The Beaver i^^ewspaipero^heTsiESir''''^^P"''*'Ti'rst^ubnshed[TMay^949^'*'''''"'P"^***''''*'2TFebm The Facebook phenomenon - this week in blink, page 9 Briefing Access denied OnCampusUK, the private firm who manage the Students' Union's new website have been accused of breaking the terms of their contract after complaints were made by some members of the Executive that the site may not yet be fully accessible to all students. News page 2 No/Yes to NUS As the referendum on the LSE SU's membership of the National Union of Students (NUS) draws nearer, both the Yes and the No campaigns have met to organise their efforts, discuss strategy and elect a committee. Both the groups insisted that they will be able to get the result they want in the elections next week. News page 3 TV let Loose The LSE SU's very own TV station has gone on air in the Three Tuns and Undergound bar after a day-long launch in the Quad last week. After some minor technical problems, a shortage of funds and specialist equipment, clips of events such as the AU barrel, UGM, Freshers' Fair and society activites were finally shown for the first time on Tuesday. News page 5 Hariri assasinated Following the former Prime Minister of Lebanon Rafik Hariri's assassination by car bombing, the LSE students who met him pay homage to his vision. blink page 16 Hoxton Uncovered "What once, not long ago, was the cradle of bohemian minds and creative sass, now enjoys being the epicentre of the young and up-and-coming multi-cul-tural Londoner Bart"^ . page 25 Natwest fails again Tracy Alloway blink Editor NatWest bank has strongly denied allegations from an anonymous banking-industry insider concerning its services to LSE students, amidst continuing concerns over their treatment of international students. When asked whether NatWest takes advantage of international students, the source commented: "It does delay money from abroad reaching students' bank accounts, for a day or two, in order to make money from the interest. This can cause distress, as students might not have money to buy food or pay fees." In reply to the whether he believed another bank company could better cater to the needs of international students, he said: "The NatWest package for international students is really among the best, not that any bank offers anything good. They offer a Solo debit card, where most banks just offer a cash card. "But the quality of service [for everyone] is awful. It can take over two weeks just to get your card and pin, HSBC and other leading banks can get it done under a week. Over the enrolment period, NatWest had problems with cards taking over a month." ITbeet Wc For the second time this academic year, Natwest has been accused of negligence. On a closing note, he commented: "The staff, however, at [the Aldwych branch] are excellent. They are also taken advantage of with some earning less than £13,000 a year, makes you confident in the bank when staff who are trying to help your financial worries might have their own. The problems tends to be with NatWest as a whole, not the Aldwych branch in particular." When asked whether he could provide evidence of his allega- tions, the source admitted that he could not, but said: "All this information is out in the public domain. None of it is a secret, it could be found out by interviewing NatWest customers, or asking the staff." The manager of the Aldwych branch of NatWest declined to comment, but a spokesperson from the bank's London headquarters refuted the allegations as "factually incorrect", remarking that the source "...is clearly not au fait with the correct proce- dures that NatWest follows." In particular, NatWest denied the allegation that it piuposefully delays money: "As soon as the overseas bank sends NatWest the money it is immediately credited to a student account, just like it would be for any account receiving an international payment. We do not and have never delayed international payments from reaching a students' account." continued, page 2 Editorial comment, page 7 Violence continues to trouble Tuns Sam Jones News Editor Further violent incidents have plagued the Unions' bars over the past two weeks. Fights broke out on Wednesday and Friday evenings two weeks ago, the most serious being described as "A western-style pub brawl" by LSE SU Treasurer Gareth Carter. The worst of the violence took place on the evening of Wednesday 9th, when fights erupted between members of the LSE SU Rugby team, members of the public and several other LSE students. Speaking to the Union Executive last Monday, Carter described how members of the mgby team became embroiled in a brawl in the underground bar. Staff reportedly initially reacted by locking the doors to the bar, before the bar manager arrived to eject those concerned. At around 11pm, as the Hins was closing, the fight moved out onto Houghton Street, where security cameras captured one individual, as yet unidentified, being chased by members of the LSE rugby team : towards the Aldwych. Carter then described to the Executive how, according to some sources, the LSE students involved attempted to urinate on the individual outside the Subway sandwich shop Questions continue to be raised, however, of how extensive the violence actually was. Some sources reported nothing more than a few isolated incidents throughout the night. One anonymous bystander commented that "there were only a few punches thrown - the worse injuries were little more than bruised egos." Nonetheless on Friday 9th, one LSE student had to go Charing Cross Hospital in Hammersmith to receive stitches to his face after he was punched by a bouncer. The fight broke out after Demir Turker, a first year LSE student allegedly pulled the earpiece from the bouncer's ear. Turker was then restrained in a headlock by the bouncer. According to those present other bouncers then intervened to break up the incident. However, the bouncer who had originally restrained Hurker then broke free and hit Turker in the face. ^ continued on page 2 2 News The Beaver 22 February 2005 Questions raised over website accessibility Sophia Hatley_ Questions were last week raised over the accessibility of the new SU website . According to a clause in the contract the website is required by the Disabilities Discrimination Act of 1995 to be accessible to people with a range of visual disabilities such as colour-blindness, partial sighted-ness and tunnel vision by providing a text only format. At present a text only version is available by clicking 'accessibility' on any page. Ilowever at an Executive meeting last week LSE's Education and Welfare Officer Sian Errington pointed out that some of the guidelines were not being met. The SU Disabilities Officer, Hazel Mowbray, agreed that the fact that the text only version still contained pictures and coloured banners meant that the site failed to meet accessibility standards. SU General Secretary Will Macfarlane commented that 'OnCampusUK', the company who host the Student Union website for free, "could possibly be in breach of contract". Although control of the website content remains entirely with the Union, the contract states that OnCampusUK is required to make "reasonable adjustments" in-order to ensure it remains compliant with the act. Khurshid f^izullaev, the Students' Union Communications Officer, who is responsible for the website, told The Beaver that "The onus is on OnCampusUK - there are contractually obliged to provide us with a fully accessible website." He added that he would be meeting with the disabilities office and users with visual disabilities "in order to ensure that the website continues to comply with the accessibility requirements and can be improved upon." Sian Errington agreed that "it is important that there is continuous consultation with disabled users and the disabilities office in order to ensure that the website is fully accessible to all students." The School is currently i^dat-ing its -servers to aUaw forV^aig/ cading script', something which should allow far more flexibility in making the LSE's website and servers compatible with accessibility requirements. However, since the Union website is currently hosted on OnCampusUK's UNIX based system it will not be able to benefit from the changes immediately. The Communications Officer is planning to meet with Stephen Emmott, Head of LSE Web services, to discuss what the union can do with OnCampusUK regarding cascading script. leak Hib 3S05SBSB8 Lp.tfl iKiii.lWRfcCOWKtllijMtli^l »-| :IW» " You are here / main Welcome to the LSE Students' Union website k The LSE Students' Union exists exclusively to advance the Interests, welfare and corporate life of its membership. As a I facilitator of student life, the Union ensures and maintains the provision of conwnerdai. social, educational and sporting ' services aaoss c»r*xjs. It is solidly committed to the eff^ive promotion of equal opportunities arxJ diversity In r^pr^enting ond.safefl^ding the Interests of all LSE students. J ^ ©RAISING AND GIVING WEEK a-ffikic 19-27Fet)ruarY2005 The SU website as it looks in accessible mode. New violence raises old questions of RnB ban continued from page 1 However, others disagreed. Members of the Tuns' security staff identified 1\irker as a "well known troublemaker". Turker complained that members of the security team were pursuing a "vendetta" against him. Indeed as it later emerged, the bouncer responsible for the assault had come to blows with Turker before at another West London venue. Defending himself, Turker Azan Marwah at the UGM. said, "He had no right to hit me, I certainly had not hit him." As The Beaver learned, however, the bouncer responsible has already been dismissed. Two members of the LSE SU Rugby team have also been suspended for the next fortnight from the Union's bars for their role in the violence on Wednesday. The events come after several weeks of heated debate within the Union over the recent controversial decision to suspend RnB music after the violence over the New Year. Indeed a motion, proposed by Azan Mai-wah was discussed at last week's UGM resolving to bring back RnB music to the bars. Marwah commented that "our student leaders have overlooked the principle causes of violence in the union's bars and have instead seized upon the convenient scapegoat of RnB music. "All that has happened is that a significant number of students have been segregated and marginalised. This represents a real failure on the part of the SU to identify and analyse the true problems that are the cause of violence at our venues. "Maybe the AU, who have largely opposed RnB at the UGM, should be looking more closely at their own record for violence in the Tuns." LSE SU General Secretary Will Macfarlane remained keen to distance the events of the past two weeks from those over the New Year: "Wednesday nights have their own particular character," he said, adding that, "Wednesday nights are a self-governing issue for the AU rather than the SU." "This hasn't been an issue raised with the licensing authorities or the police - these are minor incidents compared with what happened on New Year's Eve. "Furthermore, the measures we took in response to the incidents on New Year's Eve were concerned with preventing violence and ensuring safety in our bars - they certainly were not issues of linking RnB and violence." SU concerns over student number increases Alex Hochuli The Students' Union has voiced its concerns over School plans to increase student numbers. The plans to increase LSE student numbers to approximately 9,000 were revealed last year. The increase from the current level of 7,500 full-time students is meant to take place by 2010/11, abetted by the opening of new teaching facilities at 24 Kingsway. The rise in numbers aims to maintain Undergraduate numbers static, resulting in a net increase in Postgraduate students. However, the current ratio of UK to Overseas Undergraduate students is to remain at parity. The School aims to avert overcrowding problems by staggering increases and not allowing numbers to rise to their full potential of 10,500. The plans are in early stages and must first be discussed by academic departments to decide eventual student distribution. Worries about strain on SU facilities were confirmed by General-Secretary Will Macfarlane, positing that new facilities, funding, and officers may be necessary. The LSE's Press Office offered no comment, but referred to the yearly Director's Report which alludes to certain financial imperatives governing decisions to increase numbers in high-fee courses. Macfarlane asserted that, while understanding the School's funding needs, the current "comfortable mix of international diversity with [a] UK core," should be maintained. The LSE SU General-Secretary and Treasurer are working for a smooth transition of these duties to their successors and are currently on the School's Planning Team. The plans, however, are yet to be added to the LSE's 'Strategic Plan'. International students still failed by banks continued from page 1 They also denied having problems with debit cards taking over a month to reach students and "...would welcome the opportunity to investigate any individual experiences, where a delay may have occurred." These new allegations come in addition to concerns raised at the start of Michaelmas term when The Beaver reported that NatWest would require international students to deposit £5,000 to open a student account along with proof of tuition fee payment. According to a comment made at the time by the manager of the Aldwych branch, international students must meet stricter financial requirements than those from the UK because they are not "cost-effective" in the long-term. The Aldwych branch of NatWest currently pays nominal rent to the LSE on a lease agreement. The School and the LSE Students' Union also do all their banking with NatWest. While the 2004 Fresher's Pair was the first to give equal space to all of the major banks according to SU Treasurer Gareth Carter, NatWest remains the only on-campus banking facility. When asked his opinion of NatWest's services, SU General Secretary Will Macfarlane said: "NatWest's poor services to international students reflect generally poor services on the part of the high street banking sector." When pressed as to whether the SU would take steps to improve the banking options available to LSE students, he commented: "I hope the next Treasurer and indeed the next Executive will consider that we have had various issues with banking provisions for international students." Meanwhile representatives from the LSE, including Systems Accountant Keith Adams and SU International Students' Officer Salah Mattoo, attended a presentation by Barclays bank last Friday concerning the financial packages it offers to students. When asked about the School's approach to student banking in the wake of Barclay's presentation, Adams said: "We really don't care who you bank with, but we do get queries from students asking us to recommend a bank, and we like to be able to offer them information." "Barclays was taking a very commercial approach to students which is unfortunate, but as a way forward we're trying to make sure the publicity is out there." Dev Cropper award John Devenand Cropper was a final year Government student when he tragically died on March 25,1998^ The Dev Cropper Memorial award Is offered to a second or third year student in recognition of outstanding contributions to the student community at the LSE Nominations will be open from Monday, March 2 Nomination forms are available from SM Reception To contact T/ie Beaver News teanri, email thebeaver.news@lse>ac.uk " J ' V .C _¦ n if. :-!.- T M !< \ ........ - !¦¦ ¦ ; ;v ¦ n ¦: -i The Beaver 22 Februaiy 2005 News Yes campaign bid to remain affiliated Adam Tomczik Supporters of the LSE's bid to remain in NUS met last Friday to plan a campaign. Among those assembled were Education and Welfare Officer Sian Errington, Societies Officer Angus Jones, Post-Graduate Officer Matthew Willgress and Residences Officer Rishi Madlani. Dave Cole was elected chair of the committee, but no one could be found to fill the positions of treasurer and secretary. Many of those at the Yes meeting are speculated to be candidates in the upcoming Executive elections and Willgress worried that there would be competition for time and energy. Most members agreed to intertwine their personal campaigns with the pro-NUS campaign by either distributing literature in common or indicating on their personal literature that they support continued affiliation. The committee established the four planks of their platform: The importance of affiliation with a national movement; the significant NUS contributions to equality and welfare campaigns; the mutually beneficial relationship between the LSE and NUS and legacy of prompting positive change; and student discounts. Errington explained: "As a national movement there are things that NUS can do that we can't. They can advocate on issues of visa charges, fees increases, liberation campaigns and equality campaigns." The 'Yes to NUS' camp had difficulty even naming a full committee./ Photo: Marta Skundric. Members also cited the creation of the International Students' Officer position as an example of successful synergy between the LSE and NUS. The group acknowledged the criticism of NUS affiliation and anticipated their opposition's derisions of the NUS being "a waste of money." However, the meeting decided that the campaign should not focus on negative aspects of the relationship. "We can solve NUS problems best from within the NUS," said Willgress. Madlani noted the crucial pocketbook issues of continued student discounts and cheap beer The NUS Services Limited (NUSSL) runs a Purchasing Consortium that negotiates low prices for £120 million worth of goods on behalf of over 200 UK Students' Unions. One result is cheap beer at the LSE and its residence hall bars. Although disaffiliation would not guarantee increased beer prices at the Three Tuns, "it definitely won't get cheaper," said Madlani. When questioned about the chances of a favourable vote, Cole replied: "100 percent. We'll still be in the NUS. No doubt in my mind." Mulready-Jones was more reserved. "The odds have shifted against us since last time," he explained, referring to a referendum on affiliation with the NUS conducted in 2003. However, other members of the Yes campaign committee all remained optimistic and confident of success. Editorial comment, page 7 No campaign say NUS is dead Alexander George In the lead-up to the referendum on affiliation to the National Union of Students (NUS), those opposed to NUS began planning their campaign last week. Matthew Sinclair was elected Chair, while first-year students Lizzie Fison and Simon Douglas were elected Secretary and Treasurer respectively. SU Treasurer Gareth Carter, attending the meeting for informational purposes, announced the findings of his mandated research into access to student discounts independent of the NUS. Pizza Hut have yet to confirm whether they will accept anything other than an NUS card, Topshop and Topman said LSE cards would be acceptable, while HMV, Burger King and McDonalds all have their own student discount schemes not linked to the NUS. Carter noted that disaffiliating from the NUS would mean leaving NUS Services Ltd (NUSSL), which would affect the stock in the LSE bars and the SU shop. According to Carter, however, this has some advantages. He cited the example of Imperial College London. However, Carter cautioned that Imperial's profit margins. vary over a range of products. Sinclair said that the LSE's Finance Director, Andy Farrell, had informed him that disaffiliation from the NUS would not affect the Students' Union's finances. Sinclair speculated that the money saved could be channelled into extra funding for student societies. On the issue of the NUS as a political vehicle, Sinclair said it has lost credibility over the fact that three former NUS presidents turned Labour MPs voted in favour of top-up fees. When asked whether the majority of LSE students are sufficiently interested in the NUS to vote in the referendum, Sinclair responded that turnout should not be an issue because the referendum is at the same time as the SU elections. However, he said that the No campaign faced a challenge because of the standard perception that NUS membership is not really important. Sinclair said he was confident because several