The Feminist and the Pope

The wind of freedom blows, our university motto declares, but perhaps only until someone gets offended. A three-month investigation by the Stanford Review has discovered that university organizations declined to invite two high-profile intellectuals—Ayaan Hirsi Ali and Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, before his inauguration as Pope Benedict XVI—after consultation with faculty and students who objected to their views.

The Heart of the Matter: Global Warming

Arguing that global warming is a serious anthropogenic problem is Dr. George Somero, the David & Lucile Packard Professor in Marine Sciences at the Hopkins Marine Station. Arguing for the skeptics is Dr. Roy Spencer, recipient of NASA’s Medal for Exceptional Scientific Achievement and principle research scientist at the University of Alabama in Huntsville.

Ibrahim, Raymond. The Al Qaeda Reader

“Stop hurting us and we’ll stop hurting you.” That is the message Americans get from al Qaeda. In his fascinating new book, historian Raymond Ibrahim explains that the jihadists say one thing to CNN, and quite another to fellow Muslims.

Hoover Marine Corps Fellow Discusses Iraq

Lieutenant Colonel Chris Starling served in Iraq from February 2005 to February 2006 as a member of the 2nd Marine Regiment. The Review caught up with him last quarter for a brief interview.

World News in Brief

On January 6, five Revolutionary Guard speed boats charged three U.S. Navy ships in the Strait of Hormuz. As the Iranian patrol boats sped toward the American ships, they tossed unidentified boxes overboard, while an anonymous radio message warned “I am coming to you…You will explode after…minutes”.

Smoke Signals

The new quarter has brought several positive changes to campus, including increased access to past course evaluations and increased financial aid to match rising tuition costs. However, missed opportunities to invite world-class conservative speakers to campus remind us that we must assertively pursue a well-balanced education at Stanford.

The OSA: Advocate or Oppressor?

In the final books of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series, Harry, Ron and Hermione learn firsthand the dangers of bureaucracy gone bad when the wizarding world’s central government, the Ministry of Magic, falls under the aegis of Cornelius Fudge. The misguided Fudge lets his fear get the best of him, watering down classes at Hogwarts such as Defense Against the Dark Arts and Care of Magical Creatures in the name of protecting Hogwarts students from unnecessary risk.

Editor’s Note

ith the New Year and a new quarter comes a new volume of the Stanford Review. At a time like this it helps to review our mission—where we are coming from and what role we plan to fill. The Review is the only conservative newspaper on campus. As such, it is our goal to persuade and enlighten the vast majority of Stanford students who have had little to no exposure to conservative thought. The best way to go about this task is to ensure that our writing is as consistently outstanding as possible.

Buchanan on Foreign Policy

Last year, Burma’s military junta brutally suppressed a series of peaceful demonstrations, imprisoning thousands and killing scores, perhaps hundreds, of innocent people.

Georgian Elections a Victory for Democracy

While US elections hold center stage, the recent election in the small state of Georgia proved to be a major victory for democracy. The reelection of Mikheil Saakashvili to the presidency vindicated his pro-Western policy of reform in the former Soviet republic. Saakashvili led his country towards greater Westernization, but the recent protests and subsequent election were the first big test of the new course that Georgia has charted.