Page 2/The Battalion/Wednesday, December 3, 1986
Opinion
Visiting classes lessens tension, increases learning:
Senior it is has
definitely worked
its way through
me, and l a m
about as burned
out on school as
one can possibly
be. I have only
three more days
before I leave the
undergraduate
world of the ivory
tower and go into
Mark
Ude
the real working world to push papers.
And yet, there is still hope for the en
lightened and cultured mind, for a
flicker of yearning for the classics still
remains.
larly attending my friend’s Shakespeare
class in the Blocker building. This could
be because my ecology class starts at 9
a.m., and the English literature course
meets at 2 p.m. I also have found the ba
sic ecology course extremely boring,
and the lecture is most definitely sur
passed by a discussion of Shakespeare.
My guest appearance also builds up my
fan club, which, after the Iranian arms
sales column, could use all the help it
can get. But my showing up also in
creases the number attending the class
and provides the minimum needed to
avoid a quiz over the current play being
reviewed.
While my record of attendance in
Fundamentals of Ecology is running
about once a week, I find myself regu-
I already had received “The Com
plete Works of William Shakespeare” in
the mail, originally published in two vol
umes, for a low $9.95, with illustrations
included. This was another landmark in
my continuous crusade for culture and
the finer points of education. It was also
MARGULIK
wo
No Watergate comparisons
Reagan's arms deal to Iran a scandal in its own terms
Years ago, the
Washington Post
published a false
and, by now, noto
rious story about
an 8-year-old her
oin addict. Before
the story was pro
ven to be a phony,
it was depressing
on many counts,
one of them being
the realization that
consummate shiftiness whose integrity
was never above question. Not so Ron
ald Reagan. Here, in contrast, is a warm,
personable man who is liked even by
persons who disagree with both his poli
tics and his policies. Nixon should have
been so lucky.
includes the president — can choose be
tween seeming to be incompetent or
corrupt. For the moment, they are all
playing dumb.
Richard
Cohen
a certain standard had been set. From
then on, it would take a 7-year-old ad
dict to shock the public. Anyone older
simply would not do.
Second, Watergate was a crass politi
cal crime. It started as a burglary and
descended to obstruction of justice. In
the end, there may well be obstruction
of justice on Contragate, but its genesis
— while mind-numbingly dumb — had
nothing to do with gaining a partisan
advantage.
I he same mentality applies to politi
cal scandals. The current one involving
the diversion of millions of dollars to the
Nicaraguan Contras from Iranian arms
sales is being compared to Watergate —
either as an exercise in nostalgia or a
nightmare revisited, depending on your
politics. Whatever else it may be,
though, it is a comparison that may only
trivialize what already has been re
vealed. The l inker to Evers to Chance
exchange of arms for hostages for Con
tra cash stinks on its own terms.
If Reagan is taken at his word, he was
attempting to establish a relationship
with Iran. At worst, he was bargaining
for hostages. Either way, neither is a to
tally indefensible objective — although
the means to that end may well be re
pugnant. Even the funding of the Con
tras strikes many Americans as a lofty
goal, although, once again, one attained
by questionable means.
What is perhaps most worrisome
about the Iran scandal is how, in block
buster terms, it exemplifies the ten
dency of the president to distrust the
good sense of the people who put him in
power. Knowing that Americans did not
quite share his alarm about Sandinista
Nicaragua, Reagan indulged in propa-
gandistic bombast. He called the Con
tras “freedom fighters” and likened
them to our founding fathers. He ex
tolled the Contras’ (non-existent) com
mitment to democracy. He yelled wolf
about Russian arms shipments to Nica
ragua, including fighter planes that
never materialized and falsely charac
terized the Sandinistas as hostile to reli
gion, neglecting the presence of priests
on the rulingjunta.
Some distinctions have to be made.
The foremost is that Watergate was a
unique historical episode. Never before
was a president forced from office and,
with luck, never again will that happen.
The reasons for that are inherent in the
Watergate scandal itself. At its center
w Richard Nixon — a politician of
1'he problem with comparing the
present scandal to that juicy one of by
gone days is that it may ultimately make
it seem insignificant. It is nothing of the
sort. In the first place, the transfer of
funds may well have been illegal and the
breaking of laws, especially by the gov
ernment, is a serious matter. In that re
gard, there are the usual suspects to
round up — including high officials like
White House Chief of Staff Donald Re
gan, CIA Director William Casey and
the president himself. They — and that
The Iranian caper is the logical ex
tension of such a policy. Secret, politi
cally unethical and maybe illegal as well,
it did by stealth what the American peo
ple, through its representatives in Con
gress, would not permit. Here is an ad
ministration saying not only that it knew
better, but that it would, as a result, do
what it wanted to do. The wisdom that is
supposed to reside in the electorate and
that is wise or not — always binding
on its leaders, was ignored.
The Battalion
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Southwest Journalism Conference
The Battalion Editorial Board
Cathie Anderson. Editor
Kirsten Dietz. Managing Editor
Loren Steffy. Ojainion Page Editor
Frank Smith. City Editor
Sue Krenek. News Editor
Ken Sury, Sports Editor
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7784:1.
T he Iran caper represents not just
policy run amok, but contempt for the
rules and conventions of democracy. It’s
absurd that the same officials who either
knew or condoned illegality are now in
charge of their own investigation.
In the end, none of this may amount
to Watergate — neither in character nor
consequence — but it doesn’t have to.
The secret and possibly illegal funding
of war, no matter how lofty the motive,
is a serious breach of the contract the
president made with the American peo
ple and need not be compared to any
thing else. It needs only be what it is: a
scandal in its own terms.
and understand the numerous plays.