factors favour the 'No' camp this year, which were not there in previous votes. In response to a question from The Beaver as to whether the No campaign was designed to leave the NUS permanently or a type of external shock tactic to send a message to the national body, Sinclair, said that the campaign was to Iga^ the NUS peynianent- The 'No to NUS' camp. / Photo: Marta Skundric. ly- The No camp also attempted to anticipate the potential campaign planned by the Yes camp. , Throughout the jneeting, hoWr ever, Sinclair was resolute in saying that though he was confident, "be under no illusions, this will be difficult.'J^ Editorial Comment, page 7 Union Jack Jack is disappointed. This, week above all others should have been the best example of the very worst of the Students' Union. Where were the self-serving motions? Where were the unnecessary reports? The bearded pixie did attempt to pull in some Tory votes and Rishi Sad&Smarmy had something unimpressive to say. Too little, too late Jack thinks. Natalie was not on top form, her usual authoritarian streak suppressed by a few too many glasses of Cinzano Bianco. With control weakened the balcony boys were back to full force, making excellent use of the flaccid blink 'sex issue' to get their point across. Sadly, the rugby boys point, more often than not, was unable to make it all the way from balcony to stage. Perhaps they could do us all a favour, face the wall and throw backwards? Mr Haynes' motion to reprimand dear Ken, mayor of hearts, fell as calls that the motion was illegal (there is no Louis Haynes in the Students' Union) went unheard. It was announced that RnB would be back, which led to some confusion for Jack as we then spent 15 minutes bitterly arguing whether or not to, yes, bring it back. Allegations of racism were flying faster than K's post-election plane back to Kazakhstan. The mood grew confrontational as the angry RnB lovers attempted to prove that they were not violent by becoming aggressive. Jack was only grateful that the tense atmosphere was not further aggravated by the provocative beats of Ashanti et al, surely blood would have been spilled. Turning to the elections. Jack longs for the years before cynicism set in, when we naively considered a vote a vote. As Jack shall be draconically silenced next week, this is the last chance to comment on those who may, or may not be running. The retro comms showdovm looks likely to be a repeat of 2004 and Natalie is already preparing colour schemes for E206. The top job looks to be tight, but unremarkable, would you rather the kiwi or the fruit basket? All we can be certain of is that in the coming days we will be seeing far too much of Creepy-Krebbers, orange t-shirts, and bored looking friends/campaign assistants. Jack recommends you hold up in a study room and amxise yours^ ^th The Ekcebook._ _ News The Beaver 22 February 2005 Around the LSE in 80 minutes; the globe on show Adrian Li Global Week ended literally with a blast last week with the ever popular Global Show on Thursday and Friday nights. Global Week saw other events like the Global Village last Monday and several public lectures held in conjunction with Global Week. This year was the first year that the International Society organised the Global Village. It was held to showcase the culture of the different nationalities that are represented in the LSE student community. Louann Sugden, who was at the Global Village, commented that "The quality of the stalls was quite high. I really liked the henna painting stall." However, turnout at the Global Village was lower than expected. When asked to comment on this, SU Communications Officer, Khurshid Faizullaev, suggested that it was probably due to the Global Village being held in the Underground Bar and that the lYins was not open until some time after the Global Village started. He was quick to point out that "Global Village was a novelty in the Global Week and it was the first event on a Monday morning. It was a success and I am sure that if my successors chose to repeat the same event next year, it will be an even bigger event. I am very impressed by some societies' ideas and what they have done in the event and I want to thank them for it." Speaking to the Beaver, Anuschka Barlas, President of the International Society, said that there were not enough societies participating. Only seven out of the 12 national societies who had volunteered to participate in the Global Village set up stalls showcasing their national cultures. "It is slightly disappointing that there is a lack of enthusiasm among the LSE student community with the cultural aspects of our international diversity. But we will repeat the Global Village next year, this time with a bigger venue and more societies involved." The other major event of Global Week was the Global Show, held last Thursday and Friday. It was very warmly received, playing to a full house on Thursday. A total of 10 societies and 100 performers participated in the global show, with 18 models for the fashion show segment of the Global Show. Auditions had begun in Michaelmas term, and combined rehearsals had been going on three weeks before opening night on Thursday. The Global Show promised to bring the audience "around the world in 80 minutes", as pointed out by MCs Mark Power and Sid Velamoor. The MCs provided much banter that kept the audience visibly amused, much so when Velamoor introduced his co-host Mark Power as the "Master of miracles" and the "King of Cool". The opening night of Global Show was full of energy and high octane performances, characterised by the opening act performed by the Cjrpriot Society. Their dance was the first in a series of several dance performances of the night, ensuring that there would be a constant threading and stomping of the floorboards on stage. Other dance performances included an Arabian belly dance by Karma El-Shawa, which was especially well recieved by the male half of the audience, and banghra dance by the LSE's Nachda Punjab, which the MCs pointed out, "would not incite violence" and a Bolljrwood dance. The Swing Dance Society and the Hellenic Society completed the line up of the night's dance performances, which were all highly enjoyed by the audience. The other performances on the night included a Pakistani skit and Thai and Korean songs and > .a-1- The ever popular Global Show. / Photo: Mark Donahue the Vietnamese Hat Dance. Rukimini Thakore, one of the dancers in the Bollywood dance, spoke to The Beaver after the show and said that "it was a fabulous effort and the fact that people put in so much time and energy fostered team spirit. And we've made good friends in the process." Communications Officer, Khurshid Faizullaev, was quick to give credit to the International Society for making the Global Show a great success. After the show, Anuschka Barlas said that "apart from a few technical difficulties, we are proud we came through. I would like to thank the whole International Society executive committee for all the hard work they've put in, and aU the performers and those involved in Global Week." New Tuns furniture arrives Douglas Oliver A large order of new furniture was delivered to the Three Hins last Tuesday morning, which according to SU treasurer Gareth Carter is "more in keeping with the new environment of the bar area". As a result, there will now be more places for people to sit. The new furniture was initially envisaged as a replacement for the previous stock. However, the auction of the old furniture was never carried out because of problems with the delivery company. For the time being a combination of both sets of furniture will be used. Carter commented, "once we took delivery of the new furniture on Tuesday, we realised there was enough space for most of the furniture from both sets" A few pieces of excess furniture have been dispersed around the SU building. One of the old sofas is in Carter's office. The new furniture, costing £3,500 includes new brown sofas, a large collection of round bar tables and a large number of stools and chairs. Opinions on the new furniture were mixed. One Tuns regular was delighted "there are more chairs, for once I'll be able to find somewhere to sit at Crush this evening while all my friends are dancing in the Quad". Another was less convinced "these new tables and bar stools are what you find in old-fashioned local pubs and inns. These furnishings clash with the brightness and the light of the new Tuns". A new pool table has also been purchased. Carter said "the old one was defunct. Balls kept getting stuck in the holes". However, another Tuns regular noted that people were seen playing pool on the old table as recently as Monday, "without any bother". STA Travel and The Beaver are pleased to announce that Ms.PYLim is the lucky winner of a 2 night romantic break in Paris, courtesy of STA Travel and Eurostar China development week a success Jimmy Tam LSE's saw its first ever 'China Week' last week - a series of eleven public lectures over five days devoted to issues related to the country's development. Organised by the LSE SU China Development Society, China Week featured a range of high-profile speakers, including LSE alumni, from different sectors. China Week was scheduled to run after the Chinese New Year celebrations and coincided with Global Week activities. The China Development Society believes China Week, widely regarded as a big success, is the biggest event of its kind in a London university and hopes to make it an annual on-campus feature. The week kicked off with Professor Stephan Feuchtwang, from LSE's anthropology department, giving the story of Meifa village and how the locals maintain their identity in China's development. The menu of events covered a wide range of topics, including NGOs, real estate and EU-China relations. Other highlights included the return of Professor Peter Nolan, chair of the Cambridge University Development Studies Committee, and Duncan Clark, managing director of leading telecom and technology consul- tancy, BDA China. Nolan spoke on China's globalisation challenge, whilst Clark focused on the rise of the Chinese telecom industry. China Development Society president Jianzhuo Xu commented, "The aim of China Week was to provide a forum for students, faculty members and professionals to interact, discuss and generate new ideas. China Week has attracted a lot of attention and has been a huge success! The responses we have received from both the speakers as well as the students have been highly positive. We definitely plan to organise China Week as an annual event in the future" University applicants on the rise Dharini Nagarajan Latest university figures show a steep and rapid rise in the numbers of students ' applying to new universities. In a latest report published by The Guardian newspaper, the number of people who applied by the January 15 deadline to study in full-time higher education courses at universities and colleges in the UK this autumn is up by 8.9% (31,453). The Guardian released a list of the fastest growing universities, with universities such as university of Bolton topping it with a growth as high as 37.5 percent. However, one of the most applied to universities seems to be the University of Manchester, receiving almost 57,000 applications this year alone. Such a trend is also mirrored by overseas students applying to the UK. Figures from the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) show an overall increase of nine percent in the overseas applications. However, according to a BBC news report there has also been a fall of nearly 5.3 percent in applicants from outside the EU. Given that EU students are classed under the UK/Home fees bracket and overseas students pay international fees, a fall in non EU numbers could well affect the incomes of UK universities. Interestingly enough, the largest increase in applications was from Cyprus, with a towering 40 percent growth in applicants. This rapid increase comes at a time when top up fees are at the brink of being introduced in October 2006. Many have speculated that students are rushing to secure their place in colleges before the enforcement of top -up fees occurs. The most popular course to be applied for still remains law followed by psychology and management courses. Talking to The Guardian, the Higher Education Minister, Kim Howells, said: "This increase in applicants is good news. There are record numbers of people going to university and there is confidence that even more students will go on to university in the future." The Beaver 22 February 2005 Day long Quad launch for LooSE TV Chris Heathcote News Editor Loose TV, the lse su's very own TV station went live last Tuesday with an official launch all day in the Quad. Screens in the Three Tuns and Underground bar will show a variety of clips ranging from current affairs programmes, to soap operas, to society activities and recordings of Union events such as the UGM, AU barrel. Women's Week and AIDS day. The footage will not be played the whole time, but instead will shown interspersed with the usual clips that are shown by SubTV, the company who operate the screens. A team of students from the TV society have been working to produce the films since the beginning of last term, but the launch has been delayed for a number of reasons. Because the society was newly-created and had only a small membership, it was allocated a budget of around just £400. This meant that expensive editing equipment could not be bought and instead the whole project was forced to reply on one editor using their own laptop. Inexperience has been another hindrance. For most of the people involved, LooSE TV was their first experience on television and so the majority of last term was occupied with planning. Finally, complicated negotiations with SubTV and the staff of the Three Tuns pushed back the launch date. It took until just two weeks ago for the live wire, necessary for displaying the clips, to be installed. Rebecca Michael, LooSE TV Organiser and TV Society chair, told The Beaver that despite the setbacks, the launch had been a "big success." She cited the fact that a representative of the Lonely Planet travel guides had expressed an interest in a sponsorship deal and also the popularity of the barrel clips with members of the Athletics Union who had arranged to meet up and watch the film. LooSE TV screened in the quad last Tuesday. / Photo: Rebecca Michael "We have the people to keep things running at the current scale of two five-minute clips a week, but the sad thing is that we have the enthusiasm to make LooSE TV a lot bigger. "People come to the meetings every week with great ideas, but it just wouldn't be fair to tell them to go ahead when we only have one editor," lamented Michael. For now though, the aim is to search for sponsorship offers and continue to plan for an LSE sitcom programme. Give the success of last week's launch, organisers hope to have screenings once a month, to keep up the interest in the project. RAG week kicks off; bigger and better tlian ever? Arthur Krebbers Former SU Ents Officer Jimmy Baker posing for RAG week 2004 s always, week 7 of Lent Term is Raising and .Giving (RAG) week. Many events will be held throughout the week. The three charities that have been chosen for this year are Westminster Women's Aid, MPS (Society for Mucopolysaccharide Diseases) and Afrikids. A wide range of societies are involved with RAG week. Events kicked off yesterday with the RAG week pub crawl. Today the Drama Society will hold an improvised drama on Houghton Street. The same day will also show a debate on 'What's great about Great Britain?' organized by the Question Time society and a Jazz band concert from the LSE SU Music Society. One of the highlights of the week will be the opportunity for students to abseil from the 5th Floor of the Old Biiilding. The same event, held last year was a great success among students. Abseilers will need to be sponsored for at least 30 pounds. For those who would prefer to stick to the ground, there will be an International Food fair on Friday in the Quad. Collections will also be held at public lectures and any other events organized during the week. In addition, the school library has announced it will donate all fines paid between 19th and 27th February. Finally, students will be able to purchase the traditional 'London School of Alcoholics' shirts and glasses. £2,500 raised by LSE runners for Tsunami appeal George Collender_ Over £2,500 was raised to aid Tsunami victims by members of the LSE's Development Studies Institute (DESTIN) on a sponsered run around Hyde Park. The self-styled 'jolly joggers' plucked up their energy to combat their hangovers and sleep deprivation by running five miles on a bright and crisp Sunday morning on February 6. They made up a truly international team, including fundraisers from South Africa, Scandanavia, North America and Britain. The seventeen runners exceeded expectations by raising more than £2,500 from the event -far more than their original £1,000 target. The vast majority of the sponsorship was raised in a few days thanks to a flurry of online dona- tions to a special web page set up for the event. Money raised will go to the Disasters Emergency Committee's tsunami relief effort. During the run the jolly joggers sported their uniform T-shirts emblazoned with the slogan "I'm running for relief". They set off from Speakers' Comer. The route hugged the Serpentine before passing the Round Pond and Kensington Palace. As the run continued and the aches and pains worsened, the fimdraisers split up into smaller groups running at different speeds depending on sporting prowess. They were all reunited at the finish at Speakers' Comer where the banter began with some unpopular speakers desperate for attention while on their soapboxes. Brief l^ews ULU Inquorate Yet another ULU Council meeting was last week declared inquorate. This will be the third consequtive occasion on which, the council meeting has had to be suspended because of poor attendence. LSE SU delegates attended with one apology for absence. Controversial plans were also revealed in a report from ULU Finance and Services Officer Rob Park to start charging for the use of ULU cashpoints as of 2006. Park defended his decision by arguing that soon most high street chains would be charging for the use of cash machines. Sam Jones Halls Theft One student was buargled last week in Carr-Saunders Hall. The crime was perpetrated by an unknown intmder who appeared to have gained access to the hall via a door left open by cleaning; staff. The intruder then made his way to a fifth floor room where he entered a student's room, while she was sleeping, and stole her laptop computer and wallet. He then attempted to enter; another student's room but foxmd that the occupant was still inside and awake. As yet police have made no arrest in connection with the theft, Alexa Sharpies Shop plays PuLSE After several weeks of difficulties foEowing the passing of a motion at the UGM requiring the LSE SU shop to play PuLSE radio continuously the shop has finally agreed to play the radio station for six of its eight open hours. Problems arose after it was revealed that the shop had not been following Union policy and playing PuLSE. The compromise comes after difficulties were found by members of PuLSE fm in enforcing the: UGM's policy decision. Sam Jones SU Elections LSE Students' Union elections kick off this week as the deadline for candidates to be nominated for election closes on Wednesday. Hiistings, where students can publicly question candidates for Sabbatical and Executive positions, will be taking place at the Union General Meeting (UGM) on Thursday, in: the Quad on Friday, and the Underground Bar on Monday. Potential sabbatical ofEicers will be questioned at all three hustings while Hustings for the part-time Executive will be divided up between the Quad and the Underground Bar. PrashantRao DESTIN runners at Hyde Park earlier this month. 