Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 8, 1979)
Page 2 Portland Observer N ovem ber 8 1979 EDITORIAL/OPINION M o b u t u o n his w a y o u t? by N. Fungai Kumbula Be counted! During 1980 a national Census will be taken. This counting of the nation's residents, which takes place every ten years, usually misses a large number of minority people. This year many Black organizations are urging all Black people to com plete and return their Census forms and to be counted. The Census is important in that it determines representation and funding. The Census provides the figures to apportion legislative represen tatives among the states and within the states. It is used by the federal government as a basis for allocation of funds to local governm ents. It calculate birth and death rates define health problems and analyze public services. The federal government uses the Cenus to distribute about $50 billion a year to states and local governments, most based on numbers of citizens and other Census determined data. The states that do not get an accurate count lose money. Numbers determine money in other ways. The total population over 18, with less than five years education, determines the am ount of money allocated to state under the Adult Education Act, etc. Another, perhaps more direct influence of the Census is affirmative action. Requirements for minority hiring and participation are based on Census figures. If minorities make up ten per cent of the work force in Multnomah, they are entitled to a larger share of the jobs than the current 4.5 to 5.5 per cent designation. Are Black and other minorities being cheated because they aren't counted? The Black community must make a special ef fort to participate fully in the Census to insure equal participation in the economic benefits. No help for Third World One of the most serious problem s facing American labor is the flight of major corporations to the underdeveloped nations where labor is cneap and government regualtion weak. When faced with union organizing efforts or requests for higher wages or safer work places, the multi national corporations have only to move their fac tories to Third World nations where they can ex p lo it both the native populations and the American public. Aside from their obvious motive of greater profits the companies claim they are aiding the underdeveloped nations -- providing jobs and raising the standard of living. The H all Street Journal -- the spokesman for captal said recently, "In many nations beset by widespread poverty, investment and trade by m ultinationals has done little to create jobs. There is evidence that foreign investment along with unenlightened government policies, has done just the opposite: made jobs disappear." Multinationals have Third World investments of more than $20 billion. The United Nations says these companies have created fewer than four million jobs for the 680 million people who need them Indonesia is a good example. Due to imported mechanization, Indonesia has 60,000 fewer jobs than in 1971. In Indonesia multinationals made 57 per cent p ro fit on their investm ent. A few wealthy land owners got richer but the poor In donesians are perhaps worse off than they were ten years ago. Today, more than 50 m illion people live on less than 25 cents a day. Workers pushed off the land by mechanized farm ing turned to small industries -- making bricks, soap, rope, baskets and shoes -- but they were put out of business by modern, foreign- controlled factories. Indonesian business men -- who would like to be independent - cannot com pete against the well established multinationals. Therefore, the small agriculture and home in dustry economy that once provided subsistance has been destroyed. The people are left to starve while the nation's income from the World Bank and others is used mainly for overseas purchases which intensify the problems and do nothing to upgrade the local economy or employ the people. Done properly - as it has in Japan and Taiwan -- mechanization can provide employment, draw the workers from the farms to the cities; thus raise the value of farm products and eventually raise the standard of living This requires a plan ned economy and strong government controls. Mechanization solely for the profit of foreign cor porations brings unemployment, d'sruption of traditional means of production, and destruction* of the culture. The multinational corporations that