Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 8, 1973)
Editor explains China’s success By DENNIS PFAFF Of the Emerald China’s key to success is its ability to relate revolutionary ideas to reality. This was the theme of a speech by Irwin Silbur Tuesday night. Silbur is executive editor and film critic for the Guardian, a “national radical newsweekly” published in New York. He recently returned from a three week trip to the People’s Republic of China and is presently engaged in a cross country speaking tour. His ap pearance at the University was sponsored by the National University Conference. Silbur said that in three weeks of travelling through China, “I never saw a forest. Every available spot of ground is cultivated, even up the sides of mountains. This really brought home to me the enormous task of taking care of 800 million people.” He said that there is a danger of Americans trying to fit China into any preconceived mold, before actually learning anything about it. “It’s part of the legacy of living in an imperialist country that we tend to dissect other countries and to tailor them to fit the images we have of them,” he said. Silbur attributed this country’s great interest in China to great discontent in America. “It’s only natural that we should look elsewhere. Of course, most of the interest was started by Mr. Nixon’s trip.” He called the Nixon trip to China, “a recognition of the collapse of American foreign policy for the last 20 years.” Silbur cautioned against radical Americans trying to find a plan in China for successful revolution in this country. “Looking for a blueprint is not what China is all about,” he said. “From China, we can learn that revolutions do not succeed on spontaneity or human misery. Without the Chinese Communist Party giving direction to these feelings, the revolution in China would never have happened.” He said that a revolution could not be imported, it must come from within the country. “I’ve had it with theories that base a revolution on a handful of radicals sitting around ex changing ideas. Nothing is ever Council members move to halt economic blackmail The Eugene City Council Wednesday moved toward establishing an ordinance to protect council members from “economic reprisals” for their actions on the council. The action was prompted by council member Tom William’s announcement at last Monday’s council meeting that he would abstain from voting on sign code issues because of economic reprisals being taken against his bakery. Williams, president of William’s Bakery, said his bakery has lost two accounts because of his stand on the sign code, and he was abstaining because of a “de facto conflict of in terest.” Council President Wickes Beal requested City Attorney Art Johnson to check existing legislation and review the possibilities for an ordinance which would make it a misdemeanor for any person to influence a council member by threat of economic reprisals by either economic gain or loss. Beal congratulated Williams on his frankness in sharing his dilemma with the council, and expressed her wish that he had not been forced by public pressure to neutralize himself. Beal labeled such economic pressure “economic black mail—the other side of the coin of bribery.” Council member Beth Campbell questioned the city s ability to enforce such an ordinance. She raised the question of whether such economic pressure could be shown con clusively to be politically oriented. Williams agreed with Campbell, stating that chances for preventing such economic reprisals through legislation are slim. “This sort of behavior will force every council member active in the business community to seriously look at the question, ‘Can I serve?’,” said Williams. Williams said that citizen participation in government may become impossible because of such economic pressure and said the day may come when government must be restricted to professionals. Mayor Les Anderson gave his support to a motion to have the city attorney examine existing legislation and examine the feasibility of developing such legislation. Anderson conceded that it may be the type of ordinance which is difficult to enforce and rarely used, however he said it “would have the effect of giving those who seek public office at least the assurance that the community does stand behind them.” NEW LOCATION JB ENGINE PARTS 1975 W. 7th COMPLETE ENGINE REBUILDING AND MACHINE SHOP ENGINE PARTS & ACCESSORIES FOR VOLKSWAGEN DUNE BUGGY FRAME KITS SPEED EQUIP FOR VOLKSWAGEN OPEN SATURDAYS 9-3 NEW LOCATION going to get done that way,” he added. He attributed the dispute between Russia and China to differing theories of socialism, and Russia’s growing im perialism and expansionism. He discounted any threat of war between Russia and China, at least one started by China. “Nobody in their right mind would think that China will attack the Soviet Union. China has far too many problems of its own without a war to fight.” Silbur did, however, say that the danger of war between Russia and the U.S. is very great. He said, “The chief source of war is disputes among imperialist countries. Thus, because of their expansionist policies all over the world, Russia and the U.S. run a great risk of coming to blows.” Silbur said that China will not become a superpower by trying to determine the future of other countries. He asserted, “The U.S. is a superpower because it has been its policy throughout history to interfere in the internal affairs of every country it can.” He said that the same is becoming true of the Soviet Union. Silbur predicted that China may undergo 15 to 20 cultural revolutions in the future. He said that the Revolutions are necessary to stave off the rebirth of capitalism and that, “Only with the elimination of capitalism is any people truly free and independent.” Silbur called socialist revolutions in highly technological societies such as the U.S., “possible, probably and, to some extent, inevitable.” He said that the fundamental problem of the United States, from which all other problems have their base is, “the monopoly capitalists controlling every facet of American life.” However, he called capitalism a shrinking system and said, “Socialism is already evident here; witness the huge auto factories and the demise of tiny businesses. It takes thousands of people working together to produce a car.” He called Watergate, “a direct result of the crisis of imperialism.” and that it should be viewed as a positive sign that capitalism is on its way out. r i f Open til >:00 P.M Valley River I Decorated Glitter T-Shirts by Modern Junior L J A Vietnamese boy toils in the streets of his village: one of many scenes of S.E. Asia included in the Eugene Peace Action Committee’s In dochina Mobile Education display in the EMU today and Friday. Chinese project featured The Eugene Peace Action Committee (EPAC) is sponsoring the Indochina Mobile Education Project, on campus today and Friday. The project will feature an exhibit in the EMU and a film, “Saigon—A Question of Torture,” to be shown tonight at 7:30 in 337 Com monwealth. The exhibit will also be on display all day Sunday at the Central Presbyterian Church at 1475 Ferry St. Speaking at the film will be Jacqui Chagnon, who worked in Saigon, Vietnam as an administrative officer with Catholic Relief Services and with International Voluntary Services, and Roger Rumpf, a minister in the United Church of Christ. Thursday. Friday. Saturday WHEATFIELD at The Gallon House Tavern Adjacent to the Country Squire on Interstate 5 at the Coburg Exit. Thursday night 8:30 1 : 30 am. Friday night 9:00-2:00 a m . Saturday night 9 :00-2:00 a m . Enjoy your favorite beverage and games Foosball. Fins. Pool, Air Hockey and Pong.
