Seventy-Seven Years of Editorial Freedom
EDITED AND MANAGED BY STUDENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICMIGAN
UNDER AUTHORITY OF BOARD IN CONTROL OF STUDENT PUBLICATIONS
Black Perspectives on Two Elections
Where Opinions Are Free, 420 MAYNARD ST., ANN ARBOR, MICH.
Truth Will Prevail
NEWS PHONE: 764-0552
Editorials printed in The Michigan Daily express the individual opinions of staff writers
or the editors. This must be noted in all reprints.
I SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 1967
NIGHT EDITOR: WALLACE IMMEN
SGC and Vehicle Regulations:
Driving the 'U' to a Solution
STUDENT GOVERNMENT Council on
Thursday night eliminated all student
regulations concerning the operation of
motor-driven ,vehicles. The University
administration, in the person of Vice-
President for Student Affairs Richard L.
Cutler, countered by claiming that SGC
cannot "wipe out a Regents bylaw."
It appears, though, that the students
are clearly in the right.
For years the administration has at-
tempted to regulate the rights of student
drivers not only with regards to Univer-
sity owned property, but in all of "greater
Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County": in
effect, it has been regulating traffic on
streets it doesn't own.
A high official source in Lansiig has
indicated that the University, in fact,
may not have the legal prerogative of
infringing upon the legislative rights of
licensing and taxation. State Attorney
General Frank Kelley is at this time pre-
paring to make a decision on the matter.
HE ADMINISTRATION'S timeless de-
fense of its system of allowing only
a part of the student body to drive in
Washtenaw County has revolved around
the issue of parking: the lack of avail-
able parking space, it is argued, must
exclude students with less than 70 credit
hours from operating motor-driven ve-
hicles.
It is further argued that the admin-
istration must be given time to cope with
present and future parking problems;
that if any changes are to be made they
must be effected slowly and carefully.
BUT THIS IS all very specious reason-
ing. The University has proven un-
willing to rectify the situation: it refuses
to provide adequate parking facilities for
students. Now that a "crisis" arises, the
administration will be forced to react.
Hopefully SGC's new regulations will be
constructively dealt with and the Uni-
versity can make some positive progress
on this too-often neglected problem.
In any case, the students have asserted
their rights to drive in conjunction with
Michigan state law. This must not be
denied.
--JOHN LOTTIER
Associate Editorial Director
By JOHN WILLIAMS
The author is a graduate student
in the school of social work and a
member of the Detroit Association
of Black Social Workers.
IT IS INTERESTING that the
election of Carl Stokes and
Richard Hatcher to the mayor's
seat is progressive and yet unequal
to the black accomplishments of
Reconstruction one hundred years
ago.
During Reconstruction, blacks
held many local, state and nation-
al offices. The significant aspect
of holding office during Recon-
struction was the fact that a bour-
geois capitalist revolution had
taken place. The overthrow of
chattel slavery accomplished and
America almost freed blacks. The
1877 Tilden-Hayes betrayal smash-
ed the black victory and the failure
to carry out land changes de-
stroyed and failed to complete the
"revolution" for all Americans.
Stokes and Hatcher have won
mayoral elections without benefit
of an American revolution. In-
stead, they come at a time when
whites fear another Newark, De-
troit and/or Watts, a time of fail-
ure of the old administration to
stem the tide of black nationalism,
and a time when blacks are intent
on self-determination.
THE CURRENT trends are
manifestations of the insistence of
blacks to control theiruenviron-
ments. However, one should under-
stand that a black mayor in any
large city with a predominantly
black populous is burdened with
insurmountable problems.
A monopoly capitalist system, in
whichthe financial oligarchies
represented by steel, aluminum.
etc., retain the decision-making
powers inevitably affects the local
scene and how much can be done
locally. The Vietnam War remains
a boon for big business and a mas-
sacre of domestic and local-state
programs as well as national ones.
The most interesting reality
facing Hatcher and Stokes and the
goal of self-determination of
blacks, is the most vicious tenet
of the system-racism. Racism,
unlike yestereday, when it was ef-
fective in pitting white labor
against black labor, plays a dif-
ferent rolectoday. Because of the
worsening conditions of blacks and
their greater expendability in light
of the rising need for skills, many
colonial welfare plans are being
suggested to pacify the disen-
chanted blacks. It would be a
great feat for monopoly capital
of palliatives could be implement-
ed in the form of poverty pro-
grani,s urban renewal, etc., but
whites refuse to accept these pro-
grams.
fers the fate that corporate im-
perialism wants and will help it
to suffer. It's absurd to assume
that blacks can vote themselves
to treedom and coexist with the
system. Hatcher "made it" but all
those burdens he is faced with will
continue to plague the masses of
toiling blacks regardless of his
"success."
