I--notesf rom n tundergraduate
14yr £idligan Daily
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Ann Arbor's endangered liberalism
by ron lanidsmnan mmwm
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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.
TUESDAY, JULY 22, 0969
NIGHT EDITOR: NADINE COHODAS
i
Coming back
from the moon
I
PABLO PICASSO WAS quoted yesterday
in the New York Times as saying of
the Apollo 11 mission, "It means nothing
to me. I have no opinion about it and I
don't care."
Few other men who watched the tele-
vision pictures shown across the face of
the globe of those first moments of man's
passage on the moon could express such
indifference as did that great artist. Yet
as the evening wore on and the newsmen
begin to pile trite adverb upon over-
worked adjective many must have found
a certain inkling of similarity between
their own feelings and those of Picasso.
There can be no question of the purely
scientific value of the moon landing. The
material and data which the mission will
produce will add immeasurably to the
fund of man's knowledge.
And by means of the continuing study
and exploration of the moon there seems
little doubt that practical application can
be made, of the purely scientific discov-
eries.
But what will this mean for most of
the men left here on earth? Totally un-
affected by the more esoteric aspects of
the advance in knowledge, it seems un-
likely that the average earthling will
gain even from whatever practical out-
comes such exploration may have.
IT SEEMS much more likely that mater-
ial gains from space missions will be
translated into corporate profits or moon
depletion allowances for some American
and perhaps Russian cartel.
But that has been the meaning of ad-
vancing technology for a long time-the
space program is only one glaring ex-
ample. This country is capable of build-
ing rockets and computers which can
place a man on the moon and bring him
back again. Human technology can build
weapons able to destroy millions upon
millions of people in a matter of minutes.
For these advances man has paid dearly.
Millions of dollars and rubles and years of
the finest scientific thinking have been
used to produce these technological ad-
vances. But never has such massive effort
been spent on the problems which have
haunted mankind since the beginning of
time.
Men in every part of the world die of
starvation and disease. And when they
are allowed by a world dominated by
massive technology to live many of them
must do so in poverty, ignorance and
hatred. For these problems the wheels
of government and science have turned
agonizingly slowly. Far fram the attitude
of the military planners that anything
which is needed can be developed, gov-
ernment for thousands of years has an-
nounced "the poor will always be with
us."
AND PERHAPS more significant than
the apalling lack of concern for the
everyday problems of mankind is the
total absence of work to change the
drudgery and meaninglessness of man's
existence. Although the government and
the media tout the ease of living in the
future no one questions that that future
will be built around a deadly system of
consumption, production and daily toil.
The assumption tying work - whether
ditch digging or button pushing - to the
earning of life's necessities is never chal-
lenged.
But can a country which has spent so
much time, money and effort to place a
man on the moon and make itself ready
for nuclear disaster question the ability
of man's genius to genuinely ease the
burden of living? Is it possible that a
nation of such technological magnifi-
cance cannot free men from their mind-
less burden?
THE GREATEST threat to the improve-
ment of the plight of the Ann Arbor
black community are the radical students
and street people, seconded strongly by
their unintended allies, the Ann Arbor
economic and political elite, the old Re-
publican guard.
The reason-Mayor Robert Harris.
Harris is the best thing that could have
happened to the Ann Arbor black com-
munity and to the University's 30,000
students.
Harris' liberal credentials are impeccable.
For example, he was a major drafter of
the state's housing legislation, used to
great advantage by the Ann Arbor Rent
Strike and increasingly in Detroit by black
tenants groups.
But his past record is not as important
as what he could possibly do in Ann Arbor
now. He is a mayor with an unbeatable
City Council majority, with almost all the
power he could ask for in the city.
He has started by giving city govern-
ment's effective tacit support to the rent
strike. The two greatest problems for stu-
dents in Ann Arbor, besides the University
itself, are the merchants and the land-
lords. There is nothing Harris can do
about the former, but there is at least a
little he can do about the latter, and most
reports indicate that he has.
