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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 28, 1980)
Opinion U.N. censure will not stop Soviets After the U.N. General Assembly voted to deplore the invasion of Afghanistan and call for the withdrawal of foreign troops diplomats and pundits described the action as a “major diplomatic defeat” for the Soviet Union. Rubbish. A few more defeats like that and Russia will be the world’s dominant power. The so-called nonaligned nations which normally vote with the Kremlin turned against it. But they had no other choice. The victim was their fellow member of the nona ligned bloc. And even in censuring Russia the majority of nations was cautious. The resolution did not “condemn” but only “strongly deplored” the brutal invasion and did not mention the Soviet Union by name. So. . . the Soviets have a right to feel satisfied. They were slapped on the wrist at the United Nations but they own strategic Afghanistan. And if the furor dies down as it did after Hungary and Czechoslovakia, they will be in place to dismember their next victim, Iran or Pakistan. The response of the free world to Moscow’s crime has been inadequate. President Carter did not go far enough. And his gallant allies with the exception of Britain are send ing signals to the Kremlin that they’re not really angry. West Germany, France, Italy and the Netherlands among others are unwilling to disrupt trade with Russia and Argentina and Brazil — which make much of their anticom munism — will not join in any grain embargo. Brazil, in fact, is planning to take advantage of the American embargo to boost its soybean sales to Russia. If that is the best the West can do, Lenin will be proved right in his remark “When the time comes to hang the last capitalist, they will compete with each other to sell us the rope.” Scripps-Howard Newspapers the small society by Brickman frzY/ TH & THI TH&'r' 'STAY ^AlA&. - ATMD^H 0F Washington Star Syndicate, Inc. The Battalion U S P S 045 360 LETTERS POLICY Li’ttcr.s to the editor should not exeeed 3(H) words and are subject to beirifi cut to that length or less if longer. The editorial staff reserves the right to edit such letters and does not guarantee to publish any letter. Each letter must be signed, show the address of the writer and list a telephone number firr verification. \ Address correspondence to Letttrs to the E.ditor. The Battalion. Room 216. Reed McDonald Building. Ctdlcgc Station. Texas 77843. Represented nationally tising Services. Inc.. Nt Angeles. by National Educatio sv York Citv. C.'hi tag lal Adver- » and Los The Battalion is published Monday through Frida> from September through May except during exam and holiday >eriods and the summer, when it is published on Tuesday hrougli Thursday. Mail subscriptions are $16.75 per semester. $33.25 per school year. $35.00 per hill year. Advertising rates furnished on request. Address: The Battalion. Room 216. Reed McDonald Building. College Station. Texas 77843. United Press International is entitled exclusively to the use for reproduction of all news dispatches credited to it. Rights of reproduction of all other matter herein reserved. Second-Class postage paid at College Station. T\ 77843. MEMBER Texas Press Association Southwest Journalism Congress Editor Roy Bragg Associate Editor Keith Taylor News Editor Rusty Cawley Asst. News Editor ...... Karen Cornelison Copy Editor Dillard Stone Sports Editor Tony Gallucei Focus Editor RhondaWatters Senior City Reporter Louie Arthur Senior Campus Reporter Diane Blake General Assignment Reporters t Richard Oliver and Andy Williams Staff Writers Nancy Andersen, Tricia Brunhart, Mike Burrichter, Angelique Copeland, Laura Cortez, Meril Edwards, Carol Hancock, Kathleen McElroy, Debbie Nelson, Steve Sisney [ Chief Photographer Lynn Blanco Photographers Lee Roy Leschper Opinions expressed in The Battalion are those of the editor or of the toriter of the article and are not necessarily those of the University administration or the Board of Regents. The Battalion is a non-profit. self- supporting enterprise operated by students as a university and community newspaper. Editorial policy is determined by the editor. Viewpoint FHE BA1 H iami JANI The Battalion Texas A&M University Monday January 28, 1980 Washington window U. S. should avoid ‘crisis’ atmosphe By N ■ ifsOUK'l ™ chhor rd of n irch hor partmei owns p [The hoi By HELEN THOMAS United Press International President Carter has thrown down the gauntlet to the Soviet Union. But a top administration official says the nation should avoid “an excessively emotional cri sis atmosphere.” Although Carter himself has moved rapidly to wipe out the vestiges of detente in retaliation for the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, including the prized SALT II treaty, the official told reporters: “We should avoid generating the im pression that we are on the brink of some massive military confrontation” said the official who asked not to be identified. It is necessary, he added, to keep “a balance.” Furthermore, he said, the United States should continue seeking “positive aspects of our relationships” with the Soviets. “There is a tendency in our public opinion to shift from one extreme to the other.” “The fact of the matter is” he said “the Cold War was never over and detente is not dead either and we are now in a period of intensified tensions.” The official said these intensified ten sions require “prolonged, sustained — but measured response — not a wave of hyster ia and not bugle calls for massive all-out national mobilization for the creation of a situation of total confrontation.” It will be up to Carter to maintain this balancing act which will be made a lot tougher in an election year. With his big increases in the defense budget and his bid for new American air and naval facilities in the Persian Gulf Car ter himself will