Viewpoint The Battalion Slouch By Jim Earle At last, the perfect class schedule! No morning classes, no afternoon classes and no Friday classes! How long will it take me to graduate if I take only one hour per semester?" All is not merry in old England By DAVID S. BRODER LONDON — Not only is there a royal wedding in the offing, with all the anticipa tory paint-up and spruce-up activity, but the sun shone for four days running on the Wimbledon windup, the Henley Regatta and the cricket test match between Eng land and Australia at Lords. But appearances are deceiving. The bright sun, fresh paint and high spirits cloak a grim economic situation and a strained, tense political passage. Unemployment reached its postwar high last month and is climbing toward the 3 million mark — a rate of joblessness 50 percent higher than that in the United States. The inflation rate, suc cess, is nudging upwards again — as are local levies and consumer taxes. The cutbacks in social-program spend ing, which so far have been felt mainly by the poor, are beginning to hit the middle class as well. The government announced last week it would eliminate scholarships for 12,000 university students, thereby jeopardizing some 3,000 teaching jobs in the next three years. All this is souring the mood among the Conservatives, and there are increasingly harsh and public complaints that Thatcher’s “doctrinaire” monetarist policies are paving the path to political repudiation. Former Tory Prime Minister Edward Heath told a conference of British business leaders last week that his successor’s “incomprehensi ble policies” were not only hurting the eco nomy but breeding bitter social unrest. “Of course if you have half a million young people hanging around on the streets all day, you will have a major increase in juvenile crime,” Heath said, “It is inevit able.” There are widespread preditions of a cabinet shuffle this summer or fall, with Sir Geoffrey Howe leaving the chancellor of the exchequer post where he has been de fending Thatcher’s economies. But there is no sign the change of personnel would sig nal a change of policy. Meantime, the fragmented opposition is preoccupied with its own problems. Labor is facing a late September showdown battle for the deputy leadership between its left- wing ideological leader, Tony Benn, and his right-wing antagonist, Denis Healey. The tide in Labor is to the left, but Benn (who has worked himself into a nervous disorder that is, at least temporarily, confining him to his home) is so prickly a figure that he may not prevail. But even Healey concedes that a victory this fall would be but the first step in a long and painful effort to uproot far-left control of the constituency Labor parties, which are more impoverished and politically im potent tan they have been for years. The drama that has caught the press and public imagination the effort of a new cen ter coalition to be born. The Social Demo cratic Party launched in March by four ex- Labor nimisters digusted by leftist domina tion of their old party, and supported now by 14 members of Parliament, is attempting to work out a political deal with the Liberal Party, which has been strugggling to repre sent moderate opinion. Roy Jenkins, the former deputy leader of the Labor Party, is standing for the SDP with Liberal endorsement in the first by- election later this month. But it is being fought in Warrington, a Labor stronghold, where he is given little chance of winning. The SDP — whose leaders also include former Labor Foreign Secretary David Owen — and the Liberals rerpresent a source of capable, moderate leadership. Their shared belief in a constitutional change to proportional representation in Parliament is supported by many outside their ranks, as a practical step to reduce the polarization of Britiash politics and facilitate more moderate economic and social poli cies. But that is a distant hope. So for now, the British are taking what consolation they can find in the weather — and, of course, the wedding. The Battalion U S P S 045 360 MEMBER Texas Press Association Southwest Journalism Congress Editor Angelique Copeland City Editor Jane Brust Photo Editor Greg Gammon Sports Editor Ritchie Priddy Focus Editor Cathy Saathoff News Editors Marilyn Faulkenberry, Greg Gammon StaffWriters Bernie Fette, Kathy O’Connell, Denise Richter, Cartoonist Scott McCullar EDITORIAL POLICY The Battalion is a non-profit, self-supporting newspaper operated as a community service to Texas A&M University and Bryan-College Station. Opinions expressed in The Bat talion are those of the editor or the author, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of Texas A&M Universi ty administrators or faculty members, or of the Board of Begents. The Battalion also serves as a laboratory newspaper for students in reporting, editing and photography classes within the Department of Communications. Questions or comments concerning any editorial matter should be directed to the editor. LETTERS POLICY Letters to the Editor should not exceed 300 words in length, and are subject to being cut if they are longer. The editorial staff reserves the right to edit letters for style and length, but will make every effort to maintain the author’s intent. Each letter must also be signed, show the address and phone number of the writer. Columns and guest editorials are also welcome, and are not subject to the same length constraints as letters. Address all inquiries and correspondence to: Editor, The Battalion, 216 Reed McDonald, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843. The Battalion is published Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday