Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (March 29, 1983)
I Reagan's stances revealing, scary Pres. Reagan may consider himself a great negotiator and compromiser, but more and more his “tac tics” turn out to be poor administration. For instance, consider his tactic of placing loyal ap pointees who share his views in positions of government leadership. Over the last few months, Reagan has had to replace his appointees in the Department of Transporta tion and the Environmental Protection Agency, among others, with officials from previous administrations. These officials either refused to undermine the agen cy they were working for or, as in the case of former EPA Director Anne Burford, were discovered in the act of following orders. opinion Keagan gives up service to affirmative action and reduction talks. But he then proceeds to choose someone of the caliber of Kenneth Adelman for the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency (ACDA), despite Congressional opinion that the man is not prepared for the job or com mitted to arms control. Reagan, swept into office on an anti-government stance, is finding out that government agency leaders who do not believe in the mission of their various agen cies do not work. Enter Ruckelshaus, Dole, et a!. On the international scene, Reagan’s ‘‘negotiating" has placed the country in a war of rhetoric with the Soviet Union. Reagan’s newest "defense” plan suggests the build up of anti-ballistic missiles to protect the homefront. Who’s preparing for war? Who overlooks treaties? The United States signed an agreement with the Soviet Union in 1972 limiting anti-ballistic missiles to two per country — one to protect existing missiles and one to guard the Capitol. This agreement was signed after $6 billion was spent on research of various ABM systems from 1956 to 1972. The national climate is ripe for arms reduction talks — only 14 percent of the American public believe the United States is behind in arms negotations and 60 per cent believe the country is stronger in defense than the Soviet Union, according to a recent Harris Poll. Numerous states voted for a nuclear freeze initiative in the mid-term election. Yet, Reagan releases what cannot be termed anything less than defense department propaganda show ing fuzzy pictures of Soviet build-up and scary talk of our military weakness. He does this despite the present U S. arms build-up to the tune of S1.7 trillion by I985. Reagan also bombed on his handling of the dense pack MX missiles. After weeks of plugging dense pack ing, Reagan is going to have to bow to expert advice to put the MX missile in existing silos and to develop smaller mobile missiles with single warheads. .n a classic Reagan compromise, the president supposedly is prepared to announce an alternative to the zero-option of intermediate range nuclear weapons in Europe this Thursday, This comes after many possible negotiations with the Soviet government have been by passed. Reagan is asking for some $120 million for military aid to El Salvador. The money further commits the United States to support of a government known to be a sup pressive militaristic regime. Reagan’s compromising is nothing more than taking an extremist's stance with the foreknowledge that it will be diluted to a stance he can accept. To put it mildly, the Reagan method is risky when us ed to negotiate European-based missiles, nuclear disar mament and aid to warring countries. His hard-line turns out to be brinkmanship. His absurd comments on the Soviet backing of the freeze and studies such as the defense department's strategically timed released report on Soviet “build-up" try, or at least should try, the intelligence of the electorate. Much is being forgiven of Reagan’s folly because in flation is going down and some economic indicators are showing signs of a recovery. The long-term results of his mismanagement and defense build up, however, cannot be overlooked. As Sen. Mark Hatfield said in an address Saturday regarding the arms race, “It means a depleted amount of resources that will be required to build such armaments It will mean increased poverty in this country. It will mean more unemployment in this country, and It will mean higher inflation In this country. And this course should not be taken lightly by any of us." Nor should the rest of his policies. k PREVIOUSLY WtxSOOSiD miue&cz mjros o? CDMMwrr Build-up I letters Addendum In the March 14 Emerald I published a letter pointing out the unfair and discriminatory character of the federal government’s new rule that students