"If black self-determination attempts minimal goals such as control of
the boards of education, local politics, et cetera, in place of a long range
program, then it suffers the fate that corporate imperialism wants and
will help it to suffer."
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CONCOMITANT to this is the
federal government's emphasis on
Vietnam, etc., and its virtual dis-
regard of domestic needs. Congress
takes a foolish view of the rebel-
lions and consideration of pro-
grams for the cities are vetoed in
favor of punitive measures for the
so-called rioters.
Stokes and Hatcher are faced
with these powerful odds. Such a
situation points out the fact that
any concept of black self-deter-
mination that assumes it can exist
within a monopoly capitalist order
is sheer foolishness. Many people,
no doubt, have the illusion that
blacks can now vote their way to
power. Look around you, however,
and you'll see a new phase arising
in America.
This phase is that of a neo-
colonialism in black areas. The
black nationalist consciousness and
relentless struggle of grass roots
blacks for freedom has denied the
financial oligarchy the use of the
old "handkerchiefhead house nig-
ger," or the Senator Brooke types.
Instead there appears Hatcher,
who is no Rap Brown any more
than he is in the category of 'the
others. This new type "militant"
black leader is strong on equality
for blacks and all people. His de-
mand is for change within the
framework of the system and has
no intention of changing that sys-
tem itself.
There exists a real problem with
cries for black self-determination.
If black self-determination at-
tempts minimal goals such as con-
trol of the boards of education,
local politics, et cetera, in place of
a long range program, then it suf-
KENYA AND Jomo Kenyatta;
the Congo and Lumumba, as well
as others, found that coalescing
with an imperialist power planted
only the seeds of destruction. Na-
tionalism and self-determination
are necessary phases of develop-
ment for the black freedom strug-
gle but it is not the only end re-
sult of revolution in America.
A revolutionary program rec-
black candidates is the political
education that will accrue to
blacks, specifically, and whites.
The impossibility of black mayors
operating justly in a monopoly
capitalist order and use of neo-
colonialist tactics by the power
structure in the cities, will depict
and define the real need which is
revolutionary change. It is only
through revolution that the con-
cept of self-determination and long
ognizes the fact that blacks in
America are an oppressed nation
within a nation and are about to
be faced with the same type of
neo-colonialist tricks that most of
Africa. Asia and Latin America
are facing.
IN CONCLUSION, the only sig-
nificant lesson of the election of
range goals of freedom and justice
can become reality.
It is just as important that
whites, en masse, realize thefu-
tility of a black mayor preventing
so-called riots. The nominally ex-
ploited whites will be forced to
recognize the inadequacies of the
structure and can .then either
move to try to destroy blacks or
coalesce to work towards a bet-
ter system.
It is my contention that the lat-
ter is far more feasible since the
former presents no alternative but
death and I suspect white America
isn't ready for that despite their
moves toward Nazi tendencies.
WHEN AMERICA'S call is to
actively support Africa, Asia, Latin
America and the black freedom
struggle, then and only then will
one be able to view the election of
a Hatcher or Stokes as revolu-
tionary. In essence, when America
is ready to put capitalism, coloni-
alism and their vicious tenents im-
perialism and racism with all other
past events; in a museum, then
freedom and justice can become
a reality for all people.
4
Poor Richard's Pilgramage
RED, WHITE, and blue pamphlet
found its way into The Daily office
the other day. It described how "You can
be the Winner in '68" and was mailed
from the Nixon for President Committee
at 1726 Pennsylvania Avenue, only one
block, perhaps, from its future home.
And since it's never too early to become
informed about the stand of the leading
G.O.P. Presidential candidate, the follow-
ing are excerpts from the Nixon Report:
"LOWER TAXES? Many people feel they
are being taxed unfairly to support
others who refuse to work-or cannot
find work because, funds which are sup-
posed to provide jobs are being misused.
"Richard Nixon will be satisfied with
nothing less than a thorough-going ef-
fort to put the country back on a business
basis.