during Texas A&M’s summer semesters. Mail subscriptions are $16.75 per semester, $33.25 per school year and $35 per full year. Advertising rates furnished on request. Our address: The Battalion, 216 Reed McDonald Build ing, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 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, TX 77843. July 14, 1981 O’Connor: perfect nominee? By STEVE GERSTEL United Press International WASHINGTON — In naming Sandra O’Connor to the Supreme Court, President Reagan displayed a remarkable political adroitness. So perfect was the selection, that, literal ly within hours of the appointment, O’Con nor was assured confirmation by the Senate. The possibility of a hitch exists, as it always does in the nomination of a person to a lifetime seat on the nation’s highest court. The routine FBI check is not compe- leted. The American Bar Association still has to ready its recommendations. And the Senate Judiciary Committee must hold hearings. But unless something totally unforeseen develops, O’Connor will move into that all male bastion when the Supreme Court con venes on the first Monday in October, forti fied by an overwhelming vote of approval by the Senate. More than a week after Reagan announced his choice, no voice in the Sen ate has been raised against O’Connor and many have strongly endorsed her. How did Reagan hit on a nominee so politically perfect as his first nomination for the court — a “hard-line” conservative that had some liberal Democrats in rhapsody. One ingredient, undoubtedly, is that Reagan finally broke the barrier that has denied a woman a seat on the Supreme Court since its inception. In doing so, Reagan redeemed a major campaign promise in which he said that “one of the first” nominations to the court would be a woman. He named one the first opportunity he had. To those voters sensitive to sex discrimi nation, the appointment must be a miles tone. Many presidents have been active in support of equal opportunity for women — only Reagan has named one to the Supreme Court. That, in itself, was certain to help still opposition and, actually, drew high praise from liberal Democrats such as Edward Kennedy and Howard Metzenbaum. And male senators, no matter how dedi cated to equality among the sexes, just are not capable at a hearing of roughing up a woman as they are a man. The second major ingredient is that Reagan managed to so badly isolate the fringe right, that the Moral Majority and its fellow travelers became nonfactors in the confirmation proceedings. There was the usual weeping and wail ing, the outraged cries of double-cross and the I - hasri the tin rats of political revenge.) fringe right, O’Connor just was» perfect on abortion and the Eqaj Amendment. Yet, despite the vaunted politi of Moral Majority and the others, rage has not seeped into chamber. No one senator — not Helms,| nton, not East, not Hatch- the refrain. Some are holding! for the hearings to decide, butii yet said they would vote againsttl judge And others, good solid conseraj Alan Simpson of Wyoming, havejj of their way to attack the con “one issue” litmus test. There is some speculation! realizing that O’Connor would an fire for her public abortion standil trated the muted response froirij conservatives. And if he did enlist help, hefouKj and eager volunteer in salty oldBrj water of Arizona. Goldwater held a news confen made two speeches extolling 0 and, in the process, said, E' jhgpj Ry; Christian should kick Falwell Un ass.” 41: WSfTT® ^ -«\y irrt* MissTe> ike to than ieiny up o (ggies in t P they w 1 Sheri H' jlJniversity Jjlonchision '^televised f '^present' Wan tic Ci 1 pHiy man. ’ flyman, is; Texas City ! fTm go ^ageant tl pageant,” 7 t. Worth, jap with cu B|s routini .For the /Igeant, B '0 the thei Kind.” JUthoug ihearsal 1 Jstics rou ild a blist [lying to £ ;hat, I lane ep it wi ven consi It’s your turn Ask the people not the “experts JPr git Raising ty given i budget ce Editor: I noticed with surprise the short article in The Battalion of July 1, where the Na tional Association of College and University Business Officers and the United States Steel Foundation lauded the innovative use of movable wall dividers in the new married student apartments. Although I have never lived in these apartments, I have talked with people who have, and found no one who actually liked them. If a light is on in one room, it is on in the whole apartment, due to the large open spaces at the top of the dividers. If a radio is on in one room, it is on in the whole apartment, so don’t think you can go to another room to study. Presently, these apartments are half full, and that is mainly due to lack of vacancies in other apartments. I can’t see how that saves money. All told, it looks like another case of the “experts” congratulating their colleagues for something they themselves never use. When will the people be involved in the evaluation process? Guy Hallman 301 Ball #1093 Cartoonist not loved Editor: Doug what’s-his-name from a year or so ago was bad enough, and I know that most of us who ritualistically skim The Battalion were relieved when he finally graduated, thus ending daily doses of the continuing adven tures of that stupid dinosaur, but this new guy is just too much. Not only has the lower left-hand corner of page two become known imong pu as a constant source of irritation,!private su also become somewhat of an i The Un Simply by the laws of probability it-bree-yeai reason that given a population ft ; ® ni P ai g n 30,000 people, there could be foir S*” 5 , none-too-diligent search at leasts^ who knows the correct way to hold