【正文】 to influencepeddling by lobbyists who do not have the best interests of society39。s spatial aspects, there is far more to document ha life than what we see and hear. Thus the speaker overstates the parative significance of video as a documentary tool. For the purpose of documenting temporal, spatial events and experiences, I agree that a video record is usually more accurate and more convincing than a written record. It is impossible for anyone, no matter how keen an observer and skilled a journalist, to recount ha plete and objective detail such events as the winning touchdown at the Super Bowl, a Ballanchine ballet, the Tournament of Roses Parade, or the scene at the intersection of Florence and Normandy streets during the 1992 Los Angeles riots. Yet these are important events in contemporary life the sort of events we might put ha a time capsule for the purpose of capturing our life and times at the turn of this millennium. The growing documentary role of video is not limited to seminal events like those described above. Video surveillance cameras are objective witnesses with perfect memories. Thus they can play a vital evidentiary role in legal proceedingssuch as those involving robbery, drug trafficking, police misconduct, motor vehicle violations, and even malpractice in a hospital operating room. Indeed, whenever moving images are central to an event the video camera is superior to the written word. A written description f a hurricane, tornado, or volcanic eruption cannot convey its immediate power and awesome nature like a video record. A diary entry cannot replay that wedding reception, dance recital, or surprise birthday party as accurately or objectively as a video record. And a real estate brochure cannot inform about the lighting, spaciousness, or general ambiance of a featured property nearly as effectively as a video. Noheless, for certain other purposes, written records are advantageous to and more appropriate than video records. For example, certain legal matters are best left to written documentation: video is of no practical use ha documenting the terms of a plex contractual agreement, incorporation, or the establishment of a trust. And video is of little use when it es to documenting a person39。s ultimate interests. Nevertheless, we must not allow our political leaders undue freedom to withhold information, otherwise, we risk sanctioning demagoguery and undermining the philosophical underpinnings of any democratic society. One reason for my fundamental agreement with the speaker is that in order to gain the opportunity for effective public leadership, a wouldbe leader must first gain and maintain political power. In the game of politics, plete forthrightness is a sign of vulnerability and naivety, neither of which earns a politician respect among his or her opponents, and which those opponents will use to every advantage to defeat the politician. In my observation some measure of pandering to the electorate is necessary to gain and maintain political leadership. For example, were all politicians to fully disclose every personal foible, character flaw, and detail concerning personal life, few honest politicians would ever by elected. While this view might seem cynical, personal scandals have in fact proven the undoing of many a political career。s missile defense system experienced a Y2Krelated malfunction. This fact was withheld from the public until later in the day, once the problem had been solved。s cultural traditions are preserved and generated. The speaker39。s cultural traditions. Today a nation39。s distinct cultural traditions. After all, modern cities are essentially multicultural stew pots。 nor is government assistance necessary toward these ends. Moreover, assisting large cities would have little bearing on our distinct cultural traditions, which abide elsewhere. Issue 11 All nations should help support the development of a global university designed to engage students in the process of solving the world39。 thus a useful insight or discovery can e from a researcher or student from any nation. Another pelling argument for a global university involves the increasingly global nature of certain problems. Consider, for instance, the depletion of atmospheric ozone, which has warned the Earth to the point that it threatens the very survival of the human species. Also, we are now learning that clearcutting the world39。 research but also to distort the oute of that researchostensibly for the greatest good of the greatest number of people. Not surprisingly, during this time period no significant scientific advances occurred under the auspices of the Soviet government. The Soviet lesson provides an important caveat to administrators of a global university: Significant progress in solving pressing social problems requires an open mind to all sound ideas, approaches, and theoriesirrespective of the ideologies of their proponents. A final problem with a global university is that the world39。s pressing social problems. Issue 13 Many of the world39。s language bees extinct the result is a diminished sense of pride, dignity, and selfworth. One need look no further than continental Europe to observe how people cling tenaciously to their distinct languages, despite the fact that there is no practical need for them anymore. And on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, the French Canadians stubbornly insist on French as their official language, for the 。s indigenous and distinct languages should not be abandoned and fotten altogether. At some point, however, I think cultural identity should yield to the more practical considerations of daytoday life in a global society. On the one hand, the indigenous language of any geographical region is partandparcel of the cultural heritage of the region39。s social problems, and the escalating costs