6 Comment & Analysis Election frenzy! SU Treasurer Gareth Carter \s down with election fever! As you may or may not be aware, Houghton Street will soon be awash with various politically-active Union members degrading themselves in brightly-coloured shirts and handing out matching leaflets, begging for your vote. Lent Term elections are upon us again, and whilst some may view this annual event as being as relevant as SCUBA gear in the Sahara, the impact these elections has on each student is great. That the general running of the Union, your Union, can be decided by people whose only prior experience with any sort of political responsibility is giving a GVlOO presentation, levies a responsibility upon each voter to really question each candidate, to really dissemble their policies, and discern their actual motives. We should not be satisfied with each candidate hiding under the stolen mantra of 'students not politics' as it is clear that, this year, each candidate has chosen to interpret this in their own way. At its inception 'students not politics' signalled a shift away from a Union that cared more about the war in Iraq than levels of funding for student support, a Union that would rather sit outside the Houses of Parliament muttering about civil disobedience than extend library opening hours. There may be a place for such pursuits, but the notion behind last year's claim was that it was LSE students that took priority in the hearts and minds of the elected Sabbaticals. Home-grown issues that affected LSE students were to be '4 Students exercising their right to vote / Photo: Mark Donahue addressed first and foremost. This proved highly successful, with at least two current Sabbaticals triumphing over more radical opponents. With such powerful evidence proving that LSE students wanted a Sabbatical team that represented them and not the Sabbs' individual political ideologies, each Sabbatical-wannabe fell into line under the, now well-famUiar, 'students...' axiom. A fear of attracting the ire of the Athletics Union, and a desire not to be seen as campaigning on irrelevancies led to a large nimi-ber of hacks serving up UGM after UGM of 'students not politics' messages. Whereas we once had a UGM order paper dominated by calls for boycotts of national products, or for support for communist insurgencies, we now had cau- tious Sabbatical-pretenders carefully manipulating the well-worn message that had carried the present-day Sabbaticals to office. So now the underlying message of 'students not politics' has gone, and under its auspices candidates will present wildly varying agendas. It has become a catch-all phrase that masks their real aims and ambitions; a phrase that candidates employ more as a sop to wary, but largely disinterested voters than as any meaningful description of their policies. These candidates need to questioned on their real objectives. Where do they see the Union's place in nationwide campaigns? What importance do they attach to stability and democracy in the Middle East, and what importance to increasing course pack provision in the SU Copy Shop? What is the single best thing these candidates believe this Union can do? Can stand for? Can achieve? The days of gaining a Sabbatical position on the basis of having a Labour or Conservative Students card in your wallet are over, but we should resist any attempt to replace that with a shower of 'students not politics' candidates whose views are effectively hidden from UGM consumption until it becomes too late. Critics of the 'students not politics' stance last year said that the two were totally inseparable, but they missed the point each candidate was trying to make. With bastardised versions of this set to dominate this year's elections we, the voters, must be sure not to do the same. What is it about the LSE? Clare Mackie was not impressed by the LSE when she arrived, but is now. What changed? Having had an amazing Gap Year, I had a year's built-up excitement about coming to University and arrived with a wealth of expectations of student life. It has to be said that LSE lived up to very few of them, and those anticipations for this notoriously lefty university were generally shattered on the first day of Fresher's week. I felt like Id been robbed of the experience that I had been eagerly awaiting and felt bitter that I wasn't having the typical Fresher's experience that all my friends were ranting on about. What happened to the vomiting, debauchery, the red faced avoidance of fellow undergrads the following day on campus? Why were people studying at four o'clock in the morning in their first week in the hope to make it as an investment banker? And what was I thinking going to see Shapeshifters? I wanted to make friends, but it all seemed like an outrageously big effort and no-one seemed to appreciate my David Brent on the dance floor. I hated the fact that everyone told me that the answer was to join a sports team when I'm just about as athletic as Johnny Vegas. It seemed students were Asexual, unfriendly, arrogant, and absent of a sense of humour, with LSE lacking a middle ground: the academic and sometimes boring side of economics vs. the 'frolics' of the Athletic Union. I wasn't on my own when I said I missed mates from home who weren't academic or political but were normal to me and laughed at life without taking themselves too seriously. All everyone seemed to want to do was make money, and the moralistic and campaigning aspect of the School was there but seemed to be contradicted by so many chasing the dollar. I cannot tell you how sad that still makes me at times. The Fabian roots had been given a large touch up with Conservative Clairol and LSE seemed disappointingly devoid of a social conscience. But, by the end of term I'd developed a kind of attachment to the LSE, and there was something I couldn't put my finger on keeping me here. I'd even gone to a few AU nights and had a laugh and "I'd been wrong about a few things. I'd started to really enjoy speaking to new people at the bar or in class. LSE had sparked things off in me that I'd never thought possible and I'd done a lot of learning outside classes about different cultures that I would never have been in contact with if Id stayed at home. ¦ I seemed to see the funny side of LSE more and more and I leamt to deal with the fact that the LSE will certainly never be sex, drugs and rock and roll but rather Pecks, hugs, and R n B. I was worried. I thought I was becoming 'too LSE', that the change was irreversible, friends from back home would disown me, UCL kids would curse, and by the second year I would be wearing overpriced (makes a change) LSE garments like a cringe-worthy advert. I would start talking to old men in pubs about the value of a free market, spend more time in the library than I did going out, and casting my copy of NME aside and favouring a more 'intellectually stimulating' read. I'm pleased to say that this hasn't happened, but lately I've been spotted on campus sporting a look that says, 'actually, I'm not unhappy to be here.' Maybe it's the walk we do on those library stairs, the songs played at Crush, those Old Building fire alarms that wake you up in the middle of a lecture, or maybe it's the Passfield hall fire alarms? Who knows? I'm being ironic of course but what I do know is that there's something endearing about LSE and its keeping me here for the full slog...Can someone tell me what it is? The Beaver 22 February 2005 The Beaver 2nd Floor, East Building LSE Students' Union London WC2A 2AE email: thebeaver@lse.ac.uk EXECUTIVE EDITOR Prashant Rao MANAGING EDITOR Simon Chigneli BUSINESS MANAGER Michael Fauconnier-Bank NEWS EDITORS Chris Heathcote; Sam Jones BUNK EDITORS Tracy Alloway; James Upsher B:ART EDITOR Wejdan Ismail : SPORTS EDITORS Jennifer Bush; Ed Calow GRAPHICS EDITOR Stacy-Marie Ishmael FILM EDITOR Sarah Coujihtrle >: -s MUSIC EDITORS Neshwa Boukhari; Ben Howarth LITERARY EDITOR Ion Martea THEATRE EWtOR Joanna Clarke VISUAi ARTS EDITOR Nastaran Ta*akoli-Far ABOUT EDITOR .Gareth Rees ASSISTANT BUSINESS MANAGER Clare-Elizabeth Shipley : THE COLLECTIVE Dominic Al-Badri, James Allen, Matt Axworthy, Alison Ball, Hestor Barsham, Jay Bassan, Morwenna Bennett, Matthias Benzer, Jeff Berman, Sian Beynon, Ruby Bhavra, Alison Blease, Jess Brammar, Caroline Bray, Carolina Bunting, Kate Burke, Sumit Buttoo, Gareth Carter, James Caspell, Ben Chapman, Brian Choudhary, Sat Chowdhury, Saalim Chowdhury, Simon Cliff, Dave Cole, Jon Collins, Naomi Colvin, Chloe Cook, Owen Coughlan, Pete Davies, Jon de Keyser, Kanan Dhru, Laura Doliin, Mark Donahue, Jan Daniel Dormann, Jan Duesing, Grace Duffy, Sian Errington, James Eyton, Daniel Freedman, Juli Gan, Vishna Gandhi, Alex George, Shariq Gilani, Alex Goddard, Ceri Griffiths, Steve Gummer, Louise Hastie, Mark Hultum, Nazir Hussain, Nawaz Imam, Irina Janakievska, Tom Jenkins, Angus Mulready-Jones, Fabian Joseph, Prashant Joshi, Laurence Kavanagh, Stefanie Khaw, Joel Kenrick, Paul Kirby, Arthur Krebbers, Khalyani Kumaran, Aeden Lake, Joanne Lancaster,Tristram Leach, Adrian Li, Kheng Lim, Van Lim, Andy Lomax, Elaine Londesborough, John Macartney, Will Macfarlane, Rishi Madlani, Kim Mandeng, Olivia Mantle, Paul McAleavey, John McDermott, James Meadway, Adam Miller, Amy Morgan, Dharini Nagaraian, Mala Nangia, Anna Ngo, Samantna Nicklin, Justin Nolan, Trina O'Driscoll, Rob Parker, Neel Patel, Eliot Pollak, Keith Postler, Mark Power, Adam Quinn, Saima Qureshi, Gerard Raiti, Tanya Rajapakse, Loretta Reehill, Simon Rees, Sarah Rizzo, Dimitrios Rovithis, Alexa Rowe, Dom Rustam, Matt Rushworth, Noam Schimmel, Olivia Schofield, Jai Shah, Alexa Sharpies, Marta Skundric, Elliot Simmons, Matthew Sinclair, Kristin Solberg, Nick Spurrell, Jimmy Tam, Sarah Taylor, Adam Tomczik, Chenai Tucker, Natalie Vassilouthis, Alykhan Velshi, Alex Vincenti, Ellie Vyras, Greta Wade, Jane Waktwaka, Claudia Whitcomb, Matt Willgress, Hayden Wood, Babar Zaka, Ruksana Zaman PRINTED BY THE NORTHCLIFFE PRESS If you have written three or more articles for The Beaver and your name does not appear in the Collective, please email thebeaver@lse^c.uk and you will be added to the list in next week's paper. The Beaver Is available in alternative The Beaver 22 February 2005 Comment & Analysis The Beaver Comment NatWest failings NatWest's continued disregard, and indeed that of all high-street banks, for the needs of international students at the LSE, and throughout the UK, never ceases to befuddle this paper. While it is true that the vast majority of international students leave the UK after obtaining their degrees, HSBC and the Royal Bank of Scotland (which, incidentally, owns NatWest) are major global banks with branches throughout the world. Surely there is some profit to be made for those banks in particular, if not others, in terms of retaining these students as their cUents for years to come? Sadly, short of pulling your money from these banks entirely in protest of their poor service, international students at the LSE can do little. Apparently, banks are doing international students a favour by providing their services, and they should be thankful. It is time, then, that international students fought back - they are not cash cows. They are students, with limited funds, some of them are only at university thanks to loans or scholarships. The Beaver would like to call on the Executive Committee to schedule an International Students' Forum. For too long, international students have been exploited, and have not had an adequate forum to call for change. Members of the Executive regularly schedule Women's Forums, and Postgraduate Students' Forums, which are essential for concerned students to air their views, free of Students' Union political agendas. Where then, is the International Students' Forum? The end result of such a meeting should be an action plan for the current and future International Students' Officer, as well as the Executive Committee and SU at large, to act upon. With increased visa charges, rises in fees and accommodation, and poor service from banks, the time is now for international students to make a difference. NUS referendum With the meetings of both the 'Yes' and 'No' NUS campaigns convening last week. The Beaver would like to, rather than push you to either camp, contribute to the debate. In the coming weeks, you will be approached by several students on Houghton Street either extolling the virtues of the NUS, or detailing its failures. Their arguments will be one-sided but will, to them, seem completely logical. Questions you may want to ask these campaigners include: Is it really worth the risk to disaffiliate from a Union that charges the LSE SU approximately £3.50 per student per year? Or is the £26,000 saving of more value to the Union? How would the national campaign against top-up fees have been co-ordinated without the NUS? Though the 'No' campaign may tell you that, as Parliament voted for top-up fees, it was a failure, it is important to remember that the campaign cut a government majority of greater than 160 to less than ten. Is that a success? That depends on your definition. Have all the avenues of sending messages of our dissatisfaction with the NUS been explored? Could we not withhold funds from the NUS? Have we been adequately informed about the troubles and freedoms experienced by Unions that have disaffiliated, such as those at Imperial or Southampton? Does the NUS represent the interests of LSE students, majority post-graduate and international? Is leaving the NUS the long-term answer, or a quick fix designed to trigger reform? You must also be careful to understand the differing relationships the SU has with the NUS and NUS Services Ltd (NUSSL). It is possible for the Union to move away from NUSSL while remaining affiliated with the NUS, but were the Union to disaffiliate, NUSSL would no longer be an option. Leaving the NUS is a serious decision, and merits your attention. It goes deeper than discounts and beer prices. It is about being able to know where you stand with regard to each of those questions, and possibly many more. Perhaps when you answer them, you will know where you stand. We certainly don't. Election fever! With Students' Union election nominations closing on Wednesday, The Beaver would like to strongly encourage all of our readers to attend one of the three Hustings. Hustings provides an essential outlet to question your future Executive and Sabbatical officers on their proposed policies as well as their past record. Look deeper and query the candidates. Question them on their previous failures and successes, and their ideas for improving the Union. Are their proposals achievable or pipedreams? We would like to urge you not to be brought in by gimmicks, but by policies. These are the individuals who will represent your interests. Don't be fooled by the smoke and mirrors that is the phrase, 'students not polities'. What does it even mean, anymore? Rnally, go out, vote, and do your Union proud. Letters to the Editor The Seaver offers all readers the right to reply to anything that appears in the paper. Letters should be sent to thebeaver.editor@lse.ac.uk, and should be no longer than 250 words. Letters may be edited prior to publication. The deadline for submission is 3pm on the Sunday prior to publication. Dear Sir, In 2001, LSESU RAG raised £400.00. In 2004, RAG raised over £5,000.00. Questions were raised in last week's edition of The Beaver as to whether last year's RAG week was a "success" or not. The truth is that more RAG events took place than any year previous, more students and societies were involved than ever before and RAG 2004 raised more money than the years 1997 - 2002 put together. RAG 2004 was hailed as a "success at the time" because it was. It doesn't matter that we raised less than the magical "£1 per student" that the Beaver relishes noting; it matters that we actually gave a fuck, worked hard and did our best to help those less fortunate than ourselves. Perhaps the greatest legacy of the last couple of RAG weeks is that the profile of RAG and fundraising has inexorably risen at the LSE: I am over the moon to see RAG and fundraising touching the hearts of LSE students in a way not seen previously and wholeheartedly congratulate the Development Society, the Modern Dance Society and the women's rugby club (amongst others) for their sterling charitable work and achievements. My hope, I suppose, is that the Beaver will not attempt to devalue the accomplishments of the past and stop trying to find cracks in the foundations that I, and my fellow RAG team, worked so hard to lay so that current students have something to build their fundraising potential on. All the best for RAG '05, make it a good one. Jimmy Baker LSESU Entertainments Officer and RAG Chair (2002 - 2004) Dear Sir, Your paper has been a highlight of my week throughout my time at LSE and I have always been much impressed by the standard and accuracy of your articles. However, I feel the need to point out an error made by yourselves in last week's article entitled "The top 10 places to have sex at the LSE". The music room on the 6th floor of the Old Building reached a very respectable 5th place in your poll, which noted that "when all the piano players have left the premises... the atmosphere is unbeatable". Whilst I am extremely proud that such a lowly venue reached the top 5 of your chart, I believe it is only fair to mention to your readers that the practice room is now locked 24 hours a day and the key can ony be accessed by members of the Music Society via an online booking system. It would be a great shame if any of your readers were to make the long trip up to the Shaw Library only to be disappointed when faced with a locked door! For any members of the Music Society with access to the room, whilst I respect your freedom to express your artistic temperaments in any way you so desire, please leave the room as you would wish to find it! Gemma Cook President, Music Society Dear Sir, I would like to say how delighted I was to read of Daniel Freedman's disillusionment with the modem Conservative party in last week's letters. That he accepts my supposition that the modem party is little more than an authoritarian and reactionary rump of the once great political party is laudable. Now that Mr. Freedman has acknowledged the illiberal policies of the national party, will the LSE group which (as he points out) is not affiliated to the national party, consider re-nam-ing itself? This would avert any potential confusion in the future. As Mr. Freedman professes to be a liberal, I would expect that he is very concerned by the authoritarian nature of the US neo-conservative movement, which I described in my article. I look forward to an unequivocal condemnation of the illiberal policies of the Bush administration in the next installment of 'The Right Approach'. In my article I also referred to a quote Mr. Freedman inaccurately attributed to Winston Churchill. Though he did not mention this in his letter to The Beaver, I do hope that Mr. Freedman might be able to comment on this oversight in the near future. Lastly, I would ask Mr. Freedman not to dismiss my arguments as "cheap shots". They are extremely serious. I refute the implication he makes that I am trying to score a cheap party political point. He might like to note that I am a political moderate and that I have never been a member of a political party. Douglas Oliver Dear Sir, At last week's UGM, certain members of the Left took it upon themselves to renew their vilification campaign against the elected Honorary Vice-President of the LSE SU. Sir Winston Churchill. Azan Marwah stated that Churchill was a "virulent anti-Semite" and racist. This is probably why Churchill attacked the Nazis' "gospel of intolerance and racial pride" in 1934. This is why he spoke against the Aliens Act of 1905, which restricted immigration, including that of many Jewish refugees from Eastem Europe. This is why he supported the Zionist move- ment. This is also why he criticised the Nazi persecution of the Jews when Hitler came to power in 1933, saying: "There is a danger of the odious conditions now ruling in Germany being extended by conquest into Poland and another persecution and pogrom of Jews being begun in this new area." Vladimir Unkovski-Korica continued the attack on Churchill's character, and stated that Josef StaUn also contributed to the defeat of the Nazis, but that did not mean that he should be vice-president. But unlike Stalin, Churchill did not wipe out millions of his own people, Churchill did not do a deal with Hitler to carve up Poland in 1939, and Churchill did not impose another dictatorship on the countries that were liberated from Nazi oppression. Perhaps the real reason the Far Left dislike Churchill so much is that he represents the values of patriotism, democracy and freedom that they hold so much in contempt, and that