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About The print. (Oregon City, Oregon) 1977-1989 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 23, 1980)
commentary Carter goes overboard with new proposal By Mike Koller Of The Print Most everyone would agree that the Soviet Union’s in vasion of Afghanistan is a grave {violation of human rights, but the way President Carter and his staff are handling the crisis leaves one seriously [questioning how effective the government really is in [upholding Carter’s human [lights policies. I First, Carter called for a grain [embargo against the Soviet [Union in protest of 'their ■displeasing actions. The idea [seemed logical enough. After ■all, the Soviets do need a lot of lour grain to feed their people [don’t they? Well, a couple of [reeks have passed since then lard our government’s heard ■more grumbling from Mid western farmers wondering what they’re going to do with [so much excess grain than from [starving Russsians wondering [¿hat it would be like to eat ■bread again. Maybe the sly [soviets aren’t letting on, but it [doesn’t seem as if the old grain [ambargo has brought them to ■their knees. | Next, Carter suddenly tells Ins what a good friend Pakistan |i$ and that we will suddenly Ik helping our buddies with l-ilitary aid to strengthen their llorces against a possible threat liiom Afghanistan. Maybe I’m ■wrong, but if I remember liorrectly the government of (Pakistan is about as stable as ■the American dollar. Maybe ■fashions have changed, but last ■ me i checked our government ■usually gave military and economic aid to countries they could trust. But let’s give Carter half a star on that move. Maybe Pakistan and the United States are going to be “good friends,” after all. til 1984. Others may never receive another chance to compete in the Olympics. A lot can happen in four years to keep a hopeful Olympian from reaching his or her goal. Then, in Carter’s most recent move against the Soviet Union, he has totally stepped out of his boundaries in. proposing the American Olympic Team should boycott the summer games being held in Moscow if the Soviets do not withdraw from Afghanistan within one month. Recent news articles show that American athletes and Olympic officials are divided on Carter’s proposal, but whether or not they agree with Carter is not the question. They should have never had to be faced with such controversy in the fir st place. Appearing on NBC’s “Meet the Press” television program, Carter stateci, “I do not want to inject politics into the Olym pics.” But Carter put his foot into his mouth with that statement, because that is exactly what he has done. Sure, everyone knows that the Soviets pose a threat to world peace, but then they always have. Carter has no right to use something as sacred as the Olympic games to make some kind of political point. Moscow radio labeled the president’s proposals as “futile.” That word adequately describes Carter’s attempt. Carter has no legal authority to dictate an American boycott, but his proposal puts unfair pressure on all the athletes who have worked so hard in preparation for the games. Now, many will spend the next month worrying whether all their practice will be wasted un feedback Movie waste hr Editor: 11 would like to protest the fecent “Star Trek” movie ■view. I’m not sure, but I think i Tom Rhodes saw a dif ferent movie. The movie I saw pas an almost total waste of $4 [nd was quite disappointing. Put the part of the movie piew which bothered me the post was Mr. Rhode’s inept tie- p to the Iranian Crisis and pear arms race. The movie fes made before the Iranian psis began. I realize that Mr. Bodes is entitled to his own binions, but “Star Trek” was fede strictly for entertainment Re, rather than irrelevent feial comment.. Would you pte $45 million for that? Rerely, pesj.. Rhoades I. Focus honest Rhe Editor: pvcholoqv. .ipstructQt ^qrep.:. pdnesday, January 23,1980 Keeping America out of the games is a senseless waste of time and effort. It will not mat ter much to the Soviets, anyway (they’ll just win that many more medals with the U.S. gone). That clearly demonstrates our gover- nment’s continued ineffec- tiveness First the farmers, then the athletes. Who’s going to have to sacrifice for your gover nment next, Jimmy? box 424.4 Berkeley. CA. 94704 Gold; unpredictable market By Elena Vancil Of The Print A flurry of speculations and explanations have succeeded the surprising upturn in the demand for gold. Predictions are common about what gold will do next. “The bottom will drop out of the gold market/’ or, “Gold won’t reach any higher than ‘x’ amount this year,” are typical predictions. Wolfford conducted a two- hour seminar on male sexuality through the Men’s Resource Program Wednesday night. He broke the ice by asking each individual’s name and what The unpredictable market they wanted out of the seminar. He began, after his in has everyone guessing and troduction, explaining the male wondering. point of view on sexuality. Is it possible that the market I found the seminar open in place has lost faith in the, once the sense of each person’s termed, “good as gold” dollar? emotions being refreshingly Has this loss of faith unleashed honest. The only disappoin the incredible demand for a tment was the small number of more stable currency? people present (less than 30). It appears that it has, and While most were men, four why not? Nobody likes to sit women interested in expanding around and watch their savings their understanding of the male disintegrate with high inflation. point of view also attended. Gold was the original currency, However, if in today’s anyway. Dollar bills were “Open Society,” only a small merely coupons to aid in more number of persons participate convenient transfers of resour in seminars such as this one, ces in the marketplace. then there is a great need for better understanding each Gold is a reliable currency other. As the saying goes, because it has intrinsic value, “You’ve come along way, and many alternative uses. It is j baby,” but we still have need divisable and durable—an ideal for improvement. means in which to swap one ] resource for another. Matt Johnson centimeters Colors by Munsell Color Services Lab A healthy economy has only tussle. as many dollars as it has gold in The day of reckoning may be storage, to back it up. The pur decades later, but eventually, pose of those dollars should be people will wake up and realize strictly as ¿laim tickets for that that all the benefits enjoyed gold. during inflated years were Problems arise when - this borrowed, not bought, and the healthy economy is threatened time has come to pay up. by government intervention. This leads us to the issue at Supply and demand are alive hand. Gold prices. Weak and kicking, Nobody can deny currencies can’t thrive forever. this gauge of a population’s Inflation will escalate until it true priorities, even the most reaches ridiculous proportions. powerful government leader, For example: The post although he may try. World War I inflation in Ger When the market’s gold many. The government was standard was eliminated in turning out money so fast and favor of fiat currency, the furiously, that they didn’t have government seemed to think time to print both sides of thé that the world’s resources could bills. be attracted for nothing but a One thing could be said for piece of paper. They must those one-sided bills. They had have thought that the situation intrinsic value. People could would last indefinitely, that the write their grocery lists on the government could finance blank side of the money. That more and more things for shows how little the currency nothing, except the aid of a was worth. It appears from the look of printing press. Although history and logic things that people are looking deny this to be the case, the back at history, and taking general population was living logical action. Look at Ger many: at the beginning of its in too easily to worry about it. If resources are directed flation, until the height of against natural demand, 'it—when bushels of paper toward an entrepreneur with money would buy a few unmarketable goods or ser . groceries—the buying power of vices, economic distortions will one currency remained stable. follow. Supply and demand An ounce of gold consistently will resist this government bought the same amount of choice, and eventually win the goods. Fage 3