April 29th 2008:
You can listen to this story and hear the views of Goldsmiths students here:
Some of the most intelligent minds in fact and fiction come together tonight to debate the question, has America lost its moral authority.
The London debate forum, Intelligence Squared hosts the event where amongst others, writers Will Self, Matthew Parris, Simon Schama and Martin Amis will be arguing over whether the US’s days as global moral arbiter are over.
George Bush meets criticism over Hurricane Kartina
Internationally America’s position as moral touchstone has been fragile for some time, the country’s own self image is suffering like never before. At the Security and Prosperity Summit held last week in New Orleans, George Bush’s plans for greater US collaboration between Canada & Mexico on security and economic issues, were met with fearsome criticism over the administration’s handling of Hurricane Katrina. The leaders of the Alternative People’s Summit, held at the same time, highlighted the growing tensions and disparity between the country’s poor and their elected leaders:
“[After Katrina] we were doing community work, doing activist work, trying to make a difference… Every time we got work, usually white people were always in charge of the work and in many ways, they’re still in charge.”
Students speak out against Government
And this dissatisfaction is spreading. The SPP summit was attended by large numbers of middle class university students, keen to speak out against what they see as an uncaring government. Seamus Wolff, Vice President of student affairs at the Student Federation, University of Ottowa highlighted why campuses were taking such a firm stance against the SPP:
“Fundamentally we believe it to be undemocratic. We as students know that our role in society is to make sure that our voices are heard and that we are creating a society we want to live in.”
And in this election year, even the President’s own party turns against him, after Republican nominee John McCain launched his own scathing attack on Bush’s actions post-Katrina. Tonight’s speakers are promising to fan the flames of an already fiery debate.
Tonight’s debate will take place at the Royal Geographical Society, 1 Kensington Gore, London. Doors open at 6.30pm.