he was also one of the first to speak out against the other great totalitarian evil of the time. Communism, when Lenin seized power in Russia. Perhaps they should remember that Churchill was calling for action against Nazi expansion when the Left were still protesting against increased defence spending. Perhaps they should remember that Churchill advocated a cross-party coalition against the appeasement of Hitler, but the Communist Party rejected the idea. Perhaps they should also remember that the Communists were against the war with Nazi Germany up until the German invasion of the USSR in 1941 because of Stalin's Pact with Hitler. Despite the efforts of the Far Left, I am glad that the majority at the UGM did not discredit the leader who helped to give us the freedom to discuss this now, and I look forward to the memorial lecture in his honour on Wednesday. Peter John Cannon Dear Sir, I am puzzled by the theory proposed by Matt Axworthy arguing that colonisation is to blame for the state of underdevelopment many countries in the world find themselves in today. Were Ireland, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Austrailia, New Zealand, Canada and the USA not all colonies at one stage? Are they not all thriving economies? And what do they have in common that has helped them thrive and be successful which the other former colonies do not have? Market oriented economics. Go figure. Orson Francescone 8 blink The Beaver 22 February 2005 Features_____ blink Editors: Tracy Alloway & James Upsher Features Election sensation "I thought it would be fitting to give our election hopefuls five top tips on how best to woo the voters." pg.8 Virtual friendship "Thefacebook.com, launched at Harvard just over a year ago and presently being used by around one million students worldwide...." pg.9 Politics Bullets and ballots "It is those who originally opposed the war on Iraq who should feel vindicated by the elections." pg. 10 Right to Liberty "Liberalism is about freedom, and more specifically, it is about the freedom of the individual from society." pg.11 blink speaks to Kilroy "...at that time for politics and economics, it was literally the best place in the world to go. I could have gone to Oxford but I chose LSE." pg. 12-13 Business Russian reform in the gulag "The progress of change in Russia, of strengthening and reforming key economic and judicial institutions, is taking place at a miserably slow pace." pg.l4 Law Sacred law "Many laws tend to be double-ended swords, which is why there is much debate about their appropriateness and interpretation."" pg. 15 International We, Lebanon: One man, one people "Former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri was assassinated in a car bombing in Beirut. He had just resigned from the government and joined the opposition side calling for independence and democracy." pg.i6 Focus on: Canada pg.17 Features Correspondent; Steve Gummer AtifAli gives would-be Students' Union officers five tips for beating election fever. At last week's UGM (that's Union General Meeting for the two-thirds of LSE students who don't know what I'm talking about) SU elections 2005 were officially kicked off. With the LSE's closet politicians beginning to mark out their territory on Houghton Street, it is only a matter of time until the usual canvassing for votes begins. So in the spirit of the SU elections I thought it would be fitting to give our election hopefuls five top tips on how best to woo the voters. Tip one: As I'm sure you are all aware, in the real world elections are rarely won on issues. So don't waste your time canvassing for votes with election promises. At the end of the day we all know that election promises are only there to be broken, so why bother making them in the first place? The way I see it is, whether you make big promises or small promises you will inevitably break them six months down the line (power corrupts I'm afraid). So why not just make big promises to the electorate? And why stop there? Keep peddling the lies because if Lenin is to be believed "a lie told often enough becomes the truth." Tip Two: Network, network, network. If your time at the LSE has taught you nothing else, let networking be the one thing that you take away from this great institution. You need to get to know your voters; mingle with them, befriend to them, empathise with them and then finally go in for the kill. For exakiple, if yoiir audience is the LSE's infamous AU, then you can try to win their vote by joining them on one of their drinking escapades. For the AU firmly believes that "beauty is in the eye of the beer holder", so promoting slogans isuch as: "24 hours in a day, 24 beers in a case, coincidence? I think not", could prove to be a good vote winner. Promise them limitless beer, promise them a 24-hour Tuns and promise them an opiate like none other If you fail to deliver (which you will) what's the worst they can do? Bombard you with rocket-propelled grenades at the weekly UGM? Tip Three: With a motion recently passed at the UGM mandating the General Secretary to write to Tony Blair and George Bvish to bomb the LSE, students at the School will now be looking to you for direction. They will require a strong leader to combat the forces of evil that will soon descend upon us. The free people of the LSE will need you before the end. So portray yourself as a Bush-like Messiah. Throw in a few catch phrases such as "our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we." It can only serve to accentuate your leadership credentials in the face of future adversity. Tip Four: Cool slogans are the key to any successful campaign. Take my local dentist for example. In his waiting area he has a poster on his wall which reads, "what is my opinion on Coca Cola? Good for business!" With sound bites like that, you are shoe-in for success. So be creative and think outside of the box (whatever that means). And whatever you do, don't forget to empathise with your electorate because as far as they are concerned, if voting could really change things, it would be illegal. Tip Five: Politics is a dirty game. Be prepared to get your hands dirty and don't forget to wash your hands afterwards. Keep watching your back as those closest to you will undoubtedly double cross you. It is that time of the year again at the LSE; time for unholy alliances. Let us just hope that we make it through the next couple of week without too many casualties. So there you have it. Five top tips for the forthcoming SU election. So go on, get out there and propagate your message. Start plastering your face all over the hallowed walls of the LSE. Inevitably though, always remember that there can only be one winner And if it isn't you then remember the words imparted by a true politician: "It's not whether you win or lose, but how you place the blame." Finally, and in light of all I have said above, I should really cover my back so nobody can blame me for leading them astray. So I leave you to ponder over the words of Bertrand Russell, for my sake and yours: "It seems to be the fate of idealists to obtain what they have struggled for in a form which destroys their ideals." blink management: Thinking about writing for blink? bifnk welcomes articles from all LSE students. Articles should be around 900-1000 words in length. Please Include your name, department and year. Send articles to: thebeaver.blink@lse.ac.uk In upcoming issues we want are looking for articles about living in london, choosing housemates and surviving landlords. We are also looking to start blink travel, so get in touch If you would like to contribute. The Beaver 22 February 2005 blink 9 Features Features Correspondent: Steve Gummer Facing the virtual 'friends' networking experience Alexa Sharpies examines the networkrng site taking the LSE by storm: thefacebook.com. Fast spreading, hard to get rid of, already taken over American and Canadian computer screens, just hitting the UK and presently infiltrating the LSE. Except, rather than being the next worm due to bombard your computer, the virus-like phenomenon I am about to discuss is Thefacebook.com, launched at Harvard just over a year ago and presently being used by around one million students worldwide. As a first-timer to such social networking sites (not including MSN), the experience has been surprisingly simple. You register and post-up any personal information you are willing to divulge, perhaps include a photo ("strictly not pornographic") and instantly you can be linked up with friends throughout your respective university and the wider national and international student community. Other popular sites include Friendster.com, ConnectU.com and FriendsReunited. com. There are a number of reasons that people join such networking sites. For those of us in the "My Parents Pay £10,000+ For Me to be a Stressed, Sleep-deprived, Malnourished Alcoholic" membership group (a.k.a. international students), it is an especially great way of keeping in touch with friends scattered across the globe without feeling guilty or wondering how people are because you haven't e-mailed, MSN-ed or called them recently (or for years in some cases). Ruediger, an LSE second-year, joined because "it's a brilliant way of keeping in touch with people, especially as I come from Austria and have friends studying in the States." Another appealing reason is that it provides concrete evidence that you do indeed have actual friends (thank God!) It also plays a role in showing you just how many potential "friends' might vote for you in the upcoming Students' Union Elections -something that would only be characteristic of the LSE. This brings me to the definition of 'friends.' When first asked to "invite a friend" to link up to, you initially invite people who you would concretely label as a friend. My definition of a friend is someone you have willingly spent extensive time talking to because you have things in common, and feel comfortable enough to text for a coffee and have a gossip or a moan to. But once you realise that, in comparison to people who have been on this site longer than you, you have practically no 'friends', the definition widens. On networking sites, people that you've only had a couple of conversations or are only acquainted with suddenly become your 'friends.' This not being quite enough, the definition grows ever more flexible. I was invited as a 'friend' to link up with someone I have only had a (rather inebriated) 10 minute conversation with - what a friend indeed. Based on such experiences, it makes you wonder just how many actual friends some people have - this person has well over 30 at the LSE alone apparently. Then, there is the rather amusing (or not so amusing) process of inviting someone as your 'boyfriend' or 'girlfriend.' Except before doing so, the respective 'boyfriend' or 'girlfriend' has to 'confirm' it first. If you want to find out whether your boyfriend/girlfriend is actually open about the fact they're going out with you, this is a brilliant test. If he/she 'rejects' your invitation and starts making excuses, assume "On networking sites, people that you've only had a couple of conversations or are only acquainted with suddenly become your ¦friendsf otherwise and make sure to get to the break-up conversation with them first. After having connected yourself to your 'friends' and/or 'boyfriend/girlfriend', it starts getting addictive. How many people are you connected to? 10? 40? 90? Even hundreds? Where are they from? The vast majority on Thefacebook.com are from colleges in the US or Canada, and on your profile page it will list the number of friends you have at various other universities. However, as alluded to earlier, the number of 'friends' and 'people' you are connected to often isn't so much a matter of actual familiarity or popularity, but how far you are willing to seem familiar or popular. In the States, experiences have indicated that the Facebook has become much more of a romance facilitator You can look up the information and interests of anyone that catches your fancy, and ensuring that you have 'friends in common", turn up to the right parties and get talking. In a recent interview with Current Magazine, the founder said of the site said "...it's surprising, we've actually received far less complaints about stalking than we otherwise would have expected." Hmmm. Along similar lines, there is also the ability to 'poke' someone. The people who run the site admit they don't exactly know what this means. However, with the connotations associated with a guy 'poking' a guy/girl, I would only want to accept a 'poke' from my boyfriend thanks. Arguably, the most interesting facet to this whole experience is reading other peoples' profiles and message boards. Interests range from 'cross-stitch' and 'chess', to 'sex', 'cocaine' and 'drinking.' You can also join and set-up groups. This can prove to be rather bitchy, however. At a college in the US, a '25 Hottest Girls" group was set up, with girls having to be 'approved' to become a member - ouch! So all in all, an entertaining and engaging exercise this virtual networking has been. It is rather like a computer virus I suppose, infectious and inescapable. However, as with all novelties, interest will wane (as mine already is) and something else will come along. It will be interesting to see how social networking will be innovated next, but in the meantime, see you all on Thefacebook.com. ¦¦¦ 10 blink The Beaver 22 February Eyes to the Left Food for thought James Caspell There are few things more essential to our every day lives than food. In Britain, most of us can be grateful that, unlike the 1.2 billion people in the world enduring absolute poverty, we can afford not to bear hunger - but at what cost? This week we learn that more than 350 food products have been taken off shop shelves after they were contaminated with an illegal food dye linked with causing cancer. Each year it is estimated that as many as 5.5 mOlion people in the UK may suffer from food-bome illnesses. Obesity and malnutrition accompany tne periodic major food scares that are all a result of; food companies and supermarkets putting profits before people. More and more people are asking themselves whether they can trust the food they eat. We're told that the chemicals, growth hormones and antibiotics the food industry adds to our food are a sign of progress. We're also told that those of us who are concerned about GM foods are anti-progress. But surely, real progress means real food - food we can trust. All food should be organic, free from cancer-causing substances and profiteering under the guise of progress. In the last decade the amount of organic food produced in Europe has risen by five times as a result of market forces. This is not enough. The market reacts far too slowly and whilst many middle-class people can afford the freedom of affording organic food, those working-class families who have to scrimp and save do not have the freedom of choice that capitalists so superficially endorse. Disregarding afford-ability, surveys show that the demand for natural food in the UK would mean 40,000 extra jobs for our rural and fanning communities - as well as a healthier population. SimDarly, there is a positive link between poverty and obesity, but those in power refuse to introduce a 'fat tax' or to sensibly ban junk food r a major cause of heart disease - from schools and advertising. Meanwhile current patterns of trade see the 'developed' world thieve primary goods from poorer countries before selling it back to them in tins for five times the original price, simultaneously denying them of sustainable development and local food supplies. Food, in this world of imcurbed free trade, exploitation and profiteering, is a policy arena where the adage of 'think global, act local' could not be more applicable. The failure of the market to regulate itself, by not acting on food safety, compounds the fact that capitalism always puts profit before people. Therefore it is regulation, not choice, that is needed to make real food safer, healthier and more affordable for all. Politics Bullets and ballots Did the elections in Iraq validate the war? Matt Axworthy thinks not. Since the Iraqi elections on the 30th of January, many pro-war commentators have been trumpeting the outcome as vindication of their support for the decision to attack Iraq. In reality however, it is those who originally opposed the war on Iraq who should feel vindicated by the elections. In order to understand why, it is necessary to look at what actually happened on election day. Officially 58 percent of those Iraqis registered to vote did so on the 30th of January. However this statement ignores one key point. Only about half of Iraq actually registered to vote. Many were ineligible to register as they were under the voting age. But others were not given the opportunity to register as they were not residing in their homes. The tens of thousands of refugees from the US assault on Fallujah for example, or those living in the massive tent cities that have grown up in Baghdad and elsewhere to house those who have lost their homes as a result of the war. It is also likely that there were many Iraqis intent on boycotting the elections who did not register since they had no intention to vote. In fact it has been suggested by the Iraqi Electoral Commission that only 47 percent of those Iraqis old enough to vote did so. While violence may have prevented some Iraqis from participating in the elections, it looks likely that a great many didn't vote because they were opposed to elections under occupation. All of the main Sunni parties boycotted the election in protest of the attack on Fallujah, and called on their supporters not to vote as well. This may account for why only about two percent of those actually registered to vote did so in the Sunni province of al-Anbar. A great many leaflets were given out in Iraq calling on voters to boycott the vote on the grounds that free elections were only possible once the US forces had withdrawn for the country. It therefore appears that much of the country may have boycotted the election on the groimds that they were opposed to the American presence in their country. However, despite all of these problems over eight million Iraqis did choose to vote, so it is necessary to look at how they voted. American soldiers continue to occupy Iraq. The elections are widely seen as having been a triumph for the United Iraqi Alliance (UIA). This coalition of mostly Shia religious groups won over 48 percent of the ballot. The UIA coalition included representatives of radical anti-US cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. The alliance campaigned on a manifesto that called for a "timetable for the withdrawal of the multinational forces from Iraq." While almost half of all votes cast were for this anti-occupation alliance, the pro-American candidate lyad Allawi did considerably worse. Allawi's pro-occupation coalition won less than 14 percent of the votes cast. This, despite the fact that for weeks before the "...despite America's blatant attempt to manipulate the democratic process, their preferred candidate was soundly defeated." Campaign posters peppered the streets. election, papers were filled with adverts for Allawi and his image bombarded voters from their television sets night and day. The US state department admits spending at least $50 million to tiy and promote their preferred candidates, while other parties had next to no resources to use in campaigning. All of this means that despite America's blatant attempt to manipulate the democratic process, their preferred candidate was soundly defeated. Many Iraqis boycotted the election to voice their opposition to the US presence in the country, and of those who did vote, almost half voted for the one group calling for the withdrawal of troops, despite there being over 100 parties to choose from. All of this seems to represent a resounding statement that the Iraqi people are against the occupation. If Tony Blair and George Bush really believe in bringing democracy to Iraq then they should now respect the will of the Iraqi people. Ideally they should put in place a plan to withdraw all troops immediately. If they are not willing to do this then how about a referendum on the withdrawal of troops? There are already plans to hold a referendum later this year on the proposed constitution, so why not hold one on