But students don't need help nearly as
desperately as do the blacks. Comprising
some 10 to 15 per cent of the population,
OSA
(Editor's Note: The following is a discussi
copy of a letter sent by Acting Vice- ing.
President for Student Affairs Barbara In th
Newell to Student Government Council primary
President Marty McLaughlin. The let- of "bind
ter, written by Mrs. Newell and the Of- appropri
fice of Student Affairs directors, ex- major s
plains their position on the SGC de- of OSA
mand for control of OSA through stu- law 7 to
dent run policy boards.) lent of a
EACH DIRECTOR has received tee in
a request to comment on the Commis
SGC policy. We have discussed No Dea.
what would appear an appropriate fails to
response and are sincerely ~in- constitu
terested in exploring possible ways executiv
of working cooperatively in find- power, b
ing an agreement. However, uni- rectly to
lateral action by SGC could jeop- decision;
ardize the final enactment of trator.
Chapter 7 of the Bylaws, a result In our
both you and we would not wel- adminis
come. It is our understanding that the vari
there is agreement that differences ulty, sti
between the faculty and SGC will etc., cal
be worked out through discussions terest to
before either takes final action. the adr
There are a number of points in they dea
your resolution which appear which ti
either in direct conflict (for ex- may de
ample, the issue of membership necessari
ratios and voting rights on com- flictingi
mittees) or areas of possible severe resolved
misunderstanding which require all polic
they have always been the most disen-
franchised group, politically and economic-
ally.
Harris, with his 7-3 Democratic majority
on Council, can now help them. The first
opening is through the Model Cities pro-
gram. The previous Republican administra-
tion was on the verge of dismembering
the program just days before the election.
Only Harris and the other Democrats'
victories prevented that. But the program
will need continuing support from the city
government for quite a few more years.
Only the Democrats are interested in pro-
tecting Model Cities and all it can do for
the black community.
Harris also could have moved to control
the police more effectively in their dealings
with both the black and student com-
munities. Harris could have moved toward
greater control of the police bycity hall-
the most effective means of controlling
them without creating a police reaction.
HARRIS IS NOW' almost completely
barred from any action against the police
because the entire city is so sensitive to
the issue.
Where once he might have been quietly
effective behind the walls of city hall, now
every move will be open to critical public
investigation, by a public that has nothing
but respect for the police.
Harris is not a majority mayor. He was
elected by hard work. Dick Balzhiser, who
was wandering around South U. during the
"riots," probably enjoying the show, had an
easy victory waiting for him last spring
but he, and the rest of the Republicans,
blew it.
The GOP pr'obably has an easy 60 per
cent majority in this city, but they were
fat and lazy during the campaign while
the Democrats got out the vote as though
their lives depended on it.
Once the situation was created on South
University, Mayor Harris was obviously
in no position to move to either extreme,
and there was no satisfactory way out.
But what can be said definitely is that
the street people did unforgiveable harm
to a cause they never could-and never
would--explicitly renounce.
What it means is that Harris and other
Democrats are going to have a veryhard
time winning election or re-election in the
next two or three years.
THE LOSS this would mean to most
students and to most blacks in the city
is considerable. Moreover, the situation is
ludicrous considering the paucity of con-
tent to the demands of the street people.
Their demands somehow pale when
compared to students' desire to gain some
effective power against the landlords who
have taken advantage of students for too'
long.
But compared to the desires of blacks-
to get out of their decrepit housing in the
north central part of the city, to revitalize
their community, to improve education
and job opportunities, in general, to im-
prove the quality of their lives-compared
to all this, the demands of the street people
are criminal.
It is not as if they were asking for sig-
nificant gains in return for such losses.
Their demands are trivial, selfish and, in
fact, unrealistic. They aren't the only peo-
ple in the city.
WORSE THAN harassing Harris in-
directly, one Radical Caucus member has
gone so far as to demand that the mayor
be recalled. It is odd that a young radical
should find himself with such strange
bedfellows-Fred Ulrich, Dick Balzhiser
and the rest of the Republican establish-
ment in this city would like to see Harris
recalled.