"An end to bureaucratic waste? Are
you fed up with an administration which
spends vast sums of money on visionary
projects which cannot possibly pay their
way?
"Richard Nixon is as concerned as you
are at the inefficiencies of big govern-
ment. He receives thousands of letters
from citizens with constructive com-
plaints and suggestions. These letters
are being read carefully. And they will
be acted on, as soon as he is president!
"An end to terror in the streets? Rich-
ard Nixon believes that the honest citizen.
has rights at least equal to the rights of
criminals. He believes in untying the
hands of the local police . .. in enforcing
laws which protect society . . . and in
passing new laws to take care of new
Next: Protest it
GROWING DEMOCATIC forces
opposing President Johnson's war in
Vietnam will be meeting the first test of
strength within their party next week
when the Young Democratic Clubs of
America holds its biennial convention,
November 15-18, in Miami. The College
Young Democrats, holding a pre-conven-
tion meeting in Boston this weekend, is
most likely to come out overwhelmingly
against the President and the war in
Vietnam. Listening to addresses from
men such as Sen. Eugene McCarthy, the
CYD will be looking for a viable alterna-
tive to Johnson within the Democratic
Party.
The Administration has taken meas-
ures to squash the College Young Demo-
crats Club. They have already withdrawn
support from the umbrella CYD organ-
ization, and battles are imminent in
Miami over the credentials of the indi-
vidual college clubs. They have gone as
far as asking several of the senior state
Democrat Party organizations to refuse
to recharter the individual campus YD
clubs.
kinds of crimes, rather than letting the
power of the police and courts dwindle
away.
"An end to the war in Vietnam? Are
you tired of hearing, year after year,
that we are "winning the war in Vietnam,
even though there is still no end in sight?
Do you think 11,000 American lives ...
500 American planes . . . and 24 billion
American dollars annually is too high a
price?
"Richard Nixon has the experience and
knowledge in world affairs which only a
20-year investment at the highest levels
of government can give a man. He knows
the problems of the world and how to
solve them. He is the only man in either
party to anticipate problems before they
result in war, bring order and direction
to our efforts in Vietnam, and lasting
peace to our world."
FOR ANYONE WHO remembers the
Nixon of the Eisenhower years and the
1960 election, the new propaganda gives
a chill. "Untie the hands of local police
.. .put the country back on a business
basis . . . He knows the problems of the
world and how to solve them."
Richard Nixon has had eight years out
of elective office to look the whole world
over. And yet, sadly enough, the men-
tality demonstrated in the preceding
judgments are all we are given. It re-
minds one of that classic Arab proverb:
"Though the ass may make a pilgrim-
mage to Mecca, still an ass he will re-
turn."
-ROBERT KLIVANS
Editorial Director
the Primaries
But still the anti-Johnson forces are
beginning to feel their strength, and two
candidates-Jerry Grant, the YD state
chairman in Colorado, and Allen Reed,
an assistant professor at the University
of Nebraska-will be championing their
cause at the YDCA convention. If they
succeed, the YD's will prove that the
party politicians can be defeated within
their own organization by a determined
"grass-roots" effort to change the course
of an Administration that has lost con-
tact with the opinions and desires of
their electorate.
THE EFFORTS of the rebellious YD's
mark the first attempt for those opposed
to the war to marshall their forces in a
positive manner and work through a
legitimate organization. No longer will
those wanting to express their disen-
chantment with the Administration be
forced to resort to such negative means
of expression as sit-ins and obstruction
of induction centers.
While those who are completely dissil-
lusioned by American society may prefer
negative measures, those who desire to
work through 'the system' can now do so;
and in our non-revolutionary society,
Gary's Hatcher eCleveland's Stokes
.~B t
Letters:* Discussing the Middle-mEast ,
To the Editor:
I WAS AMUSED and annoyed by
the preposterous article about
supposed Israeli "expansionism" in
the Nov. 9 Daily by John Roden-
beck. It is certainly sad to see
someone who should know better
parroting the nonsense produced
by Radio Cairo for the benefit of
illiterate Egyptian fellahin, and it
is sadder stil to see someone at-
tempting to revive the hoary spec-
tre of "Zionist plots." One likes
to see a little orginality and intel-
ligence, even in propaganda. The
article was morally and intellec-
tually indefensible.