not registered for the draft would be ineligible for scholarship or other student financial assistance. In addition to drawing atten tion to the grossly unfair and sexist character of this dic tum, which targets only a small special minority of male students, I should also have pointed out that within this group of unregistered students, in typical Reagan fashion, the new rule hurts on ly the poor, who need some assistance in order to attend college, and does not touch those with sufficient means to come, anyway. In any case. I believe that for the federal government to deny the opportunity to get an education to selected groups of young people who happen to disagree with some of a cur rent administration’s policies, is self-defeating and damag ing to the country in the long run. Bayard McConneughey professor, biofogy Haughty The recant letter entitled “fashion’’is so contradictory and haughty I feel forced to respond. The author criticized the conservatism of Oregon dress, he then reprimanded an individual for “flaunting a mohawk " The author stated an employer would “hesitate" before hiring such a person. Yes, I agree, this individual would not be the ideal stockbroker just as your Wall Street businessman would not be the ideal act to hire for WOW Hall or BJ Kelley’s. I consider fashion a matter of comfort and mood and although I occassionally put on a pair of slacks for a night at the Hult Center or a dinner date, I can not wait to get home and slip into those gray sweats you find so detestable. I live for my Levi 501’s and cut off T-shirts. I resent the clone implication, I mean how many people on campus wear black leather coats and Iron Maiden T-shirts? I don’t own an um brella, either. I have lived on the other side of the fence; I worked in the nine-to-five suit-and-tie world for two years. Perhaps after such personal experience you, too, will realize how nice it is to be able to wear loose shirt3, sneakers, and 501 s. The comments on dresses were appreciated, but how would you like to walk to an 8:30 a.rr. class winter term in a dress? lighten up, fella, the clones are on Wall Street, not on campus Tim McClosky journalism Oppressive A student at this university has been misrepresented by quotation out of context in a Soviet newspaper. Rather than going out on the streets and demon strating rather than hurl ing intimate insult or in cendiary device in expression of frustration at a non responsive government, Eric Stillwell did what every legislator and teacher ever told him to do: Write your Congressman. Unfortunately, for this con servative young man, his remarks were made to appear sympathetic to the govern ment policies of the Soviet Union, our great rival in con test of the idiocy we call the nculear warms race. Now Eric has to be afraid that he will be listed with the CIA. Maybe he thinks that our government will soon indict him for consipiracy. Here in the United States we are allowed by Constitutional right to vocalize our opinons no matter what these are, without fear of reprisal or cen sure by government agency. The face that we have a right wing president and a reac tiona-v body politic does not change the meaning of the First Amendment. It's too bad Eric’s remarks were misinter preted by Pravda (a known pro pagandist newspaper). What’s worse is that the in sidious oppressive instincts of our government, particular ly the present administration, has produced a climate of fear which threatens to limit ex pression to accepted versions of the truth (i.e. those which favor the military/industrial capitalist). Craig Thomas senior, biology emerald Th* 0r•OOrt D««ty CRMtraW t» pobi.sftad Monday Mo# ******* *M*CW au»tftg yawn •*•* and .acowos fe» irve Dragon 0o*y tmrnm Pubteafang Co at «na Ur***f*rty Of Dragon twjiw. o#» t?«3 Tha Emarau oparatas mdapandentty of tm Uruwsrty w«ft OtHcaaoAthatt»f«t floor of tha E>e Uancna Unon awt» a mamfsar of two Aaaooaiad Praao MOU11 W13712 IK nt] Editor Managing editor News Editor Assistant News Editor Editorial Page Editor Photo Editor Sports Editor Associate Sports Editor Entertainment Editor Night Editor Associate Editors Higher Education Departments snd Schools Student Government Features Politics Student ServtceaJCommumty Alt, General Sled Advertising Manager Classified Advertising Production Manager Controller Herry Esteve John Healy Marian Green Coil Fernald Joan Nytand Bob Baker Mike Riplinger Paul Danger Jonathan Sregie Debbie Howtett Sandy Johnstone Frank Shaw Richard Burr Saan Meyers Michele Matassa Alets Zak Darlene Gore Sally Ottar Victoria Koch Jean Ownbey