the presence of the occupying forces? The only argimients put forward for the continuing occupation of Iraq are that despite all the violence that occupation has brought, the occupation is something that Iraqis need or want. So why not now ask Iraqis whether this is in fact the case? Whether one opposed the war to topple Saddam or not, the only justifiable position to take now is to respect the views of the Iraqi people. Whatever one's original position on the war, there is now much to unite us. We should all rejoice that the evil regime of Saddam Hussein has finally ended. We should also rejoice that the brutal sanctions the West imposed on Iraq (and that may have killed a million or more Iraqis) have also finally ended. Hopefully everyone wants to see Iraq rebuilt as a peaceful and free nation. We should therefore respect the views of the Iraqi people and not try and impose our own solutions on them. Now that Saddam has gone we should leave the future of the country in the hands of its people. Once all occupying forces have withdrawn, the West should compensate Iraq for the devastation caused by two brutal wars and over a decade of sanctions, not to mention the role we played in installing Saddam in power in the first place. The Iraqi people can then determine how this money is spent, instead of seeing it simply ending up in the hands of Halliburton and other multinationals. Surely these are demands that anyone who cares at all about the Iraqi people must endorse. Iraqis at the polls. blink The Beaver 22 Februaiy Politics_ Right to be liberal Rune Da hi Fitjar takes issue with both Douglas Oliver's and columnist Daniel Freedman's conceptions of liberalism. Whilst I wholeheartedly agree with Douglas Oliver's assertion in last week's edition of The Beaver that right-wing and liberal politics are not incompatible, he does not go as far as he should in rebutting Daniel PYeedman's argument. Liberalism and right-wing politics do not contradict one another because they are necessarily one and the same thing. Liberalism is about freedom, and more specifically, it is about the freedom of the individual from society. In liberal political thought, the individual is free to do whatever he wants, so long as he does not impinge upon the freedom of others. Other people have no right to take away this freedom, even if the majority of them do not like the use to which it is put. In modem democracies, the state is the embodiment of society, and it is used as a tool to shape society in accordance with the wishes of the popular majority. In today's democracies then, liberalism should be taken to mean the freedom of the individual from state interference. Liberals defend the rights of individuals to live their lives as they sees fit, regardless of what the state or the democratic majority may think. The politics of the right are also closely related to issues of individual freedom. If the distinction between left and right means an3rthing at all, it characterises a continuum from state dominance and col-lectivist politics on the left, to the freedom of individuals and markets on the right. The left has always wanted to increase the role of the state, and they have always looked to the state for solutions to political problems. The right, on the other hand, has always tried to protect the individual from these excesses of state power. Even if we approach the left/right distinction from the perspective of equality, the right emerges as synonjmious with liberalism. Whilst the left salutes itself as the champion of equality, liberalism entails precisely the freedom to be different, i.e. not equal. The confusion in Daniel Freedman and Douglas Oliver's treatment of the relationship between the right and liberalism stems from the fact that they both have incomplete conceptions of the terms. Whilst Freedman reduces his "right approach" to economic freedom, Oliver focuses on political freedom in his understanding of liberalism. Both are equally flawed, as neither liberalism nor the right are complete without economic as well as political freedom. When Douglas Oliver accuses the right of becoming increasingly authoritarian, this is symptomatic of the declining influ-lence of the right in many conservative political parties. In this context it is prob- ably more interesting to talk about George W. Bush than about Daniel Freedman. Bush has remained a champion of right-wing economic policies focused on the freedom of the individual from state involvement (although his country's continued restrictions on free trade slur his reputation in this area as well). However, he has also pursued decidedly illiberal and anti-right policies in the social sphere. When Bush restricts the rights of homosexuals, he is in fact pursuing a policy of greater state involvement in the affairs of individuals. This cannot be regarded as right-wing in the proper sense of the word, as it constitutes an emphasis on collectivism over individualism. Similarly, we could evaluate several of his moves towards restricting individual liberties post-9/11, which are also neither right-wing nor liberal. By defending such policies in the name of the right. Bush exposes his incomplete conception of the right, and this has had a detrimental effect on the reputation of the right in Europe. "k complete conception of liberalism, and of the right, should include the defence of freedom in the economic, social and political sphere." Yet, equally disturbingly, many liberals seem to have forgotten the economic side of liberalism. By suggesting that liberalism can be either left or right, Douglas Oliver exposes his conception of liberalism as incomplete. If liberalism is about the freedom of the individual, then surely the state cannot take away this freedom in the economic sphere. Unfortunately, most liberal parties in Europe seem to have missed this point, and they have moved away from liberalism towards a set of policies that are decidedly illiberal and restrict the freedom of individuals. Too many liberal parties advocate high tax rates and expansive welfare states that take away people's freedom to make choices about their own lives. This is not compatible with the fundamental principles of liberalism, and it should be seen as little more than a (surprisingly successful) attempt by the centre-left to run away with the good name of liberalism. This is even more obvious in the United States, where the terms socialism and social democracy are politically undesirable - for obvious historical reasons. As a result, the left has apprehended the term liberal, and this has served to manufacture a completely arbitrary distinction between "liberal" and "Liberal." I have deliberately not distinguished between these two seemingly identical concepts, as doing so would only take away from the proper meaning of the word. It is a shame that this confused conception of liberalism seems to have become prominent even at a school that has fostered such great liberal thinkers as Karl Popper and Friedrich von Hayek. A complete conception of liberalism, and of the right, should include the defence of freedom in the economic, social and political sphere. Only then can these freedoms be sustainable, and people can become free to pursue their own ideas of happiness in all areas of life, instead of having to live in ways that others impose on them. Conversely, if the state is allowed to restrict individual liberties in one of these areas, it will soon be restricting them in others as well. _11 The Right Approach Silent, Again Daniel Freedman This column often highlights the hypocrisies of the left: their ignoring - or mere lip-service condemnations - of the genocide in Sudan, the concentration camps in North Korea, among others. The murder last week of the former Lebanese Prime Minister, Rafik Hariri, brings me to yet another hypocrisy: their silence over Syria's occupation of Lebanon. The family of Syrian dictator Bashar Assad has ruled Lebanon for the past 29 years, refusing to recognise it as an independent country. It has 15,000 troops, together with a vast network of secret police, occupying the country and it allows the terrorist group Hezbollah to rule the south. Syria invaded Lebanon in 1976 under the pretence of helping to end the then year-old civil war Such help that the war lasted another 15 years, and even when it ended Syria remained. Would the Assads be so brash to openly murder an opponent? Yes, they've done it many times before. In 1977 it was Druze leader Kamal Jumblat. In 1982 Maroonite leader Basheer Gemayyel. After that it was another president, a prime minister and anyone else who demanded Lebanese freedom. Why Hariri? In the upcoming spring elections he was due to run on a "Syria Out" platform - a serious threat to Assad's occupation. What about world opinion, doesn't Assad care? No. In September, the UN Seciurity Council passed a resolution -co-sponsored by France, America, Britain and Germany - demanding Syria end its occupation and allow free presidential elections. The very next day Assad responded by forcing the Lebanese parliament to allow his puppet, Emile Lahoud, to remain as president for an unconstitutional extra three years, thereby cancelling the planned elections. Incidentally, at the time Hariri was prime minister and initially opposed Syria's meddling. But after meeting the Syrian intelligence chief, he had an immediate change of heart - or rather feared for his heart - and supported Syria's changes. Back to the UN, what did it do after Assad contemptuously ignored it? A month later it simply reiterated the same toothless resolution, and Assad ignored it again. And in response to being ignored twice, the UN has in turn effectively ignored the issue. What about France and Germany, the co-sponsors of the original resolution? Once again (as seen in Iraq, Iran, etc.) trade deals have trumped principles. Instead of trying to put forward a tougher resolution, they're working to further economic cooperation with Syria. Sure showed Syria. After Hariri's murder, at much risk, many Lebanese took to the streets chanting "Syria out," demonstrating, as Iraqis recently did as well, their desire for freedom over terrorism and oppression. The left is likely to again remain silent, as is the EU. Once again it is down to the US to respond to cries for freedom. Report Card Name: Seorge W. Bush country; U.S.A Overall mark: 6/25 Owrall grade: SuDJect Politics Encouraging trade liberalisation Discouraging state interference Protecting civil liberties T&achef's Remarks Dissappointing. Bush claims to be liberal but his policies prove otherwise. He also continues to read and speak at a grade school level. - J 12 blink The Beaver 22 February 2005 Politics Kilroy was'ere James Upsher speaks to Robert Kilroy-Silk on the swinging sixties at LSE, racism in UKIP, the truth behind Veritas and the boring turgid nature of Economic History. James Upsher (JDU): Thanks for finding the time to talk to us today. Robert Kilroy-Silk (RSK): I used to write for The Beaver. JDU: That was going to be my first question, which section did you write for? RKS: I don't think I was the editor, I don't really remember, I do remember being Theatre critic and I think I published some poetry in it too. JDU: Ah, we will have to look that up in the archive. RKS: Should be in 1961,1 went to the LSE between 1961 and 1966. JDU: To start with some questions about the LSE, why did you decide to come here? RKS: It's the best place in the world to go. JDU: The best university in the world? RKS: The best place in the world, absolutely, that's what I was told, and at that time for politics and economics, it was literally the best place in the world to go. I could have gone to Oxford but I chose LSE. JDU: Do you think that being at the LSE at that time, when it was a very active university in the left wing... RKS: Oh yes it was veiy politically active, very cosmopolitan and it was a really exciting place to be. You were at the cutting edge of politics. When I left it was the time of the student revolts and the student sit-ins and they were led by the LSE. This was the 60s, LSE led that - it was the hotbed of student radicaUsm in student politics. JDU: Have you been back? RKS: I organised one of the fundraisers several years ago for all those that graduated in my year. I involved a Labour MP friend and Conservative MP and others, and we organised the fvmdraisers, and I went back some years before that to give a speech for a society but otherwise no. JDU: I hope we will be seeing you on campus again soon. RKS: I hope so. JDU: Moving on from LSE, into your career, your years with the Labour p^rty which ended in 1986 - was Europe an issue for you then or was that something that developed later? RKS: I can't remember it being an issue while I was at LSE, and when I was in the Labour party at that stage, very early on, everyone was in favour of Europe, then it was about just forming relations. You must remember that this is the time before pe Tennessee Williams at Wyndhams l8th ie ag-ainst SUS reach-must de-negotlate ^ effort, Stf Al^rt se of the contrasts, dramatic call parts I the Ter- changres fits the political ;y. Subtle ith irony nter and :h every ¦portrait, les more J period, being, inually liagram-Errant", g: large (S influ-s which be seen srds. jjBMring it-Sate to A Period of Adjustment is a somewhat cynical, yet at the same time comic, analysis of the problems that two married couples have to face. In facing up to, and in discussing, these problems moments of seriousness and of comedy alternate in the play and provide entertaining and amusing theatre. ends and means In the ease of George and Isabel Haverstick the problem is to overcome their initial fear and ignorance of sex and their disastrous first night as a married couple, while Ralph and Dorothea Bates have to adjust their marriage from one that was a means to an end to one that is an end in itself. frightened husband The ending i.s a happy one, although it was not always apparent that it would be, and there are both laughs and tears on the way. Neil McCallum gives an admirable performance of a man boastful of his conquests yet inwardlj' afraid of sex, and his account of the five types of women is provocative and amusing to say the least. His perpettial shakes at the mention of sex and the boyish mentality he always reveal, while professing to be a thW called a "real" man prcWf an adroit study ot young people today. ' bored bride Bernard Braden gives a smooth, relaxed and confident performance as Kalph Bates and acts as a foil to the more exuberant George. These war buddies spend a glorious time reminiscing while the new bride sits uncomfortably bored and tired, in a situation that many women must experience when their husbands meet old friends, sex obsession Mr. Williams provides us wltJ^ two hours of delightful play acting that it would be a pity to miss, especially as the 'Characters are drawn in a basically realistic, though somewhat exaggerated, metier. His obvious obsession with sex is still apparent, yet it is not the profound or morbid obsession in evidence Ib "Suddenly Last Summer" or "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof". The play is merely somewhat outspoken and different from the ordinary run of the mill plays depicting the difficulties of marriage. 5^ iJ!? CO' $ai It bli If sess of fner is the 0rO0iiS sent Thelai Englar goalkei lev's t In team H g( B«S The kter *0514 ^tautid |P Kilroy-Silk An early Kilroy-Silk article in Issue 21 of The Beaver cheap flights, charter flights, package holidays. The first time I went abroad was the year I went to the LSE, when I was 18 years old. Not like my children and grandchildren who've been abroad at the age of one or whatever, it was pretty new then -exciting and most of us were in favour of it. Only when we got to 1975 and realised that this is not just about economics but about political union did people like me turn against it. I was probably very much in favour of developing relations and cooperation and indeed I am now. JDU: For the 18 years after that where you were working for the BBC, do you think your time on the Kilroy program was an influential force itself? RKS: Yes I expect so. I thought I was in touch as a politician. You meet people from all backgrounds in your constituency and they come to you in surgery, in with their letters and telephone calls and what have you. But on Kilroy for 18 years, five days a week, 220 shows a year, I was meeting people from all parts of the country, all parts of the world, all backgrounds, races, colours, creeds - the lot - and discussing every conceivable subject. The issue of the day, the mantra was we're talking about what you're talking about. If it was should we invade Iraq that's what we talked about, if it was the Berlin wall coming down, war in the Middle East or the Gorbachev resignation, Thatcher falling, those are the things we were debating. House prices rocketing through the roof, we debated all those issues. I felt that I was very much in touch with public opinion and obviously we were given the issues but people would write and fax and increasingly email. We talked after the program every day and I felt I had a very good finger on the pulse of public opinion. A quarter of a million people came through my studio. That'd fill Arsenal football stadium five times over. When I went campaigning in the East Midlands in June all that I knew was confirmed. Partly what I noticed in the last five or six years was how disenchanted people were becoming with politics and politicians. JDU: Do you think the exposure you had on television was a big draw for you as a politician? RKS: Now? JDU: Yes. RKS: Absolutely, it's recognition. You don't have to go into the street introducing yourself. Just last night I was walking down the street and people are calling across the road saying "hello, hi, how are you," or winding down their car window and so you've broken the initial barrier of having to introduce yourself. Clearly that's an advantage. It's also the case that people watch me on television, those who have, they know what I stand for. Time and time again during the last election I would start to say something and they would tell us, we know what you stand for, we watched you on television. They know what I stand for, they're either on my side or not. So that works too, clearly, but in the end people vote on issues, people don't vote on personalities, they might want to meet you because you're a personality or famous or whatever word you want to use, but it won't really affect the way they vote. JDU: Moving on to UKIP and you're time there, in the European elections things seemed to be going very well, but this seemed to peter out afterwards. This was when you became a larger voice in the party... RKS: Yes, we had tremendous success in the Einropean elections and I wanted to build on that. I felt that we had a responsibility to both the members and the public to repay the trust which they had put in us, and we had to respond with being a mainstream party, not a single-issue party, a serious political party developing policies right across the board. Unfortunately the leadership were unwilling to do that. What was it, June, July, August, September? They went AWOL, did nothing. When we got to the conference in October we still had no policies, nobody working on any policies, no spokesmen or women, we had taken no initiatives - except the things that I'd done - nobody knew anyone in the party except me. I was frustrated by that. I was being asked to represent the party all over the place and being asked what's your policy on health Mr Kilroy-Silk? What's your policy on Kyoto? - And we had none. The Beaver 22 February 2005 blink 13 Politics JDU: What is your policy on higher education? RKS: They don't have one JDU: But now, as Veritas? BKS: On higher education, two things: one I would abolish the student loans and go back to the grant system which I was very pleased to have. I would not have been able to go to university under the current system as I probably would not have taken the risk, as I was from a very poor working class family. I would not have been able to take the risk of ending up in debt, it would have deterred me. Abolish that. We would also reduce the number of universities and raise their academic standards back to proper universities rather than eveiybody going and not being able to properly fund them, finance them, getting worthless degrees