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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (July 28, 1983)
I Reagan’s tactic; gunboat diplomacy If you’re confused about the Reagan administration’s actions in Central America, you’re not alone. If you’re ex periencing a sense of dread, a feeling of deja vu and keep thinking of Vietnam, you’re also not alone. The events of the past few weeks seem more like a prelude to war in Central America than efforts to stabilize the political situation. Twenty American warships are converging off the western coast of Central America. The ships, including the battleship New Jersey (the aircraft carrier Coral Sea has been dispatched from Naples, Italy to operate along Central America's eastern coast), are under direct orders from Pres. Ronald Reagan. The Pentagon announced Tuesday that up to 4,000 U S. troops will be involved in ground exercises in Honduras later this year. The ground exercises will include an amphibious landing by Marines. U.S. Air Force units will be used to lift troops and supplies into Honduras. The Reagan administration is preparing an significant expansion of covert intelligence operations in Central America by the CIA. The paramilitary activities include stepped-up support for the Contras (anti-government in surgents) in Nicaragua and a campaign to sabotage Cuban installations in the area. Operations of this scale have not been mounted by the CIA since the Vietnam War. Meanwhile, 10,000 Contras are actively combating Nicaragua’s Sandinista government. These troops, who are supplied arms, ammunition, clothing and draw a monthly salary from the American government, are destroying power stations, crops and warehouses inside Nicaragua. The Reagan administration’s purpose in forming this insurgent group is to interdict the alleged flow of Soviet and Cuban arms from Nicaragua to rebels in El Salvador. The cost of supporting the Contras has risen from the allotted $19 million. There is a plan afoot to legislate $80 million in overt assistance to Central American nations for the next 14 months. The Pentagon is considering doubling the number of military advisers in El Salvador. Presently, the Reagan ad ministration has allowed only 55 advisers to be in El Salvador. Rep. Les AuCoin, D-Ore., recently returned from a trip to Central America authorized by Speaker of the House Tip O’Neill. AuCoin spent three days in Nicaragua talking to San dinista representatives about the not-so-secret-secret-war. His observations point ‘‘to the fact the U.S. is moving toward a war-footing and a heightened risk" that U.S. troops will be sent there to fight. We don’t wish to contradict AuCoin, but the troops, naval support and air support are already on their way. Under the guise of conducting maneuvers in Honduras the Reagan administration will deploy a military force capable of crushing Nicaragua. This is “gunboat diplomacy” at its most insidious. The Reagan administration’s stated aim to peacefully secure the governments of El Salvador and Honduras by en ding Sandinista support for revolutionaries seems a lie in view of the military tactics being employed as the first-line of diplomacy. The administration claims to have no intention of overthrowing the Sandinista regime in Nicaragua. Yet, the fleet off the Central American coasts, the troops in Hon duras, illustrate a policy too quickly militaristic to accept a swift negotiated settlement and leave Nicaragua to its own destiny. Oddly enough, the Nicaraguan government has told the Organization of American States that it is willing to negotiate "an absolute end to the arms supply by any country to the forces in conflict in El Salvador.” The Nicaraguans also said they were willing to sign a non-aggression pact with Hon duras. The Reagan administration has won a major conces sion from the Nicaraguans without flexing its military mus cle. So recall the fleet, postpone the troop maneuvers and put the CIA anti-insurgents back on a leash before it’s too late. Otherwise, Henry Kissinger, the veteran U S. statesman with experience in Chile, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam will go to Central America to correct the situation. opinion m SEYMOUR HERSH HER LONE RANGER'S BACK IN TOWN!' ■ ( aeaoie janes reporter’s notebook In the chaos of Dead Week, I burst into my house and ex claimed: “I got a job.” I jubilantly explained to my housemates that it was a job that would provide a challenge and also allow me to retain my sense of pride and intregity. Or so I thought. In this optimistic spirit I hit the streets as an OSPIRG can vasser. By gathering background information on OSPIRG, an environmental and consumer protection state lobby group, I learned they had pushed many positive bills through the Legislature in their 12 years of existence But my zeal towards OSPIRG and their