Page 2 Portland Observer, December 28, 1963
___________________
EDITORIAL/OPINION
Middle East conflict:
U.S. no longer "peacekeepers"
by John Blank
Next X-mas, peace on earth?
Last week we celebrated the birth o f the
Prince o f Peace. Though nearly two centuries
have passed since his birth in the tiny Palestinian
town o f Bethlehem, the world is still at war.
Those who celebrate the birth of Christ must
remember that he came to earth “ to break the
fetters and set men free.” Yet we all— through
our tax dollars and our complacency— support
policies that keep men and women enslaved.
Abroad they are enslaved by oppressive regimes
supported by the U.S. and at home they are
bound by the chains o f poverty.
Let us make every effort to insure that our na
tion’s policies are changed so that next Christ
mas peace will reign on earth and the only wars
waged will be against poverty, disease and ignor
ance.
Prevent infant deaths
The United Nations Children’s Fund (U N I
C EF) reported this month that 15 million chil
dren are dying each year in developing countries
— mostly o f common childhood diseases that are
no longer a threat to the industrialized world.
Prevention of at least half of the deaths *»nd
improvement of many more lives could be made
possible by simple means— widespread immuni
zation against major childhood diseases, the use
o f growth charts to detect hidden malnutrition,
promotion o f breast-feeding, and use of oral re-
hydration salts to fight problems associated with
diarrhea.
Case histories demonstrate that these efforts
are effective:
• In the Philippines, infant deaths in one hos
pital dropped 95 percent after a campaign to
promote breast-feeding.
• In Egypt, deaths resulting from diarrhea
were cut in half in one village following a three-
year campaign to use oral rehydration therapy.
• In Cuba, polio has been eliminated by the use
of mass immunization.
• in Malawi, measles, the main cause of child
death, was greatly reduced by immunization.
All of these methods are simple and relatively
cheap. All require parent and community partici
pation. The U N IC E F report advocates empow
ering parents— and especially mothers— to pre
vent the death of their children through educa
tion and providing necessary supplies.
The money to save millions of children’s lives
can be made available. The determining factor is
the political commitment to divert some of the
money being spent on the military buildup to
saving children’s lives.
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A year «go in the M iddle East
there was a mood of cautious opti
mism; today, that mood has turned
to one o f fear, discouragement, and
frustration at U S. policies in the re
gion, according to Ron Young,
Middle East staff person for the
American Friends Service C om m it
tee. who recently visited Portland.
M r. Young, who lives half o f the
time in Jordan and spends the rest
of his time traveling throughout the
M iddle East talking to diplomats
and officials on all sides of the con
flicts there, as well as peace activists
and ordinary citizens, told the O b
server that a year ago many people
felt that the Reagan initiative provi
ded some hope for peace, or at least
the possiblity of serious negotia
tions; but today, the same people
are disappointed over the U .S. fa il
ure to pursue that initiative, and in
stead to rely on an increased U.S.
military role and encouragement of
Israeli militarism.
Most forces in the M iddle East
oppose this posture, according to
Young. For example. Young said,
Jordan, as well as the Labor Oppo
sition in Israel, have been very criti
cal o f the U.S.-Israeli military alli
ance; and even Israel's National Re
ligious Party is worried that Israel is
tying itself too strongly to U.S.
global interests.
Lebanon
Around September— with the de-
MOCE ADVISERS AND
MILITARY AID
cision to shell Druse forces in the
village o f Souk al-G arb— the U.S.
role in Lebanon clearly changed.
Young said, from “ peacekeeping”
to warmaking. Young feels that this
U .S. militarist posture will be a dis
aster for Lebanon.
W ithout a U .S. decision to leave
Lebanon. Young said. Lebanese
president Gemayal will not be able
to achieve a unified Lebanon and an
end to the civil war there. As long as
Gemayal thinks he can rely on a
U .S. presence, he will not pursue
power-sharing reforms that have
been offered by the opixjsition. the
civil war will continue, and Lebanon
will be destroyed. The Phalange—
Gemayal’s party— believes that the
U .S. will continue to support them,
because they are Christian— but the
price. Young reiterated, will be Leb
anon's destruction.
The power-sharing reforms cur
rently being sought by the opposi
tion are more moderate than the de
mands made previously, in the 1976
civil war. The reforms include: Ge-
mayal’s remaining as president; a
M aronite (Christian) presence in the
cabinet; an expanded cabinet (its
present composition is six Chris-
tia n /fiv e Moslem and Druse); more
equal apportionment o f lower gov
ernment posts.
The Moslem and Druse forces
have moderated their demands,
said Young, because they view re
newed civil war as horrible. Leban
ese in general do not want their
country divided and torn.
The U .S . has been unrealistic,
said Young, in thinking that G e
mayal
would
accept
reforms
without being pressured.
Syria's rola
Syria's interest in the conflict,
Young explained, is .tot to occupy
Lebanon, but rather to be recog
nized as playing a preeminent role in
any negotiated settlement. The
Syrians see the U .S . as trying to
make the Jordanian-Israeli and the
Lebanon-Israeli relationships inde
pendent o f Syria.
In Lebanon, Syria's goal is for
Lebanon to continue to exist as part
o f the Arab world. Their main ob
jective is not to control Lebanon,
but rather (hat it not be drawn out
o f the Arab world and turned into a
U .S .- or Israli-surrogate in the re
gion.
