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UD profs say 2005 marked by natural disasters, war 1:01 p.m., Dec. 28, 2005--Hurricane Katrina, the war in Iraq and natural disasters around the world are the most memorable events of 2005, according to Ralph Begleiter, Rosenberg Professor of Communication and distinguished journalist in residence, and Elizabeth Higginbotham, professor of sociology and criminal justice, both at the University of Delaware. “The struggle to follow and understand unfolding events in Iraq throughout the year was a real challenge,” Begleiter said. “Overall, it seems the situation declined during the year, with U.S. and Iraqi casualties increasing, but two Iraqi elections this year also suggest the nation has taken advantage of the freedom to exercise the people's judgment about leadership, an important element of democracy unfamiliar in Iraq for several decades.” Begleiter said natural disasters, from the 2004 tsunami, which was the deadliest in recorded history, to earthquakes in Pakistan and Iran and hurricanes along the U.S. Gulf Coast, stretched human compassion and demonstrated the unpredictability of life. “Interestingly, those natural disasters also had political implications, which many people don’t think about,” Begleiter said. “Pakistan and India worked more closely together than they have in a long time. Perhaps that enabled them to visualize a solution to the Kashmir dispute. The Pakistan and Iran earthquakes also allowed the U.S. to demonstrate to many Muslims that Americans are compassionate.” According to Begleiter, the continuing genocide in Sudan reminded the world that wealthy nations are also capable of just standing by; Israel’s withdrawal from occupied Gaza after decades showed that firm decisions can be undone, even by the very people who made those decisions in the first place; and Lebanon’s unexpected uprising against Syrian occupation and Syria’s abrupt withdrawal, combined with Afghanistan’s historic elections, were more reflections of how much some things can change, and how quickly. Begleiter said the devastation and aftermath of Hurricane Katrina laid bare for Americans and the world many of the significant social and economic disparities in the United States. Higginbotham said that while the 2004 tsunami, earthquakes, hurricanes, terrorist attacks, wars and other armed struggles around the world underlined the fact that many people are at risk and pushed many people to think about globalization in new ways, Hurricane Katrina was the most memorable U.S. event of 2005. “In many respects, Hurricane Katrina was more than a key event,” Higginbotham said. “As a historical moment, it ripped the mask off us as a nation. Big business has been successful in keeping poverty out of the news media, television programs and movie screens, but, over the last 20 years, income inequality has grown in the nation and people let it happen. Economic residential segregation means that people can say that they live in the United States, but we live in very different states--urban, rural and suburban--and that shapes our view of the nation. “I teach about poverty and I typically spend about three weeks convincing students that there is poverty in this nation and it is not just about people being too lazy to work,” Higginbotham said. “Katrina changed the conversation. Now that we all know the extent of inequality, the real issue is what will we do?” Higginbotham said some of the positive steps made in 2005 are the fact that the global community is now learning more about each other and there is greater recognition of other nations, including those considered as "developing." “We need to change a lot of definitions, since this is no longer the American century,” Higginbotham said. “I think many people in other nations are setting their own agendas and the response is varied. I think the trend is important, since, as Americans, we have to learn to listen rather than assume we know what is right for others. “I'm not very optimistic, but I think that people are waking up in small groups and organizing for change. For too long, many of us have let global corporate interests set the agenda in much of the world without thinking long-term about the environment and human life. Slowly, those people who are not struggling to survive every day have to pay attention, stand up and work for change in the name of human rights,” Higginbotham said. Begleiter, who spent nearly two decades as CNN’s international correspondent and now teaches courses in communication, political science and journalism at UD, said several developments in 2005 earned news media a place among the highlights of the year. Revelations about how Judith Miller, a former reporter for The New York Times, and Bob Woodward of The Washington Post handled important issues of information-sourcing in the case swirling around CIA agent Valerie Plame, as well as the decision by The New York Times to withhold from public view for a year information about government spying on U.S. citizens, gave the public important glimpses of media management problems, Begleiter said “Creation of the nation’s first official government television channel, the Pentagon Channel, now available in 12 million homes, raises questions about citizens accepting government propaganda instead of independent information,” Begleiter said. One of the most significant developments in decades occurred in 2005, Begleiter said, with Hollywood’s decision to sell television programs on an a la carte basis, initially over the video iPod. He said he believes that “will probably start a monsoon of entertainment and public affairs video scheduled at the wishes of consumers rather than of movie and broadcast moguls. Whether this is good or bad for creating a well-informed public remains to be seen.” Begleiter said somber milestones were set in 2005 by the deaths of several historical figures: Eugene McCarthy, Shirley Chisholm, Rosa Parks, Rose Kennedy, Zhao Ziyang, William Westmoreland, Rose Mary Woods, Peter Rodino, L. Patrick Gray, Bob Denver, Don Adams, Johnny Carson, Robert Moog, Peter Jennings, Richard Pryor, Ralph Edwards, Hugh Sidey, King Fahd, Robin Cook, Pope John Paul II, George Kennan and Frank Perdue. Article by Martin Mbugua |
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