Who does he expect to get elected in
Harris' place? These aren't Student Gov-
ernment Council elections, where bending
the rules and petulant candidates blowing
another easy victory would insure success
for the radicals. Far from it.
Such idiocy is shortsighted, impolitic and
unforgivable.
For the first time in a generation, liberals
have the power in this "All-American"
city. To see it squandered now by a group
of foolish kids would hurt, and hurt in
the worst way.
1*
Ii
4l
nd
the
'binding mandate'
on and more careful draft-
is latter category, , our
concern is on the matter
ding" decisions. We see as
Iate the inclusion of a.
tudent voice in the affairs
and read the drafted By-
have proposed the equiva-
a dean's executive commit-
line with the President's
sion on Decision-Making.
n can remain for long who
recognize the needs of his
encies. For this reason,
e committees wield great
but they neither report di-
the Regents nor are their
s binding on an adminis-
r view, it is not possible to
ter a University in which
ous constituencies, i.e. fac-
udents. employes, alumni,
4n define what is of in-
o them and then mandate
uministrators with whom
al to take certain positions
hat particular constituency
sire. Any large university
ily encompasses many con-
interests which need to be
. The Regents, as an over-
y Board, do not administer
the daily affairs of the University.
They must rely, on administrators.
If individual administrators do not
demonstrate competence, Ith e y
should be replaced.
Let us give an example of why
we do not believe it is possible to
operate under a "mandate" sys-
tem. Many of our employes in the
auxiliary enterprises, i.e. the dor-
mitories, the hospital, etc., are or-
ganized in unions. We bargain
with them over wages, hours, and
working conditions. Since such
enterprises are, by definition, self-
supporting we must derive enough
income from them to pay the ex-
penses.
If a student committee, which
clearly has an interest in dor-
mitory rates, can mandate an ad-
ministrator to hold the line on
rates, and an employe committee,
which clearly has an interest in
wages, can mandate the same ad-
ministrator to raise their wages,
the two things may be irrecon-
ciliable. Someone has to make a
decision on the proper balance be-
tween the contending interests.
Some decisions will be made by
the Regents. Other decisions will
be made through procedures au-
thorized by the Regents.
THERE IS another aspect of
the problem on which we may
have a deep-seated philosophical
difference of opinion. If we do, it
is probably best brought to the
surface.
The resolution suggests that
there are "University policies
which affect students alone."
There are few, if any, policies
which have so narrow a scope.
Within the Office of Student Af-
fair, for instance, there are sub-
agencies dealing with sucl things
as housing, health services, and
financial aids. Surely none of
these would qualify as affecting
students alone. Future generations
of students are affected, for ex-
ample, by planning decisions made
in housing. Further, the develop-
ment of new programs like the
Residential College are of deep
concern, also, to' our faculty.
In the area of health, the total
environment of our community is
affected by the services provided
through the Health Service.'
The way in which a financial
aids program is administered has a
great deal to say about the kind
of students who can attend the
University. This is a matter of in-
'terest to all segments of the Uni-
versity, as well as to the citizens
of the state.
FINALLY, it is pointless to ig-
nore the interests of the taxpayers,
expressed through the legislature.
Out-of-state students pay an
average of 75 per cent of the cost
of their education at The Univer-
sity of Michigan. The difference
between cost of education and
tuition is a direct subsidy from
the taxpayers of Michigan.
Whether students agree or not,
these taxpayers and members of
the legislature feel they have an
interest in many of the questions
which concern students. Students
can see clearly the impropriety of
a legislative mandate over internal
University affairs; it is necessary
at the same time that they rec-
ognize the importance of recon-
ciling interests both within and
without the University. Mandated
decisions are anathema to such
conciliatory effforts.
Assuming you wish to discuss
this matter further with us, please
feel free to contact us. Such dis-
cussions would be most welcome
before more definitive action is
taken.
