The North Coast times-eagle., October 29, 1982, Page 2, Image 2

Page 2
T H E N O R T H C O A S T T IM E S E A G L E , F R ID A Y , 29 O C T O B E R 1982
W AR & PEACE
THE DEADLY DRUMMER
by Ben Lane
M ic h e l G r a n g e r
"W e l e a r n f r o m h i s t o r y
t h a t w e l e a r n n o t h in g f r o m h i s t o r y . "
In 1898 t h e r e c a m e , f r o m , o f a l l p l a c e s ,
C z a r is t R u s s ia , a c a ll fo r a c o n fe re n c e of a ll
n a t i o n s f o r th e p u r p o s e o f d i s a r m a m e n t . T h e
in d u s tr ia l re v o lu tio n h a d sp a w n e d an a r m s
i n d u s t r y w h ic h w a s r o c k i n g o u t o f c o n t r o l .
K r u p p w a s th e l a r g e s t s i n g l e b u s i n e s s in E u r ­
o p e , a n d S k o d a, V ic k e r s - M a x im , S c h n e id e r C re u
s o t a n d m a n y o t h e r s w e r e s e l l i n g a r m s to a n y
a n d a ll c o m e r s . E a c h y e a r n e w a n d m o r e t e r ­
r ib le e n g in e s of d e s tr u c tio n w e re c r e a te d , a n d
e a c h o f th e g r e a t p o w e r s i m m e d i a t e l y p u r c h a s ­
e d t h e m a s o ld w e a p o n s b e c a m e o b s o l e t e . T h e
C z a r r e a l iz e d th a t th e y w e r e a c r u s h in g b u rd e n
o n e v e r y o n e , a n d w o u ld i n e v i t a b l y l e a d to th e
v e r y d i s a s t e r t h e y w e r e s u p p o s e d to a v e r t .
P e a c e g r o u p s t h r o u g h o u t th e w o r l d w e n t w ild
w ith jo y . It s e e m e d t h a t p e r h a p s a t l a s t s a n i t y
w a s r e tu r n in g ; th a t th e c r u s h in g c o s ts of a r m ­
a m e n t s c o u ld b e t u r n e d to h u m a n i t a r i a n p u r ­
p o s e s . N e w s p a p e r s w e r e l a v i s h w ith h e a d l i n e s :
" O m e n f o r th e N ew C e n tu r y " , "A N ew E r a " ,
" M o s t M o m e n to u s a n d B e n e f ic ie n t M o v e m e n t
in H i s t o r y " ( t h i s l a t t e r f r o m a N e w Y o r k p a p e r ) .
A s u s u a l , th e v a r i o u s g o v e r n m e n t s g o t in th e
a c t to t h w a r t p o p u l a r w i l l . S u s p i c i o n , h a t r e d ,
a n d g r e e d c o m b i n e d w ith c y n i c i s m to e n s u r e
t h a t th e p e a c e d o v e w o u ld n o t g o f a r . A ll d i s ­
t r u s t e d t h e C z a r a n d c r e d i t e d h i s m o t i v e w ith
th e f a c t t h a t h e w a s b e h i n d in th e r a c e ; E n g l a n d
h a d c o n t r o l o f th e s e a s a n d i n t e n d e d to k e e p it:
th e K a i s e r w a s p r o u d o f h i s P r u s s i a n s a n d w a s
i t c h i n g f o r a w a r to p r o v e t h e m ; F r a n c e t r u s t e d
n o o n e . T h e U n i t e d S t a t e s w a s h e a d y w ith
s u c c e s s a f t e r w r e s t i n g C u b a a n d th e P h i l i p p i n e s
f r o m S p a in , a n d w ith T e d d y R o o s e v e l t in th e
a s c e n d a n c y , w a v in g h i s " b ig s t i c k " , w a s e a g e r
to e n t e r t h e r a c e a s a w o r l d p o w e r .
