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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 25, 1990)
The Battalion OPINION Thursday, January 25,1990 Opinion Page Editor Ellen Hobbs 845-33 Tl Evil comes from abuse of government power In a comparative economic systems class I took last semester, I ran across a sentence which holds more wisdom than libraries of works on political economy. I forget the author, but he wrote, “Whosoever controls the means of production, controls the means of li fe.” This one sentence sheds much light on the fatal political debate of history. For within the academic campuses and scholarly journals rages a war more important then any of the wars in the last century. This war is not about Shakespeare’s plays, either.The stakes in this war are the lives of the over four billion inhab itants of this world. Who are the combatants? In the left corner is the oppresive, deadly entity known as the State. And in the right corner is the battle-weary, beaten hero called the Individual. Much, if not all, of the political argument in our society can be dichotomized into these two op posing beliefs. What is known as the left wing con sists of those who believe that govern ment must make all the decisions which concern our lives. On the far right lives a breed of mavericks who rebel against the con straints which government constantly imposes on us. My studies of economics and politics have enlightened me about how the world works.But along with the thrill of discovery is the frustrations with the injustices which exist in the world. Guess what? Capitalism is not to blame. Most of the evil in this world originates from the abuse of govern ment power. A positive relationship exists be tween the amount of government con trol and the amount of repression and misery. This is simplistic, but nonethe less true. Millions of Chinese have either been shot or died of starvation under the Chinese regime.Some approxima tions sight that Stalin massacered thirty million farmers. Is this because he was simply a bad man?No, Stalin was trying to eradicate the ‘bourgeois’ farmers, who were stauchly opposed to his collectivist farming plans. Most of Africa is plagued, not by bad weather, but by governments that have tried to eliminate the market in their countries. As a result, Africa went from a net exporter of food to conti nent starving for outside assistance. Andrew Matthews Columnist The advocates of governmental control seem to think that government can solve the problems of the market. But what is the market? What is known as the market is simply an ex tended order of mutual cooperation among individuals. In the market, each individual makes the decision to buy the goods they want, live where they want, work where they want, in essence, live how they want. The flaws in the market come not as a result of insufficient reg ulation but by regulation itself. Monopolies in capitalism are usually, if not always, created by laws reducing competition. There are too many players in the market to allow for a company, without the aid of the government, to engage in exploitive monopoly pricing for anything but a short time. The Founding Fathers knew the im portance of a limited government. All throughout the writings of Jefferson and Madison are warnings about the abuses of governmental power. The Constitution was originally designed to limit the power of government. Yet throughout the years, the citi zens of this nation have allowed the state to gain increasingly more control of their lives. This slow subjucation of the people is an insidious process, much like the cooking of a frog. If the frog is thrown into boiling hot water it will immediatly, sensing the danger, jump out of the pot. The key w, hat is known as the left wing consists of those who believe that government must make all the decisions which concern our lives. On the far right lives a breed of mavericks who rebel against the constraints which government constantly imposes on us. Likewise, the erosion of our liber has not been by a single giant jur Hidden by perplexing politics, e, new inroad of government inten tion is expressed as an action for ‘public interest’. I do not proposejg government should be abolished, that the state should be limited] is to put it into a lukewarm pot, and then crank up the heat. By the time he realizes he is being cooked, it is too late. power. There are legitimate uses for eminent. A society and economy not efficiently operate withoutasi rules governing the interaction olj. populace. A court system, police ;, national defense are essential foraJ ciety. The government also can pf vide for public goods such as rid and water lines. But any futher usurpations of liberty by Big Brother need tobejnl fled. Andrew Matthews is a junior e nomics major. D.C. mayor’s arrest not linked to racism Washington, D.C., Mayor Marion Barry was recently arrested on charges of buying and smoking crack in a Washington hotel. Not fong after his arrest, groups from all angles were charging that his arrest was ra cially motivated. Although racism still exists in this country, it is obvious that in this case there was not a racially- driven motive to indict Barry. When Mayor Barry was arrested, it was not because of racism, but be cause the mayor of Washington, D.C., (white, black or whatever), was buying and using drugs in one of the most drug-ridden cities in the nation. How can a mayor purport to uphold justice when he himself is breaking the law? To say that he was targeted be cause he is black is to be of the same mind to say John DeLorean was tar geted because he is white, or to say Ed Meese is_in trouble because he is Caucasian. It’s absurd to think that officials should be immune to pun ishment because of their color, even though they are obviously breaking the law. Barry probably thought that as mayor he would not get caught at one of his many vices. The arrest of Barry shows us that politicians are not priv- Timm Doolen Columnist ileged in this country and will be prosecuted for real crimes. Once in a while it’s good to see a politician get what he deserves, whether it be Jim Wright, Gary Hart, or Marion Barry. Several years ago a black girl, Ta- wana Brawley, claimed she had been kidnapped raped, beaten and left to die by white assailants in New York. Rev. Al Sharpton and two black law yers did not allow Brawley to testify in hearings on the case. This th warted the investigation and even tually led to the dismissal of the charges. The most interesting aspect of the case is that many prominent mem bers of the black community, (among them Bill Cosby), claimed the Braw ley incident was an indication of the racial hatred in America. Contrary to their vocalized opin ions, the incident eventually turned out to be nothing more than a sham, possibly a farce designed by certain people to incite racial hostilities. The point is that