OPINION
February 7,1990
THE CLACKAMAS PRINT
Page 2
Foreign aid dollars need to be used for U.S. woes
By Aaron Brown
Staff Writer
If those who are in economic
need in this country formed an
independent republic of their own,
the U.S. would most likely give
aid anywhere from 500 million to
1.1 billion.
Foreign aid has been escalat
ing over the years to almost ri
diculous amounts. In his foreign
aid budget request (April 1989)
for 1990 before the House of
Foreign Affairs Committee, James
Baker wanted $14.6 billion allot
ted to various organizations and
countries, ah increase of 10% from
the previous budget.
Out of the 14.6 billion, 5.3
billion (36%) was to be provided
to Israel and Egypt for security(?).
The Phillipines, Portugal, Greece,
Turkey are to receive $1.8 billion,
while “friends” in the Middle East
received $1.1 billion.
In the first place, where is all
of this money coming from? I would
like see to this monetary supply
that Baker seems to think that
this country has. Maybe we do
have this money, but still, why
does the U.S. government bother
to mess with countries all over the
world?
The government seems to like
to place its hand in every comer of
the world, hoping that all of this
lending will pay off for this coun
try in the long run. I am sure this
was in their minds back when aid
was given to Japan after WW II.
No one needs to be reminded of
the economic force that we helped
build (that is now taking over the
continent).
Maybe the U.S. government
is looking after world interests by
giving aid to those in need. There
is no argument here concerning
aid in an economic capacity to
those in Eastern Europe (but do
the common people ever see the
aid?). It is good business to help
those countries.
However, the foreign aid that
is questionable, which was brought
up by the bespectacled half of
Crossfire on CNN, is the $7.1 bil
lion that is given to Egypt and
Israel et al. Why should we give
money to a country to use for
military purposes while countries
like Romania are trying to get on
their feet?«
Wait a minute, something
went really wrong there. We are
talking about billions and billions
(sorry Mr. Sagan) of dollars for
$659 toilet seat covers and $3000
coffee makers in Israeli and Egyp
tian barracks, while Eastern Eu
ropeans don’t get that in a month’s
pay. Incredible.
Now since we all now know
that communism is a repressive
failure, the emphasis needs to slow
on economic aid to those who use
it for military purposes, or to de
fend against the “red tide.” Sorry
Israel, Egypt etc., but others need
funds more than you do, like East
Europe, or even (gasp!) those in
the U.S.
So what are we to do about
foreign aid? Well, it is great to
help countries in dire need (sorry,
not the Middle East) and I con
cede that those like in Eastern
Europe do need funds. BUT, once
again, America should take a hard
look at her own domestic prob
lems, like the 2,400 DEA agents
who need more money in the fight
against drugs.
A final point to ponder is all
the money the government wasted
on ousted leaders. One has to
remember the Marcos escapade,
where all the money went for ¿toes,
the Shah of Iran now in exile, and
who can forget former CIA stooge
Manuel Noriega who probably
used his aid on drugs.
So your tax dollars are wasted
on a banana republic which may
be ousted tommorrow. Is that
whereyou wantyour tax dollars to
go?
Negativity rampant on CCC campus
By R. W. Jagodnik Jr.
Staff Writer
Calm it with those negative
waves! The higher learning expe
rience is meant for a positive
outlook on life, and not for the
further entrenchment in the deep
recesses of evolutionary muck.
Plain and simple, lighten up!
Too often in these times of
great political strife and economic
uncertainty, students become
bogged down with negative waves
that disrupt the cosmic balance
that every soul should share in
this marvelous world of higher
education. Someone a while back
termed this sort of education as
liberal. Where are the freedoms
now? How can a college student
be liberal when his world hangs
suspended by the threads of a
negative association with the in
stitution that the student attends?
An important part ofa liberal
education is the social atmosphere
that the learning takes place in. In
high school, a large percentage of
the student body support the ath
letic teams; where as, here, sports
events are unattended by a major
ity of students. “That was then,
this is now” is not an acceptable
answer. Why is it that so many
students work through a whole
term perfecting a piece of art and
when exhibited, no one shows?
Where has all of the life gone in
this campus?