N e v e r t h e l e s s , p u b l ic o p i n io n h a d to b e a p p e a s ­
e d w ith a t l e a s t a t o k e n g e s t u r e , s o a l l f i n a l l y
a g re e d on a c o n fe re n c e . T he f i r s t H ague c o n f e r ­
e n c e f l a t l y r e f u s e d to a d d r e s s th e i s s u e o f d i s ­
a r m a m e n t ; i n s t e a d , i t m e r e l y d r e w u p th e r u l e s
f o r th e f o r t h c o m i n g w a r . A m e r i c a 's A d m i r a l
M a h a n w o u ld n o t e v e n d i s c u s s N a v a l l i m i t a t i o n .
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an hour or two of your time and help guarantee
that earth will survive the peril it now faces-
‘Thaï peril is inthe form of nuclear
weapons and the international competition,
th a t striving for superiority generates.
millions of people like u$ incitiesall
around the world are meeting to cypress their
fervent hopes & desires that the nuclear
nations will sincereagree to freeze, reduce
and ultimately eliminate tko nuclear
threat to our common survival.
There will be ho speeches, no public
address system , no political a ffiliations.
of you wish to convey a message, do it
with a placard or other sign. Come
at o n e o ’ clock and stay as
louq as you like.
•vvviqiîs
H e s a i d t h a t n e w m a r k e t s w e r e o p e n in g u p in
t h e O r i e n t a n d th e U n ite d S t a t e s i n t e n d e d to g e t
i t s s h a r e a n d n e e d e d s e a p o w e r s e c o n d to n o n e .
(A t l e a s t h e w a s h o n e s t . ) T h e K a i s e r r i d i c u l e d
a n y e f f o r t s to l i m i t h i s P r u s s i a n s in a n y w a y .
T he p e a c e fu l a r b itr a tio n of d is p u te s w as h o n ­
o r e d in th e b r e a c h . " R e a l i s m " — t h a t i s , th e
re c o g n itio n of g r e e d , h a tr e d , m is g u id e d p a tr i o t ­
i s m , a n d a l l o f th e o t h e r n e g a t i v e a t t r i b u t e s o f
h o m o s a p — p r e v a ile d . T he se c o n d c o n fe re n c e
d id l i t t l e m o r e ( a n d th e w o r l d w a s a t w a r w h e n
th e t h i r d w a s s c h e d u l e d ) t h a n r e f i n e th e r u l e s
o f t h a t w a r . W h e n th e s p a r k w a s s t r u c k , th e
s t a g e w a s a l r e a d y s e t , a n d in a f e w s h o r t m o n t h s
t h e t r e n c h e s w e r e f i l l e d w ith m i l l i o n s o f m e n
k illin g e a c h o th e r f o r r e a s o n s th a t h a v e n e v e r
b e e n e n t i r e l y c l e a r . " S a v in g t h e w o r l d f o r d e m o ­
c r a c y " a n d o th e r s lo g a n s w e re h a s tily in v e n te d
a s p a p to f e e d th e p o p u l a t i o n s o a s to e n s u r e a
s t e a d y f lo w o f b o d i e s to t h e t r e n c h e s .
As w e a p p r o a c h th e l a s t p a r t of th is s a m e
c e n t u r y , t h e w h e e l h a s m a d e a f u ll t u r n . T h e
p r e s e n t a d m i n i s t r a t i o n l i k e to t h in k t h a t i t " i s
s to p p in g H i t le r " by c o n fro n tin g R u s s ia a t e v e r y
t u r n . R a th e r , c o n d itio n s a r e m o r e lik e 1914,
w ith o ld e m p i r e s d i s s o l v i n g , a n d s h i f t s in p o w e r
o c c u r r in g . U n d er R e a g a n , A m e ric a n s a re c o m ­
m i t t e d to t h e s t a t u s - q u o , a n d v ie w a n y e f f o r t o f
p e o p l e a n y w h e r e to o v e r t h r o w a n o p p r e s s i v e
r e g im e a s a c o m m u n is t p lo t S u ch d o c tr in a l
t h i n k i n g i s b o u n d to l e a d to t r o u b l e . A r e o u r
l e a d e r s so n a iv e ?
