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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (June 1, 1982)
opinion Battalion/Pag! June 1, I v du in loi 'g lo le ) c du dr th m l dtl ler ic ir iir :o rn at ati :h ?V( :h la' )b ? a E 3 1 VO >f m n; 11 u io VI. o u if ir ii it er VI; r>i m fvi I di h k Slouch Bv Jim Earle “That printout that showed an enrollment of400 instead of 40 in your class turned out to be a misprint, didn’t it?” Reagan aims to curb Soviet expansion by Helen Thomas United Press International WASHINGTON — President Reagan has approved a major strategic policy document aimed at curbing Soviet ex pansion and changing East-West rela tions by the end of the decade. The paper, prepared by the National Security council and foreseeing the end of the Brezhnev era, sets forth major ob jectives of U.S. military, political, diplo matic, economic and propaganda policy. An NSC official, who asked not to be identified, put the policy in the strongest terms possible: that the United States is dedicated to the “dissolution or shrink age of the Soviet empire.” The little publicized goals are enunci ated at a time when Reagan is optimistic that negotiations on nuclear arms reduc tion will soon begin with the Soviets. A year ago a member of the NSC staff, Richard Pipes, told a reporter that the Soviets would have to reform; in effect change their communist lifestyle, or there would be war. His remarks were quickly repudiated by administration spokesmen, but it now appears he was reflecting Reagan’s determination to challenge the Soviets on many fronts in hopes of bringing about a softening of the communist system. “The president believes that the East- West relationship will be fundamentally changed by the end of the decade,” the official said. Reagan began his administration by calling the Soviets “liars and cheaters,” but he lifted the grain embargo, keeping his campaign promise to the wheat far mers. Reagan’s ambitions in terms of prom oting a turn-around in the Soviet Union are great and there is little talk of coexist ence or detente. But at the same time, he has faced the reality of no winners in a nuclear war and is pushing for arms re duction talks. Although Reagan is willing to abide by Reagan also is seeking a summit meet ing with Soviet President Leonid Brezh nev and says if it comes about he would not rule out of discussion any of the points of friction between the superpow ers. At the same time, Reagan has aban doned the policy of “linkage,” which he set earlier — that is the United States will not negotiate with Russia until it pulls its troops out of Afghanistan and eases up on Poland. The Battalion USPS 045 360 Member of Texas Press Association Southwest Journalism Conference . Editor Diana Sultenfuss City Editor Bernie Fette Sports Editor Frank L. Christlieb News Editors. .. Tracey Buchanan, Dan Puckett Diane Yount Staff Writers Cyndy Davis, Susan Dittman, Terry Duran, Colette Hutchings, Hope E. Paasch, Joe Tindel Jr., Rebeca Zimmermann Cartoonist Scott McCullar Photographers David Fisher, Peter Rocha, John Ryan, 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 Uni versity, College Station, TX 77843, or phone (713) 845- 2611. Editorial Policy The Battalion is a non-profit, self-supporting news paper operated as a community service to Texas A&M University and Bryan-College Station. Opinions ex pressed in The Battalion are those of the editor or the author, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of Texas A&M University administrators or faculty mem bers, or of the Board of Regents. The Battalion also serves as a laboratory newspaper for students in reporting, editing and photography clas ses within the Department of Communications. Questions or comments concerning any editorial mat ter should be directed to the editor. The Battalion is published three times a week — Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday — during Texas A&M’s summer semesters, except for holiday and ex amination periods, when it is published only on Wednes days. 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 Building, 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. Words can be misleading Words are wonderful creations. Just a few letters put together symbolize a com plete idea or thought. Words communi cate the ideas and thoughts of one person to another. But, sometimes words are used to gloss over ugly truths or cover up the harsh realities of life. According to Webster’s New Third International Dictionary, 1971 edition, a euphemism is “the substitution of an agreeable or inoffensive word or ex pression for one that is harsh, indelicate or otherwise unpleasant or taboo; a po lite, tactful or less explicit term used to avoid the direct naming of an un pleasant, painful or frightening reality.” Death is a popular candidate for euphemisms. Passed away, went to heaven, kicked the bucket and bit the dust are just a few of the euphemisms for death. rebeca zimmermann The term chemical educationco up a mental image of a chemistn True, drugs and alcohol aredi and, therefore, education abom would be “chemical education." A few years ago many occupations re ceived new, euphemistic titles. A garbage collector became a sanitation engineer. A housewife became a domestic engineer. This kind of occupational renaming could be used for almost any career. Poor people become the underpri vileged. Slums are low-income housing. Many euphemisms seem justified if they help ease someone’s suffering. However, a misleading term appeared recently during the College Station Inde pendent School District’s efforts to solve drug problems in the schools. Last year, the district’s school board established a chemical education advis ory committee to review drug policies and give recommendations for revisions. But, this is stretching the euphemisms just a bit too far. A chemical education advison mittee sounds like a curriculumci tee for the district chemistry instead of a group intended to hel drug abuse. by Col B Summei th it coi 'tertainmei pfeak fror It is admirable that the district!