Granted, this is a community
college with mostly part-time and
evening students that do not spend
much time on campus. In a uni
versity, the dorms are on or near
the campus and provide students
with daily and nightly access.
However, this difference should
not affect the students who attend
this institution full- time. All the
students are here on campus to
gether and should act as if they
care what happens on this cam
pus. Here, the sentence, “I do not
give a f— about anything,” is far
too commonly interjected. If
Clackamas jßrint
someone does not give a f—, then
no one gives a f—, and the campus
goes to sh-. See even here, the
effects are already trickling down
to speech patterns and how edu
cated do these offensive phrases
make students from this campus
sound?
This is not a plea, and cer
tainly not one for any particular
morality, but it is a look at what
has happened on this campus. This
is not a plea to encourage better
attendance to school functions,
but it is a look at what attitude
students have toward them. This
is a plea to re-examine the dete
rioration of student morale. The
change comes when negativity is
eliminated and a positive atmos
phere is born. Those heavy nega
tive waves can slap some other
shore.
The Clackamas Print aims to be a fair
and impartial newspaper covering the
college community. Opinions ex
pressed in The Clackamas Print do
not necessarily reflect those of the col
lege administration, faculty or Associ
ated Student Government Articles and
information printed in this newspaper
can be re-printed only with written
permission from the Clackamas Com
munity College Student Publications
Office. The Clackamas Print is a
weekly publication distributed every
Wednesday except for finals week.
Clackamas Community College,
19600 S. Molalla Avenue, Oregon City,
Oregon 97045. Office: Trailer B. Tele
phone: 657-6958, ext. 309 (office), 577
(production) and 578 (advertising).
Editor-in-Chief: Jim Titus
Managing/News Editor: Brians C.
Dotson
Copyeditor: Roseann Wentworth
Feature Editor: Angela Wilson
Photo Editor: Jillian Porter
Sports Editors: Mark A. Borrelli
Staci Beard
Reporters: Aaron Brown
Me-Ussa Cartales
Amber Cordry
Cameron Dickey
R.W. Jagodnik, Jr.
Dawn Kuehl
Margy Lynch
Julie Merrlot
Lane Scheldeman
Jennifer Soper
Photographers: Scott Johnson
Dawn Kuehl
Lane Scheldeman
Tim Zivney
Business Manager: Gregg Mayes
Advisor: Linda Vogt
_
Campus Views
"If you were the leader of a small, underdeveloped country and the
U.S. government gave you $5.5 billion in aid, how would you spend
it?"
Jeff Gates: Personally, as a
United States citizen, I have come
tri believe that foreign aid is in
most cases a colossal waste of
our tax dollars. If we desire to
help other nations out of pov
erty, homelessness and starva
tion, let us first take care of our
own and then assist other coun
tries in need.
inches
Matt Merritt: Place the money in
a high-interest Swiss bank account
for one year and take the interest
plus $1 billion and improve the
school system. The remaining
money would be divided evenly
between all other national debts
and responsibilities.
■
1
39.12
13.24
15.07
2
65.43
18.11
18.72
D50 Illuminant, 2
3
49.87
-4.34
-22.29
4
44.26
-13.80
22.85
Shaun Huey: First of all I would
ensure that all of the citizens are
equally fed and sheltered. Then I
would concentrate on education
and helping fanners with their
crops. After that I would build up
the military and strengthen the
government
5
55.56
9.82
-24.49
observer
6
70.82
-33.43
-0.35
7
63.51
34.26
59.60
8
39.92
11.81
-46.07
Density
Ethel M. Konopka: 1. Mandatory
education-free. 2. Develop natu
ral resources to develop an eco
nomic base. 3. Join the United
Nations. 4. Participate in world
trade.
9
52.24
48.55
18.51
10
97.06
-0.40
1.13
1KA)
92.02
-0.60
0.23
12
87.34
-0.75
0.21
13
82.14
-1.06
0.43
Ginny Cowan: 1. Supply food
for sustenance until agriculture
is developed. 2. Education-free
and effective (3-Rs and practi
cal). 3. Open country with roads;
encourage internal trade.
14
72.06
-1.19
0.28
15
62.15
-1.07
0.19