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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 21, 1984)
editorial “Lesser evil” policy means more injustice In the on-going effort to convince the American people to support a renewed military build-up and to take pride in U.S. military intervention overseas, the Reagan administra tion has had to come to grips with a contradiction in its political philosophy. Specifically, why does the Reagan ad ministration support right-wing dictatorships when it claims that the purpose of U.S. foreign policy is to promote democracy? In reality, this kind of U.S. foreign policy has been go ing on for a long time, but in his quest to re-ignite American patriotism, Reagan has gone to great lengths to explain why the United States must support right-wing dictatorships, even brutal and repressive ones. The argument goes like this: There is a big difference between a right-wing repressive dictatorship and a com munist totalitarian dictatorship. A right-wing dictatorship, such as that of President Marcos in the Philippines “is a na tional problem.” A communist dictatorship “is an interna tional problem.” More specifically, communism is an inter national threat to democracy, whereas a right-wing dictator ship is a national problem that does not threaten worldwide democracy. The idea is that the United States must support repressive dictatorships as the “lesser evil,” in a struggle against communism wmcli is tne greater evil. Using this argument, the Reagan administration justifies a policy of military support to governments notorious for human rights violations including Pakistan, Guatemala, South Korea, El Salvador, and South Africa. Conservatives around the country, including many pro Reagan college students have used this argument to criticize individuals and oganizations which oppose U.S. military in terventionism and U.S. support for right-wing dictatorships. The argument, however, is both naive and dangerous. Hitler was a vehement anti-communist. Should (and would) the United States have supported the Nazis had they aimed solely at defeating the Soviet Union? Is fascism the lesser of two evils? What about South Africa today? In the name of defeating communism, the United States gives military and economic support to a nation whose political philosophy is based upon the concept of racial superiority. Is it just coincidence that South African prisons are filled with black political activists who want their people to have the right to vote in the land of their birth? Should Americans tell blacks in South Africa that we justifiably support the white government because it is the “lesser of two evils?” In Guatemala, thousands of native Indians have been murdered by government troops because they have struggl ed for political freedoms. Do Americans have the right to justify these mass killings because the Guatemalan govern ment, which the United States supports, is the “lesser of two evils?” Should Chileans, South Koreans, Filipinos, Pakistanis, and Salvadorans who have given their lives in the struggle for the very freedoms Americans cherish believe that their government is the lesser of two evils? Should the families of the thousands murdered by government death squads in El Salvador feel good because the United States says that the government who murdered their loved ones is the lesser of two evils? Those who struggle against repression wherever it is found realize that the military police that killed Archbishop Romero in El Salvador and the military police that killed Father Popieluszko in Poland have the same origins: They both were born out of the politics of injustice. In its goal to defeat the “greater evil” of the world, the United States is promoting the very thing it says it stands against: injustice and oppression. Oregon doily emerald The Oregon Daily Emerald is published Monday through Friday except during exam week and vacations by the Oregon Daily Emerald Pubiishing Co., at the University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, 97403. The Emerald operates independently of the Universi ty with offices on the third floor of the Erb Memorial Union and is a member of the Associated Press. General Staff Advertising Director Production Manager Classified Advertising Controller Susan Thelen Russell Steele Rose Anne Raymond Jean Own bey Advertising Sales: Laura Buckley, Tim Clevenger, Jen nifer Fox, Marcia Leonard, Rick Martz, Nancy Nielsen, Laurie Nobel, Roberta Oliver, David Wood. Production: David Bryant, Kelly Cornyn, John Dorsey, Stormi Dykes, Julie Freeman, Kathy Gallagher, Dean Guernsey, Susan Hawkins, Kirk Hirota, Ross Martin, Karin McKercher, Lauri Neely, Kelly Neff, Curt Penrod, "amye Riggs, Michele Ross, Alyson Simmons, Peg Lolonika, Tim Swillinger, Colleen Tremaine, Eileen Tre maine, Hank Trotter. Editor Managing Editor News Editor Editorial Page Editor Photo Editor Sports Editor Sidelines Editor Entertainment Editor Assistant Entertainment Editor Night Editor Associate Editors Administration Higher Education Politics ASUO Student Activities Community Features Reporters: Sean Axmaker, Dave Diana Elliott, Shannon Kelly, McFetridge, Lori Stephens. News and Editorial Display Advertising and Business Classified Advertising Production Circulation Michele Matassa Mike Sims Michael