opinion
Reagan's ‘zero option ’ — a positive policy
President Ronald Reagan, in a major foreign
policy speech Wednesday, announced a funda
mentally sound disarmament plan called "zero
option ” The "zero option" plan represents a
substantial turnabout in the foreign policy direc
tion of the Reagan administration. That policy
turnabout is being met with approval both in the
European community and in the United States by
those growing more concerned with the escala
tion of nuclear hardware in Europe
"Zero option” entails the halting of the
planned Western European deployment of Amer
ican Pershing 2 and ground-based cruise missiles
in exchange for a reduction in the number of
warheads on the Soviet SS-20 and other missiles
presently deployed in Eastern Europe
This is not the first suggestion of an ex
changed de-escalation of nuclear weaponry in
Europe Romanian President Nicolae Ceausescu
proposed just such an agreement last month
Reagan's "zero option" is couched in similar
terms, though withdrawl of weapons is considered
feasible by a gradual schedule with verification
Reagan's plan will be part of the U S s initial
approach at the Nov 30 Geneva talks with the
Soviet Union on reducing nuclear forces in Eu
rope The merits of "zero option" are exemplary of
the U.S.’s consistent effort to foster and maintain
world peace
The reality of nuclear weapons technology
can't be ignored — nor can that technology of
nuclear defense be dismantled completely
Banning the weapons does not eliminate them
eners
Justice is imperfect
Toocaj Tooladi s letter in the Oct 29 Emerald
reminds us that justice in capitalistic countries is
imperfect and probably biased I look forward to
reading a letter from him that gives examples of justice
in non-capitahstic countries
Dick Ricketts
YAF, not fair-minded
! was recently a member of the Young Americans
for Freedom here on this campus I could not however
continue as a member in good conscience because of
basic and fundamental differences with the entire
platform of the YAF These people are not as they
would like us to believe fair-minded conservatives who
want freedom and justice for ail Instead they are
fanatically militaristic inconsistent in their beliefs and
totally opposed to all moderation or cool, calm rea
soned logic
The YAF calls for action against the Communist
world In 1960 the Sharon Statement (their founding
charter) called the forces of international Communism
the greatest threat to American liberty They go on to
say that the United States must stress victory over
rather than coexistence with the Soviets is to stress
world annihilation, rather than peace and detente Can
we really give credibility to a doctrine that suggests that
we even have the ability to defeat the Soviets without
destroying ourselves and the rest of humanity as well9
The YAF supports US military involvement in Latin
America to allow the citizenry there to decide for
themselves that they want democracy and freedom
They would have used nuclear weaponry on North
Vietnam Their most recent national platform called for
the trial of Jane Fonda for treason apparently her
liberties are void when they disagree with her views
The inconsistency of their views on the role of the
government are also worth bringing up They say that
the individual is the master of his own house and that
personal freedoms are the most important things in the
world And yet. they oppose abortion calling it Amer
ica s Holocaust " they oppose liberalizing victimless
crime laws they oppose the 1964 Civil Rights Bill, they
do as a whole oppose the draft but several of the
leaders of the local YAF favor mandatory national
conscription
They say that the government must do only those
things that the people cannot do for themselves And
yet the people of the inner cities are unable to provide
jobs for themselves or good quality health care for their
children Does the YAF support government funded
from the arsenals of the U S and the Soviet Union
Reagan’s foreign policy shift seeks a parity
rather than attempts to increase weapons
strength over and above the Soviets To try to
outstrip the "other side" is an impossible game, a
fool's defense, ending in stalemate for the world
"Zero option " — as a means to achieve weap
ons parity — is not enough The plan demands to
be balanced by sincere negotiations to solidify
peace, and continued talks on unilateral withdrawl
of armaments The SALT treaties have failed in
this regard — yet, the struggle for disarmament
must go on regardless of past failures
The new foreign policy is intended to
demonstrate U S support for nuclear weapons
control to the European community European
opinion has run high with anti-nuclear protests by
Western and Eastern European groups Reagan
himself erred Oct 16 when he said it was con
ceivable a limited nuclear exchange could be
fought in Europe without either of the super
powers pushing the buttons
Reagan’s "zero option" is a positive turn from
that fatal direction
Reagan has come up with a moderate posi
tion on nuclear weapons deployment, one that
should be endorsed by factions left or right It
represents another step to cement this all-too-frail
peace in the world Every step taken to maintain
the mantle of peace is '‘historic."
