editorial
Raising the stakes
against Nicaragua
In the political poker game between the United States
and Nicaragua, President Ronald Reagan raised the stakes
last week. Beginning on Tuesday, all trade between the
United States and Nicaragua will cease. Amid cries of “the
communists are coming,’’ Reagan has slapped a trade em
bargo upon a nation that is already struggling to feed its peo
ple and stabilize its economy.
The rationale behind this trade embargo is to stop the
“aggressive tactics” of Nicaragua and to prevent further
“military ties to Cuba and the Soviet Union.” The irony of
this logic is astounding. The same week that the Sandinista
government sent 100 Cuban advisors back to Havana,
Reagan claims that military ties to Cuba are increasing.
Then, in order to get the Sandinistas to depend less upon
Soviet military and economic assistance, the president
delcares a U.S. trade embargo against Nicaragua.
Every American should be alarmed at the declaration of
this trade embargo. The fact that our Western European
allies, along with Canada, have criticized the embargo
should tell us something: America is becoming increasingly
isolated in the eyes of the international community due to its
ongoing attempts to destabilize Nicaragua.
What will this embargo achiever rirst on, it will hit
Nicaragua’s private business sector the hardest. Despite ad
ministration claims that Nicaragua is a communist
totalitarian state, 60 per cent of the economy remains in the
hands of private businessmen who operate on free market
principles. Secondly, the embargo will force Nicaragua to
pursue more economic aid from Eastern bloc nations, in
cluding the Soviet Union. Currently, Nicaragua’s trade with
socialist countries is 30 percent of the nation’s total. It is
likely that this figure will go up as the U.S. trade embargo
continues.
Politically, the embargo will also have serious effects.
But rather than having negative consequences for
Nicaragua, it is likely that political opinion will continue
against the United States. Latin American nations such as
Mexico, Argentina, and Brazil have already voiced disap
proval of the embargo. Summit leaders in Europe broke into
heavy disagreement over Reagan’s anti-Sandinista policy,
and leaders of nations in the non-aligned movement have
voiced criticism of the economic boycott of Nicaragua.
Reagan has succeeded in bringing tensions in Central
America to an all time high. Rather than following a policy
of diplomacy to resolve conflict in the region, Reagan has
pursued a policy that aims at having the Sandinista govern
ment crumble under United States economic and military
pressure. Talk of sending U.S. troops into the battlefield
against the Sandinistas is becoming more common place. A
current study approved by Chief of Staff of the Army, Gen.
John Wickham, is designed to assess the feasibility of United
States military actions in Central America. Also, according
to State Department officials, the United States must be
prepared under the Rio Pact of 1947 to dispatch military
forces to the region “if the security of the Western
Hemisphere is threatened.
Reagan seems set on nothing less than an all-out war
against the Sandinistas. He appears willing to fight that war
with American troops if Congress again refuses to fund the
counter-revolutionaries (contras) now battling the San
dinistas from inside Honduran and Costa Rican territory. On
the tenth anniversary of America’s pullout from Vietnam,
the U.S. government is preparing to rush once again into the
“heart of darkness.” Only public opinion can prevent that
from happening.
letters
Gutless
I submitted my article about
Gordon Liddy to the Commen
tator after having it judged too
controversial by the “Off the
Record” editor.
I often do not agree with the
politics of the Commentator,
however their relative honesty
in stating their views and their
willingness to print a controver
sial article has favorably im
pressed me when I think of the
gutless compromise shown by
the Davis appointee who thinks
impartiality means censorship
of views that are not bland or in
other ways not balanced.
It is pathetic that a conser
vative publication is the only
publication which would
publish my article in full when
the article had no particular
political bias, I am rather fed up
with such self-serving timidity.
Progressive politics cannot
flourish in such an atmosphere
where idiots confuse censorship
with avoiding public bigotry.
I hope that the new ad
ministration shows some guts
and allows full discussion of the
issues to take place.
I am tired of being B.S.’d by
officials who think that being
fair-minded means suppressing
controversial standpoints.
Such an attitude makes a
mockery of progressive politics
in general.
Andrew Beckwith
Graduate, Physics
Pettiness
The petty and thinly veiled
personal attack by several 1FC
members on Ryne Jackson pro
bably should not be dignified
with a response, however I feel
Oregon daily . _
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obligated to stand up for Ryne
and her work as a dedicated stu
dent leader.
I’ve watched Ryne put in
long, hard hours as an IFC
member.
I'd like to remind IFC
members that Ryne was one of
the few who gave up part of her
summer vacation to begin work
on the IFC’s task.
She has stood up for student
programs she believes in and for
the SPA platform she ran under
last year.
Furthermore, she has treated
program directors with respect,
rather than in the condescen
ding manner exhibited by some
of the other IFC members dur
ing budget hearings.
During the last couple of
weeks Ryne has allegedly miss
ed too many meetings as a result
of an ASUO presidential race
and preparation for law school
finals.
To use these events as an ex
cuse to eliminate the voice of an
IFC member with an often
divergent viewpoint reflects, at
the very least, a serious lack of
professionalism on the part of
our elected student
representatives.
I regret seeing the ASUO Con
stitution Court used for vindic
tive reasons and hope that IFC
members find it within
themselves to simply finish
their task for the year and not to
be motivated by the ‘‘times
when we hated the other
members.”
Roy Catalani
Law
uae to the UUh
I applaud the Emerald for its
astute observations and support
of Ryne Jackson.
As an ASUO comptroller 1
have worked extensively with
Ryne and have found her to be
conscientious, competent,
courteous and hard working.
Her efforts to keep abreast of
her programs’ budget needs,
correct errors and assist pro
gram directors have been
commendable.
Her term of office expires in
only 30 days, and she has finals
beginning next week; I am sur
prised and disappointed by this
attack on Ryne.
Valerie Singer
ASUO Comptroller
Distasteful
1 urge all those people who
pass through the Fishbowl and
even those gutsy enough to
spend time snacking, chatting
or just people watching to vote
in support of a ban against
smoking in the Fishbowl.
Not only is the smoke hazar
dous to our health and
distasteful to our palate but it's
not healthy to our foliage
friends — the plants.
Those poor plants should not
be exposed to the odiferous
fumes which are constantly
wafting in this designated din
ing area.
Please folks let's • be con
siderate to our floral friends.
Betty O'Brien
Anthropology
Yellow peril
If you've been enjoying the
emerging blossoms and leaves
around campus, you may also
have noticed many of our trees
(especially around Deady Hall)
ringed by decidedly un-spring
like yellow grass.
A call to the Physical Plant
verified that this was the result
of a pesticide called Roundup.
Roundup’s use is the result of
the need to have the grounds
look tidy (a result of Ad
ministrative and Ajumni
demands) and a scarcity of
funds (a chemical poison is
cheaper, than using a
weedeater).
Roundup's use was approved
by the EPA upon test results
that have since been shown to
be fraudulent (the testing com
pany was indicted by the U S
fustice Dept). New studies con
ducted have not been released
to the public, and what
evidence there is (from in
dependent sources) suggests
that Roundup can cause genetic
damage in plants and human
lymph cells.
Until better evidence is pro
vided, it would be wise for the
University to review the spray
ing policy and consider, for
safety's sake, letting the grass
grow a little around the trees or
allotting the funds for a
goundskeeper to use a
weedeater (note the Eugene
School District's decision to
end chemical spraying).
Until then, people might be
well advised to avoid relaxing
beneath these yellow-ringed
trees.
Kim Isaacson
Fine Arts
ti 1085