100%

Scanned image of the page. Keyboard directions: use + to zoom in, - to zoom out, arrow keys to pan inside the viewer.

Page Options

Download this Issue

Share

Something wrong?

Something wrong with this page? Report problem.

Rights / Permissions

This collection, digitized in collaboration with the Michigan Daily and the Board for Student Publications, contains materials that are protected by copyright law. Access to these materials is provided for non-profit educational and research purposes. If you use an item from this collection, it is your responsibility to consider the work's copyright status and obtain any required permission.

February 08, 1979 - Image 4

Resource type:
Text
Publication:
The Michigan Daily, 1979-02-08

Disclaimer: Computer generated plain text may have errors. Read more about this.


Page 4-Thursday, February 8, 1979-The Michigan Daily

420 Maynard St., Ann Arbor, MI 48109
Eighty-Nine Years.of Editorial Freedom

Vol. LXXXIX, No. 108

News Phone: 764-0552

Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan

'I

Art loses out to politics

UE TO THE regretable intoler-
ance of the Soviet government
ps well as an apparent lack of foresight
On the part of University officials, Ohio
state students may soon be enjoying
the 150 Russian paintings, graphics,
and art objects which were to have
been displayed here for the next month
s part of the Russian Arts Festival.
Two days ago, the Soviet Union can-
elled a traveling art exhibition, "The
rt of Russia, 1800-1850," scheduled to
appear on campus Feb. 16 through
arch 16 because of a slated poetry
ading by a Soviet defector and a
otation in the festival brochure from
e work of exiled author Alexander
lzhenitsyn.
We consur with the stated opinion of
e dissident and University Poet-in-
sident, Joel Brodsky, that the with-
awal of the art was "a stupid move
bi the part of the Soviets in this coun-
The Soviets seem ,to have confused
trt with politics. In {.attacking artists
hom they consider fugitives, the
oviets disapp6inted hopes that
No U.S. prep
S THE POSSIBILITY of civil war
, in Iran increases each day, key
officials in the State Department are
quietly evaluating the various alter-
natives for future government policy
toward that country. Whatever the
future may produce in Iran, it is- im-
perative that the United States stay out
of it.
Already, the Carter administration,
like previous American governments,
has intervened beyond its limits in Iran
and significantly contributed to the
political and economic' chaos which
that country now faces.
The administration continually gave
physical and moral support to the
repressive regime led by the Shah, and
even now backs the government of
Prime Minister Shahpour Bakhtiar
and- the "constitutional process" in
Iran.
But the Bakhtiar regime is
illegitimate as it was appointed by an
illegitimate Shah., There was never
any constitutional mandate or show of
popular support that put the Shah in
power. And he was kept in power by
American money and armaments.
However, Ayatollah Ruhollah
Khomeini, the popular Islamic leader
who just returned from a 14-year exile
and has aroused tremendous demon-
strations of support in Iran, is also an
illegitimate leader of the Iranian
government.
The Ayatollah has repeatedly con-

citizens of the two major global powers
can learn from each other.
We also agree with Interim Univer-
sity President Allan Smith, who said he
thought the University "should have
realized that the Soviets are sensitive
in these cultural exchanges." Like the
proverbial thorn in the paw of a lion, so
dissidents have enraged the Soviet
leaders. Westerners, including
University administrators, must in
these tense years never forget that
those we might consider courageous
individuals may be thorns that enrage
the strong Soviet lion. It would've been
more tactful to have scheduled Brod-
sky's reading for another time.
But praise is due to the same ad-
ministrators for not allowing the
politics, the rage of the lion, to ruin the
extravaganza of the festival. Minus
this exhibit the cultural education and
appreciation will continue here.
So that leaves the two Soviets who
accompany the objects d'art down in
Columbus trying to find out whether
facilities there can handle the exhibit.
We hope so, for arts sake.

J
3
i
f
l
l
1
r
1
l
r

sence in Iran
demned the Shah and Bakhtiar and is
gradually establishing a "provisional"
regime to rule Iran. He has already
named Mehdi Bazargan to head the
new government which the Ayatollah
has vowed will become a non-aligned
Islamic republic.
He has also indicated he will hold
constitutional elections after his
government takes over to satisfy world
opinion which currently distrusts
Khomeini.
But we think the reverse order would
be more democratic and responsible.
Though it may be very clear that
Khomeini has an overwhelming
majority of national support, it is a
dangerous precedent to allow an in-
dividual to seize power without a for-
mal mandate from the voters.
What would happen if in a few years
a new and popular leader would
emerge in Iran? Should that person be
allowed to seize government without
an official mandate when it appears
the populace is behind him?
Therefore, we believe that free elec-
tions should be set up in Iran as soon as
possible. The U.S. should not in any
manner interfere with the organization
and implementation of these elections.
Without any outside interference, the
Iranian people would then have a fair
chance to pick the leader they want.
That choice may seem obvious to most
observers, but the beginning of a con-
stitutional process in Iran would be the
start of a healthy and stable future.