in - I don't know, car maintenance or golf design and what have you. I think that defrauds both the tax payer and the students who are attracted to those worthless degrees. JDU: I remember the press conference after your election as an MEP; You, Rodger Knapman and Nigel Earage were speaking to the media and you hinted at that time that if Peter Mandelson were to become a commissioner and the Hartlepool seat were to come up for by-election that UKIP might be interested in running. That didn't really come to pass... RKS: It did, they did run. It just wasn't organised properly. From the beginning I said we know there is going to be a by-election in Hartlepool and we should be planning for this now. I had a meeting with them and they pleaded for me to stand, they thought that I would win, I said no, that's the leaders job to stand, but leaving that to one side, we knew there is going to be a by-election. Are we organising, do we have offices, have we stated canvassing, selecting billboard sites, poster sites? None of that was done. The campaign in the end, was as successful as it was, just because of the candidate. But they were very very badly let down by the leadership and head office. They had no resources, no money. The day I went up there to campaign for them they had just been turfed out of their offices and they didn't even have a telephone. And this was a really high profile by-election. It was that kind of frustration where it was not because of lack of resources, it was because people had no will. JDU: Leaving the party you made a lot of comments about racism within the party. Do you feel that as leader of Veritas you will be able to keep those elements out of your party? RKS: I will keep them out. I won't tolerate any form of xenophobia or homophobia or racism. JDU: And where would you draw the line between being politically incorrect and being racist? RKS: I don't know what politically correct means, we know what racism is don't we, we know when someone is making racist comments or discriminating against them on the basis of their colour or their creed. And that's quite clear. JDU: But the comments you made in your Daily Express column... RKS: About Arabs? JDU: Yes, about Arabs. RKS: Yes true isn't it. Arab regimes there, are repressive regimes who support suicide bombers and limb amputators and women oppressors. One of them is Saudi Arabia, another is Syria. JDU: Yes there are cases where there are repressive regimes... RKS: But it's not racist to say that - that's a fact. And nobody has ever been able to prove otherwise, they don't like you saying it - but it's the truth. That's what I was always taught at the LSE, the one thing I learnt from LSE. is you tell the truth, you tell it straight, and you have your evidence and you back it up with facts. That's the first thing I leamt. When you make a statement or a comment, it was fine, you can say it's a disgrace and it's appalling, now Where's the evidence a) for it being a disgrace and b) for it being appalling? You JDU: It is. RKS: Why did you go and do Economic History? That's turgid...Do you do the medieval stuff as well? JDU: No, mainly the industrial revolution. RKS: Oh right, ok. Well you're surrounded in that place by political scientists and I know a little bit about it and I am sure you do too. You know that the science says we can't win, we can't win a single seat because of first past the post. But the science also said I could not win a seat in the East Midlands, when I agreed to stand I didn't expect to win. It was not on my horizon. Being an MEP, I didn't really want to be an MEP, I frankly don't rate them and I've never used the letters after my name, I haven't. Other people from time to time have put them after. That's because we needed 16 percent to win and we had done y FOR WHAT KiNTHE INTERESTS OF THE BRITISH PEOPLE VERITAS The many incarnations of Kilroy. had to provide the evidence. I learnt that at LSE, and what I said about the Arab states is true and we have the evidence for it. JDU: The general election, the papers are reporting today that you have 158 candidates to stand... RKS: So far. JDU: Do you think you will win a seat? Or will the electoral system... RKS: I think we will, are you a political scientist? JDU: I've done some basic courses... RKS: What are you doing? JDU: Economic History. RKS: Oh that's really boring. a poll two days before nominations closed and it said five percent would vote for UKIP. If Robert Kilroy-Silk was the candidate, was one of the questions, would it change your vote? And it went up to 15 percent - still one percent short. We couldn't win. Add to that that there were half a dozen, 12 at the most, people to cover 44 parliamentaiy constituencies, the party was bankrupt and owed £40,000, and we had 100 percent postal ballots. No way I could win. And I got 37.6 percent in Boston, 32 to 24 percent in another 10 seats. Labour and Tory, where we came top. We came almost equal top with the Tories, just missed coming equal top by 0.3 percent of three million votes. The East Midlands is now the centre of Euro-scepticism in Britain. 26 percent voting for withdrawal as apposed to the average of 16 percent that UKIP got elsewhere. The science said that none of that could happen. No science can explain that. So, who knows? The science says we can't win a single seat, but the reaction I get, when I'm talking to people and their response is that something is happening in British politics and who knows what would happen. JDU: Why did you choose the name Veritas? RKS: That's the truth. JDU: But a Euro-sceptic party named in Latin? RKS: I'm not anti-european culture; I'm not anti the reformation, not anti-civilisation. I am not anti wanting to be part of European culture, because we are, and I love all that. I like European literature; I read Cicero, Dante, Machiavelli, Plato, Aristotle, don't we? And I like Caravaggio, Leonardo da Vinci, Mozart, Brahms, why shouldn't I? It's the base of our language. We are not anti-European, not anti-culture, not anti-civilisation. I just want to be governed by my own people in my own country. JDU: Thinking in the long-term about the future of your party, Veritas, if UICIP does not die, if both continue to exist, do you see any possibility of reunification? RKS: No, no. The good people from UKIP, the good decent and young people have already joined us. The people that we would want. There are people who were being turned down to join, the Veritas branches that have been formed don't want them. JDU: Would you consider putting your support behind a Tory government if that ever became necessary? RKS: Many people have asked me this, and it is conceivable that there could be a hung parliament, its conceivable that one, or 10, or 30 Veritas MPs could hold the balance of power. We will do what is right for Britain. What ever that happens to be at the time. JDU: On the question of your departure from UKIP, and this came up with your deputy as well, what are your thoughts about the PR system and whether people should resign when they change parties? RKS: Well I haven't changed, I didn't cross the floor, like from Tory to Labour. I haven't changed my policies, I haven't changed my principles. I am exactly the same person standing for exactly the same things now as I did in June. The only difference is that now I can do something about it, instead of - had I stayed - being dormant and silent. JDU: Will Veritas be standing in places like the London Assembly again? RKS: Yes JDU: Is there a valuable role for anti-European politics in the London assembly? RKS: Yes, you need every platform, wherever you can spread the message you take the opportunity. If you have a cause and you believe in it then you should take every opportunity of prosecuting it. That's why I'm talking to you, apart from the reason of the connection. JDU: Thank you very much for talking to us. 14 blink The P^ay^r.' 22 February 2005 Business Business Correspondent; Aanchal Anand o Bush, Chirac, and Putin are having lunch with God. Bush says: "Tell me, God, do you think we'll ever have peace and quiet in Iraq or in Afghanistan?" God says: "Yes President Bush, but I'm afraid it's going to take 25 years and you won't be around to see it." Then it's Chirac's turn. He says: "Tell me, God, do you think that the Americans will ever come to forgive us for what we did in Iraq?" God says: "Yes President Chirac, but it will take 50 years. I'm afraid you won't be around to see it." Then it's Putin's turn. He says: "Tell me, God, do you think these oligarchs will ever start paying all their taxes, that we'll ever begin to develop a middle class, that small business will ever amount to something more than 10 percent, and that corruption will ever disappear from Russia?" God goes through the books, and He says: "Yes President Putin, but I'm afraid I won't be around to see it." US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice visited Europe last week. She stressed the importance that Russia commits itself to strong institutions, the rule of law and democracy. Yet whilst the Russian government also frequently promotes these values in words, its actions are very different. Finally, Western governments are beginning to notice that Russian reform is in the Gulag. The progress of change in Russia, of strengthening and reforming key economic and judicial institutions, is taking place at a miserably slow pace. Some even argue that it is going backwards. Restrictions on domestic business are hindering Russia's enormous potential for economic growth. The same goes for foreign business, especially after last week's announcement that foreign investors will not be allowed to bid in the auction of new oil exploration licenses to be held later in the year. The impact of the failure of the Russian government can be analysed by dividing the historical development of Russian business into five definite stages. Stage one occurs when state assets are privatised. This process was at its height during the 1990s, especially after the 1996 election of Boris Yeltsin. This was a time characterized by Vladimir's Potanin's Eximbank scheme of 'loans for shares.' Oil and gas companies, telecommunications, media and other valuable assets passed from the government to what became financial-industrial groups such as Alfa Group. Given the obscure auction of the main production unit of Yukos in December, foreign investors can expect little more transparency today. The next stage has been a struggle for ownership of the company between shareholders and bankers. Boris Berezovsky, who at one time claimed to be "one of seven bankers that controlled half of Russian GDP," had to fight to gain his assets of choice. This struggle does not necessarily entail ownership but control. Berezovsky himself appointed his people to top jobs at Aeroflot airline because "privatising people" he remarked, is the same as "privatising companies." The third stage is corporate re-struc-turing and improvements to productivity -long suffering under Soviet management. Sibneft, the oil major now controlled by Chelsea football club owner Roman Abramovich, found production was at 50 percent of 1991 levels in 1997. Since then, production has more than doubled with less capital and labour. To this day, the production cost of Russian oil per barrel is still an average of US $5 per barrel, compared with a Saudi average of just US $0.50 per barrel. The fourth stage is particularly important at the present time, the change in management structure and reform that sees owner-managers step back from day to day operations and into their boardrooms. Western management consultants such as Ernst &Young, PWC and McKinsey are currently assisting this process. The final stage is the emergence of transparency, financial sophistication and public offerings in major global capitals. Yukos was the first to achieve this status but now there are other companies such as Sibneft, BP-TNK, Alfa Group and Norilsk Nickel that are 'leaders' in Russian corporate governance. "The progress of change in Russia, of strengthening and reforming key economic and judicial institutions, is taking place at a miserably slow pace." Interestingly Gazprom, the state-owned gas monopoly, also carries these features with its large bond listing last year in London for US$1.1 billion. This was quickly followed by a syndicated loan arranged by Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley and ABN Amro. However, persistently weak institutions are hindering the ease and pace at which companies pass through these stages. In turn, the failure of the government to strengthen and reform key economic institutions is slowing growth in an economy that has enormous potential. Under Putin, government reforms have been made to property through the Land Code and to the tax system, with the introduction of new flat taxes. Planning is underway for the restructuring of the electricity sector, a review of commercial law and of the banking system - perhaps the greatest reform to come and the most needed. However, the implementation of much of the new legislation has so far been extremely uneven and often absurd. Whilst the Land Code of 2001 allows the privatisation of land from tenants, this is restricted in Moscow by City Hall -which argues that Moscow, not the Federal government, owns the land. Moreover, existing improvements in the law have not been matched by improvements in the quality of the institutions that implement or enforce these changes. The persistent weakness, inefficiency and corruption of many aspects of the state administration, the judiciary and the law-enforcement agencies, are among the most important factors limiting progress not just with respect to structural reforms but also with the growth of Russian business as a whole. Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Zhukov tried to appease investors and foreign governments alike in Davos. He argued that the government is committed to privatisation, not nationalisation, the rule of law and not corruption. Yet the words of government in Russia frequently do not match their actions. It is not possible to reconcile these words with the actions last week of restricting foreign investment, the failure to guarantee property rights and a system that is generally characterised by excessive rent seeking. The Chairman of the Russia free vote 2008 campaign and world chess champion Garry Kasparov, recently suggested that he would like to live in the idyllic but mythical Russia that Zhukov described at Davos where the rule of law, democracy, property rights and unfettered economic growth prevail. I am afraid he won't be around to see it but hopefully, we will. The Beaver 22 February 2005 blink 15 Law Law Correspondent: Ruby Bhavra Sacred law Prastont inv^tigaies the ;' hypocrisy (^the legur amongst humanity. Laws should be subject to as little interpretation as possible so that what is 'right' or 'wrong' can be vmiversally understood. With the number of sects in society today, whose beliefs are usually different, it is often difficult to get a unanimous verdict about whether a particular action is right or wrong. However, there is a need for the law to determine punishment based on a unanimous verdict, otherwise society would collapse, with people just having opinions on behaviour, as opposed to justice. Recent contradictions & failures of legal system In the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, weaknesses in the law were identified with regards to investigating and seizing terrorist supplies, and necessary modifications were made to the Anti-Terrorism & Security Act 2001. A dilemma was addressed by the review - highlighting the incompatibilities of the Anti-Terrorism & Security Act 2001 and the EU Convention of Human Rights. In the corporate world, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act 2002 (SOX), applicable to all companies enlisted in the NYSE, was a response to the corporate governance failures of Enron and WorldCom in an attempt to "improve the accuracy and reliability of corporate disclosures made pursuant to the securities sf • V" * ¦ 4 '7< 4 laws, and for other purposes." The implications of the act are that data held by an organisation should be made available at any time upon request by authorities such as the Financial Services Authority. However, the Data Protection Act 1998 has sections on maintaining 'confidentiality' and restrictions on the 'disclosure of information,' which make it very difficult for organisations to attain SOX compliance. The legal system makes laws in response to events, which suggests a trial-and-error method. The failure of the state to monitor all activity means 'incompliant' activities can still be carried out without apparent punishment of the 'guilty' party. Human desire is the culprit That we are currently in the 'kali-yuga,' or 'age of quarrel and hypocrisy,' seems quite evident. The legal system is finding that it hadn't thought of, and catered for, certain types of human behaviour, which is inevitable as this age of quarrel and hypocrisy matures. The mind is powerful, and as soon as it sees an opportunity to enjoy, it will prompt the body, and the body like a puppet under the grip of the bewildered mind will engage itself in activity. This is the root cause of the degradation of society. In order to make more money, corporations try finding legal loopholes. In order to cut costs, organisations exploit the poor. Humans are more reluctant to sacrifice some material pleasure, in order to maintain higher principles, which is the reason for the inability of the legal system to keep up with changing human ways. The legal system was created on the basis of an 'ascending principle' i.e. through experimentation and speculation about behaviour. The imperfection of humans is evident in the society we live in, yet the imperfections aren't dealt with adequately by the state or the legal system. Uncontrollable human desire is the driving force for the behaviour that obliges the legal system to react. Spiritual Law - The non-defeatable means of justice So what is the answer? On a material level, there is no perfect answer. As Newton's 3rd law states - for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. This leads to the assertion that there is a reason for everything. Spiritual law is based on exactly this assertion. God, or Krishna, is perfect (pictured in His Universal Form). God is the judge in the spiritual legal system, so there is no question of inconsistency in interpretation. There is unanimity in His verdict, and it is manifested in reality. There is no getting away from it, or finding loopholes, as the system is perfect. You cannot protest and get the verdict overturned - when somebody passes away, one cannot get the event reversed, or demand an enquiry as to whether it was fair or unfair. There are an unlimited number of tools that are used in the spiritual legal framework .- nature, relationships, careers -every single aspect of life. If there isn't justice over the long run, then why so much crime with no apparent punishment? And why so much suffering in the world with no apparent reason? If we recognise the spiritual legal system and its flawlessness, we will know that we will get away with absolutely nothing, which is a powerful deterrent for misconduct in any aspect of life. This can lead to a world of peace and harmony, with no need for expensive, bureaucratic legal systems. 