So I had high expectations when just
last month I was hauled into the class to
prevent another nasty quiz from being
given. I could attend at my leisure and
get a decent understanding of Shake
speare’s best works. The current play
was the rendition of “Measure for Mea
sure.” The impromptu attendance
made it well worth it, and 1 only regret
that I did not attend earlier in such an
unorthodox manner.
But the other advantage of;
a class for kicks and grins isnotbl
to worry about being tested overiij
is the ultimate advantage, learmij
one’s leisure. I’m not quite sure.:
think it lessens the tension wh
ing the learning environment.
“ H am let” foil
Measure,” and I
examination that certainly would!
ruined any Thanksgiving holiday
owed “Measurtl
blissfully ignoretl
V<
affordable, a high priority in the realm
of limited paychecks. Unfortunately,
there were no footnotes to speak of in
the book, and other than what my high
school English teacher had mentioned
on “Hamlet” and “Macbeth” way back
when, it was difficult to fully appreciate
For a moment, 1 wondered whether I
was a fool for rushing in where angels
fear to tread. I could just as easily be
working, or more importantly, in the
sack. In fact, I considered it a mistake
that I didn’t sign up for this class instead
of studying the competition among va
rious populations for resources in a
given area that leads to an absolute spe
cies supremacy within a certain niche.
“Macbeth” is the new subject0(1
cussion, but I am now at a disadva;
All my profs are determined totlircRA
the last test before finals this week,tp 'i
ing a shortage of time. But bt:f 151
leave this fine institution, I would
think that I have experienced sod
the liberal arts classes.
Mark Ude is a senior geography i
and a columnist for The Battalion,
Mail Call
Knee-jerk liberalism
EDITOR:
It comes as no suprise that, to get an intelligent and objective discussion
of the State Republican Executive Committee’s English language resolution
The Battalion had to turn to a guest columnist (Bravo! Marco Roberts).In
fact, it seems that The Battalion does not understand the difference between
making English the official language and a law banning the use of other
languages (such as the law in Quebec that prohibits conducting businessin
any language other than French). The Battalion rarely exhibits any
understanding of the issues beyond the surface and generally gives a
predictable, knee-jerk liberal and partisan Democratic response.
In a recent editorial condemning President Reagan’s dealings with Iran.
The Battalion claimed the Reagan administration had admitted to
conducting a “disinformation” campaign. In fact, the administration neiihtr Sdltha
admitted to conducting such a campaign, nor did it conduct a disinformatK Jstl
campaign per se. The president’s National Security adviser simply used the
word, incorrectly, in reference to the Navy’s attempt to cloak its movements
and intentions following the raid on Libya.
I lypocrisy is alive and well on a campus where this kind of consistently
biased editorial stance goes unchallenged by the faculty while the Faculty
Senate is investigating MSG Political Forum for one event that got out of
hand.
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Copyright 1986, Washington Post Writers Group
Tom Key
Editor’s Note: One more time, everybody. Opinions are supposed to be bi
ased, that’s why they’re opinions. 1 he disinformation campaign in(juesiion
took the form of false news releases about unrest in Libya’s government,
signed to destabilize Moammar Gadhati’s rule. If fabricating inf ortnatitinmifi
releasing it to the public isn’t disinformation, what is? Our ■‘biased"edilonail
stance goes unchallenged by the faculty because the faculty cannotconirol
the editorial policies of The Battalion.
But It
leiami
|tma
|l ilu
Flvnn
tors s
Where's the dog?
EDITOR:
This letter is directed to the girl who, on the night of bonfire, asked to
borrow a blanket from me to carry a hurt cocker spaniel to the vet for
treatment.
At the time of the incident, I had no idea who the dog belonged to and
did not think to find out where the girl was taking it.
A few minutes after she left, I heard a distinct whistle outside. I wentoui
and had to break the news to a neighbor that I had seen his dog get run over
He’s quite concerned about the whereabouts of his dog and would appreciat I
it if the girl could tell him (or call me at 696-5792).
Bill Morris
Best food on campus?
EDITOR:
I went down to have breakfast at the Commons’ cafeteria at 10:20a.m.
The posted time for closing is 10:45 a.m., but all the food had been piutawav
except for the breakfast cereal. All the milk was sour. I have three thingsio
say.
1) I have never eaten at Wayne’s Mobile Kitchen, but I would bet
anything that Wayne serves the best food on campus.
2) If the Food Sevices Department didn’t serve lousy food, or if everyort j
didn’t know that it serves lousy food or if everyone wasn’t sick of lousy food
Food Services might have been invited to serve bonfire.
3) Food Services should worry less about protecting its on-campus
monopoly and more about being able to take care of t he business it’s got.
Neal McDonald ’90
Don't abuse the name
EDITOR:
I witnessed the entire bonfire incident as reported in the Nov. 21
Battalion. The account is fairly close to what happened except Weaver faik
to mention her liberal use of foul language before, during and after the
incident. Also, after she was thrown out she nearly beat up five guys trying I® I
get back in. Yes, somebody did come to help her. Myself and a buddy from
Davis-Gary ran over to help, but by the time we got there, she was more than
holding her own. I think Weaver and Bob Grube, the reporter of the story
were wrong to only mention Davis-Gary’s name when pointing fingers.The
two pots mentioned were borrowed. Anyone who has worked on bonfire
knows how much we share. I was the closest Davis-Gary member and Iwasaj
least 30 feet away.
I was disappointed when Davis-Gary’s name was mentioned when we
weren’t even involved, but when The Battalion let Kevin T homas attack
Davis-Gary with insinuations that “we are gay” and “we hate women,”thah
too far.
Davis-Gary is the most active dorm on campus. We work longhourson
bonfire, far longer than many other dorms combined. We don’t want our
name and our association with bonfire to be wrongfully abused.
David Tully
Davis-Gary Social Chairman
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