® The M ling the drug problem, euphemisms to refer to the tantamount to running away fro! problem or pretending that exist. the Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty (SALT II) negotiated by three presidents — two of them Republican — he is not willing to seek its ratification. Instead, he prefers to go the long route of years of negotiations, while both sides build up their nuclear arsenals as bargaining chips. &M Ur Bovie the; nigh |hristine •er, saic Tirted to Drug use is a “frighteningreal|o film-go until all of its frightening asps; faced, it will remain a problem.0 the problem up with euphemism make it go away So what’s wrong with callingtkK on an d thing education on drug abuse? fuesday Sunda d will fntertainn isney g dames Bor G>fl*QfyiDioP&Uf ednesck Award-wi: g from :tion/fan own on nt pop own turday. The cos 75 cents nts, $ 1. id S1 fo |2. Childi free. ssion pa r $7.50. ased at nd the ffice thr Improv Jded to l ewly pair |rojection ovie vie Asked to describe his administration’s relationship with the Soviet Union when he dropped into the White House press center earlier this month, he said: “I think it’s a very realistic relation ship. We know that there is an adversary relationship there that has been brought about by the Soviets’ policy of expansion ism. And we’re not so naive as to ignore that in any dealings that we have. And yet, at the same time, we ourselves are proposing such things as arms reductions and trying to improve chances for peace in the world and reducing the possibility of war.” “We are willing, realistically, to sit down with the Soviet Union and try to elminate some of the friction points that are there,” Reagan said. “But basically, the primary problem today is reducing the store of nuclear arms that threaten the peace of mind, certainly of all the people in the world and that do pose a threat to all of us physically,” he added. And so while taking a very tough line against the Soviets, Reagan has decided that he will be forced to do business with them. ISNTTHArcml, JUNIOR KEEPS WRIT1N6 All THOSE M NOUS lb JODIE. FOSTER,„ For closer Third World ties by Jacques Clafin United Press International NEW YORK — David Rockefeller strides across the globe, picking up oddly liberal-sounding ideas for a man whose name many consider synonymous with good old-fashioned American capit alism. You might expect to see the retired Chase Manhattan Bank chairman in the vanguard of a campaign to get Japan, with its trade surpluses, to open up its markets to its trading partners. Rockefeller, in fact, thinks America is leaning too hard on the Japanese. “The Japanese are very important partners of ours both in trade and in other ways,” Rockefeller said. “I would be very sorry to see us allow ourselves to get into an antagonistic position with them.” You might think a man with a vast fortune would wince at the prospect of close ties with a Marxist, revolutionary country whose government is propped up by Cuban troops. But Rockefeller recently traveled to such a country, Angola. He met with President Jose Dos Santos and believes the time has come for Washington to rec ognize the Angolan government. He also thinks Americans are need lessly put off by Marxist rhetoric from some capitals and wants to see less im portance attached to the ideological labels African governments give them selves. “I am convinced that in the vast major ity of cases, our ideologies may differ, but our ideals do not.” Rockefeller said in an interview he would not presume to tell the govern ment what to do. Still, he comes across as a man offended by harsh public language and rigid foreign policy analysis, a believ er in international cooperation at a time of nationalistic selfassertiveness. The 66-year-old grandson of Stan dard Oil Company founder John D. Rockefeller sat at a marble coffee table in his 56th floor Manhattan office recently and talked about travels, looming dan gers and opportunities. He had just returned from five days in Japan and a meeting of the Trilateral Commission, which he helped create in 1973 to give political, business and pro fessional leaders from North America, Europe and Japan a forum for confiden tial discussion of world problems. The world’s sagging economy was a prime topic at the April meeting. “I think everybody agreed one thing that would be sure not to solve our prob lems is to have a round of protectionist legislation which would be a vicious circle which had an $ 18 billion surplus w United States last year, has kept good many” American and Eurtf goods, often using various ploys than open tariffs and quotas. You might think a man with a vast fortune would wince at the pros pect of close ties with a Marxist, revolutionary country whose gov ernment is propped up by Cubati troops. similar to what one saw in the 1930s, which only exacerbated the great de pression,” he said. Bilateral arrangements, like Japan’s reluctant cuts in car exports to the United States, do not provide long-term answers to trade imbalances, Rockefeller said. A better idea — one he indicated was espoused by the Trilateralists — is work ing through the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade by updating the rules where necessary and monitoring adher ence, he said. GATT, an international trade code of conduct, provides for mul tilateral discussion about trade problems. Rockefeller conceded that Japan, “On the other hand, I do they have recognized in recent yeat need for a change on their part think there are some significant^ change,” he said, citing relaxed r™ tions for foreign banks. Rockefeller said the Japanese “both the Americans and the Euroft have been beating on them pretty 1 and this in a place like Japan, theyf® be humiliating and embarassin^. “I think at the moment there isa! dangerous building up of hostilif ward Japan on this issue of trade said. The danger: “A trade war with pi* tionist moves on both sides.” There is a missionary element in efeller’s vision of better American tions with the Third World. In a lecture at a New York centet foreign students recently, Rocked said the United States should bewil provide the support that would help veloping countries discover theeatf growth and independence they seeks not lie in communism. “To achieve this, though, require; we be more attentive to and morel® ant of the vast differences in culture ideology that separate us from ourne 1 : bors in the world,” he said. the small society by Brickmj d?t)T <2F WASH i !£ 5TIU & «5SS shop c station