside, is it fair to give college students a clear break when we're busted on the same offense than lands many others in jail? This is a great system to let us sow our oats (or other horticulture) without paying too high of a price. However, it is a very real example of how we as Oberlin College students are automatically accorded a position slightly above the law. When Oberlin townspeople are aware of this discrepancy, the distance between the College and the town may widen.


Editorials in this box are the responsibility of the editor-in-chief, managing editor and commentary editor, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the staff of the Review.

Back // Commentary Contents \\ Next

T H E   O B E R L I N   R E V I E W

Copyright © 1999, The Oberlin Review.
Volume 127, Number 18, April 2, 1999

Contact us with your comments and suggestions.