Mr. Rodenbeck simply permits
himself to repeat in his article the
absurd "Big Lie" now being spread
by the Arab governments to whom-
ever is simple enough to swallow
it, that the gallant Israeli defense
of their country against the con-
templated genocial aggression of
the Arabs was, in reality, a mur-
derous plot by two million Jews
against eighty million peace-loving
camel drivers.
This, of course, as anyone who
listened to the public statements
and boasts of the Arabs shortly
before the brief war, knows, is ut-
t'er nonsense. The Arabs simply
cannot forgive the Israelis for
having created a progressive and
modern country in an area which
they have done nothing to im-
prove for centuries, nor can they
forgive the Israelis for refusingto
let themselves be passively exter-
minated. Mr. Rodenbeck seems to
have lost all objectivity during his
stay in Cairo, and views the Mid-
dle Eastern situation entirely from
the self-deluded eyes of the Arabs.
WHAT IS sheerly unforgiveable
in the article, however, are Mr.
Rodenbeck's laughable references
to the old Zionist conspiracy myth.
Mr. Rodenbeck tells us solemnly
of "the large empire that stretches,
in accord with usual right-wing
interpretations of the Covenant,
from the Nile to the' Euphrates"
and to "Zionist plans documented
25 years ago." One would like to
know what "usual" interpretations
he is referring to. and who "docu-
mented" these secret plans.
Indeed, the only people before
the Arabs to go on so about the
"Jewish conspiracy" were the
Nazis, who, as it turned out, hada
conspiracy of their own mind.
Apart from the childishness of
these charges, there is also a strong
taint of warmed-over Nazi propa-
gando them. I know it is fash-
ionable in certain New Left circles
to be anti-Israel and all that, but
isn't "Zionist plot" stuff going a
bit far?
TRUE, the Israelis appear to
have struck first in the last war,
and rightly so. Their position was
that of a Pman surrounded by a
pack of wolves ready to spring.
Should he wait until they are at
his throat, especialy when the
wolves have been declaring vehe-
mently how they are about to de-
stroy him? And bear in mind that
the Israelis struck at airfields and
military equipment in their pre-
emptive strike. The results for the
Israelis would have been quite dif-
ferent had the Arabs been per-
mitted to strike the first blow, and
bomb cities and farms.
That Mr. Rodenbeck and his
Arab friends are lost in fantasy
becomes only too clear when we
consider that the Israelis would
be hard put to find anything to
do with the whole Middle East and
80,000,000 Arabs if by some mir-
acle they were able to conquer
them.
How would two million Israelis
inhabit all that space? Mr. Roden-
beck is just continuing in an old
tradition that goes back to the
Middle Ages of attributing all sorts
of fantastic powers and evil desires
to the Jew. After what was inflict-
ed on the Jews in Europe, the sur-
vivors of that horror have every
right to their ancestral homeland
in Israel, and to defend themselves
in it.
I do not think they will be much
upset by the loud and empty voices
that attribute their legitimate de-
sire for a homeland to evil "Zion-
ist expansion."
-Ronald Rosenblatt
An Addition
To the Editor:
I WISH TO add a few thoughts
on Mr. Rodenbeck's article
"The Expansionistic State of
Israel." The crux of the human
tragedy that continues to unfold
in Palestine can be traced to this
fact. There was a difference be-
tween the newcomers and the old
Jewish residents in Palestine. The
old residents had long since
adapted themselves to life among
the Arabs. But the new immi-
grants brought with them a new
idea. They were not going to
merge themselves in the life of
Palestine as they found it. They
were going to make a distinct life
of their own, to build up a Jewish
society and to make it the vehicle
of a revival of Jewish culture and
the Hebrew religion.
But in trying to accomplish
this goal, the Zionists invoked the
imperative which aroused the
suspicion and hostility of the Arab
people since the 1920's. The im-
perative is that no room can be
made in Palestine for a second
nation except by dislodging the
nation in possession by force.
Israel . successfully accomplished
this fact. The Palestinian Arabs
lost their national existence and
the majority of them became
refugees.
In addition, a foreign state was
established in Arab Palestine with
the symptoms and policies of re-
ligious racism (General Dayan
claimed on "Face the Nation" pro-
gram that although Israel can
absorb the refugees economically,
yet it will not do it because the
refugees arenotJews and Israel
must remain "absolutely Jew-
ish"), expansionism, and oppres-
sion of the Palestinians who will
not accept Israel's invasion of
their land.