N o, of c o u r s e n o t. T h e y h a v e a v e s te d i n t e r e s t
in k e e p i n g th e a r m s r a c e g o in g , a n d d o n o t s e e m
to r e a l i z e t h a t th e r u l e s h a v e b e e n c h a n g e d . No
o n e a t th e " t a b l e " w ill w in t h i s t i m e , th e t a b l e
i t s e l f a n d th e e n t i r e b u i l d i n g w i l l be d e s t r o y e d .
It s h o u l d b e o b v i o u s to e v e n t h e d i m m e s t w it
th a t R e a g a n is a c r e a t io n o f th e i n d u s t r i a l - m i l i ­
t a r y c o m p l e x w h i c h i s n o w in p o w e r . S o m e w h e r e
a lo n g th e l i n e , a F a u s t i a n b a r g a i n w a s s t r u c k .
A c l e a n - c u t i n d i v i d u a l w ith n a m e r e c o g n i t i o n
w a s n e e d e d , o n e w h o w a s l i k e a b l e a n d w ith p o l i ­
t i c a l v ie w s to th e r i g h t o f K in g G e o r g e III. R e a ­
g a n w a s i d e a l ; h i s p a r t o f th e b a r g a i n i s to
k e e p th e P e n ta g o n w e ll s u p p lie d w ith w h a te v e r
i t n e e d s ; n e v e r m i n d t h a t th e m o r e o f t h o s e
t e r r i b l e th in g s w e p ile up th e l e s s s e c u r e w e
a r e . " D e fe n s e " m u s t c o m e a h e a d of e v e ry th in g ,
e v e n o u r liv e s ,
D e f e n s e ? D id y o u k n o w t h a t U n c le S a m is
a c t i v e l y m e r c h a n d i s i n g t h e l a t e s t in d e a d l y
w e a p o n s to a l l c o m e r s — a s o r t o f M c D o n a ld s
o f th e a r m s i n d u s t r y ? C o n s i d e r t h i s e x a c t q u o t e
f r o m D e p u ty D e f e n s e S e c r e t a r y F r a n k C a r l u c c i ,
m a d e on J u ly 29, 1982: "W e m u s t s e le c ti v e ly
b u t a c t i v e l y e n c o u r a g e th e f o r e i g n p r o c u r e ­
m e n t of th e n e w F X f ig h t e r j e t , n o t le a v in g
th is m a r k e tin g e f f o r t to th e m a n u f a c t u r e r s . "
H ow do y o u lik e th a t? O u r b e lo v e d P e n ta g o n
i s n o w a n a c t i v e h u c k s t e r o f a l l th e l a t e s t a n d
m o s t d e a d l y w e a p o n s k n o w n to h u m a n i t y . N e v e r
m in d t h a t t h e y a r e u s e d in s u c h t h i n g s a s t h e
B e i r u t m a s s a c r e . N e v e r m in d th a t th e y m a y be
u s e d a g a i n s t u s . O u r t a x d o l l a r s a r e b e in g u s e d
to e n s u r e t h a t e v e r y r i n k y d i n k c o n f l i c t b e c o m e s
a m a jo r w a r. Som e " d e fe n s e " d e p a rtm e n t.
N o w , a s in 1 9 0 0 , t h e r e i s a c r y f o r d i s a r m a ­
m e n t. P e o p le e v e ry w h e r e y e a rn fo r p e a c e . P e o ­
p l e a r e c r y i n g f o r r e l i e f f r o m th e a r m s b u r d e n
w h ic h c o s t s m o r e t h a n o n e h u n d r e d m i l l i o n d o l ­
la r s p e r day . T h e re a r e enough n u c le a r w eap o n s
p i l e d u p to e x t i n g u i s h a l l a n i m a l l i f e o n t h i s
p la n e t a h u n d re d tim e s o v e r. Y et o u r " e x p e r ts "
b a b b l e a b o u t " w in d o w s o f v u l n e r a b i l i t y " , " n u c ­
l e a r s u p e r i o r i t y " , a n d th e g h a s t l y " p e r m i s s i b l e
c o l l a t e r a l p o p u la tio n d a m a g e ." (T h is l a t t e r r e ­
f e r s to e s t i m a t e s o f h o w m a n y m i l l i o n s o f o u r
fe llo w c itiz e n s w e c a n lo s e a n d s t i l l s u r v iv e .)