face hard decisions as the days go by. The new dimension of the Soviet inva sion of Afghanistan has dramatically changed the attitude of the White House and the nation and has shocked foreign policy experts. But they might find even more hair rais ing the brutal appraisal of the U.S. posture by a long-time Soviet diplomat who has served in his Washington embassy for more than 20 years. The unidentified Russian envoy was in terviewed by Thomas Kielinger, Washing ton correspondent for the German news paper Die Welt. Concerning the invasion of Afghanistan and the murder of Afghan President Hafi- zollah Amin, the diplomat said: “Naturally we were asked for help by the Amin forces. This is no lie. This is true. But Amin failed to take into consideration that we had to eliminate him. He failed to cope with the rebels.” On U. S. reaction: “We cannot accept the American propaganda; its wild tone of out rage. It has a ‘Foward-based system’ in Turkey and the Eastern Mediterranean from where we are being watched and mili tarily threatened. Why the hell do these Americans get so excited anyway! Uwork setting up in Afghanistan our o\ that th( ward-based system’against the V Dr. Gar On political equality in the “The years in which the United Stall the say as to what could be done world and what could not are past for all. We can no longer tolerateWi ton behaving as though it were the of contemporary history. On the Middle East — “Thehi States has no business in the Middle It has lost out in Iran having put its on the wrong horse there.” On Oil — “We do not needitat now. We are a world and regional We must have our say with orwil The threat by islamic fundamentalisil been very much exaggerated.” Be horses With those views being studiedasili more chmark one might say that theisn ih.’ should fasten its seat belt. OrperhapslBMost o an East-West summit to hold backtheBpd herd intent, but ;“0ur in exemp so W( irses,” 1 “We us [oductio iwth ai rketing That's it?! Leftovsrshotputs and a hundred pairtf track shoes?! “We re / e< or By [The Ci ply for lopmer at will 1 me are; The an r this y 136,000 i At a mi B meml Biller, a TISA. ho wa: ilbsidizei I) the pi jjixoflov R and i ts. I The IS Bojeets ; ; ; ,Beome a i inn rehat Letters Playboy benefits society with photos Editor: This issue about Playboy being on cam pus is making me sick. I have admired women for a while and I feel that I can make what I consider to be a justifiable state ment: Playboy does not exploit women simply as objects of physical pleasure. I have had opportunities to compare Playboy with other forms of “adult enter tainment” and I believe that no magazine or film depicts the beauty of women as well as Playboy. It has been clearly stated by Playboy and by others that the emphasis is on the beauty of the whole woman and not just the physical attributes. This includes other characteristics such as personality, intelligence, etc. Why do people con tinuously insist that this is not so? I think it is extremely short-sighted to overlook this. Why not criticize similar art forms, which have depicted women in the past and have been around for years? They do not empha size what else was beautiful about women except their physical form. If this is consi dered art, then Playboy is indeed an art form superior to this. Webster’s dictionary defines exploita tion as “improper use of another person for one’s own profit or advantage”. I am sure that some people think that the depiction of nude women is exploitive and sinful. I can see how it is defined as sinful (it’s too bad that I might go to hell just for that), but I feel that the depiction of beautiful women — if they do not object — should not die out, regardless of how cheapened other magazines or lifestyles make them and the whole sex issue out to be. I do not believe beauty is improper if viewed as it should be (and much of the profits of can be verified to have been put to good use.) I conclude, therefore, that Playboy is a benefit in a society of declining morals. Noe Gutierrez, Jr. (This letter was accompanied by 42 other signatures) 25, 1980, Battalion, not all Aggies agree that registration for the draft is needed, wanted or morally right. Rather, many people believe that reinstatement of the “Selective Slavery” system is nothing more than an invitation to another Vietnam. To send our young men and women off to fight some vague Soviet threat clearly points to an incumbent president’s desperate attempt to bolster his lackluster position in the polls. What some people will do for power . . . humans than any other force in the (with the possible exception of relra See you in South America for World| III. Davis Northcil Cagers thank fm Editor: Further, asking the Commandant of the Corps for his opinion in this matter is not unlike asking Exxon if they would like to see an increase in gas prices. He’s getting paid to support it. Hello to WW III Editor: Contrary to your article in the January Some of us still believe that this is a free country where individuals have the right to support or not to support military aggres sion in the world, by the U.S. or anyone else. Sometimes dissent is more patriotic than blindly following orders. Sabre rat tling has never ended war and never will. And unbridled nationalism has killed more We, the members of the Texas All basketball team would like to expresjj] appreciation to the fans who were p at the A&M-Arkansas game lastTudi night. Special thanks also go to thd band for their contribution in the will Arkansas. Their rendition of “Sweet C gia Brown ” and the solo by James Dcesj especially enjoyed by all of us. After spending so much time on! road, it was great to be able to play in J of such as enthusiastic crowd. You mat night we won’t soon forget. The Texas A&M Basketball^ Thotz By Doug Grak Y' , !> ^ yu K w WHATCM THIMKOP T>\vs jov<e (N/X 4 ^7 f How oome HUMOR |S FONNlfc* ^ ^1 THAM to MIMWl ?