Viewpoint
The Battalion
Texas A&M University
Thursday
November 6, 1980
Slouch
By Jim Earle
“I got to admit it’s a long shot, butljusttooka bet that Carter would win
the election because the odds were so good — 1,000 to 1. "
Base foreign policy
on neutrality, trade
By THOMAS L. GEORGE, JR.
American foreign policy is in a crisis. The
post-Korean era has seen the fall of South Viet
nam after massive support by the U.S., the rise
of communism and communist aggression
around the globe, the formation of an oil cartel
among Arab nations, the taking of the Ameri
can embassy in Iran, and, perhaps worst of all,
a general and intense feeling throughout the
Third World of hatred towards Americans.
The situation is compounded by the fact that
American foreign policy is bipartisan. Both
political parties, to some degree, favor an agres-
sive, interventionist foreign policy. Jimmy Car
ter has insinuated that he would be willing to
use military force in the Middle East in re
sponse to Soviet aggression. Ronald Reagan has
gone even futher, suggesting a blockade of
Cuba. Even John Anderson has joined the in
terventionist bandwagon by advocating a strong
U.S. naval presence in the Middle East, in
creased military aid to a dictorship in Pakis
tan, and the introduction of theater nuclear
weapons into Europe.
There is a popular misconception about U.S.
foreign policy, namely that the U.S. governent
helps liberate oppressed people throughout the
world by its actions. The hard facts indicate
otherwise. The U.S. government has sup
ported dictatorships in every part of the world:
Samoza in Nicaragua, the Shah in Iran, Trujillo
in the Dominican Republic, Pinochet in Chile,
etc. Untold thousands have suffered at the
hands of these “pro-Western” dictators.
Iran is a classic example. In 1941, the U.S.,
British, and Russian governments conspired to
overthrow a nationalist movement which
threatened the Shah’s strangle hold on Iran.
Despite Ronald Reagan’s statement that the
Shah was a “good ally” and Jimmy Carter’s
reference to “my good friend, the Shah,”
Mohammed Reza Pahlavi was well documented
as a violator of civil and economic rights. At
last, the Shah was overthrown by a maniacally
anti-American movement. American observers
have been unable to fathom the anti-American
sentiment in Iran, so let’s put things in perspec
tive. As much as I dislike Jimmy Carter being
President, I would not want the Iranians to kick
Carter out of office and replace him with their
favorite man. Yet that is precisely what the U.S.
government has done to Iran.
I would like to propose an alternative foreign
policy: a foreign policy based on neutrality and
free trade. I cannot claim any originality in
advocating this, for it was the foreign policy
Warped
Carter’s loss of credibility
caused his demise at the poll
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By BRIAN GROSS
At 6:20 p.m. CST, after Marvin Zindler’s
report, Dave Ward flashed on the screen to
announce that NBC News had projected
Ronald Reagan would win the election. What? I
quickly calculated it was 4:20 p. m. in California
and mid-afternoon in Hawaii. Over half of the
states were still voting, and NBC had already
projected Ronald Reagan the winner!
I had just sat down for a long evening of
sparring between the candidates. I knew
Reagan would win most of the West, except for
Hawaii. I also knew he would do well in the
Midwest. But, the South would be tough. After
all, Jimmy Carter only lost Virginia in ’76 — the
South was pretty solid then. But in my mind,
the Northeast would be critical. Anderson
would be important, since Reagan was relative
ly weak, and Jimmy Carter was only reluctantly
favored. The Northeast was critical to Jerry
Ford and so it would be for Ronald Reagan and
Jimmy Carter.
My first clues of Reagan’s imminent win were
the projections of Ohio, Illinois, and Pennsylva
nia: All for Reagan. Then followed New Jersey,
Connecticut, New Hampshire. Then followed
Florida and Texas. It was all over. Jimmy Carter
never stood a chance.
Reader’s Forum
The NBC guys were kind of smug, but I
guess they had a right to be. They had pre
empted the other two networks, not to mention
all the states west of the Mississippi. David
Brinkley, who looked more disgusted than sur
prised, kept asking how had it happened. Tom
Brokaw gave an answer and Brinkley later
offered an answer. But, neither was very reas
suring. How, then, did this happen?
Brokaw kept bringing up Patrick Caddel’s
last poll for Jimmy Carter. Caddel and Carter
knew that he was eight points behind Reagan on
election eve — there was no way they could
win. Caddel insisted that the hostage issue was
the critical element. The timing of the Iranian
Parliament’s decision could not have been
worse for Jimmy Carter. Brokaw and Brinkley
thought the inflation issue was central, and it
was. They thought the hostage issue was impor
tant, and it was. They thought the perceived
|t the Texa
inferiority of the U.S. and her miliWCadets f
important, and it was too. But, beyondil&ery year
issues, beyond the Iranian Parliament,
inflation and its ravages, there was im® '
Jimmy Carter will leave office mil 0 ^P U “|
Americans judging him to be one of tie
Presidents. Like Herbert Hoover, Jiir* ^ q u£
ter will leave office, an elected President Jas Corps'
ated by a challenger. In this century, Hi jinner in I
Hoover and Jimmy Carter are the onlyti “She rea
Presidents to lose their re-election. An the Corps £
think it will be quite easy to draw p ie ^
between the two. Herbert Hoover k D' ^ on
been short-changed by history. While I
nothing spectacular, he wasn’t as badai k ou t
think. And Jimmy Carter wasn’t re ailyflld
either. Many of Carter’s problems w* Beyond
caused by him, and he did do someremjdie MSC 1
things (Egyptian-Israeli peace). But.imjithe snack f
anything else, Jimmy Carter lost crelfable Mor
Jimmy Carter has little credibility with W ornin 8 s ~
pie. While he may say the right things,
for very little. Jimmy Carter may have
heart in the right place, but that was
lost the single most important elem
leadership — the faith and trust ofhisfolfjhe said, “
Bryan Gross is a senior political !>love them.