black leaders should not be quick to charge racism on cases similar to Brawley’s or Bar ry’s. And the people responsible for inciting these feelings should realize that equality must come from both ends of the rainbow. Making blacks have anger towards whites, in whatever way, may make things better (temporarily) for blacks, but it causes racial tensions to heighten, not ease. All races must work together if we are to solve the problems of racial dis crimination and the attitude of some people that a person should be treated differently according to his racial background. Working toward this goal means that leaders in the black community should not claim racism every time something bad or unfavorable hap pens to a black person. When a wrongdoing is obviously racially mo tivated, the American public will know it. Black leaders re-emphasizing the point may even cause the publictoH skeptical, if all they see are peop| : | claiming racism at every turn. To help climb toward racial har[ mony, whites must also strive to bt racially sensitive. In daily actions,we should try to avoid unnecessan judgments of people based on race! And members of all races should noil be judgmental of others because ol race (or gender, sexual preferenctl religion, etc.) Not all minority members believel that Marion Barry was subject to al white conspiracy, nor that there isii conspiracy purported by while! against blacks in this country. But for the few non-whites whodil think that Caucasians in America aiL out to persecute those of other race "; for no good reason, please knowthai no such conspiracy exists. America and the world has cornea long way in striving toward the goal of racial harmony. Few will deny that racism, in some form, still exists in this country; so, especially with regard to the Barn case, we should not try to create rac ism where it doesn’t exist. Timm Doolen is a junior com \ puter science major. Boys fight odds, come out singing This February students at Texas A&M University will have the golden opportunity to see and hear the Boys Choir of Harlem. The Boys Choir of Harlem is one of the best of its kind. Since its humble beginnings over 20 years ago, the choir has received national and international acclaim. The choir has performed at such prestigious places as the White House, the Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall and Radio City Music Hall. Internationally it has given concerts at London’s Albert Hall and at St. Paul’s Cathedral, Paris’ St. Germain des Pres and Tokyo’s Budokan Concert Hall. The story of the Boys Choir of Harlem is a very inspirational one. Under the leadership of Walter J. Turnbull, Ph.D, the choir has, according to Turnbull, “developed from a small church choir into a major performing arts institution of international reputation.” Although surrounded by the drugs, violence and poverty that stereotypically characterize Harlem, the choir has proven that hard work and dedication is the formula for success. In addition to their very rigorous touring schedule, the 35 member Ronda Shepherd Columnist ensemble is tutored six days a week in subjects like mathematics, music theory and English. All members are required to maintain a B average in school and attend both a city and country summer camp. These extraordinary youths have a staff of full-time counselors who provide year-round career, family and adolescent guidance. As proof positive that self-discipline and academia are stressed, 98 percent of the youths go on to college. The most impressive aspect of the choir is that these accomplishments cannot be measured. No words, no awards, no honors can ever give full recognition to the maginficent achievement of Walter J. Turnbull and the Boys Choir of Harlem. This organization has changed lives. Each year this choir takes 35 youths off of the streets and gives them a chance. It gives the boys a chance to experience the world, a chance to rise above their environment, a chance to dream; but more importantly, it gives them a chance to succeed. Many people could learn from the example set by these young men. Many of these young men come from broken homes, poverty, despair and desperation; but they’re succeeding. As Jesse Jackson would say, this is a group of “odds busters.” This group has not only come out on top, but has come out singing. Take the opportunity to support their excellence and hard work. Their February 15th concert promises to be spectacular. They have a repertoire which ranges from classical music to contemporary songs that place special emphasis on the works of black composers. They even singjazz and gospel. When the Black Awareness Committee and the Opera and Performing Arts Society decided to bring the Boys Choir of Harlem, they really picked a winner. Ronda Shepherd is a senior journalism major. Mail Call Athletic director is ‘magician’ EDITOR: Just look at what Mr. Crow the magician did with an Aggie tradition: Hi made it disappear! You can make someone disappear. First of all, you beconif athletic director, and then you seek out your victim. You see an Aggie who ha; coached A&M basketball longer than most of us have been alive and since thf season didn’t start off right away, you can picture him gone. You wait for jus! the right time, early in the season, amidst the coach’s moments of success and setbacks, and then, you fire him (Oh! Excuse me! You have him “transfer red”). I’m not one for being great when it comes to knowing exact dates or othei statistics in sports, but I do recognize that Shelby Metcalf has been the win ningest coach in the Southwest Conference. Great athletic departments jusif don’t get rid of experience like Metcalf s. Mr. Crow, I hope this whole ordeal isn’t anything personal because have treated this basketball legend with a great deal of disrespect. Shelby i calfs dissertation had to do with the behavior of a crowd at a basketball game I think some great newcomer should write a thesis on the psychology of an athletic director. President Mobley should at least give Shelby Metcalf thf honor of departing Texas A&M on his own terms. After all, doesn’t this man desserve it? On behalf of many Aggies, I hope the former coach sees the sup port that we’re giving him. Meanwhile, thanks, Mr. Crow, for nothing! Pete Borsack ’89 Adventures In Cartooning by Don Atkinson Ji The Battalion (USPS 045 360) Member of Texas Press Association Southwest Journalism Conference The Battalion Editorial Board Scot Walker, Editor Monique Threadgill, Managing Editor Ellen Hobbs, Opinion Page Editor Melissa Naumann, City Editor Cindy McMillian, Lisa Robertson, News Editors Richard Tijerina, Sports Editor Fredrick D. Joe, Art Director Mary-Lynne Rice, Lifestyles Editor Editorial Policy The Battalion is a non-profit, self-supporting newspaper operated as a community service to Texas A&M and Bryan-College Station. 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