Finally, one fact must be faced.
The violence of the Arabs is the
inevitable corollary of the moral
and physical violence done to
them by Israel; and that it is not
likely to cease by benevolent ex-
pressions of pious hope or what-
ever the brutality of the repres-
sions until the cause of the in-
justice and oppression is removed.
--Imad Khadduri, Grad
Decency?
To the Editor:
YOUR NEWSPAPER may take
pride in its liberal policy of
letting all sides concerned with
controversial issues air their
sentiments in your publication,
but you clearly showed a lack of
common decency by allowing Mr.
Rodenbeck in his guest editorial
to compare the citizens of the
only peace-loving and democratic
state of the Middle East with the
brutal Nazi murderers of World
War II and their Arab counter-
parts today. And I personally
would never admit to being an
assistant professor in English
after presenting a case in the most
slipshod and illogical manner in
which Mr. Rodenbeck attempted
to mislead the readers of his
article.
It is significant that Mr. Rod-
enbeck bases his contention that
Israel is an expansionist state on
a statement made by an American
journalist. The only analogy I
can draw to that is someone
claiming that the official foreign
policy of Ethiopia is one of ag-
gression towards Italy on the
strength of a statement made by'
a Peruvian journalist. His quoting
of radical Israeli political leaders
to further substantiate his claim
is tantamount to accepting Stoke
ly. Carmichael as the spokesman
of American foreign policy.
Let us investigate Israel's rec-
ord of "aggression." In 1949, she
dared defend herself against the
combined might of seven Arab
armies after the world,after a
U.N. vote (including Russia's sup-
port), gave Israel permission to
exist in the community of nations.
In 1956, she attacked Egypt in
the Sinai campaign in retaliation
for untold numbers of Arab ter-
rorist raids, which resulted in the
killing of many Israeli civilians
who had the audacity to insist on
being free in their own land.
IT IS NO wonder that the Deir
Yasin incident took place, but let
us not forget that this deplorable
action was the sole action of a
handful of embittered Israeli
zealots and was officially de-
nounced by the Israeli govern-
ment, while Arab terrorist raids
were openly encouraged by the
Arab military dictators. Yet al-
though Israel gave back all the
territory she occupied at that
France, she is called expansionist.
Recently she defeated the Arabs
in a war that resulted from overt
acts of war perpretrated by Egypt
and Syria. She is still occupying
the territory she took in that war
in an effort to bring the Arabs
to the bargaining table to nego-
tiate with her directly the peace
that she so ardently desires.
Yet the Arabs refuse to talk
and are bent on re-arming. If Mr.
Rodenbeck is so fond of quoting
statements, why does he not
quote those made by Arab leaders
calling for the complete annihila-
tion of Israel and all her inhabi-
tants? The simple answer is that
they would take up all the space
The Daily uses for its publica-
tions for an entire year. They
would also be roughly equivalent
to the number of statements
issued by Israel calling for peace.
Admittedly there is a serious
Arab refugee problem, but we
should be thankful for such head-
aches, for if the Arabs had won
the war there would certainly be
no Jewish refugee problem. The
horrible fact is that the Arabs
themselves treat their own breth-
ren far worse than the Israelis
do. Since the inception of this
problem, Arab leaders such as
Nasser have refused to allow any
refugees to enter Egypt proper,
but has kept them penned up in
camps in the Gaza Strip just so
he can point to them and blame
Israel for the situation.
Meanwhile, the Arabs who re-
mained in Israel receive the full
benefits of- the most advanced
educational and health facilities
in the Middle East. During the
last war Israel's Arabs were the
objects of no harassment and re-
sponded by not initiating any in-
surrection against the government
that has treated them so' well.
This is quite different from the
Arab policy of putting all their
Jewish citizens in concentration
camps. I shall not insult anyone's
intelligence by asking him which
situation is more analogous to
Hitlerian tactics.
IN CONCLUSION, I am re-
minded by Mr. Rodenbeck's article
of a cartoon that appeared in an
Israelirnewspaper immediately
following her victory: Israel is
facing an embarrassed world who
did not come to her aid in her
recent hour of peril (but eventu-
ally came to its senses and de-
fended her in the United Nations
against a combined Arab and
Communist propaganda machine)
and is saying: "We sincerely apol-
ogize for winning this war."
-Buzzy Gordon, '71
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