Vu A
QUICK ODUBCnON CuSJDvSROT THESE ^ANfrrTC CAS- A'T,vW O^CK "
fobs for these people7 No Does the YAF support any
program to provide tree or low-cost government
subsidized health centers7 No they even oppose what
meager social programs already exist
No this group does not want freedom for all They
want to be left alone to do their own thing — and you will
be able to do yours too if it is identical to theirs if they
have their way The answer to this barrage of left-wing
propaganda on the campus is not a right-wing
propaganda machine the answer is in promoting a
moderately conservative philosophy which can work
and given time will work
Mike Rumble
Junior, political acience
Who are terrorists?
The U S government and media cries about in
ternational terrorism, but we can't let them pull the
wool over our eyes Who are the real terrorists7
Who has the largest killing apparatus in the world7
Who invented the Atomic bomb and used it. and
initiated the arms race7 Who napalmed the Vietnamese
and is now engaged in a genocidal war against the
people of Ei Salvador7 And closer to home — it is the
U S government that committed wholesale genocide
against American Indians and enslaved millions of
African people for profit And today the lynching the
murders of black children by cops the malnutrition
amidst wealth sterilization and the de-humanizmg
conditions continues to bring death and terror to black
communities all across this continent And yet the U S
government has the nerve to label any people or nations
who fight this oppression as terrorists
Black people have always resisted this oppression
and terror and have organized on every leve for their
self defense and liberation A recent example is the
attempted expropriation of a Brinks Armored car by the
Black Liberation Army and members of the Weather
Underground This was not a self-serving bank rob
bery but a recovery of funds stolen off the sweat blood
and poverty of African people The money was to be
used as resources for the black liberation movement
It's now open season on the black community
Police and FBI are kicking down doors stopping
searching and terrorizing black people and the left —
gestapo style There are criticisms that need to expose
the errors of an approach which separates military
action from the educational, community and organiza
tion work that must preceed and accompany such
tactics Vet we must defend the Black Liberation Army
and the entire black liberation movement such as put
forth by the African People s Socialist party
The focus must be turned against the U S govern
ment for the criminal terror it has consistently waged
against people around the world in order to build and
maintain the wealth power and priviledge of a very
select few
Devin Hess
Kathy Knowles
Carol Lopes
Uhuru House Solidarity Committee
Land-use response
This letter is in response to Ed Crockett s letter that
appeared in the Nov 17 Emerald In this letter, he
criticized Oregon s land use planning efforts This letter
contained significant omissions of fact distorted inter
pretations of other facts, and hints of subtle racism and
so demands a response
1 He claims that land use planning is a no-growth
tool (presumably of a selected few) Not so Planning
expects growth and is primarily concerned with where
to put it so that the quality of life is maintained for us all,
including the newcomers
2 He compares Oregon to Germany both in size
(about the same), and population (about 2 5 million for
Oregon and 63 million for Germany) He implies that
such a population level would be okay here Do you
want 63 million Oregonians'7
3 He lauds the accomplishments of the Mormons
m Utah implying that the same could be done with the
high dry country of eastern Oregon Have you taken a
look at their water table lately*7 Planners have Water
tables ai* over the country are going downnnn
4 Finally he implies that if Oregon is not tilled with
good white folks it will be overrun with foreign
immigration " i e people who look funny and aren't like
us I wonder how the Italians and the Scandinavians
would have accepted that argument 50 or 100 years
ago
Crockett you have your head partially buried in the
sand Why don t you finish the )Ob9
Phil Bredesen
Graduate, industrial relations