participate in this form of exploitation should no longer use the excuse of "helping the people of the under developed nations ". Kevin Berry files Bar Association complaint ((. ,>ntmucd from page I col. 6l flic. of interest. Mr Aitchtson »as not available for comment Mr. Bennett told the Observer that -Xiuhison had joined hi* firm about two sears ago. and »hen appeared tha; a conflict of interest had developed, that he could not represent Kevin and the other Gient. Bennett took Berry's case. Bennett said he »rote to the Berrys in June advising them of the trial date, and that he signed the letter which should have indicated that he would be handling the case. The Berrv's claim no correspond ence was received. Bennett also stated that he had been to the Berry home on several occassions to ducuss the other case and "other things” . Bennett told the Observer that "the police report clearly indicates that Kevin instigated the incident, that he used violent language and made threats Mr Atichi'on spent about forty hours, an extra ordinary time for this type of case, and none of the witnesses provided by the Berrys were able to provide evidence to refute the police charges 1 thought we did a good job and 1 am willing to have any attorney, or any judge, look at the file ' Kevin claims he signed the "n o contest" plea under pressure, without adequate legal advise He maintains that he is innocent, that he wanted a jury trial, and that he was denied the right to chose his own at torney His family is frustrated by the what they perceive to be a failure of the justice system to afford their son the opportunity to defend him self. The case has drawn interest in the Black community since Berry publically charged the police with brutality in his arrest and those of his friends and a by slander last January. PORTLAND OBSERVER Th« P ortland O b sm e r USPS 959 6 Ä s putXisnea « ,e -, Thu-j la v By E«>e Pubi si- -g C o -p a ry -x 220' Nonr- X ngswon»- Portland O'ego'- 97217 posi OF»xe 80« 3137 Pernana Oregon 97208 Second cass poatage oa-d at Portland O’ egon Subic nptxma S7 50 oe> yea- m Tn County area 1 8 X [» r yea- Ou’.s-de T- County area P ostm a ster S«r-a add-ess t-a -g e s to the P ortland O b ttr> rr P O B o i 3137 Portand Oregon 97208 The P ortland Oòsenyyr s officiai poatxtn 4 eip'essed only m ts Ed-toriai column Any othe» m atera throughout the paper .s the opinion o* the mdrvx)„a- ter or Subm tte» ana does not neces sa' iy -ehect the oo-nion o< the P ortland O b v r \ r r 283 2486 ALFRED L. HENDERSO N E dito r P u b lish e r N a tio n a l A d v e rtis in g R epresentative A m a lg a m a te d Publishers Inc N ew York In a heavily guarded compound in Kinshasa. Zaire, a worried Mobutu Sese Seko, sits and »aits. All of a sudden the world has gone crazy. Until a few years ago, he sat astride Zaire’s politics: secure in the knowledge that the entire country was in the palm of his hand. The ar my was behind him. The people had all been cowed into submission. The V.estern nations were all backing his regime. What more could a dictator • Lately, however, some very crazy things have been happening and sud denly the world no longer seems safe for dictators. Mobutu has watched with growing concern as one dictator after another bit the dust. First, there was the Shah of Iran, followed by Anastasio Somoza of Nicaragua. Then there was Idi Amin of Uganda followed in quick succession by Macias Nguema of Equatorial Guinea and self-styled emperor Jean Bedel Bokassa of the Central African Republic. And now it’s Carlos Humberto of Guatemala. Now being a dictator does not seem like such a good idea after all. Matter of fact, it seems downright dangerous when one considers the fate of Macias Nguema: he »as executed early last month. W hen Idi Amin was overthrown by the Ugan dans with the aid of Tanzanian troops. Mobutu rushed to Dar Es Salaam to get assurances from Pre'ident Nyerere that Tanzania's troops would not next be turned on Zaire. Mobutu has survived two at tempts ai overthrowing him and this has been due to foreign troops; first French and Belgian in 197' and then Morrocan last year. These foreign troop' repubed an invasion by for mer Katangese who had been living in e x ile in Angola Thev had come back to wrest con trol of the 3rea, since renamed Shaba, from the central ad ministration ol Mobutu and to set up their own independent republic. 