Kulaga Costas Christ Michael Clapp Brent De La Paz Sheila Landry Kim Carlson Mike Duncan Julie Shippen Michael Doke Michael Hosmar Paul Ertelt Julie Shippen Jolayne Houtz Cynthia Whitfield Lori Steinhauer erns, Dave Carlson, Allan Lazo, Scott 686-5511 686-3712 686-4343 686-4381 686-5511 lOOKUNttfR 'N&JTRAU2IN6 cw>comi Tricks'.. a letters Please help I need help from the College Republicans again. I’ve discovered some wasteful government spending that I’m sure our budget-cutting crusaders will want to deal with. Yes, I’ve discovered that the Marine Corps recruiters who use the EMU lobby for their tour of duty are getting paid $11.70 per hour to sign up people just in case we need more “freedom fighters” in Central America. So maybe the College Republicans could pass on a suggestion to President Reagan’s budget cutting depart ment. How about hiring disabl ed Vietnam War vets to staff the recruiting table? They could do a fine job telling people about the glories of war. And maybe the Reagan administration could hire them for sub minimum wage? Roscoe Caron Eugene Mutual love I am a born-again Christian, and I have a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. My relationship with God is based on mutual love. God loves me. and I love God. I demonstrate to God that I love Him by obeying His commandments. I do not do this out of duty or because I “have to.” Obeying rules, per forming ceremonies, and obser ving rituals are religion — just religion. Christianity is not a religion; Christianity is a per sonal relationship with God. Jesus said, “If you love Me, obey My commandments (John 14:15).” Relating to sex, this means, “If you love Me, do not engage in sexual activity out side of marriage — heterosexual or homosexual.” I realize how incredible and joyous my relationship with God is, and I know that disobe dience to Him would only hurt my union with Him. I am not married, and I abstain from sex because of my love relationship with the Lord. I cannot earn God’s love by being “good," for He already loves me infinitely, but I can please Him by living a holy, righteous life. A personal relationship with God is the brightest, most fulfilling, most satisfying rela tionship anyone can ever hope to experience. It is more gratify ing than the most intimate sex ual relationship, whether heterosexual or homosexual. God offers you a relationship of unconditional love that is eter nal and infinitely fulfilling. This relationship is free and of fered to everyone. Like every relationship, however, it in volves great committment and sacrifice. But in a union with God, to sacrifice is to gain. Eric Lake Rhetoric Communication Scream louder Why did you choose to devote most of the front page of your newspaper to an article about a man who was beaten (Nov. 11), whereas you wrote only a cou ple of paragraphs on the front page about the assaults upon two women (Oct. 31)? Are rapes less important because women are less significant than men? Your headlines should scream our outrage at rape, and scream loader with each occurance. Jack Straton Graduate, Physics Ridiculous Ever since women gained the right to vote, important goals have been achieved towards equality. We are finally realiz ing that discrimination is wrong and needs to be stopped. But the EMU board has ven tured into the realm of the ridiculous. As the story in the Nov. 16 issue of the Emerald in dicates, eleven months were spent debating whether a sign with the word “man” on it should be removed from the EMU. In the end, they refused to accept that the word man was used to indicate humankind. Such trivial pursuits not only waste time, but also do nothing but satisfy the hyperactive needs of fanatical feminists. The next step seems to be to change the word “woman” to “wo-person”. Stuart Andrews Human Save whales As the wildlife coordinator for the ASUO Survival Center, I would like to raise a vital issue concerning the fate of the whales, the planet’s largest liv ing creatures. It is not unknown that the whales face extinction, and in accordance, the International Whaling Commission has final ly voted to enact a ban on whal ing. Japan, however, has chosen to defy the mandates imposed by the IWC, and is currently preparing for their next hunt. It is therefore extremely important that the U.S. not back down in the face of such a threat. The Reagan administration has pledged to invoke the Packwood-Magnuson and Pelly Amendments, which would limit Japanese fishing allotments in U.S. waters and ban the sale of Japanese fish products, if Japan decides to continue to hunt. The problem lies in the fact that such sanctions will do no good whatsoever unless they are imposed. If anyone counts themself as an individual who truly cares about the tragedy facing the whales, I hope you will take the time to write a brief letter to President Reagan. Secretary of Commerce Malcolm Baldrige. and Secretary of State George Shultz urging them to follow through with these sanctions against Japan should japan persist in killing the whales. For more information about whales and the current situation concerning the IWC moratorium, individuals are welcome to come to the Sur vival Center to talk with me. To learn about the whales more directly, individuals may also sign up to go whale watching. Lori Bergquist AQ1 lO Cumriiral Panlnr