16 blink The Beaver 22 February 2005 International international Correspondents: Stefanie Khaw and Kristin Solberg We, Lebanon: One man. one people In the aftermath of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri's death, Raphaelle Camilleri pays homage to the man who united a country. Lebanon - Monday February 14th - Former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri was assassinated in a car bombing in Beirut. He had just resigned from the government and joined the opposition side calling for independence and democracy in Lebanon and the withdrawal of all foreign troops from its soil. I met Mr Rafik Hariri last March, while he was still Prime Minister, on a trip organized by the Grimshaw Club to Lebanon. He struck me as a man with a vision - a vision of a prosperous, imited and ultimately independent Lebanon. In his two-hour-long talk with 30 LSE students, he constantly reiterated his dream of seeing Lebanon regain its once- "Those who committed last Monday's cowardly act, whoever they were, did not simply object to Hariri's vision of a prosperous country." famous position as the beacon of freedom and democracy in the Middle East. But the man was not a mere dreamer. He spoke with actions rather than words. Using his financial influence (he was once listed on Forbes magazine's list of the 100 richest men in the world) and exceptional qualities as a statesman (he maintained close, often personal friendships with the world's most influential leaders, especially Jacques Chirac), he gave Lebanon what it lacked after 15 years of civil conflict: international credibility and internal stability. Ultimately, however, what he also gave the Lebanese people was the sense that, for once, it could put aside the divisions of the past and look more confidently towards a common future. The future Hariri so arduously promoted - and ultimately gave his life for - has found its greatest symbol in the multi-million pound renovation of the Beirut central district. What was once known as the 'Green Line', separating Christian and Muslim areas is now a thriving city centre, where the 17 religious communities that make up the fragile equilibrium on which Lebanese society rests, peacefully interact. Much has been said recently about the alleged corruption of his previous governments, and many still hold Hariri responsible for the massive reconstruction debt incurred by Lebanon in the 1990s. Whether or not this is true however, misses the point. One may criticize Hariri's economic policies, but one must also recognize that he was, indeed, one of the few, if not the only, Lebanese politician without blood on his hands. He is also one of the few who has had to spend a life of hardship before finally starting to earn the fruits of his labour. Those who conmiitted last Monday's cowardly act, whoever they were, did not simply object to Hariri's vision of a prosperous covmtry. They objected to the higher ideals he had fought for during his whole life, and which have benefited society as a whole, not just some parts of it. Through the Hariri Foimdation, the man generously donated money to help yovmg Lebanese men and women pursue higher education, irrespective of their creed. In doing so, he recognised that it is youth that drives the future, and throughout our meeting with him, he constantly encouraged us to face our fears and work for the better. It is not a coincidence if the mosque he helped to build, and which now stands beside his grave, has walls adjacent to one of the largest churches in Beirut. It is not a coincidence if, simultaneously, bells rang and muezzins sang, as his coffin was escorted by more than a million people to its final resting place. It is not a coincidence if, in the crowd, Christians, Druzes and Muslims marched together, wept together and mourned him together. It is finally, not a coincidence if the only flag the crowd waved was the Lebanese flag: two red stripes and a Cedar tree, symbolising sacrifice, freedom and eternity - three words that defined him more than anyone else. It is a shame that such a great man ultimately had to commit the supreme sacrifice of dying for his beliefs. But in doing so he did what no one had hitherto achieved, that is, make us proud of being Lebanese -not just Christian or Muslim. But simply Lebanese. This is why we will never forget why you died. But, most importantly, we will always remember how you lived. And we thank you for that, Rafik. f The Beaver 22 February 2005 blink 17 International International Correspondents: Stefanie Khaw and Kristin Solberg yv'V; -ixON ^ f fTOB*^ k . ¦ Hi ?wo*^ The Starting Point: Our two subjects share some of their initial knowledge of Canada Chrises Facts When the Europeans discovered Canada, they ran into some natives and they sMisted where they were. The natives ijWpMed "Kanata", which is actually a itartive word for village. Hut's where the iword 'Canada' conies from. official languages are French and lEIi^llish. It's really weird coming to the XJKiand having cereal boxes which aren't ibilingual. It's true, Canadians do leave their doors open and unlocked. We actually only became fully independent in 1981 when we repatriated otir con-istitution fully so we could independently make our own decisions. We call our one-dollar coins 'loonies' and our two dollar coins 'toonies.' Our national animal is the BEAVER. It's l>ecause Canada was a country founded on the fur trade. Alexa^s 'Facts' Gangs from America dump dead bodies into the great lakes and send them to Canada. They have moose like we do in Alaska. It's dangerous if you crash into them. They produce oil. Canada has salmon but Alaskan salmon is better. Very good skiing in Whistler. Canadians think Americans own loads of guns. The state troopers with the hats, they're called Mounties. It's in between Europe and America in terms of liberal and conservative thinking. Alexa Sharpies (19) BSc International Relations who lives in Alaska, USA gets educated aboot Canada by Christopher Pang (23) MSc International Relations from Canada. What are its main exports and imports? So do you know any good Canadian jokes? Alexa: They produce a lot of oil. It's cold there so they import lots of food. Chris: We import cars for sure, and 'culture.' Canada's a big producer of oil and wheat. What's the capital of Canada? Alexa: Ottawa. Chris: Yes, it's in the middle of nowhere on the Ontario-Quebec border. Queen Victoria chose the location so that if the US were to occupy us, they'd have to find the capital first. How American are Canadians and how Canadian are Americans? Alexa: Americans are becoming more Canadian in the sense that there is a growing liberal contingent and society is becoming more multicultural. Chris: Canadians define themselves by how they're not American. Americans seem to be looking to Canada a lot: cheap drugs, pot, they love Celine Dion and Nelly Furtado. Alexa: Is it true that Canadians say "hey guy" instead of "hey man"? Chris: No. I usually go "hey dude." We finish a lot of our sentences with the word 'eh'. For example, "It's a nice day today, A?" We're always looking for agreement with other people. Oh, and let me make it clear that we don't say "aboot." We say "about." Alexa and Chris: We have the best pot. Is it true that Americans 'dislike' Canadians? Alexa: There are a lot of anti-Canada jokes, but no. Feelings are amicable but I think a lot of people see Canada as an extension of America. Alexa: Can't think of any right now. Chris: There's a joke about how Canada got its name: They pulled out a bimch of letters out of a hat and went C-a, N-a, D-a. What's its form of government and who's in power? Alexa: They have a Prime Minister? It's more similar to the British system. Is Quebec an autonomous state? Chris: Not really. We have a parliamentary system and our Prime Minister is Paul Martin. He's the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada. What do you associate with Canada? Alexa: 'Roots': A Canadian clothing chain. Chris: Which was started by two Americans. Alexa: Sum 41, Niagara Falls, Nelly Furtado, ice hockey. Chris: Famous people from Canada include The Barenaked Ladies, The Tragically Hip, Bryan Adams, Celine Dion, Avril Lavigne, Mike Myers, Jim Carey, Michael J. Fox and WiU from Will & Grace. What was Canada's stand on the war in Iraq? Alexa: Against. Chris: Yes, we were. What's the nightlife like in Canada? Alexa: Pretty good because of the big cities. What's the drinking age? Chris: 19. The best club in Toronto is a place called, "This Is London." Vancouver and Halifax are extremely chilled and laid back. Montreal is the most European city. Toronto is the urban centre of Canada. We love drinking Canadian beer: Labatt Blue and Molson Canadian. IS B:art The Beaver 22 February 2005 B:art by Wejdaii-Ismail -1^: ¦ ¦ ; ' V film ' Music The NME Awards page 22 Ut Farewell to Arthur Miller page 26 r edited by Sarah Coughtrie and Dani Ismail Maria Full of Grace alexasharples: happy with film, disappointed with boyfriend Director: Joshua Marston Starring: Catalina Sandino Merono, Yenne Paula Vega Running Time: 101 min Certificate: 15 Release Date: 25 March We arrived late after traipsing around Oxford Street due to the direction-impaired, incompetent boyfriend. I had had a crap day, and my mood was as foul as the cantankerous weather. I was feeling critical and definitely not expecting much from this movie given the way the rest of my day had gone. 17 year-old Maria Alvarez (Cataiina Sandino iVIoreno) lives in a small rural town in Colombia. She works a factory job de-thorning roses, her financially dependent family are always demanding her pay-cheque, and her unresponsive, unambitious boyfriend has just got her pregnant. So already my bad mood is getting better - there's always someone worse off than /ou. However, refusing the hand that life has dealt her, Maria takes a hugely better paid job, away from her family and her boyfriend. This job is as a drug mule, carrying drugs from Bogota to New York. There are 62 pellets full of heroin to swallow, tied in the fingers of plastic gloves. Arguably, never has there been such a documentary-like insight into the drug world as we follow every stage involved in 'muling' drugs. This is the crux of the film, how Joshua Marston combines such a studied detachment of the situation before Maria and the other drug mules, with just enough feeling to tap into the audience's emotions. It is refreshingly lacking dramatic boosting or preaching, and surprisingly gives practically no attention to the religious connotations associated with its title and poster imagery. Such an even-handed insight is continued when she arrives in America 'perfecta'. The American custom officials, which the Colombian drug pushers assured her wouldn't be able to tell a thing, temporarily take her into custody. After that tense ordeal, she ends up in a seedy motel room, supervised by two men to ensure every last drug pellet is collected. Things turn ugly as one of the girls falls ill, and Maria and her friend make their escape into the big bad city that is New York. Taking shelter with a relative of one of the 'mules', the week she spends in New York before deciding whether to take her flight home provides an insightful glimpse Into the South American immigrant community. The number of awards this brilliant film has already received and Moreno's nomination for an Academy Award as best actress is clearly deserved. However, call me a Hollywood junkie who gets a kick from cheap emotional tricks, the documentary-like quality to the film left me feeling rather emotionless - disturbing given the horrifying, desperate situation depicted that so many women from lesser developed countries face. But perhaps that's the point. ? ? ? ? ? In Your Local Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason The original was about a third as good as the book, so there was never much hope for this. This lives down to expectations admirably, with Zeiiweger - who's greatest achievement yet is shagging Jacit White - peering nervously out of those things she calls eyes and whining for almost two hours. Worthless. Blockbuster... Alfie Remake of iViiciiael Caine classic with the swingin' Jude l^w taking on the role of the kerrayzee limo driver breaking hearts and generally behaving badly. All a little been there, done that if you ask us. Hero The stunning visuals are reason enough to watch this. However, a lot is lost in the translation into DVD-format. . Th^e Braver- 22 February 2005 B:art 19 Ma Mere helenbutler is disturbed Director: Christophe Honore Starring: Isabella Huppert, Louis Garrel Running Time: 110 minutes Certificate: 18 Reiease Date: 4th March 2005 !!<•(? % Pierre (Louis Garrel), who lives with his grandmother, is 17 when he spends the summer at his parents' house on a Caribbean island. Shortly after his arrival on the island, Pierre's father dies suddenly, and his mother, (isabeiie Huppert) introduces him to her hedonistic, immoral and debauched lifestyle. Instead of provoking disgust in Pierre, which is what Helene seems to crave, Pierre becomes infatuated with his mother and her circle of friends. Struggling with the death of his father, his disillusionment with the catholic faith, and his sexual awakening, Pierre is drawn Into sordid games and a world he is too young to make sense of. However, as the film progresses, the audience becomes unsure whether Pierre really is the victim, as his mother's control over his sexuality weakens. The abrupt and sickening ending is the film's final shock. Powerful, shocking and extremely explicit, this film breaks every taboo. Moral norms and ideas over what is acceptable are challenged. Creative lighting, a good script and an idyllic setting soften the harsh themes depicted. The soundtrack is first class, and the acting better. Both Garrel and Huppert are au fait with play- ing erotically-charged, taboo-breaking roles, after Garrel recently starred in The Dreamers and Huppert in School of Flesh. However, unless you're a fan of films designed to shock (and at times revolt), this probably isn't going to be your favourite movie of the year. It hnay be well made, well acted and a creative representation of the novel it is based on but unfortunately, it is also overly explicit, and in some ways this is its downfall. Even so, if you're not someone who offends easily, it might be worth a look: undoubtedly, Ma Mere has some artistic value. Despite the incestuous, disturbing nature of this picture, the themes that you are left with are those relating to religion, loneliness, devotion and worship. These themes, nevertheless, would have benefited from further development. Ma Mere is a good cinematic depiction of Bataille's original book, and manages some success in moving beyond the surface sexuality of the plot. However, some of the content is lost in the transfer to film. As intended. Ma Mere leaves the viewer disturbed and uneasy, though not necessarily for the right reasons. ? ? ? ? ? Run Lola Run jamimakan switches from porn to electro-fuelled classics n Director: Tom Tykwer ..Starring: Franka Potente, Moritz ^^Bleibtreu ^Running Time: 80 min Certificate: 15 Release Date: 22 October 1999 .,0n movie database website IMDb.com, a : month-long dispute over Franl^a Potente's beauty has preoccupied the actress's message board. In mid-January, user ;liyahnolfan posted, "she's old, so you sri rnust be old or an old perv 1 guess, if you te,- r' think she's the most beautiful woman you PC must be gay hahaha." To which user The Gregster replied, "she is lovely, the most attractive woman that has ever graced the silver screen. If you can't see that, you are a very sad individual." To both of which user fibreoptic replied, "this thread is stupid." Stupid because even if Franka Potente isn't as nice to look at as your econ professor, her dyed hair and tattoos are certainly charming. In The Bourne Identity and Supremacy, she made the perfect wandering European hipster, and her eccentricity complemented IViatt Damon's brooding, introspective role. Replete with car chases, gun battles, and an unexpectedly sexual instance of haircutting, the Bourne series did very well to pair Franka and Matt. But before Matt, back in 1998 when f Frarika. Potente's hair was even redder, there was another guy in another film. His name was Moritz Bieibtreu, and he played Manni in German film Run Lola Run opposite Potente, who played the title character. When Manni, a courier for a Berlin gang, loses 100,000 marks 20 minutes before he's supposed to deliver them, he desperately calls his girlfriend Lola from a pay phone. She has minutes to run across town, come up with the money, and save her boyfriend's life. Defined by an unrelenting techno soundtrack and music video aesthetic. Run Lola Run represents an extraordinarily unique film. Even with its repetition and lack of character development, the film manages to make room for passion and emotion. It's a car chase except with people, and the image of Lola running seems fascinating and powerful. With numerous existential twists, the film explores the huge differences Lola's tiniest choices can make. Remarkably, the English subtitles do not make Run Lola Run any less captivating, since the film relies heavily on action and movement. Says director Tom Tykwer of Lola, the film could be just as easily be set in Peking, Helsinki or New York; the only thing that would change is the scenery, not the emotional dimension. I think everyone, truly everyone, can identify with Lola. ? ? ? ? ? Jeden Tag i Jecte Sskunde triffst Dufaine f-nt5dT6idiiti9 *die I>ein Leljen wranden"! kaiTi I rBnww^j Mm WmmmMm Mmmm Mm Wmm^, POTENTE BLEIBTREU teitlQni 1 Se* i'te »8#5k' spdwcMl- 20 B:art The Beaver 22 February 2005 The Edukators michaelfauconnier-bank is taught a well-needed lesson Director: Hans Weingartner Starring: Daniel Bruhl, Stipe Erceg Running Time: 127 mins Release Date: Out now Certificate: 15 In an academic year that has been all but devoid of any notable student causes to rally around, those experiencing a craving for protest will enjoy the story of Jan and Peter, two best friends who moonlight as The Edukators. Set in Germany, the film follows this pair in their quest to protest, in a non-violent way, against the capitalist world. Jan (Daniel Briilil, Good Bye Lenin) and Peter (Stipe Erceg) rebel by breaking into the homes of corporate fat-cats. Driving a van that the A-team would be proud of, complete with sleeping space in the back and equipped with a surveillance camera installed behind the grill, they meticulously stake out their targets. Then, donning balaclavas before exiting the van out of the obligatory sliding door, they get to work. The Edukators are not your typical cat burglars, however. Rather than stealing for personal profit, they simply aim to make a political statement by striking fear and doubt into the hearts of their victims. By violating their homes and rearranging their furniture, the two friends believe that they will have a far greater effect than if they were simply stealing. Of course, they never fail to leave their calling card behind, namely a note that typically reads: "You have too much money - The Edukators". Their professionalism flies out the window when Peter goes on a short trip to Barcelona, entrusting the care of his girlfriend, Jule (Julia Jentsch) to Jan. The inevitable love-triangle develops and Jan introduces the previously oblivious girl to the subversive world of The Edukators. A rich businessman, Hardenberg (Burghart Klaussner), completes the main cast when the trio make the rash decision to kidnap him, after a botched mission. Consequences of Love (Le Conseguenze Deiramore) ruksanazaman craves some excitennent Up to this point, the action has been very intense. The camera work is rushed and intimate. The use of a hand-held camera'^ adds to the realism and intensifies the audience's feeling of actually being there with the actors, whether it be crouching behind a bush while scoping a potential target, running across a flood-lit lawn before breaking into a house, or sitting beside The Edukators as they drive around the city streets in their van. Following the kidnapping, the location shifts to a remote, wooden shack in the Austrian Alps. The open, sweeping landscape provides a suitable atmosphere for the self-reflection and self-disclosure that follows. Sound-wise, the use of gaping, dramatic silences successfully serves to heighten the film's ambience. I did find the repeated playing of Jeff Buckley's Hallelujah at the end of the film slightly irritating, but the young lady I was with found it touching. All in all, I was pleasantly surprised at the degree to which I managed to lose myself in the film. It was well acted, on the whole, and the director's style gave it a fresh touch. Definitely recommended. ? ? ? ? Director: Paulo Sorrentino Starring: Toni Servillo,Olivia Magnane Release Date: Out Soon Running Time: lOOnnins The first thing that hit me as I watched this slow-paced, rather dull movie is how it was probably the worst film to see if you're trying to give up cigarettes. Every single scene features a close up of either someone sparking up or taking a drag -even 1 was left craving and I don't smoke. The film centres on Titta Di Girolamo (Toni Servillo), a 50 year-old Italian man who has been living in a hotel for eight years in Switzerland. Titta is an impassive, unimaginative character who sits in the lobby or hotel bar smoking incessantly, observing life