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Viewpoint
The Battalion
Texas A&M University
June 20, 1977
Monday
Russians see rights as propaganda
Carter waging ideological war
By DAVID S. BRODER
WASHINGTON — According to An
drew Young, “the commitment and de
termination President Carter feels” on the
human rights issue “came as quite a sur
prise to me.” The U.S. ambassador to the
United Nations who is full of surprises
himself makes plain in his Playboy inter
view that he is pleased Carter is making
human rights the centerpiece of American
foreign policy. But he insists that “the
human rights emphasis by this administra
tion was never really set down, thought
out and planned.”
If that is so — and there is no reason to
doubt it — then such a process is overdue.
For, as this week’s discussions at the Bel
grade conference indicate, the evidence is
all too clear that the Soviets have re
sponded to the human rights offensive by
a severe crackdown on their own dissi
dents.
While American spokesmen are rightly
denouncing the Communists for their ac
tions, we cannot escape the duty to ask
ourselves whether the government is pru
dent to treat this issue as it has.
A roundtable on this subject last week,
sponsored here by the National Demo
cratic Forum, suggested to this reporter
that the answer is by no means as clear as
the administration makes it seem.
Patt Derian, the admirable Mississippi
civil rights activist, has become human
rights coordinator in the State Depart
ment. She insisted that the United States
is obligated by its moral code, by interna
tional agreement and by act of Congress to
seek worldwide observation of human
rights.
“We are not going to back down on it,”
Derian said. With her customary forceful
ness, she argued that the Soviet dissidents
“don’t expect an army to come, but they
need to hear an echo from somewhere” to
sustain their own courage.
Derian was supported by Norman Pod-
horetz, the editor of Commentary
magazine. He described the human rights
offensive, not just as a humanitarian re
sponse to the plight of Soviet dissidents,
but as a major weapon in what he called
“an ideological confrontation” with the
Communists.
By describing it in those terms,
Podhoretz illuminated one of the
paradoxes in Carter’s position. While the
editor clearly sees human rights as “a
weapon” against the Soviets, Carter him
self has publicly proclaimed the end of re
flexive “Cold War” anti-communism, and
has promised a new foreign policy with a
different premise. If Podhoretz is right,
then Carter may be guilty of reviving the
very thing he has sought to bury.
Morton H. Halperin, the former Na
tional Security Council staff member
wiretapped by the Nixon White House,
jumped on this paradox. He declared that
“to say we’ll press human rights issues is to
declare ideological war on their regime,
and to my mind, that means much more
repression in the Soviet Union, not much
less.”
Jerry Hough, a Duke University scholar
on Soviet affairs, explained why that may
be the case. His views, I think, are worth
considering.
First, he said, there is no question that
the United States has the right to cham
pion the cause of the Soviet dissidents.
Russia propagandizes on behalf of
American Communists and radicals all the
time. And its “whining” about our support
for the Soviet dissidents “is very unbecom
ing for a great power,” Hough said.
What we must ask, Hough said, is
whether it is wise for us to emulate the
Soviets. The Russians champion American
dissidents and publicize their supposed
oppression, not in the naive hope of
bringing them to power in the United
States, “but simply for reasons of internal
propaganda. . . to convince their people
there is no better alternative to the pres
ent system (in Russia).”
It may be,” Hough said, “that our
policies are to be understood in the same
terms,” i.e., as domestic propaganda
aimed at “making the American people
feel good about their government,” and
“developing support” for the Carter ad
ministration. That rationale is understand
able, he said, but not particularly moral.
ments. ” Of course, just that has happened
in the case of Anatoly Scharansky and
others.
Second, he said, the Soviets are likely to
perceive the human rights offensive, not
But, he said, “if, unlike the Soviets, ” we
really want to influence developments in
their country, “perhaps we should not
emulate the policy the Soviets pursue for
other purposes. ”
Hough said Carter’s spotlighted human
rights offensive may be counterproduc
tive, in terms of its effect on Soviet be
havior, for two reasons.
as an expression of America’s moral val
ues, but as a power move designed to stir
up trouble inside their empire that would
likely provoke a highly nationalistic and
negative response.
His conclusion was this: If the goal is
increased freedom and democracy inside
the Soviet bloc, “the crucial thing for the
long term is the diffusion of ideological
First, he said, “we should consider the
probability that the more closely the
Soviet dissidents and the cause of demo
cratization become identified with the
United States, the more effectively the
Soviet Union will be able to treat these
causes as alien, even treasonable, ele-
conflict, not ideological war. If we are talk
ing about defense of human rights, we are
not playing ego games. We must ask:
What are the responsible consequences of
our actions?
(c) 1977, The Washington Post Company
Whojs minding the chjldrenP
British working mothers’ problem
By RUDOLF KLEIN
LONDON — Here in Britain, as in
other modern industrial societies, the lib
eration of women is posing an important
question: who cares for the baby while the
mother is at work?
Roughly a quarter of British mothers
with children under the age of five, when
schooling here begins, now have jobs. The
proportion is even higher among poor and
immigrant women, who can least afford
private help. And with the disintegration
of the traditionally large family, grand
mothers, maiden aunts and older sisters
are no longer available to look after in
fants.
