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Page 2/The Battalion/Friday, March 25, 1988 Opinion OHie North has the lead in fooling America Ollie North is not a national hero. Last summer, Americans couldn’t get enough of the charming lieuten ant colonel who so stoutly defended his motives in the Iran-Contra af fair. “Ollie for President” shirts sprouted overnight. At the Kansas City Star, where I was work ing, a few decidedly middle-America- type picketers showed up to protest the paper’s coverage of the Iran-Contra hearings. But last week, North was indicted on charges ranging from obstruction of justice to conspiracy to defraud the IRS — 16 counts in all. And the patriotic glow that once surrounded him is wear ing thin despite the not guilty plea he entered Thursday. Many Americans will buy North’s claim that he’s a mere pawn in a large and unsightly chess game between Con gress and the president. But that claim, like much of Ollie North, is mere the ater. For proof, you need only look as far as Time magazine, where North’s voice was reported to tremble with emo tion as he told a press conference: “I have been caught up in a bitter dis pute between the Congress and the president over the control of foreign policy, the power of the president to deter communism in Central America, and his duty to protect our citizens from terrorist acts abroad ... I intend to fight allegations of wrongdoing for as long as necessary.” You gotta give the guy credit: He knows how to work a crowd. North dis carded his familiar Marine uniform and chestful of ribbons for a plain blue suit — even though his resignaton doesn’t take effect until May 1. Proper costum ing and all that, I suppose. But underneath the costumes, more Just what in Central is the deal America? Mark my words, the Sandinistas’ at tack on Honduras will go down in history as the worst military blunder since Po land invaded Ger many in 1939. Because NOW we all know that the Sandinistas can’t be trusted Donald Kaul and that negotiating with them is futile. Because NOW the United States can send troops into area to protect free dom and democracy with a clean con science. Because NOW Republican congress men have license to foam at the mouth and roll around on the floor of the House of Representatives in support of more aid to the Contras. Because NOW everybody will realize that Ollie North and John Pondexter and the rest of that crowd were right and all right-thinking Americans will united behind their cause. It was a bad mistake all right. But even Washington cynics marvel at the coincidence of the invasion coming right on the day that North, Poindexter, et al were indicted for their roles in the apparently illegal diversion of funds from Iran to the contras. The odds on that happening must have been tremen dous. But it did. By accident. Of course it did. Hey, would the White House lie? The thing you have to wonder is whether this is the best we can do to de fend freedom and democracy in Latin America. I was in Mexico last week, While I was there the Mexican economy got some ggod news; inflation dropped to 8.3 percent. That was for February. Infla tion in January had been 15.5 percent. For the 12-month period ending last month it was 180 percent. Whooppee. But the news wasn’t all that rosy. Here are some other headlines I saw in Mexico City papers: • “Businessmen See A Dim Future For Job Seekers” — Mexico, a nation of 80 million people, has 6 million unem ployed. In the next year business lead ers hope to create 500,000 jobs, leaving 500,000 new job seekers without pros pects. • “Low Earners Affected By Grow ing Malnutrition” — A recent survey re vealed that 80 percent of the children in low-income households — those earn ing the minimum wage, $120 month — show signs of acute malnutrition. • “Mexican Creativity Aids Lear ning” — A happy leadline, but the guts of the story was that the collapsing Mex ican economy has made it all but impos sible to provide teachers with teaching tools; not audiovisual equipment or computers, mind you. Books. There were other stories involving Latin America: “Lower Oil Income Means Austerity for Venezuela,” “Ar gentina Debt Crisis Looms,” “Peru’s Economy on War Footing” and “The Mess in Panama.” When he took office more than seven years ago (and isn’t if funny how time flies when you’re in a dream world?) President Reagan announced a plan that would help them share in our pros perity and stabilize the region politi cally. If such a plan ever existed outside the imagination if a White House speech writer, it has been a dismal failure. Latin America stands poised on the edge of economic ruin and we, the giant of the north, stand aloof. No, not entirely aloof; we