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
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Managing Editor
Ellen Hobbs, Opinion Page Editor
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Cindy McMillian, Lisa Robertson,
News Editors
Richard Tijerina, Sports Editor
Fredrick D. Joe, Art Director
Mary-Lynne Rice, Lifestyles Editor
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