W e i n b e r g e r g l i b b l e s a b o u t a f iv e y e a r p r o t r a c t e d
n u c l e a r w a r " , a f t e r w h ic h w e w o u ld " p r e v a i l " .
He d o e s n o t s a y o v e r w h a t w e w ill p r e v a il, p r e ­
s u m a b l y th e i r r a d i a t e d i n s e c t s t h a t w i l l b e r u n ­
n in g t h i n g s .
E a c h t i c k o f th e c l o c k b r i n g s u s c l o s e r t o th e
b r i n k E a c h d a y o n e h u n d r e d m i l l i o n d o l l a r s is
s p e n t th a t c o u ld do s o m u c h to e a s e th e p o v e rty ,
m a l n u t r i t i o n , i l l h e a l t h a n d i l l h o u s i n g in th e
w o rld , a n d a id of a ll of o u r b r o th e r s a n d s i s t e r s
(o f w h a te v e r n a tio n a lity , r e lig io n o r s k in c o lo r )
to h a v e a s h a r e in th e g o o d a n d G o d - g i v e n
b o u n ty o f th is b e a u tif u l p la n e t.
W ill w e w a k e u p in t i m e ? H i s t o r y s u g g e s t s
n o t. E v e r y a r m s r a c e h a s e n d e d in a w a r ; th e y
h a v e in f a c t b e e n th e c a u s e o f t h e v e r y w a r s
t h e y w e r e s u p p o s e d to p r e v e n t .
W h a t h a s h a p p e n e d to t h e o n c e b r i g h t i m a g e
o f A m e r i c a a s a s t r o n g m o r a l f o r c e in t h e
w o r l d 9 I n s te a d o f " th e a r s e n a l o f d e m o c r a c y "
it h a s b e c o m e j u s t th e " a r s e n a l . " A m e r ic a w a s
t h e l a n d o f t h e f r e e , th e h o p e o f t h e o p p r e s s e d .
N o w i t i s t h e h o m e o f th e c o r p o r a t e c o n g l o m e r ­
a t e s , th e a r m s m e r c h a n t s , f r i e n d o f m i l i t a r i s t s
e v e r y w h e r e . T h e h u m a n r a c e i s n o w h o s t a g e to
n e v e r e n d in g g r e e d . W h e n t h o s e m i s s i l e s s t a r t
fly in g — a s th e y c e r t a i n l y w ill — I w a n t to k n o w
th a t a s a n in d iv id u a l, a t l e a s t , I h a v e d o n e e v e r y ­
t h i n g p o s s i b l e to e n d t h i s t e r r i b l e t h in g .
B en L a n e of T o lo v a n a P a r k is s p e n d in g a y e a r
in S w e d e n w ith h i s w if e a n d s o n . " R e a l l y a j o y to
l i v e in a c o u n t r y w h e r e t h e g o v e r n m e n t i s t a k ­
in g c a r e o f i t s p e o p l e i n s t e a d o f b u i ld i n g w e a p ­
o n s to d e s t r o y t h e m , " h e w r o t e in a l e t t e r t h a t
a c c o m p a n ie d h is a r t i c l e . " S o c ia lis m is e x p e n ­
s i v e , t a x e s h i g h e s t in t h e w o r l d , b u t y o u g e t s o
m u c h b a c k it is w o r th i t. S u b tr a c t w h a t y o u
p r i v a t e l y p a y ( in t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s ) f o r h e a l t h
i n s u r a n c e , d o c t o r b i l l s , h ig h i n t e r e s t r a t e s o n
h o u s i n g , e tc ., a n d ( S w e d e n 's ) t a x e s s e e m q u i t e
lo w . O f c o u r s e i t i s th e p e o p le t h a t m a k e th e
c o u n t r y a n d . . . I lo v e t h e m . "
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