4%
WITH THE MOON men coming back
earth it would be well for the rest
us to follow their example.
of
to
of
--CHRIS STEELE
Letters: Democracy and
the
marketplace of ideas
(Editor's Note: The writer is the Vice-
chairman for _State and National Issues of
the Ann Arbor Democratic Party. His letter
is written in response to a letter (Daily,
July 18) by Shelly Kroll concerning "street
people" and radical politics. This letter is
not intended as an official statement of
the Ann Arbor Democratic Party.)
To the Editor:
A DEMOCRATIC government can
fail in 'two ways: First,t the gov-
ernment could be unresponsive to the
wishes of the people, slow in redress-
ing grievances, lax in passing legis-
lation desired by the majority, con-
trolled by illegitimate interest groups,
or unwilling to make desired consti-
tutional changes. Second, the people
themselves could be amiss in under-
standing the nature of current prob-
lems. The people - through more-
or-less well functioning democratic
channels - could require their gov-
ernment to take the wrong steps at
the wrong time, or prevent govern-
ment from taking steps which his-
tory would judge as being b a d 1 y
needed.
If the first flaw obtains, the ma-
jority has the right to rise up and
reclaim the government by whatever
means necessary. But if the second
case holds, any attempt by a minor-
ity to take over governmental power
can only lead to reaction or repres-
sion. It is this second situation that
holds in America today.
Consider, for example, the prevail-
ing attitude of Americans towards
the police. While the police are in-
creasingly "acting as political gangs
;1
whose use of violence is directed at
political "targets," to quote Shelly
Kroll, polls showed that about 80%
of Americans approved of the police
tactics at the Democratic convention
last August. Americans are not both-
ered by continuing police harassment
of young people and blacks, the tre-
mendous waste of energy and money
on enforcement of questionable "mo-
rals" laws (s u c h as those against
marijuana), and automatic treat-
ment of left wing activists as poten-
tial criminals.
IT IS POSSIBLE to trace such po-
lice action to events like seminars
held by the FBI to teach police de-
partments how to "deal with sub-
versives." But the fact of the matter
. 'fit.bra
i
I n ;:
,¢ a
is that the FBI, the Chicago police,
and Sheriff Harvey (complete with
his Harvey Jugend) have the over-
whelming support of the American
people. Thus, no matter how cour-
ageous an individual it is who takes
a stand against the political use of
the police, any changes he brings
about are bound to be at best tem-
porary if democracy is functioning at
all.
We have seen other areas in which
the public has been slow to under-
stand. Most Americans have not yet
realized our government's large and
continuing part in maintaining the
arms race with the USSR, nor have
they understood the lack of justice-
and thus ultimately lack of wisdom-
in our military and diplomatic sup-
port for unpopular and dictatorial
foreign governments, and our lack of
support for popular governments
committed to reform.
Perhaps the area in which misin-
formation and lack of understanding
hurt most is that of our racial prob-
lems. Large numbers of Americans
still vote and take other political ac-
tion out of unadulterated racial
prejudice. A majority have not yet
understood the nature of a more sub-
tie, but no less insidious, kind of pre-
judice that results from their pas-
sive acceptance of lines of authority
that are discriminatory. Even fewer
h a v e grasped the nature of social
and economic systems which, even in
the absence of discrimination, would
still act to perpetuate a large, mostly
black, urban "under class" genera-
tion after generation.
. A similarly dangerous situation is
the possibility that widely accepted
aims of our society are false and bas-
ically meaningless. A growing group
of young Americans are stating that
t h e y cannot be fulfilled or happy
within the options provided for them,
and they are met with scorn and in-
tolerance. These people are now
starting to see our economy as one
problem, the fullest expression of di-
verse ideas will be needed.
'IF, THEN, the opinions of the
American people are the main cause
of our' current problems, we should
try to understand how these opinions
a r e formed and maintained - in
hopes of finding some solution. As
we seek this understanding, we
should compare what we find to our
historic ideal of the "marketplace of
ideas": Citizens should be able to
reach a consensus about how to gov-
ern themselves as a result of expos-
ure to a freely flowing and diverse
stream of opinions and facts from
one another throughout their /lives.