Thus this issue, which used to be a pri
vate problem, is increasingly becoming a
matter of public concern.
An obvious solution would be to expand
the number of places in nurseries and kin
dergartens subsidized by the government.
In Britain’s present economic straits,
however, money is tight.
But a good deal of attention is now
being focused instead on the role of the
“child-minder,” as she is called here. Un
like the baby-sitter, who watches children
at their homes, she looks after other peo
ple’s offspring in her own house.
The child-minder is a figure with a long
and somewhat dubious past in Britain. She
emerged during the industrial revolution,
when mothers were forced by poverty into
factories, and the squalid conditions in
which she operated have been depicted by
Charles Dickens and other novelists of a
century ago. She was, in short, an unfor
tunate and deplorable necessity.
Today efforts are being made to incor
porate her into the network of social ser
vices. Rather than treat her as a pariah or to
pretend that she does not exist, public pol
icy is being designed to raise both her
prestige and the standards of her occupa
tion. The idea is to make her both respect
able and respected.
Women who perform this function must
register with local authorities, usually at
the municipal level. Official inspectors are
empowered to investigate their homes to
check for fire hazards and to make sure.
among other things, that the children have
the opportunity to play. A licensed
child-minder is generally prohibited from
looking after more than three infants.
In addition, the authorities are sup
posed to provide these women with spe
cial training courses and invite them to
meetings at which the latest techniques in
child care are discussed. In other words,
the child-minder is slated to become a pro
fessional whose status might resemble that
of a nurse.
But as is so often the case in programs of
this kind, actual practice is less admirable
than theory. Only about half of the esti
mated 120,000 women child-minding are
doing so legally. And the local authorities
are reluctant to act against those who are
breaking the law because they know that it
would also punish the desperate mothers
in need of assistance.
Moreover, the municipalities handle
child care with different degrees of inter
est. Some carry out frequent inspections,
while others neglect the responsibility.
Sortie supply the child-minder with books,
games and laundry facilities, while others
ignore them. Some furnish small cash
grants to improve conditions, while others
are miserly.
It is worth emphasizing, too, that vari
ous surveys suggest that starting life in the
care of a stranger tends to inhibit rather
than improve a child’s future prospects.
Accordingly, the offspring of relatively
deprived parents are most likely to have
their disadvantages reinforced.
The system is also flawed by the quality
of the women who become full-time
child-minders. According to one study,
they are frequently lonely, bored or de
pressed, and many are in fairly dire cir
cumstances to be working, for an average
$10 for each child per week.
Many of these women are also unaccus
tomed to dealing effectively with children.
They try to curb the normal exuberance of
their charges by keeping them penned up
in small rooms or tiny yards. In one in
stance, an investigator found kids confined
to a row of flimsy cots.
But it would be wrong to conclude from
these rare cases that child care is tan
tamount to child abuse. The lesson that
can be drawn is that even social experi
ments contrived to save money cannot
be done the cheap.
In the long-run, the attempt to assist
the community through the private initia
tive of child-minders could be economical,
since it may mean that fewer nurseries will
have to be built and staffed. But an inno
vation of this sort must be amply financed
at the start to educate and encourage the
surrogate mothers. Otherwise, the result
could stunt the next generation.
5ia(Cf.©B77»(aiMwW»E-
(Klein, a senior fellow at London s Cen
ter for Studies in Social Policy, writes on
social issues in Britain.)
Readers’ forum
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Benevolent weeds and benign wolves
Looking for the bright side of the dark ages
By DICK WEST
United Press International
WASHINGTON — If people today suf
fer a condition Jung described as “neurotic
restlessness,” it may be because our value
system is being destabilized.
Things we were taught to regard as good
are constantly being exposed as baleful.
And things before looked on as bad are
suddenly rehabilitated.
Small wonder we find ourselves in a
state of mental and emotional flux.
This year has been particularly hard on
orthodoxy. Quite early in 1977 we learned
from the New York Times that we had the
wrong idea about wolves.
Long considered fierce and vicious,
these creatures were found on closer ex
amination to be victims of a hoax.
New studies pictured the wolf as an
“ecologically important member of its
wilderness habitat. . . not only as friendly
and sociable within its pack, but as no
threat to man.”
Gad! If a person can’t believe in the
savagery of wolves, what can he believe
in? Not in the macho image of pirates,
evidently.
The lighter side
Pirate ships in the 17th and 18th cen
turies flew flags called “Jolly Rogers.”
But now it appears jolly was hardly the
word for the buccaneers themselves.
According to American Heritage mag
azine, there is reason to believe the cor
sairs who operated in the Caribbean dur
ing that period were downright gay.
If this be true, books and movies pictur
ing pirates as swashbucklers were mislead
ing. It might be more accurate to think of
them as “swishbucklers.”
For cultural shock, that’s tantamount to
discovering that Anita Bryant is allergic to
orange juice.
Following these disorienting reports
was an article in Organic Gardening on the
horticultural benefits of weeds.
