Slouch
by Jim Earle
EAKt-t
“That’s it? I come in here in good faith to ask your advice
on how to improve my grades and all you can come up with
is ’study?’”
Opinion
Put up or shut up
concerning Olympic boycott
President Carter’s suggestion that the U.S. pull out of
the Summer Olympics in Moscow in retaliation for the
Soviet invasion of Afghanistan is not a good idea. Trying to
embarrass the U.S.S.R. into backing out of this military
excursion with threats is like trying to fend off a bear with a
pop-gun.
While it is true that a war of threats (i.e. Cold War) is
preferable to a war of guns, if Carter thinks he can keep up
this one-sided battle of threats with the Soviets and win the
backing of the American people, he ’s wrong. The President
will find out soon enough that people will get angrier at
him for no action than they are at the Soviets for instigating
the whole episode. Carter’s indecisiveness is likely to spell
an end to the sense of unity America has been enjoying
recently as a result of the Iranian and Afghani situations.
Thus, there appears to be only one way out for Carter,
put up or shut up. Either pull the United States out of the
Games and adopt a purely anti-Soviet posture or find
another means of registering disapproval to the Soviet
posture or find another means of registering disapproval to
the Soviets. Whatever the choice is, it had better come
preferably before the New Hampshire primary.
soon
Writing the editor
The Battalion welcomes letters to
characters in length.
the editor on any subject. However,
V Be neatly typed whenever pos-
to he acceptable for publication these
sible. Hand-written letters are ac-
letters must meet certain criteria.
ceptable.
V Include the author’s name, ad-
They should:
dress and telephone number for ver-
V Not exceed 300 words or 1800
ideation.
the small society
by Brickman
,4N
T2>RAY,
-
&ILL- -
Washington Star Syndicati
/-2f
The Battalion
u s p S 045 360
LETTERS POLICY MEMBER
Li’ttiTs to the editor should not exceed 3(X) words and are Texas Press Association
subject to being cut to that length or less if longer. The Southwest Journalism Congress
editorial staff reserves the right to edit such letters and does ' Editor Roy Bragg
not guarantee to publish any letter. Each letter must be . . * _* i*. t'- •r' i ”
signed, show the address of the writer and list a telephone Associate Editor Keith Taylor
number for verification. News Editor Rusty Cawley
Address ctnrespondence to Letters to the Editor. The Asst. News Editor Karen Comelison
lZtn n T, R Z ,m 77^3 R, ' rd McD,ma,d Copy Editor Dillard Stone
Represented na.ionaJIv bv National Educational Adver- S P° rtS E ^ it0r , T ° n y ^allucci
Using Services, Inc . New York City. Chicago .end Los FftCUS Editor . Rhonda Watters
Angeles. Senior City Reporter Louie Arthur
Senior Campus Reporter Diane Blake
The Battalion is published Monday through Friday from General Assignment Reporters
September through May except during exam and holiday Richard Oliver and Andy Williams
XTiods and the summer, when it is published on Tuesday
hrotigh Thursday.
Staff Writers Nancy Andersen,
,, .. . Tricia Brunhart, Mike Burrichter,
Mail subscriptions are $16.7o per semester; $33.2o per . ^ i i T ^
school year. S.T5.00 per full year Advertising rates furnished Angeliqiie Copeland, Laura Cortez,
on request. Address: The Battalion. Room 216. Reed Meril Edwards, Carol Hancock,
McDonald Building. College station. Texas 77643 Kathleen McElroy, Debbie Nelson,
L'nited Press International is entitled exclusively to the Steve Sisney, Robin Thompson
use for reproduction of all news dispatc hes c redited to it Chief Photographer Lynn Blanco
Rights of reproduction of all other matter herein reserved. nc. , . r . .
Second-Class postage paid at College Station. TX 77643 1 hotographers Lee Roy Leschper,
Sam Stroder
Opinions expressed in The Battalion are Regents. The Battalion is a non-profit, self-
those of the editin' in- of the writer of the supporting enterprise operated by students
article and are not necessarily those of the as a university and community newspaper.
University administration in the Board of Editorial policy is determined by the editor.
Viewpoint
local
-
The Battalion
Monday
Texas A&M University
January 21, 1980
French ’swimming’ in good fortune
i *
V
Inflation has not ruined the
J.S.,
confli
By SCOT
Campu!
good life in France for 30 years
By JACQUELINE GRAPIN
Inflation may be a new experience for
Americans, but the French have been ac
customed to it for the past three decades,
without any serious setbacks to their tra
ditional style of life.
Indeed, they seem to ignore the steady
climb of prices that has taken place here
since the end of World War II, preferring
instead to bask in the illusion that their
rising incomes are a mark of their success.
So, while they are constantly being told
by politicians, economists and assorted
other experts that France is in the throes
of a crisis, they have not had to make any
real sacrifices. Their sense of comfort bor
ders on complacency.
Surveys of their conduct indicate, how
ever, that the French have adjusted them
selves to inflation — not so much by slash
ing their expenditures as by rearranging
their priorities.