Although such a consensus may not
be ideal in a philosophical sense, the
method of reaching it - the f r e e
market - has not been improved up-
on in fact or theory. But when we
examine the current idea market, we
will find that t h e ideas expressed
most freely are conventional ideas,
and that the structure of the market
is the greatest force opposing order-
ly change.
One major way in which opinions
are influenced is by the mass media,
TV in particular. According to a
Roper poll, most Americans regard
TV as the most credible news med-
ium and get most of their informa-
tion from it. Many TV stations are
controlled by large corporations or
other conservative interests that ex-
ercise effective veto power over
n e w s broadcasting, by selection of
.staff and even direct censorship.
Journalism aimed at exposing in-
tolerable situations is practically ab-
sent on TV. The Public Broadcast-
ing Laboratory, which attempted to
expose the "military-industrial-con-
gressional complex" in one of its pro-
grams (for example) came under at-
tack in Congress when its appropria-
tions came up for renewal. S o m e
congressmen thought t h e program
was "one-sided."
One problem - perhaps the most
basic one - is that the p r e s e n t
means of support for TV is advertis-
ing. As Arthur Alpert has pointed out
(The Washington Monthly, July
1969), this means that TV time is a
tool sold to an advertiser for the pur-
pose of delivering an audience to him.
Thus TV programmers must seek the
widest possible audience at all times.
This prevents having a large variety
of programs each of which would ap-
peal to segments of the mass audi-
ence, or taking stands that s o m e
viewers might find disagreeable.
A hopeful sign is the spread of ca-
ble television (CATV), which might
largely replace over-the-air TV in
the next few years. CATV will per-
mit many more channels to be used,
and thus a greater possible variety
of programs. Facilities for transmis-
sion will be less expensive, thus mak-
ling neighborhood programming feas-
ible. But most important, the legal
and economic structure of CATV is
still sufficiently flexible and unde-
fined that a determined onslaught
by those concerned with the issues
raised here could move control of
CATV out of the hands of corpora-
tions and advertisers and into the
hands of the people.
A SECOND MAJOR way that
American attitudes are formed is by
politicians.
Thus it is particularly unfortunate
that those with money - and thus
those that stand to lose in the course
of change whether they be business-
men (including most doctors) or la-
bor leaders - have such great influ-
ence over political campaigns. This
is so because of the high cost of ad-
vertising, as well as other campaign
costs, and the resulting need for large
contributions. H e r e is yet another
conservative force acting contrary to
the principle of the marketplace of
ideas
Certain specific changes in laws
relating to TV a n d political cam-
casting than advertising , u s.t be
found. Some institution should also
take on the job of getting our best
writers and film-makers out of their
garrets and into television.
WE HAVE ALREADY lost a great
deal of ground in the fight for a real
marketplace of ideas. Many of the
views that should be expressed have
already been muted. Some of our best
political thinkers have left the coun-
try because of some kind of harass-
ment. Others are afraid to speak out.
What is worse, the bulk of Ameri-
cans will not even listen as long as
freedom of speech is limited to "off-
beat" channels of communication.
Times a r e changing quickly. In
terms of the speed at which people
adapt their attitudes to the times,
the balance between peaceful change
and civil war is precarious. The es.
tablishment of a real marketplace of
ideas should be among our highest
political priorities.
-Jonathan Baron
July 21
'Mug' mismanagement
To the Editor:
THE MANAGEMENT of the "Mug"
cafeteria should resign today if they
haven't already.
This evening (Monday) about
6:00 I began to savor one of their
much-heralded student specials. Fi-
nally at 6:15, able to stand it no
longer, I burst out of my office on
a beeline for the Union. Pleasant
thoughts of a steaming bowl of in-
stitutional minestrone followed up
with mulchy pork chop a-la-Wolver-
ine dominated my imagination over
the several-block hike. When I final-
ly arrived my parched throat craved
-in addition a tall, cool glass of ice
tea. Just in time for the 6:34 news
on TV too!
Only the "Mug" was dry. A cold
barrier ,of steel and glass separated
rly famished frame from the dark,
lifeless Interior.
k
4r
I