worthy social issues quickly diminish ed when I called on my first house As I walked through the weed-infested yard, gingerly hop-scotched over a two wheeled skateboard, and stept over a tired old mangy sheep dog, I almost expected a member of the Joad Family, from John Steinbeck s novel,"Grapes of Wrath”, to answer my feeble knock As an unkempt woman opened the door, a flood of shame washed over us both She, for exposing a stranger to her condition, and me, for hav ing the audacity to ask for a contribution Although the night before I had memorized my dispas sionate and aggressive "speech” it now suddenly lost its pizzaz, like this family's cherished week-old bottle of Pepsi "We ain't got no money to give you," she coldly replied The obvious had been plainly stated As I headed down the street, “1 xnqon daily _ _ emerald The luronur edition ot (he Oregon Daily f. maiald i* publish ad Tuesdays and Thursdays a«cept during e»am weak and vacation* by tha Oregon Daily f marald Publishing Co at lha University ot Oregon fugane Oregon. 9/401 The Emerald operata* independently of tha University with ottir.es on the third floor of the Erb Memorial Union and it a member ol the Associated Press Mew* and Edit octal M4WI1 Display Advertising and Business 4A4 1/\1 Classified Advertising AM 4M1 Production IMiMl Circulation Ml Hit Editor Managing Editor/New* Editor Editorial Pag* Editor Photo Editor Aaaoclata Editor* Higher Educatton/Departmenl* and School* Student Government Politic* Editor Community Cdtlor/Highar Education Night Editor Qener*l Stall Advancing Manager Cia**died Advertiting Production Manager Controller Debbie Hewlett Sandy Johnttone Cod Fernald Mar* Pynes Joan Herman Jim Moore Brooa* Daratt Michele Mataata Cod Fernald Darlene Gore Sally Otter Victoria Koch Jean Ownbey I realized the entire neighborhood suffered the same plight as my Joad family. To boost my spirits, I reminded myself that OSPIRG's current project — to initiate legislation for a citizen’s utility board, which would intervene when utility companies requested rate hikes — would significantly help these people. During my travels through this village of poverty, I met malnourished infants, guilt ridden unemployed parents and sick seniors, all of whom were caught in a desperate struggle for survival These people, like so many other million Americans, were tangled in the bottom lines of Pres Ronald Reagan’s graphs illustrating the success of his economic recovery. They serv ed as his scapegoat as he claimed their idle and selfish nature contributed to the out of-control national debt and thwarted his sure-fire economic plan They were also the victims as Reagan promis ed aid would “trickle-down” to them, as long as everyone else "stayed the course " They had no other course and could on ly stay As we work in our daily nine to-five job or craftily take lec ture notes, it becomes conve nient for our conscience to forget the plight of these silent people and adopt Reagan s reassuring notions. But, as our OSPIRG crew moved to an affluent neighborhood, I gained new hope that I would finally col lect some money. Being careful not to step on their richly green, manicured lawn, I rang the chimes of the first house. A nervous woman dressed in the latest fashion quickly in formed me, after hearing my plea for financial support, that they ' really couldn’t afford it right now " I chewed on her comment as I walked past their 1983 Cadillac and 29-foot pleasure boat I finally understood that obscure lecture on "relative deprivation” in my Intro to Sociology class. After talking with almost 3,600 citizens in a week’s time, I could no longer withstand the strains of rejection, the repetition of my "rap” and mainly, the sight of poverty. I quit But on that last night, I wielded my rap to a petite wrinkled woman and when I finally finished she exclaim ed,"Honey, I haven’t heard a word you’ve said. I’m deaf. ’ She had probably understood more than anyone else I had talked to letters ■ l Africa As it stands with Africa at this moment: An estimated population of between that of one Oregon and two Oregons will die in the next 12 months above the normal five to six million Africans that die of poverty due to recession and drought Mot letters policy The Emerald will attempt to print all letters containing ♦air comment on topics of interest to the University community. Letters to the editor must be limited to 250 words, typed, signed and the identification of the writer must be verified when the letter is turned in. The Emerald reserves the right to edit any letter for length, style or content. “Your Turn” is an Emerald opinion feature submitted by members of the University community. "Your Turn” col umns must be limited to 500 words and typed. Letters to the editor and “Your Turn” columns should be turned into the Emerald office, Suite 300 EMU.