Last summer, for instance, the number
of French families that went off’ on vaca
tion was slightly lower than it had been in
1978. And the evidence suggests that they
exercised a bit more thrift than usual.
Some took somewhat shorter vacations,
and many camped or sought cheaper
hotels. They tended to avoid garish re
staurants, where prices are high and the
food is bad, and they appeared to indulge
themselves less on careless holiday spend
ing.
In contrast, they flatly contradict Presi
dent Valery Giscard d’Estaing’s recent
statement that France “is not made to be a
consumer society by buying more and
more stereos, freezers, furniture, televi
sion sets and other merchandise.
According to a poll conducted not long
ago, 63 percent of those questioned also
admitted that they have no intention of
economizing on cars — and that statistic is
apparent in their driving habits.
Despite the fact that high-octane
gasoline is now selling here for nearly $3
per gallon, the traffic jams are frightful.
Dealers report that the demand for au
tomobiles is so great that there is a six
months’ wait for certain models.
The studies show as well that the
French still refuse to reduce their expen
ditures on food, wine, cigarettes and
cosmetics, but they are revamping their
budgets to some extent. Housing, for
example, has become a more important
item in their scheme of things.
Long afflicted with poor dwellings —
many even in Paris lacked bathrooms —
the French regard better housing as im
provement in their social status. They are
now beginning to entertain in their living
rooms rather than meet friends in cafes.
But they are also attracted by the idea of
real estate as an investment that serves as
a hedge against inflation. Urban property
values here have been going up on an av
erage of 13 to 14 percent per year, and
even though prices are high, apartments
are being snapped up faster than they can
be constructed.
In a sharp change from the French of
the past, to whom debt was tantamount to
crime, young couples are borrowing heav
ily to buy apartments. The added advan
tage of property is that mortgage interest
on a main residence is deductible from in
come taxes.
The French are not enthusiastic about
the stock market as a vehicle for their
money. Astonishingly, though, they con
tinue to build up hank deposits, despite
the fact that interest rates of only 6.5 per
cent lag behind the rate of inflation.
Their favorite form of saving, however,
is gold. Though statistics are difficult to
I The difference
■nion and the 1
■tpeets from de
li e success of d
[ifar, Air Force 1
said Friday-
Isarmament sen
Center for St
Rudder Towei
The United S
lake detente “a i
lions,’ Hansen
Soviet concept of
obtain, since everyone is sodiscreeln art everything
subject, estimates indicate that theh rial progress,
possess on the average about $2500
of gold per family.
That means that the populatioi
■
whole possesses something like $301i ipitalism,” Han
in gold. Most of it is held secretly,
it can escape inheritance taxes or k
nipulated in other ways.
As a defense against inflation, let
modifies have been as solid. Gold la
about doubled in value every year
past four years, thereby provingtt
French that their grandfathers wen
to have hidden hags of Napoleons a
their mattresses.
thieve their goa
■aid.
Nobody here,
tence of inflation -
then, denies the
hut nobodyappa he United Stu
he suffering from it. With roughlyFoiBnodenqzed
cent of their assets in real estateorj Jurope, Hansei
the French are not simply staying
but swimming in good fortune.
So their leaders, like Giscardandfi
Minister Raymond Barre, may issii
peated appeals for austerity
French go on spending and spe
that, during a period of inflation, ms
the best way to survive.
peip 1
“In the Sovie
regress simply
growing of
To the Soviets,
ay of achieving
rogress, Hansei
ason the Sovit
jianistan was
SALT II is a
oviet point of v
lot lieen ratifiei
ate, because i
J.S. defense spe
Vorld
By TODD
City
World champi
er Ted St. \
tassersby to coi
fanor East Mai
lay.
St. Martin cor
me wishing to si
Martin earn<
all or shirt; tho
:ap as part of a
nail.
St. Martin losl
riday, one to a
lasketball playei
St. Martin, 4
ecord for consec
1,036 in four hoi
His other re<
St
By Doug Graham
’7—TTTTyniiR DORM)‘ t’M no W*dBLEM-
a«,5 T .ou.
AUF vug
I
Di
N
H£V JOHN, 1 UAS AEAUA
SOMri UUEN I HEPiRb ABOUT
YOUR SISTER.
YEAH, UE TOOK HfP, TO
THE BEST DOCTORS, BUT
THERE UAS NOTHING ANY
OWE COULD DO.
YEAH, IT UAS REALLY SAh,
AN5 SUCH A SHOCK. ONE
DAY SHE UAS FINE, ANb
THE NEXT... „
DELL JOHN. IF THERE’S ANY
THING AT ALL UE GAN DO
TO HELP YOU OUT, LET US
KIUOU.
YOU NEUER KMOO UMI
GOOD FfUEWDS YOU HME
AND H0O rWCH THEY a
UWTIL YOUR SISTER JOB
A SORORITY.
40
So
Co
Ri<
Re
N.
p-