EDITORIAL
China gets trade rights
instead of sanctions
How Ion# is three years? Well. 1,095 cloys without
a leap, but in the mind of presidential world politics,
it's hardly a blink of an eye.
Three years ugo Wednesday, China began a crack
down on unarmed demonstrators in Tiananmen
Square. ending weeks of pro-democracy protests that
the Communist government saw as a challenge to its
authority.
As the world moved toward democracy and per
sonal freedoms, China subdued its population with
clubs, guns and tanks. The Tiananmen Square massa
cre was just one particularly brutal phase of China's
continued human rights violations. Dissidents abroad
are exiled; dissidents at home have boon beaten, shot
or thrown into prison.
Reading a list of China's treatment of its citizens is
a study in repression. Last year, the U S State Depart
ment said the country fell “far short of internationally
accepted norms" when it came to human rights.
Sounds bud. right? What would the United States
do? Send in troops? Impose sanctions? Bluster and fuss
in the United Nution?
Nop*;. On the eve of Tianamen Square's third anni
versnrv. The Bush admin* -
istrution extended China's
most-favored nation trad
ing status for unothcr year.
Makes you proud to
be an American, doesn’t
it?
The brutal treatment
of its citizens is just one of
China's thug like activi*
ties. Last week, it explod
If there wee ever
an occasion that
a country
deserved trade
restrictions, this
Is It
ed a 1-megaton bomb — many turns more powerful
than the: ones dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. In
addition. China sells its nuclear technology and missile
systems with the intensity of a backstreet peddler.
It's not like the Bush administration doesn't know
what China's doing. White House spokesman Marlin
I'itzwater Wednesday said the president was unhappy
uIkuiI the* human rights violations, hut didn't think the
II.S. should retaliate with trade sanctions.
If then; was ever un occasion that a country de
served trade restrictions, this is it.
That our illustrious president would (Kinder to Chi
nu is nothing new. He served there as an envoy from
1974-75 and has always mm the country with a Nixon
like mentality: a bulwark against the Soviet Union.
But the Soviet Union no longer exists and the Cold
War is over. At a time when the U.S. should be push
ing other countries toward democracy. Bush lets China
play fust and loose with human rights in the hopes of
not damaging trade relations.
In the end. it all comes down to economics. We aru
still in a recession, and restricting trade with China
would hurt American big business. And os we’ve all
seen, money is more important to Bush und Co. than
people.
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OPINION
Yeah, but will he still do the weather?
THE FINE
PRINT
II you over wanted to get Into
politics, now's the time.
Anti-incumbent fever is nnn
punt. Political outsiders are in
vogue.
In fact, if you just hang tight
lor .1 few months ■ until after
tin* fall (dection — you just
might lie president
Dy default.
Welcome to the newest poli
tical game It's culled "What Do
We Do Now7.” und it's based
on the fascinuting chance that
none of the three major candi
dates for president will got a
majority on the first Tuesday in
November.
Time magazine run a piece
on it. complete with u flow
chart graph showing how Joe
Isu/u could be the next occu
pant of the Oval Office. Vurlous
TV news programs huvo also
gotten into the game, with spoc
ulattons on No. 42 running
from Sen Bill Bradley to Secre
tary of State James Dakar.
This type of situation is not
now; we just haven’t soon it for.
oh. H>H years Not since the
heady days of 1B24 * John
Quincy Adams vs. Andrew
Jackson - lias the cloctoru! col
lege failed to produce a clear
winner.
So this year's version —
three viable candidates, or
more accurately, three candi
dates who could pull electoral
votes — has stmt would-be po
litical oxports scurrying for
copies of the constitution in a
vain hope to discover who
would be president
As u public service. I will
now present a possible scenario
for the upcoming election.
November 3, 1992 — Elec
tion Day. George Bush squeaks
by with the popular vole, fol
lowed by Koss Perot und Bill
Clinton However. Perot cap
ture California and Texas, and
Clinton takes New York und a
couple of other states, keeping
Bush Irom gelling an cloctonil
majority
Vrci'mlMV 14. 1992 — The
electoral college meets. Tho last
two months have been full of
political in-fighting, back-stab
bing and skulduggery. A pro
posal to decide the election
with a World Wrestling Federa
tion-style "Battle Royale” (last
electoral voter standing chooses
the winning ticket) is nixed.
Iiinimry 6. 1993 — In a
pompous ceremony. Vico Presi
dent (for now) L)an Quuyle,
serving us president of iho Son
uto. opens the electoral ballots.
As expected, no candidate re
ceives a majority, though Rich
arti Nixon and Mr. Rogers euch
rocetvo u sympathy vote.
The ticking clock — The
House of Representatives has
until March 4 to choose the
next president from Uush. rcrot
and Clinton. Each representa
tive has a vote In his or her
state delegation — a majority of
votes wins the state, a majority
of states wins the election.
Anyway, thu chaos contin
ues The Democrats control the
House, but their candidulo fin
ished third. Civen public feel
ing toward politicians, handing
Clinton the presidency could
result in the first Congressional
barbecue on the House floor,
courtesy of a peeved electorate.
Result: stalemate.
Meanwhile — Under the
same deadline os the House,
the Senate meets to pick the
vice president from the top two
finishers Here, a simple major
ity wins.
The Democrats again have a
majority, but their candidate
didn't make the finals. So it
comes down to Quayle and
Perot's nominee, picked in a
weak moment of populist, blue
collar pandering
March 4. approaching mid
night The Senate tally dead
locks at 50-50. The House, un
able to resolve its vote, wails to
see if a vice president can be
picked If one is. they will be
sworn in as president
January 6, 1993
In a pompous
ceremony, Vice
President (for now)
Dan Quayle,
serving as
president of the
Senate, opens the
electoral ballots.
As expected, no
candidate receives
a majority, though
Richard Nixon and
Mr. Rogers each
receive a sympathy
vote.
The Senate President gets to
cast the deciding vote, but
Quayle is busy watching Gillt
gun's Island
"Ah. Mr Vice President," a
harried aido whispers “You
have to vote,"
“Shh," Quayle says. "This is
my favorite episode. It's the
one where they almost get off
the island, but Gilligan screws
up."
The Senate's sergeant of arms
walks to the podium. "Mr. Vice
President!" he roars.
"Yes?" Quayle asks, eyes still
glued to the television.
"Is that your vote?” the ser
geant of arms asks. “Aye?”
"Sure. sure, whatever."
And America gets a new
president
March 5. 1993 — Inaugura
tion Day. U S Supremo Court
Chief Justice William Rehn
quist asks the candidate to raise
his right hand. "Repeat after
tr«," Rehnquist says. “1. Wil
lard Scott, do solemnly
swear.”
Hey. it could happen.
Dan Peters Is an editorial edi
tor for the Emerald