5th Place Best Editorial ONPA 1973 Honorable Mention Herrick Editorial Award NNA 1973 Mt NX*« 2nd Place Best Editorial 3rd Place Community Leadership ONPA 1975 aasex s o n - Founded taps 3rd Place Community Leadership ONPA 1978 NAME_______ .______________ ADDRESS ______ ___________ __ _____________ ___ CITY___________________ STATE____________ Z IP ______ I CODA (Continued from page 1 col. 3) CODA, Ed Leek is obviously out of touch with his own association (King) and needs to be reminded of his role as a representative. Arro gance begets arrogance. It will be in teresting to see the proposal presen ted to that body, but in any case the strategy is flawed. The Coalition may be greener grass, but it is not the roots. By avoiding that step, CODA is doing the same ol thing to us, in stead of for or with us. "A hard head...” WILLAMETTE SAVINGS & LOAN ASSOCIATION w e have Home Loan Money available o n ... 80°° 90°« 9 5 WILLAMETTE SAVINGS & LOAN 'ASSOCIATION Mail to: Portland Observer P.O. Box 3137 Portland, Oregon 97208 % Home Financing Subscribe Today $7 50 per year —Tri-county $8.00 per year —Other were so willing to dump Bokassa, would they hesitate to dump him too? His record on human rights is abysmal to say the least. Complaints against his authoritarian regime have been multiplying over the past few years. His m ishandling of the economy coupled with corruption has brought the country close to bankruptcy on several occasions. Rumours have been circulating In Western capitals, that maybe the time has come to remove Mobutu and replace him with someone who is not quite so blatantly dictatorial. No wonder he Is worried. W ithout the backing of the French and the Belgians, Mobutu is a sitting duck. V> ith all the other dictators gone, it only seems logical that Mobutu should be next in line. This year, the Food and Agriculture Organization, estimates that between one and three million Zairois will starve to death. At the same time Mobutu's holdings, investments and other stolen loot, stashed in foreign banks, will net him several million dollars. Keep listening: you might very soon hear the death knell begin to sound for one more member of an endangered species: The International Club of Tyrants, ‘‘effectionately" ab breviated to ICT. When you Find That New Home... You'll Find Your Mortgage Money A t... 1st Place Community Service ONPA 1973 1st Place Best Ad Results ONPA 1973 They quickly routed M obutu’s ragtag troops and set up a provisional government but then the French and Belgians rushed in and drove them back across the border The following year when they at tacked again, Morroco and Egypt sent in the troops while the French and Belgians supplied the arms and the United States the planes. Were it not for this foreign intervention, Zaire would have been rid of Mobutu. The ouster of Bokassa in the Cen tral African Republic has Mobutu particularly worried especially in the light of the role the French played. The coup against Bokassa was engineered by the French, in a hasty attempt to preempt Muamar Quad dafy of Libya owing to Bokassa’s ex cesses, the CAR had come to the brink of bankruptcy. His massacre of those students had prompted even the French, his principal backers, to cut off military and financial aid to his regime. So, while he was in Tripoli, Libya, negotating for aid from Quaddafy, the French moved quickly to unseat him and replace him with his cousin, David Dacko, whom he had over thrown fourteen years previously. The French were so afraid that if Bokassa got his aid from the mer curial Quaddafy, there was no telling which direction the CAR would take. Quaddafy is considered one of the most radical Third World leaders. So to keep the CAR "on track,” the French removed their erstwhile pup pet Bokassa and replaced him with another, Dacko. Bokassa had also become a source of embrassment to the French because of his much publicized massacre of schoolchildren. So the French found in his flirtations with Libya, the excuse for killing two birds with one stone; be rid of the embarassment and also keep CAR in the "western cam p". This is what has Mobuto worried: if the French F?LK? C ontact a Savings C ounselorat any o f these offices. M ilw a u kie 0 tf.e e •T90C SE 2 ’ V Ae* M • . • » 0 * 3 ** w w D ow nto w n B ranch MO SA e 227 »75 97205 W a ln u t Para Canby B ranch B ranch NT* NF • - 3 '» r.n 1 « )“ . ~ , P o - a - l O 'etj'— 97J11 C l - ’ , O -r-j-i-97?, y zw w Z** SOCS SM 0ZZ7 ParV'ose B ranch 108C* NF Sa-dy B'.rt Po’ t'and Omqon 97220 ZM ’ 19'