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OAM&LE
FACT THAT
A\05T
advocated by the Founding Fathers of this
country.
George Washington said in his Farewell
Address, “The great rule in conduct for us, in
regard to foreign nations, is in extending our
commercial relations to have with them as little
political connection as possible.”
Also Jefferson, in his first inaugural address,
said, “Peace, commerce, and honest friendship
with all nations-entangling alliances with
none.”
Some will object at this point: “That may
have been fine in Jefferson’s day, but not now.
Who will stop Soviet aggression if we don’t?”
Certainly the might and intent of the Soviet
Union should not be underestimated. But the
Soviets are fast approaching the limits of
empire, as their current experience in Afgha
nistan shows. Even internally, their hopelessly
inefficient economic system bears the seeds of
its own destruction. But to answer the ques
tion more directly, the nations of Western
Europe and Japan are wealthy enough to de
fend themselves. There is no justification for
taxing Americans in order to defend the rest of
the world.
The diehard interventionist will continue:
“But the Middle Eastern countries are not so
wealthy. We must defend them, lest the
Soviets cut off our oil supply and deal a severe
blow to our economy.” Defense Secretary
Harold Brown recently estimated that it would
cost $25 billion to adequately defend the Mid
dle East over the next five years. That would
certainly be a blow to our economy. Our de
pendence on OPEC oil could be virtually eli
minated by deregulation of U.S. energy pro
duction.
Americans can best promote freedom
throughout the rest of the world by providing
an example of freedom at home. We have 4
monumental task achieving and maintaining li-
‘ berty in this country. It is more than enough of
a challenge. A policy of free trade will allow
foreigners to see firsthand the benefits of free
dom. A policy of neutrality will show them that
we believe freedom is for everyone, not just
Americans. A strong defense will show them
that freedom is not easily destroyed.
A foreign policy based on neutrality and free
trade will not result in Utopia, but it does give
us our best hope for peace and liberty. The
alternative is to suffer the cycle of intervention,
confrontation, war, and increased government
power until there is no freedom left to preserve.
Thomas L. George, Jr. is a graduate student
in economics.
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It’s your turn
Sadie Hawkins Day is approaching
Editor:
I would like to remind everyone that Sunday,
Nov. 9 is Sadie Hawkins Day. So girls, now is
your chance! Ask that special guy who never
really noticed you, or is bashful, out for a beer,
to a movie, or to the TCU game. By the way,
I’m available.
Paul A. Hughes ’80
Question for team
Editor:
I have a question that I would like to ask the
Texas Aggie Football Team. But first I would
like to say that no where that I know of do
students and alumni take more pride in their
school and show more motivation and spirit
towards their teams and especially the football
team, than at Texas A&M University. My ques
tion is, where is that special motivation and
spirit in the football team, and why can’t the
team stay and participate in a 12th Man yell
practice? The student body and some alumni
stand during each football game, and as if that’s
not enough to show that they are supportive of
the team, they also stay in the stands in the
event the Aggies are outscored. I think if the
team would stay and take part in a 12th Man
yell, they would know without a doubt that we
are behind them.
Maybe I am wrong, but I do not see the
motivation and spirit in this year’s team like I
have in the past teams. I can remember when
an Ag scored a touchdown, half the team would
run to the end zone to congratulate and share
the victory. Not this year. I can remember
seeing the Aggie sideline over-flowing with ex
citement and players yelling and supporting
their fellow members. Not this year. By no
means do I know near as much about football as
the football players and the coaching staff, but I
do know that a team must have thatjiL e
spirit that the student body and alun (j,,. g reat
and have always had. I am behind the triage of :
percent, and I think Coach Wilson isaip'bffered b>
and capable coach, whom I respect vee Ron Com
for certain disciplinary actions he tooken? Two b
the year. I would like a reply or commeiitjraight ar
questions from the team or any playf'^V
’em Aggies.” > 15 P °
Beat the hell outta’ Arkansas. L sj gnup
Beat the hell outta’ Regents and aliiler the
cannot support the coach they hired, also avail;
Build the hell outta’ bonfire! creation.
Roy CrfiJ
Editor’s note: This letter was accomp®
100 other signatures.
By Scott McCullar
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The Battalion
U S P S 045 360
MEMBER
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Questions or comments concerning any i
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Editor Dillard Stone
Managing Editor Rhonda Watters
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