Jimmy Carter was inaugurated
just two years ago as the 39th
President of the United States
and though it's still more than a
year before the first presidential
primary, the 1980 run for the.
White House is already brewing
and it's not likely to slow down till
election day. Maybe it's not an
usually premature start to a
presidential campaign, but what
is surprising is the number of
politicians making moves so
early to put themselves in the
starting gate, especially against
an incumbent.
The field is endless; Kennedy,
Brown, Stevenson, Baker, Con-
nally, Reagan, Crane; and of.
course, James Earl Carter. A big
field for any contest but a sur-
prisingly long list before the first
piece of action next year.
The reason for the length of the
list boils down to the perceived
ineffectiveness of President Car-
ter. Carter, who was a wishy-
washy chief executive for the fir-
st year and a half of his ad-
ministration, has taken a clear
right turn that has set up the
ideological base upon which the
1980 rhetoric will take place. He
has lost most of the party's
liberals, clearing the path -for
Senator Edward Kennedy and
Frank Church and possibly
another bid by Arizona Represen-
tative Morris Udall. But he has
also left room on the right for
California Governor Jerry Brown
and 'a host of Republican
hopefuls.
In his conservative swing over
the last few months, the 54-year-
old former peanut farmer has
presented a Republican budget
for the 1980 fiscal year - cuts in
Social Security and substantial
increases in defense.
Calling it the "New Foun-
dation", Carter and his aides
have insisted the new budget
proposal is the only safe way to
reduce the dangerously high rate
of inflation. while most
politicians on Capitol Hill concur
with the presdient's aim to retard
inflation, there is widespread
disagreement over what
programs to cut and what new
ones to initiate.,
By establishing this new
Republican platform, Carter has
shown the nation where he will
stand. when his record goes on
trial next year. He has indicated
his goal for'a balanced budget to
cut inflation and hopes that
theme will carry him to another
term in the WhiteHouse.
But there are other candidates
with other themes who have mad(
unspectacular, but obvious,
moves to position themselves for
the long and difficult race ahead.
Jimmy carter is still an incum-
bent.

On the left, there is the ever-
popular but self-proclaimed non-
candidate Edward Kennedy.
.Kennedy, who has been men-
tioned as a possible presidential
candidate in each of the last three
elections, has finally made it
clear that he wants the job. He.
has been the most active criticof
the Carter Administration,
especially on its failure to
propose a viable national health
insurance plan.

his own ranks. But he's ready if
they need him.
Church has been less visible in
his pursuit of the presidency. As
the new chairman of the Senate
Foreign Relations Committee, he
wields tremendous power which
will be so significant when Car-
ter's SALT package comes up for
approval sometime this spring.
He also may not run, but his new
power coupled with the
possibility of being a liberal
alternative to a reluctant Ken-
nedy make him a man to watch in
the next few months,

Kennedy has
whirlwind tour4

conducted a
of the nation,

"But whatever 1980 may produce, Carter and
the other candidates have laid out their stra-
tegy far in advance of the campaign. Now all
they can do is wait."

The 1980 Election
is already hot,
By Michael Arkush

toward conservatism stays in-
tact.
There are other possibilities
within the party, such as Senator
Adlai Stevenson of Illinois,
Senator Harry Jackson of
Washington and Senator Birch
Bayh of Indiana. These may be
the darkhorses, but remember
nobody knew whatJimmy Carter
would do in 1976.
On the Republican side, there is
Reagan and the rest. The 67-year-
old patriarch of the par-
ty, Reagan has made
several bids for the top
nomination, the most recent a
narrow defeat to Gerald Ford for
the Republican nomination in
1976. He has total command of the
right flank of the more conser-
vative party and may grab
enough moderate and liberal
Republicans to run away with the
nomination despite 'his age.
Reagan, like Kennedy, has also
continually criticized Carter's
policies. He was the most vocal
critic of the administration's
Panama Canal treaty. He also
has indicated that Carter is not
going far enough to heal inflation,
a disease which may turn this
country even more conservative
and give Reagan a change to be
president.
John Connally,a man who has had
an incredible political career, has
also entered the race. The ex
Governor of Texas, Secretary of
the Treasury and former
Democrat, Connally is hoping to
capture some early primaries by
stealing some of Reagan's con-
servative supporters and winning
the backing of the party's liberals
and moderates. He believes
Republicans may regard him as
a younger alternative to Reagan
but he clearly doesn't have
enough of Reagan's strong power
base.
Carter is in trouble, his aides
admit. He has presented a
Republican platform because he'
believes in adjusting to the
voters' will. But she may have
gone too far right and opened
the way for another President
Kennedy. He may also have not
gone far enough right, leaving the
door open for Brown, Reagan or
others. The answer to that
question can only be determined
by trends in the economy and
foreign policy which may or may
not make the populace turn more
conservative or liberal.
But whatever 1980 may
produce, Carter and the other
candidates have laid out on the
line far in advance of the cam-
paign. Now all they can do is
wait.
Michael Arkush is the Co-
Director of the Editorial Page.