Balanced withdrawal
Young feels that the key to peace
in Lebanon would be a balanced,
timed U .S. withdrawal, and the re
placement o f U .S. troops by a truly
neutral international presence (not
one led by the U .S . or Western
Europe).
Young pointed out that the Soviet
Union actually benefits from a con
tinued U .S. military presence, be
cause Syria needs to turn more and
more to the Russia for arms, thus
making the Soviet Union more in
fluential in the region, rather than
less.
Washington Hot Line
CCM BAT T R O O fé -
by Congressman Ron Wyden
Medicare: Drastic measures needed
S12- DOES THIS MEW WE'VE PCALTiClNúr
6VNBOAT DIPLOMACY?
CÔ?
cecouvse
Over the past several months, I
have written about some o f the steps
I believe must be taken to cut out
waste in the Medicare system.
Among the changes I have sug
gested are those which would elim
inate wasteful practices in the way
we pay for pacemakers, lab fees and
foot care— and save us some $2 bil
lion (over the next five years) in the
process.
I am as committed as ever to these
changes, and will be working hard
when Congress reconvenes in Jan
uary to see that they are enacted.
But even when they ate, they will
represent only a small part o f the
much bigger task that lies before
us— totally revamping the Medicare
system to stave o ff financial disaster
and lay a base for providing the
kind o f health care services that sen
ior citizens need at a price they can
afford.
The implications if we do not
achieve this goal are clear: I f there
are no changes in policy, no breaks
THIS HAS NOTHING 1Ö
-
DOW N
DIPLOMACY
NOT... X
put on the health care cost w hirl
wind. Medicare's hospital insurance
trust fund will be depleted by the
end o f the decade. By 199?, there
would be a $250 billion deficit, and,
by 200?, a staggering SI trillion defi
cit.
In addition to endangering the
Medicare
system,
skyrocketing
health care costs arc increasing the
already serious financial problems
o f the elderly and jeopardizing their
ability to obtain vitally important
health care.
The comprehensive changes that
must be made in the Medicare sys
tem will affect us all profoundly—
we all will have to make tough
choices.
That is why I have asked a group
o f Oregonians noted for their know
ledge and experience in health care
and in the special issues affecting
our senior citizens to work together
on a special Medicare Advisory
Panel.
The panel will include doctors.
nurses, hospital administrators and
nursing home representatives as well
as representatives o f labor, business
and consumer groups; in short, a
full range of health care experts.
I did not organize this panel be
cause I believe there are quick or
easy answers to the Medicare prob
lem. W e are not going to be able to
sit down over a pleasant lunch and,
by dessert, solve the major health
care problem o f the decade.
I brought (his distinguished panel
together because I believe that we
have no time to waste fretting. W e
must tackle the problem immediately
and begin the search for solutions
that will protect our senior citizens
from the nightmare which illness is
becoming for them.
W ith that goal in mind, I would
also appreciate hearing your opin
ions on this vitally important sub
ject. You can write me at 1406
Longworth House O ffice Building,
Washington. D .C ., 20515.
Letters to the Editor.
Police thank citizens for
move downtown
One prisoner's memory
To the editor:
To the editor:
js B
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Fragmented People,
adrift in a derelict sea—
They circle in confusion
like windmilling rain
with tense, scattered moods
seeking solace
from mind-storms
o f hard falling pain.
Anxious glances
watch the clock ticking on.
Tim e stands still,
sullen and indifferent.
So, into the eye
o f a spinning cyclone
an idle fury
seethes with rage and frustration.
A rtificial poses crumble,
as counterfeit models
fall from pedestals
made only o f clay.
Those holding silence
amid synthetic assertions
are only a few;
the unbowed, unafraid and alone
— T.J. Graven
The Observer welcomes Letters to
the Editor. Letters should be short,
and must contain the writer's name
and address(addresses are not p a n t
ed). The Observer reserves the right
to edit f o r length.
Grenada
to th e Portland Observer.
(Continued fro m page I column 6)
□ I have enclosed my check or
money order for *15. for s
one year subscription.
N a m e _________ __________________
A d d ress _______ ________________
C i t y _______________________ S ta te
Portland Police Dept.
R O C K Y B U T T E J A IL :
A MEMORY
Yea. I would Ilk* • subscription
PLEASE PRINT
Mad io Portland Obaarvet
Boa 3137
Portland Oraqon 97706
Over the wekend o f January 6,
1984, the Portland Police Bureau
will be moving to the new Justice
Services Building at 1111 S .W . 2nd.
W e wish to thank all o f the citi
zens o f Portland who have made
this move possible by providing
such a fine work site. We would also
like to remind everyone that effec
tive January 9, 1984, we will have
new, non-emergency phone num
bers, all o f which are in the new tele
phone book.
Remember, however, that for an
emergency an d /o r police service,
dial 9 1 1.
The crisis of impatience
creates endless pacing;
an interminable waiting
takes its toll.
Sanity is threatened,
as the veneer lifts
from realness and reality
and weakness goes on display.
.Z 'P
Happy
New Year!
to have been developed by the same
mentality that assaulted and de
stroyed Black and progressive or
ganizations in the 1970s. The inva
sion is another blow to the self-de
termination of people everywhere.
In 1984, Afro-Americans must
struggle harder. This Kwanzaa let us
remember the New Jewel Movement
and its slain leaders. W e must carry
on the slogan, "F o rw a rd together,
backwards never!”