Weeds!
The magazine said a South American re
searcher had found that weeds apparently
repelled insects that destroy garden plants.
Tests indicated that allowing some weeds
to grow amid corn and beans reduced
leafhoppers by 40 to 53 per cent.
The magazine suggested that “borders
of weeds around sections of a home garden
could be effective for pest management.”
Imagine the impact that had on the cen
tral nervous systems of gardeners who had
devoted a lifetime to removing weeds
from borders around sections of home
gardens.
To have one’s faith in the pemiciousness
of wolves and weeds destroyed almost si
multaneously is a shattering experience.
And that isn’t the end of it.
A European historian recently pub
lished a book in which he predicted the
energy crisis would force us back to a
medieval-like society.
But he added that in some respects this
would be a boon.
It’s simply too much. Benevolent
weeds, benign wolves and effeminate pi
rates I have managed to accept. But so far
I am unable to look on the bright side of
the dark ages.
Top of the News
Nation
Lawyer doesn't file tax forms
The Republican counsel for the House Judiciary Committee during
the impeachment proceedings against Richard Nixon failed to file
income tax returns in 1973, 1974 and 1975. But he says everything is
all right because he overpaid his taxes by $68,000 during that time.
The lawyer, Albert Jenner, is a senior partner in the Chicago law firm
of Jenner and Block. “It appears there’s a technical violation of the
law,” he told the Chicago Sun-Times yesterday. “I suppose there will
be a penalty for late filing.” The penalty for not filing is up to a year
in jail and a $10,000 fine.
Lesbian acceptance important, feminist says
Until there is no social pressure against lesbians, feminist Gloria
Steinem said Friday, “no woman who is strong and independent can
be free.” Women who are aggressive and independent are often labled
lesbians even though they are heterosexual, she told the California
International Women’s Year Convention audience. Until the distinc
tion becomes respectable, the insult remains, Steinem said.
Mondale says energy crisis is real
The nation may face a problem unprecedented in history unless
steps to avoid an energy crisis are taken soon, Vice President Walter
Mondale said in a speech Saturday. The next time there is an oil
embargo. Mondale said, the “effect will be infinitely more devastat
ing.” The government may be “forced to enact far-reaching restric
tions on all aspects of our lives,” Mondale said.
Rustling: Maine Style
Three rustlings in a week in Saco, Maine all had one thing in
common: there was little chance the bandits would butcher and eat the
animals. In the past week, the theives have taken a plastic pig from the
front lawn of a butcher, a fiber-glass cow from the Golden Harvest
Restaurant and a 40-pound rooster from Lord’s Henhouse Restaurant.
Police say there is no evidence the rustlings were the work of the
same gang.
Bess Truman remains hospitalized
Hospital officials say they do not know when former first lady Bess
Truman will return home. Mrs. Truman, 92, is in satisfactory condi
tion in a hospital in Kansas City, Mo. after slipping and falling Thurs
day night in the bathroom of her home in Independence.
Bolles’ widow to remarry
The widow of slain investigative reporter Don Bolles took out a
marriage license yesterday. Rosalie Bolles, 37, plans to marry Donald
Alexander, a Phoenix, Ariz. insurance executive. Her late husband
worked for the Arizona Republic. He died June 13, 1976, 11 days after
a bomb exploded beneath his car. One man has pleaded guilty to the
murder, saying it was an act of vengence by a wealthy man whose
political career was ended by Bolles’ reporting. Two others are on trial.
World
Arabs lift four boycotts
The Arab League’s Israel Boycott Office has decided to allow Gen
eral Motors, General Electric, Westinghouse and the Bank of America
to operate freely in the Arab nations, it was announced yesterday. The
boycott office said the move was “proof of the good will of the Arab
boycott office and its rejection of racial discrimination.” Earlier, the
office decided to shut down all Masonic lodges in the Arab countries for
alleged cooperation between the Free Masonic movement and Israel.
You're late, you're fired
The president of Haiti has begun a campaign to dismiss government
employes who don’t show up for work on time. More than 30 em
ployes of the government’s telecommunications company lost their
jobs Thursday when President Jean-Claude Duvalier showed up at
noon and did not find them at their posts. The president says he plans
further surprise inspections in the future.
Countries exchange prisoners
Chile exchanged an imprisoned Communist official for 11 West
Germans jailed in East Germany Saturday. The exchange of Com
munist Party senator Jorque Montes for the 11 prisoners was carried
out in secret at Franfurt Airport. He had been jailed for two years
under the military regime’s strict internal secrurity law.
The victim kills
A 60-year-old farmer in New Delhi, India claims immunity against
snake venom and rabies. The farmer, Gabboo Miyean, was bitten June
10 by a krait, a snake considered five times deadlier than a cobra. But
the farmer simply cleaned the wound and resumed his work. The
snake was found dead the next day at the spot where he had bitten the
farmer. A few months ago, Gabboo was attacked by a rabid dog. It also
died. Gabboo says his immunity comes from eating large quantities of
kuchela herb, the seeds of which produce strychnine.
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