protect them from the scourge of Nicaragua. A yeat ago Mexico devised a plan by which it would buy back some of its debt at discounted rates and refinance it with bonds backed by the U.S. treasury. It had hoped to buy back as much at $15 billion at 60 cents on the dollar. The banks didn’t go along with the deal. The Mexican government was only to buy $3.67 billion of its debt and was forced to pay more than 69 cents on the dollar to get even that. After the refinancing, the total reduction in debt was barely more than $1 billion. It seems that much of our national political debate is taken up with the wis dom of sending arms to a rag-tag group of rebels in a small, poor country of small consequence. We do it, when we do it, to fight communism in Latin America. In the meantime we ignore the volcano that is building to an erup tion everywhere else in the continent. Here is the deal: Communism does not spring forth out of a prosperous people. It does not feed on justice. It is a political and eco nomic philosophy that is fueled by de spair and povery and malnutrition and ignorance. It is a false god — it does not deliver what it promises — but when hope vanishes almost any god that of fers change will win converts. We can give the Nicaraguan contras $30 million in “humanitarian” aid or $100 million in “lethal” aid or we can give them gold-lame Elvis Presley outfits in hopes that they can sing the Sandinis tas to death. It won’t work. We are not losing Latin America to the Interna tional Communist Conspiracy; we are losing it to poverty and drugs. Sending troops down there is just plain stupid. How many times do we have to learn the same lesson? Copyright 1987, Tribune Media Services, Inc. The Battalion (USPS 045 360) Member of Texas Press Association Southwest Journalism Conference The Battalion Editorial Board Sue Krenek, Editor Daniel A. LaBry, Managing Editor Mark Nair, Opinion Page Editor Amy Couvillon, City Editor Robbyn L. Lister and Becky Weisenfels, News Editors Loyd Brumfield, Sports Editor Jay Janner, Photo Editor Editorial Policy The Battalion is a non-profit, self-supporting newspa per operated as a community service to Texas A&M and Bryan-College Station. Opinions expressed in The Battalion are those of the editorial board or the author, and do not necessarily rep resent the opinions of Texas A&M administrators, fac ulty or the Board of Regents. The Battalion also serves as a laboratory newspaper for students in reporting, editing and photography classes within the Department of Journalism. The Battalion is published Monday through Friday during Texas A&M regular semesters, except for holiday and examination periods. Mail subscriptions are $17.44 per semester, $34.62 per school year and $36.44 per full year. Advertising rates furnished on request. Our address: The Battalion, 230 Reed McDonald, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-1 111. Second class postage paid at College Station, TX 77843. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Battal ion, 216 Reed McDonald, Texas A&M University, Col lege Station TX 77843-4 111. changes appeared to be in the works. Last summer, North trumpeted his will ingness to be the fall guy if Congress was determined to punish someone for the shipment of arms to Iran and unau thorized diversion of funds to the Con tras. At his press conference, though, he said he was resigning because remaining in the Marines would be incompatible with defending himself against the charges. His lawyer, North said, may subpoena the “highest-ranking officials of our government.” Some fall guy. seems to be saying that he didn’t do any thing wrong — but that if he did, it was only because Congress had unfairly usurped the president’s foreign policy role. Ronald Reagan and George Bush may or may not be quaking in their boots at the prospect of testifying in North’s trial, but North definitely has cause for concern. He wavers between saying, as he did at the press confer ence, “I did not commit any crime” and maintaining that such frolicsome mis deeds as document shredding took place only because he was trying to pro tect the president’s foreign policy. North must make up his mind. He It seems fairly clear that North did do something wrong. Quite a few things, actually, beginning with embezzling $4,300 in travelers’ checks given to him by Contra leader Adolfo Calero. Then there’s the matter of the $13,800 home security system North accepted. And the infamous document-shredding with Fawn Hall, intended to keep as many se crets as possible. The list goes on. And no matter which side of the for eign policy debate you come down on, it appears that North’s activities were in deed illegal. If Congress is justified in setting policy, it had every right to cut off funding to the Contras. And North was an integral part of a covert plan de signed to undermine that decision. You say foreign polit with the president? Fine. ;y powers rest But according to all the testimony. North and his, nies at the National Security Com never bothered to mention their I diversion of funds to the president.)