By Kelly Glista
The entirety of the University’s Honors College students and faculty attempted to pack into the 385 seats in Monroe Lecture Center on Nov. 7 to hear an evaluation of the State of the Union Address, while the rest of the nation went to the polls for the midterm elections.
Professor Noah Feldman of the New York University School of Law, who drafted Iraq’s constitution, was this year’s speaker for the annual Arnold A. Saltzman State of the Union Lecture Series, following such speakers as Ralph Nader and Rep. Charlie Rangel.
This year’s speech was the “fourth and best attended” said President Stuart Rabinowitz in his introductory comments to the assembly. The event was sponsored by HUHC and this year, for the first time since its inception, was made mandatory to honors students. However, many students were turned away because of the lack of available seating.
Feldman said the State of the Union Addresses given by President George W. Bush and his most recent predecessor have always begun with the phrase, “The state of the union is strong.”
“The only problem with this is that it’s not technically true,” said Feldman. He explained that his issue with the opening line coined by former President Bill Clinton is that he simply disagrees. According to Feldman, the Union is in a vexed and even troubled state, one the nation is not likely to find a way out of any time soon.
During the one hour lecture, Feldman shared his view of this problem, and of the foreign and domestic policies of the U.S. The event later moved to a question and answer session with the audience in order to start a discussion he said he hoped would be honest rather than patriotic.
“True patriotism lies in telling the truth,” said Feldman.
Feldman’s explanation of the troubled state of the U.S. today began with some of his comments on foreign policy and more specifically, the situation in Iraq.
“We’re stuck,” he said. “Badly stuck.” Illustrating the present Iraqi government as “a cake with just icing,” Feldman said that even with successful elections and a democracy in place, there is no support for the government in established order or law.
The result of this, according to Feldman, is that the U.S. can neither go further nor back out from the situation with an Iraqi civil war hot on the tails of the troops.
He also said the insurgency in Iraq was designed to, if not kick the U.S. troops out, at least make it impossible for the elected government to stand on its own. “This strategy has worked,” added Feldman. “The insurgents are winning.”
Feldman’s discussion on the domestic policy in the U.S. focused on the ideas of party differences. On pragmatic policy issues, he said there were no real problematic differences. However, on “symbolic domestic policy” issues such as abortion and same-sex marriage, Feldman said there is a deep divide between the religious right and the liberal left.
He explained that the deep disagreements are a problem for the U.S. and that there needs to be more compromise between sides in order to have a healthy state.
“We need to look ahead and see the dangers that lie in the short term,” said Feldman.
The speech was followed by a small reception in C.V. Starr Hall, where Feldman was set up at a table to sign paperback copies of his books, which includes After Jihad: America and the Struggle for Islamic Democracy and What We Owe Iraq: War and the Ethics of Nation Building in purchased at the lecture. The proceeds from the purchases will go to the Interfaith Nutrition Network. Many of the students and faculty stayed to speak with each other and with Feldman about the lecture.
Dean Russell of HUHC called the State of the Union the school’s signature event. “This is an important community building event,” he said.
“The lecture was entertaining and informative,” said sophomore Jimmy Gilligan, a marketing major. “I’d definitely come to hear him speak again.”
Professor Noah Feldman of New York University School of Law takes questions from a packed house in Monroe Lecture Hall after delivering his take on the State of the Union.