stopping to speak in places where
he had so often refused to during
the last decade. At each stop, he
has not hesitated to continue his
rhetorical accusations against
the present administration,
something which worries Carter
aides constantly.
But he has been cautious
enough to leave himself a way to
pull out without suffering any
political repercussions. When
asked the famous question by
reporters everywhere, he
responds- ambigiously and his
close aides say he would not enter
the race unless Carter was so
weak as to present no risk to the
Kennedy nomination. He has
strong public support, and
private help from some influential
leaders in the Democratic
organization but he is a party
man who would not run against a
relatively strong incumbent from

Certainly a man to watch in the
future is Jerry Brown, Brown,
who beat Carter in Maryland and.
Rhode .Island in the 1976
primaries, has made the biggest
flip-flop to position himself fo'r
1980. Like Carter, Brown has per-
ceived the country's bprn-again
conservatism and has adapted
himself to the new national mood.
After actively opposing
Proposition 13 in California, he
quickly joined its bandwagon af-
ter the voters handed it an over-
whelming 2-1 margin. He has sin-
ce stepped up his conservative
game-plan by calling for a con-
stitutional amendment to require
the federal government to balan-
ce the budget. 'His proposal has
received scattered support but is
unlikely to receive enough votes
to pass. He has shown the voters
where he will stand in 1980,
praying that the nation's twist

Moonies fish the cc

GLOUCESTER, Mass. - Two
short years after shutting out
foreign competition with the 200-
mile limit, the American fishing
industry is alive with tales of a
new menace. This one, however,
is an intruder of a different
stripe: Rev. Sun Myurig Moon's
controversial Unification Chur-
ch.
From the day Rev. Moon's ad-
vertising agent announced in the
summer of 1976 that Moon would
"make fish a staple" in this coun-
try, the church has poured
millions into the business.
UNDER THE corporate aegis
of International Oceanic Enter-
prises, the church now has
operations on virtually every
American coast: processing
plants in Virginia, California and
soon Alaska, tuna fishing and
lobster dealing in Massachusetts,
and boat-building in Alabama.
But the Moonies' arrival in
fishing communities has been
greeted with open hostility. They
have unanimously been declared
unwelcome by the B ayou La
Batre, Alabama, city council;
they have been warned publicly
by the mayor of Gloucester,
Massachusetts, that they would
have "strap marks on your ass
before you get a permit out of
me;" and they have been the spb-

Moon's fortune and political
clout.
But the real uproar starts when
local businessmen find them-
selves in competition with the
Moonies, who use church mem-
bers for most of their labor and
have access to ready cash from
the church's various corporate
branches.
"EVERY DEALER in the city
is afraid of them," explains one
Gloucester lobster dealer.
"They've got personnel you can't
match, they've got money you
can't match, they don't pay taxes
like you. There's just not'way you
'can compete with them."
While the Moon fishing enter-
prises are U.S.-registered cor-
porations, some critics believe
they are violating the spirit, if not
the letter, of the 200-mile law
because the church has been
found to have clear connections
with the Korean Central In-
telligence Agency. Many U.S.
fish dealers also charge that the
Moonie businesses are using the
church's tax-exempt status and
deep-pocket capital to gain unfair
- if not illegal - advantages.
Such warnings first spread
through the industry after an In-
ternational Oceanic Enterprises

Then, last winter, International
Oceanic and another subsidiary,
U.S. Marine, shocked the tiny
Alabama hamlet of Bayou La
Batre by purchasing 700 acres
and a boatbuilding business.
For several months
spokesmen for the two cor-
porations denied ties to the
Unification Church, other than
the fact that they personally were
members. But it finally came out
that various divisions of the
church owned most of the stock in
both firms.
OUTRAGED RESIDENTS
quickly formed a group called
Concerned Citizens of the South,
Inc., successfully pressing the
city council to zone all the Moonie
land within city limits residen-
tial. A court ruled that move un-
constitutional, however.
Last spring and summer, the
church made a similar splash in
Gloucester - the heart of the
New , England fishing industry.
Rev. Moon and his followers had
been fishing out of Gloucester for
several years, going after the
giant bluefin tuna that come in at
500-1,000 pounds. And Mayor Leo
Alper had already made clear his
wish that they "stay the hell out
of Gloucester."

By David Osborne

)aSt
Agents Registration Act laws.
IT ALSO concluded that "there
is reason to believe that taxable
Moon Organization components
derive tax advantages from tran-
sfers to tax-exempt componen-.
ts." Such advantages "would
enable the Moon Organization to
pyramid economic power and
achieve a substantial advantage
over competing organizations,"
said the subcommittee report.
Louie Fass .of Norfolk's Fass
Brothers claims that the church
members who work at Inter-
national Seafoods' Norfolk plant
- almost half of about 80 em-
ployes, according to the company
- donate all but $10 a week of
their salaries to the church.
"IT'S A TAX loophole that's
unbelievable," he says. "If I
could become a church and make
all my people church members,
and they were willing to donate
all the money back to the church,
I'd never pay any taxes.
INTERNATIONAL Seafoods
spokesmen refuse to say how
much their employes donate to
the church, echoing what seems
to be a party line: that what
church members do with their
money is their business.
But a number of ex-Moonies
support Fass's contention, saying
they either worked for nothing
while with the church or donated

W LI~W~f7~T ~ I

Back to Top

© 2024 Regents of the University of Michigan