! the president authorized the arms l q r hostages trade. Yes, he niade it that he supported aid to the Contrl But underlings who taketliil statements and, without telling theB] idem, start an illegal supply networil not supporting the idea of a foreign JB- exas /\ icy run by the president. They are sign failed porting the idea of a foreign polioBecond by low-level goons in the admin Jd ROI lion’s considerable bureaucracy. com l KO at I- North no doubt will continue toiUkdand s£ the patriot. It’s a good role, one the lie likes (just look at Ronald Rea®^ But if North supported the funddnH st j an sion, his decision to turn tail andruHgO, Ki the lace of indictment bodes ill foilrhe tea patriotic pose. Hbat ski I Hrc. Th And what a pose it is. la rope c wr , • |rse and Sue Krenek is a senior joumalm£^ ,1,, \ jor and editor ofThe Battalion. Hie gun. ^Iso reqi lying with fitness iujrse, a 1 nnaisst I patrol i ill the otln ^Btland st Way Sur science er, saic i ome high Hi miliui |s have ■e. Plus i |Cirklanc cadets; kilN and s Ity scienc do.” k&M w; Mail Call We’re a peaceful people EDITOR. As a member of Students Against Apartheid, I would like to clarify a few points made by Brain Frederick on March 22. In his article, he claims that the South African Government is making sincere efforts to dismantle apart heid. Though some reforms have been instituted, the gov ernment has taken several steps backward, resulting in further restrictions. Among these are: 1. A 21 -month old state of emergency. 2. A press ban on anti-apartheid media. 3. A ban on the political activity of 18 anti-apartheid organizations. 4. An effort to end foreign humanitarian aid to op pressed South Africans, as well as increased violence to ward blacks by government police and soldiers. Mr. Frederick feels that sanctions and political pres sure will result in a bloody revolution. This is not true. These are means of PEACEFUL, NON-VIOLF'NT change and are a stimulus to prevent a revolution. He in stead, feels we should tolerate slow change. However, one must realize that this results in prolonged imprisonment, torture and murder of blacks, with no guarantee of real change. Furthermore, the reforms already implemented may not have been enacted without pressure from the West. Students Against Apartheid does not advocate violent change, instead we advocate peaceful change through po litical pressure, economic sanctions and racial harmony. We operate in the spirit of Nelson Mandela, who, though in his 26th year of imprisonmen for opposing apartheid, still opposes violence as a means of change. Additionally, we are not advocates of the ANC, whom Mr. Frederick, with the ferverof Joe McCarthy, labeled as communist.It stead we are advocates of all oppressed South African 1 ; The ANC is only one of many anti-apartheid organ© lions. Finally, Mr. Frederick, despite your ethnocentrick liefs. South African blacks are just as capable of promotinj democracy as are Americans. Jeff Dyess '89 Ugly for a purpose EDITOR: Many people are upset alx>ut the Students Against ! Apartheid’s anti-apartheid s,.ack: “I blemishes the campus." They are not concerned with what the shack stands for — but with the way it looks: ugly. What theyfailj to comprehend is that APART HEID is ugly. T he shackis not meant to be a beautiful addition to the campus—itis meant to make people aware of the ugly situatin that exist 1 ! in South Africa: legalized segregation and violence. Removing the shack would remove the “eyesore,”but it would also make apartheid easy to ignore — out of sight 1 and out of mind. Instead of trying to get rid of the shack j through complaints and vandalism, these “concerned” I students should attack the root of the problem and work with S.A.A. for divestment and ultimately the abolishment' of apartheid. Margaret Dominguez ’91 Ife J Letlet 'i tu the editor should not exceed 300 words in length. The editorial serves the right to edit letters for style and length, but will make every effort 1 ’ maintain the author's intent. Each letter must be signed and must include thet^M sif n ation, address and telephone number of the writer. BLOOM COUNTY 600P MORNING, 5TBVB. rve Been Msietjev by we'STeve mlu\s PERSONALITY INVeSTfOTWON comtrree ~ tv pevemiNe THE EXTENT OF YOUK... by Berke Breath* THOUGHT IV TOOK MORE LIKE FLAN ALVA