around him. The kind of guy who never speaks to anyone unless absolutely necessary and has no life and is a bit of a loser. But it's always the quiet ones you have to watch out for, because they have the deepest, darkest secrets. As the film unfolds, we find out some of Titta's. One such secret is that his seemingly mundane life sees him routinely injecting heroin into himself every Wednesday at lOam for the last 24 years. Didn't see that one coming I tell you! The man is an enigma - you never know what he is thinking and revelations about his life surprise you and leave you feeling grateful that there is something more to this film than watching a boring man smoke in a hotel lobby. As with any film there is a pretty girl to come along and rock the boat. For a man who has never been loved, even just the possibility makes him reckless. Bad timing and a weird chain of events involving the Mafia make him realise he cannot go back to the orderliness of before and so things become final and tragic. The ending is just like Titta - surprising and dignified. As far as films go this isn't that bad but you shouldn't worry if you never get around to watching it. If you are looking for witty and sharp dialogue, gorgeous stars and fast paced action with multiple plots, this film is not for you. It is very slow going and at times does make you wonder whether watching grass grow would make for better entertainment. However in its defence, it is not predictable in the slightest and is a subtle intelligent film about observing some very different characters' lives in this hotel. So if you are into dull but clever arty-farty films, this one's for you. ? ? ? ? ? The Beaver 22 February 2005 B:art 21 theatre edited by Joanna Clarke Arthur Miller 1915-2005 hannahsmith pays tribute to the literary legend who died this week, aged 89. The theatrical world was deeply saddened by the death, last Thursday, of one of its most respected playwrights. Born in New York to American-Jewish parents, Arthur Miller struggled through the Depression of the 1920s, and paid his way through college by selling his plays. He went on to create some of the definitive works of twentieth century American literature. He is perhaps best known for his hnoving Pulitzer Prize-winning play Death of a Salesman (1949), in which protagonist Willy Loman unmasks the American Dream. Miller insisted on morality in the theatre, believing that drama should be a medium for political debate and civic conscience. Nowhere is this conviction more evident than in Miller's resistance to the American government during the McCarthy era of the 1950s. In 1956 he appeared in front of a committee which ordered him to inform on communist sympathisers. He steadfastly refused and was held in contempt of court, although this decision was later overturned. Miller gave eloquent voice to his anger through The Crucible, a dramatisation of the witchcraft trials in Salem, New England in the 1690s. This oeuvre draws parallels with McCarthy's anti-communist 'witch hunts', and was later made into a blockbuster movie starring Winona Ryder, and Miller's son-in-law Daniel Day Lewis. Miller was also famous for his unlikely five-year marriage to silver screen goddess Marilyn Monroe.. He later remarried, living happily with his second wife, photographer Inge Morath, until her death in 2002. The plays, which are Miller's legacy, are still widely studied in schools today, and their enduring popularity means they will continue to be performed. 'Death of a Salesman' is previewing at the Lyric, Hammersmith, from 10 May, opening 16 May. Arthur Miller's daughter Rebecca is promoting her new film, 'The Ballad of Jack and Rose', also starring husband Daniel Day Lewis, about the relationship between a dying father and his daughter. Silence Cuts Making the page her own this week, hannahsmith is anything but mute... "There comes a time in one's artistic development when the weight of creation becomes unbearable." So begins director Ion Martea's commentary on Silence Cuts. Although his thespian pretension is rather unbearable in itself, this play was, admittedly, an ambitious project. His "own ugly child" was an amalgamation of elements from Euripides' Medea, Sophocles' Electra, August Strindberg's Miss Julia, and primarily Persona by Ingmar Bergman. Jasmine Pender's portrayal of a character-within-a-character has particular impact in the opening scene. She plays actress Elisabeth Vogler, performing a tortured Electra, decrying the murder of her father. Jasmine evokes perfectly Elisabeth's internalisation of Electra's blistering rage, and then Elisabeth's sudden silence and withdrawal from her career and all her responsibilities. Elisabeth's psychiatrist (Laura Duggan) sends her away to the country with exuberant young nurse Alma (Katherine Morrant), in the hope that companionship will facilitate her recovery. Laura could have given a performance with more depth had the doctor not been such a purely functional character, merely a narrator who explains and links scenes. As it was, her delivery was a little flat, with the exception of her admonition of Elisabeth's silence: "When you've played this role to the end, you can drop it, as you dropped your other roles." Alma's exuberance, naivety and vulnerability come across clearly through Katherine's long monologues, and provide a strong contrast to Elisabeth's aloof sophistication. Alma talks to fill the void of Elisabeth's silence, and reveals more of herself as the wine flows and the time passes. The trust between the two women grows, leading to a kiss of which much was made during the promotion of the play, although it is intimacy rather than sexuality which is really the point. I couldn't help thinking that perhaps the sapphic aspect was overemphasised to titillate and appeal to a wider audience. Inevitably, the idyllic relationship is shattered in highly charged scenes in which Alma's frustration at Elisabeth's stubborn silence is palpable. The interspersion of scenes from Strindberg's Miss Julia provides witty relief from the occasional melodrama of the main plot line. If only they had put on Miss Julia instead of a hybrid version which does not fully do it justice. Jasmine's four characters represent elements of Elisabeth, and James Royd also demonstrates his versatility by playing four believable characters, most memorably the wily manservant Jean, lover of the aristocratic Miss Julia. Jasmine is deliciously slimy as the flirtatious mistress, especially as the witty, fast-paced dialogue of these scenes culminates in a comical seduction. The progression from post-coital bliss to raging argument as Jean tries to appropriate Elisabeth's fortune was entertaining, if not entirely convincing. But certainly there was chemistry between the actors which provided a degree of realism amongst the quick-fire exchanges and innuendo. The Drama Society billed the play as an exploration of female roles, but the play was also about identity, as Elisabeth transfers her persona onto the vulnerable nurse, to the point where Alma seduces Elisabeth's blind husband. Sadly, the director took to the stage at this point and made a farce of an already unnecessary scene, undermining the efforts of the cast, who throughout had managed a vast array of complex themes with skill. ? ? ? ? ? 'Silence Cuts' will be performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival later this year. Continuing her tour of London's theatres, joannaclarke crosses the river to one of the capital's most famous The Old Vic r > :¦ B .*1 II i| ¦ I il IK ¦« ¦SI li III if It 91 •! JBaPCIMMtMNK LOCATION: The Cut, Waterloo, London. SEl 8NB (Tube: Waterloo) CURRENTLY SHOWING: National Anthems (1 February - 23 April) FORTHCOMING: The Philadelphia Story (3 May - 18 June) PRICES: £15 - £40 ANY STUDENT DISCOUNTS? Under 25s can get seats at £12 for all performances. For concessions, call 0870 060 6628. ww.oldvictheatre.com SOME INTERESTING FACTS: Built in 1818, The Old Vic is one of the oldest theatres in London. It was originally called the Royal Coburg, but became The Old Vic in 1833. Laurence Olivier founded the National Theatre at The Old Vic in 1963, its home until the move to the South Bank in 1976. He said of The Old Vic stage that it had "the most powerful actor/audience relationship in the world". After appearing in The Ice Man Cometh at The Old Vic in 1998, Kevin Spacey decided to stay on at the theatre as its Artistic Director. Lilian Baylis famously kept The Old Vic open during the First World War, producing every one of Shakespeare's plays in his First Folio at prices that most of the public could afford. Strange but true: Lilian Baylis was famed for her 'skipping rope dance whilst playing the banjo'. have yoii hecird..? Six dames are coming together for One Knight Only, a charity event organised in aid of the Tsunami appeal fund. Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Joan Plowright, Helen Mirren, Diana Rigg and Eileen Atkins, will be joined on stage by Sir Antony Sher, the 'one knight" from whom the evening's performance takes its title. The list of other actors due to participate continues to read like a who's who in theatre and film. Joining the dames and their knight, amongst others, will be Kim Cattrall, Joanna Lumley, Edward Fox, Patrick Stewart, Zoe Wanamaker, and Celia Imrie. This one-off performance, combining music, comedy and drama, will take place on Sunday 20 March at the Theatre Royal, Haymarket. Despite critical reviews for his latest offering at the Old Vic, National Anthems, Kevin Spacey is set to star as the eponymous lead in Richard li. The play, which will form part of the autumn season at the theatre, is to be directed by Trevor Nunn who returns to the Old Vic following his production of Hamlet last year. em The Beaver 2 w 22 February 2005 music edited by Ben Howartb and Neshwa Boukhari NME Awards Tour 2005 sarahcoughtrie braves the sloping floors of the Brixton Academy for the London leg of the annual awards Tour For a publication tliat is reviled in certain circles for their alleged promotion of sex, drugs, violence and Pete Doherty, NME certainly picked four rather well behaved young bands to spread their message to the mid-level venues of the UK. Each have made much of their clean living, and this was - slightly unnervingly - mirrored in the show. Everything ran on time, the lines for the toilets were short enough to suggest that the other kind of lines were pretty much absent and noone violently removed me from my front row position. Still, 4 for the price of 1 is never a bad deal, and everyone put on a spirited show. Due to a gamble that didn't pay off we missed some of the Kaiser Chiefs' set, but arrived in time to get really quite excited about I Predict a Riot and Saturday Night. Tipping these boys for the big time is the new 'Strokes-bashing' but be warned: NME claim that the openers of this tour always go on to the big time. Franz, The Thrills, The Coral and Starsailor would probably agree, but looking at that list we're hoping that the 'Chiefs are the 'new Franz', since another Starsailor would definitely be surplus to requirements. Bloc Party's billing below the Futureheads is another cruel result of strategic album release timing, and I'd bet money that in a year's time the nervy life' Londoners will be playing to a sold out Ally Pally while the Sunderland boys peruse their scrapbooks and sheepishly ask for their day jobs back, telling everyone how they were once in a "quite successful rock band". It's not that they're bad as such, just incredibly grating, and hopefully the world will tire of them as quickly as they fell in love so we have the chance to get Decent Days and Nights out of our heads. Bloc Party have a grander future ahead. The incessant Franz comparisons are baffling, since Bloc Party are far darker, more paranoid, don't look as nice and are completely fucking different. There is however a delicious amount of Talking Heads in them which is only amplified live. In one way we're all paranoid enough without Kele Okereke convincing us it's all far worse than we'd ever imagined, but the guitars peel chirpily enough and the drumming is so brain-bendingly incredible that we can't help but be elated as we are enraged. It was lucky, after the overall high quality of the lower billed acts, that The Killers don't disappoint. Front-pixie Brandon Flowers owns the stage like a pro, and as hit after hit is rolled out even the cynics are left quivering in their Converse. Mr Brightside and Somebody Told Me were dispensed with surprisingly early, the for- mer with the introduction "We just came from the Brits. We didn't win anything. We should have won just for this song," which would have been a glorious feat of rock n' roll arrogance if it weren't for Flowers' title to being the least threatening man in music. They teased with first encore Jenny Was a Friend of Mine and looked rather pleased when the crowd started chanting "I got soul but I'm not a soldier..." before the chaotic climax during which I burned my hand holding a lighter aloft, when the other three bands invaded the stage. Bloc Party dived headlong into the crowd and the bouncers promptly tried to turf and manhandle the most exciting band of 2005 out of the venue. Glamorous Indie Rock n' Roll fun indeed. Scenester Review... Saturday Looks Good To Me Water Rats, Greys Inn Road Monday 14'^ February Feeling lovelorn on a freezing Valentine's Day night in London, I decided to trek over to Water Rats and see Fred Thomas's merry cast of characters, Saturday Looks Good to Me. Seeing Detroit's SLGTIVl live is like witnessing a classic episode of the 1960's rock show, Ready Steady Go! Imagine seeing all your favorites: the early Motown sound of Phil Spector and The Supremes, then throw in some Beach Boys' harmonies mixed with a touch of Mersey Beat along with a dash of Lulu. This amalgam of magical sounds left me breathless, partly from the evocative melodies, but also from sheer exhaustion of dancing the night away. Maybe I was dateless on Valentine's Day. That's alright. At least I got to fall in love with a band. Patrick Wolf The Borderline, Charing Cross Road Monday 14*^ February The 21 year-old's recent departure from 'electrofolk' to plain old acoustic, has seen him drop an octave away from his classically trained choirboy persuasions, after a bout of vocal discovery yielded the conclusion, that he is indeed in possession of "something in between his legs that girls dont have". Tonight Wolf seems to be scaling new heights in sta-press chic, taking on stage with him an acquired elegance to play a lushly pedalled grand piano, before bringing the viola to life in glorious sonic technicolour, melded with a voice synonymous only to that of a Jeff Buckley reincarnate. The Borderline seems the perfect venue. It is intimate, yet atmospheric enough to accommodate his awestricken tales of lighthouses and werewolf mutations. Truly a rare delight. M Ward Instore @ Rough Trade Shop, Niels Yard Monday 14'^ February M Ward is just about the best guitar player I have ever seen. His technique when covering a John Fahey recording illuminates the great master's work as being as avant now as it ever was, as Ward mutates the experimental blues track into a Scott Joplin rag. But M Ward is more than a virtuoso; he is a bluesman in the truest sense. His own songs, soaked in the whiskey-tinged roots of their Portland, Oregan home, detail love, death and nostalgia at the heart of each beautifully delivered song. It is a testament to his talent, then, that M Ward takes a time old theme and turns it into something entirely contemporary. Tunes of the Deep South cut through the air of Rough Trade, making the Japanese Techno which line the walls behind him seem very silly indeed. JamesYorkston / King Creosote 93 Feet East, Brick Lane Tuesday 15"" February It wasn't meant to be like this. I can't see the stage and all I can hear is the constant ringing of bar tills - loud enough to drive a less courteous audience to assault anyone vying to buy a drink. Yet somehow it works. The seated King Creosote may be hidden from view but his tender folk songs betray a passion for pop music that makes me smile in spite of the venue's limitations. Later James Yorkston, sensing the mood, abandons his stool - the 'nu-folk' equivalent of Dylan going electric. Without his backing band he reveals a new light-hearted side - interrupting songs to share stories and mistakes. Although we are far from his native Fife, the ecstatic applause makes me wonder whether James should adopt London as his second home. (matthewhinds) (neshyboukhari) (jamiestevens) (elliotsimmons) The Beaver 22 February 2005 B:art 23 Album Reviews Singles Death From Above 1979: You're A Woman; I'm A Machine The album 'You're A Woman, I'm A Machine' was handed to me with the comment that DFA'79 are the "love of the first years". I was confused and biased. It could only mean that they were a buzz band, a fad, who'll probably be clear off the scene by the time I would have written this review. Listening to their tracks, however, changed this: the debut oozes long term potential. The Toronto two-piece set out to be as big and unavoidable as an elephant, worshipping the animal by appearing with trunks on all promotion, and they will certainly attract weird looks. Not for the size of the band, for 'the two-piece' is entrenched in rock history (see: Simon and Garfunkel), and was recently revived thanks to the likes of the White Stripes and The Kills, but rather for the unusual combination of instruments. Jesse F Keeler plays base and the occasional keyboard while Sebastien Grainger is the successfully singing drummer the world has been waiting for. Their sound is uncompromisingly bold. You might be left stumped as to when the death metal guitar sounds come in. Let me assure you: there is none. Synergies with French House create groovy themes, while Sebastien's voice reminds of Queens of the Stone Age at times. The final brew is highly energized and interestingly innovative. Unfortunately, you have all just missed their gig at the Garage, on 10th February, but if you ask often enough, and you will want to, they will surely come back to drown you in their music. (millenwolde-selassie) Starfail Static (EP) Apparently this is what the moodier end of the 'youth' spectrum are listening to today: a sort of computer-mediated metallic noise that tries to be deep by having obtuse lyrics about fascists, but succeeds only in reminding me of the higher calibre of angst in my day. Ah well, they're trying, but Trent Reznor Lite isn't the most compelling sound to aim for. (aedanlake) Nine Biacit Alps: Sliot Down The young Manchester quartet display commendable song-writing accomplishment with blazing guitars and destroy drumming topped off with an screaming infectious chorus ("shot down / spun round / strung out"). Promising, but it's all a bit Nirvana-esque, leaving you wanting to fish out Nevermind off the shelf. (nathancapone) 50 Foot Wave: Golden Ocean 50 Foot Wave are a band who'll have you secretly slamming air guitar and strutting in front of the mirror with your fiercest scream. One of those bands you acquire a sickening craving for. A band who make you want to start a band. Instantly punching with the rapid riff and drum barrage of Long Painting, Golden Ocean is dripping with songs which punch then slowly tease before aiming for your throat. Led by the legendary Kristin Hersh of Throwing Muses and, erm, Kristin Hersh fame, this three-piece are a brighter Nirvana at their most upbeat fuelled with the urgency of early Foo Fighters. Hersh's raw drawl and broken scream is glued to the menacing riffs a la Cobain. When she sings 'I'm gonna wash that man outta my hair and soap him into my eyes' on Bone China you know she will. On Petal Hersh's throat bleeds, just about distinguishable from the evil and dirty guitar hook. Sally is a Girl hypnotises and lures to false safety as with every song. 50 Foot Wave love to tease us, like on Pneuma, who's consistent beat roars into a blistering assault without warning halfway in. And it's not just Hersh's gritty rasp and filthy guitar playing which stuns. Drummer Rob Ahlers, with his simple yet highly imaginative and forceful rhythms, seems to have his own agenda to lure and then wound. 50 Foot Wave burn with a passion and urgency which stuns and then inspires. Let them seduce you, mislead you, betray you, beat you and then inspire you. (nastarantaval