Opinions - The Eastern Echo

Lobbyists, big business are bad for government

By John G. Fike · Sunday, Sept. 7, 2014

Ronald Reagan got a lot of things wrong. But one of his more outstanding errors was to suggest that “government is the problem.” As with many utterances from Republicans these days, he got it backwards: politicians in bed with corporate managers and wealthy billionaires make business the problem. This is not a new problem.

Why we shouldn't buy textbooks from Amazon

By John G. Fike · Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2014

In my last column, I discussed how some corporations are managed solely to be attractive to shareholders. They don’t take into consideration the interests of a much broader range of stakeholders.

Art or Assets?

By James Tatum · Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2014

When the Delaware Art Museum sold William Holman Hunt’s “Isabella and the Pot of Basil” they earned $4.25 million as well as the opprobrium of the art community. The Association of Art Museum Directors formally sanctioned the museum in June, and instructed its fellow members not to lend artwork to the Delaware Art Museum.

SPORTS COLUMN: EMU needs to add Demarius Reed to the Ring of Honor at Rynearson Stadium, retire his jersey

By Al Willman · Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2014

The Eastern Michigan University athletic department announced Tuesday in a story on its website that construction on “The Factory” – the nickname it gave to Rynearson Stadium – was complete.There’s only one thing wrong – it’s not.

Detroit and the DIA

By James Tatum · Tuesday, July 22, 2014

A testament to the complexity of Detroit’s bankruptcy has been how many people have written about the matter incorrectly. Namely, on the proposition that the Detroit Institute of Arts sell its collection in order to settle the city’s debts.

Coleman Young didn’t destroy Detroit

By James Tatum · Monday, June 23, 2014

Former Mayor Coleman A. Young is not an unimpeachable character in Detroit’s story, nor is he the antagonist he’s often been made out to be.

Celebacy could be the new sexy

By Olivia Jackson · Monday, June 23, 2014

Since the early decades of the 20th century, women have evolved from being meek, soft spoken and being private about what intimate things they have done with their husbands. In today’s generation of the “new woman,” they have been put into a category of being overly and openly sexy, not knowing their worth and defiling their temple.

COLUMN: Putting The Factory in perspective

By Al Willman · Sunday, June 22, 2014

Thursday’s announcement by Heather Lyke, Eastern Michigan University Vice President and Director of Athletics and football coach Chris Creighton of the installation of grey turf at Rynearson Stadium (henceforth called “The Factory”) has already sparked a great deal of discussion on social media – most of it negative.

Restorative justice helps teach students

By James Tatum · Monday, June 16, 2014

For most of this decade, and the previous decade, punishment in schools has not only been considered separate from criminal justice policy, but has also been all about retribution: suspension, expulsion, demerits, etc.

Past the Tipping Point

By Nino Monea · Monday, June 9, 2014

Quentin Tarantino is one of Hollywood’s most eclectic auteurs. He made his directorial debut with his 1992 classic Reservoir Dogs. The film begins with a philosophical discussion around a breakfast table where Steve Buscemi’s character is explaining the absurdities that are inherent in the rules of tipping across the country.

Change we can believe in

By Nino Monea · Monday, June 2, 2014

Two of the most pressing public policy problems facing the country are soaring national debt and rampant environmental degradation. For years, solutions have proved elusive. But what if I told you that there was a way to ameliorate both of these concerns with no real cost to anyone, and make your life a little simpler to boot? The answer is straightforward: Eliminate small coins.

We must take action in order to make changes

By Prof. John G. Fike · Monday, May 26, 2014

Why is it so difficult today to mobilize American citizens for political action? We face critical issues like education and health care, poverty and mass incarceration, the worsening economic divide and possible human extinction due to climate change. Why aren’t people scrambling to vote in every election, participating in demonstrations, telling our political representatives what we want done to make society better?

What use are tools without wisdom and virtue?

By Prof. John G. Fike · Monday, May 19, 2014

We humans are great toolmakers. We’ve got fire, wheels and pyramids; guns, germs and steel.We’ve built railroads, airlines and instant communication, chemical warfare and atomic bombs. We can make artificial hearts, lungs and limbs; we have harnessed the elements of air, water, coal and oil to make electricity to power looms and assembly lines. We’ve even put humans on the moon.

There is no defense for the death penalty in the U.S.

By James Tatum · Monday, May 12, 2014

Opponents of the death penalty have to understand that supporters of the death penalty will not be moved by the botched execution of Clayton D. Lockett in Oklahoma. They don’t care.

American Muslims are still American

By Jumanah Saadeh · Sunday, May 4, 2014

“Where are you from?” This is a question I have received countless times. If I had a dime for every time I was asked this question, I’d be rich.

The big grab is on

By John G. Fike · Wednesday, April 23, 2014

If you’re middle class or poor, the bankers and politicians want your money. First, the Republicans have declared war on the poor by slashing the food-stamp program that provides a bare minimum of daily nutrition.

Student Government’s credibility has been called into question after the race between incumbent Desmond Miller (Left) and write-in candidate Fatma Jaber (Right).

Student Government undone

By Staff Editorial · Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Student Government’s credibility and efficacy has been called into question. It has been unable to properly run an election, and has provided skeptics with fodder for its dismissal. But rather than be taken down by critics it appears Student Government will undo itself.

City officials don’t plan for the worst case scenario

By James Tatum · Thursday, April 17, 2014

The problem is city officials didn’t abide by what could clumsily be called the “What If It Goes Wrong” principle. In other words, there didn’t appear to be any consideration of the worst case scenario on the part of city officials who were in office at the time. It was all but assumed the project would be successful. It wasn’t.

Capitalism created, then spoiled prosperity

By John G. Fike · Thursday, April 17, 2014

Over the last three centuries, capitalism has poisoned the very well of prosperity it has taken such pains to create. The genie of capitalism, aided by the Industrial Revolution, can largely be credited with moving Western societies, and eventually much of the world, out of feudalism and the Malthusian trap. Malthus, you remember, complained that humans never were able to increase our living standard through much of our existence. But capitalism’s advent increased the world’s productivity and living standard; it brought humanity ease, luxury and comfort, along with prodigious choice in products and services.

Michigan House Bill 5315 is a bill that would level the playing field for people seeking a college degree.

The time has come to pay it forward

By Al Willman · Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Pay-it-Forward is an idea, which was popularized in 2000, following a movie of the same title – which I will assume, for the purposes of this column – you have already seen. If not, you can read the summary on IMDB