Page 4-Thursday, February 22, 1979-The Michigan Daily
~bt4i bi a n atI
420 Maynard St., Ann Arbor, Ml 48109
Eighty-Nine Years of Editorial Freedom
Carter gushes oil diplomacy
Vol. LXXIX No. 120
News Phone: 764-0552
Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan
Regents should reconsider
'consiiciting
L AST THURSDAY fifteen senior
citizens confronted the Regents
during the public comments section of
the monthly meeting to plead for the
board's reconsideration of a resolution
which would severely injure the
University's geriatric program.
Presently, the University's op-
thalmological services are spread out
over several locations on the campus.
Part of the program is located at the
Parkview-Turner hospital-clinic
complex, where the Geriatric
Program is also located. A resolution
passed by the Regents last month
called for consolidation of the whole
Opthalmological Program in the
Parkview-Turner complex.
Because many of the rooms on the
second floor of the Turner clinic had
never been allocted, the geriatric
program, which has serviced hundreds
of Ann Arbor's elderly citizens in the
last 17 months, made use of some of
them for seminars and other activities.
If the Regents don't amend their
previous resolution, the Geriatric
Program will lose this much-needed
space.
University officials and hospital ad-
ministrators have been given an alter-
nate plan by coordinators of the
geriatric program. This compromise
would allow for all the provisions in the
original consolidation resolution, ex-
cept that the geriatric program would
be given access to three of the more
than forty rooms on the second floor.
Hospital officials, however, argue
programs
the plan is unworkable because the op-
thalmology program needs the space.
Someone must give in, and the
Geriatric Program should not be asked
to make the sacrifice. The program
provides vital services to over 600
senior citizens who have expressed a
need for it. Since the building is
specially_ equipped with devices such
as ramps and liandrails, it would be
nearly impossible for the program to
relocate easily.
While the geriatric program will be
able to maintain its services, some
other area may have to cut back or
relocate. While consolidation of the
opthalmological department would be
desirable, it doesn't seem too imprac-
tical to keep enough of the program out
of Turner Clinic to allow geriatrics the
extra space.
Another possibility would be to tran-
sfer some space on the first floor from
one of the other programs presently in
the building to the geriatric program.
The services previously offered in the
space could then be moved elsewhere.
While space is definitely tight
throughout the University for any type
of program, the geriatric program in,
the Turner Clinic satisfies an impor-
tant need for which the clinic was con-
structed: to aid the elderly. Ann Arbor
senior citizen Margaret Young,
speaking to the Regents last Thursday,
said, "the requests (of the donors)
have been twisted ... and the donors
are no longer4 here to protest. I
protest." So do we.
The game of foreign policy, where most p-
layers fail andonly a select few come up even,
has taken a new twist in which the American
side seeks one important objective - to get oil
from whomever they can. This modern-style
"oil diplomacy" has become the centerpiece.
of U.S. foreign policy and made global affairs
more unpredictable than ever before.
The first sign of the growing importance of
oil as a factor in U.S. foreign policy
emerged during the Arab oil embargo in 1973-
74. The Arab oil producing countries, "in view
of the increase in American support for
Israel" abruptly ceased exporting oil to the
United States. Two members of the Arab bloc,
Syria and Egypt, were engaged in a two-front
war against Israel; the embargo was per-
ceived as a direct retaliation for President
Nixon's report to Congress for authority to
spend $2.2-billion on military support for the
Jewish state.
AS A RESULT of the embargo and the sub-
sequent oil shortage, the federal government
suggested several measures to reduce
domestic oil consumption. The nation's speed
limit was cut to 55 miles per hour and people
were forced to suffer throhegh long lines at
most gasoline stations. Even the possibility of
By Michael Arkush
couldn't be quickly developed, the U.S. could
have its oil imports coming from a more
diverse group of nations. Result - the origin
of "oil diplomacy."
"Oil diplomacy" is the policy of he U.S.
government to become friendly with the
world's biggest oil suppliers, even at the ex-
pense of insulting traditional allies.
Sometimes, just a little cordial diplomat
double-talk will do the trick. Other times it
costs more - an American pledge to sell
military hardware to an oil producing (about
to be exporting) country. But whatever the
price the U.S. seems willing to pay to make
sure its citizens stay warm and get out of the
gas station in five minutes.
THUS, SINCE THE 1973 crisis, "oil
diplomacy" has slowly crept to the top of the
diplomatic calendar.,
Item: In the first few months of the Carter
government, secretary of state Cyrus Vance,
during his Mid-East shuttle diplomacy bet-
ween Egypt and Israel, began making
regular stops in Saudi Arabia.Vance coun-
seled the Saudis about the prospects for peace
in the region but also talked about oil. The
U.S. diplomats sought from the Saudis an
assurance that they would fight to keep the
Organization ofi Petroleum Exporting Coun-
tri s (OPEC), from raising oil prices again.
In eturn, the U.S. would provide the Saudis
with sophisticated weaponry. The Saudis
gave that pledge, Carter aides now contend,
moving the administration to finally supply
them with F-15s and F-16s (two very advan-
ced fighter planes).
ITEM: WHILE IT'S true that the U.S. had
been a longtime loyal backer of the Shah of
Iran, it was the Carter Administration's sup-
port which became the most noteworthy
because it was precisely during this period
that th, Shah started losing ground to his
country's revolutionaries. And it was this
administration's support which symbolized
the hypocrisy of its loud human rights cam-
paign.
Since he took office, Carter promised that
U.S. foreign policy would be greatly restric-.
ted in countries, that violate basic human
rights. He should have added a little sub-
clause ... except for those countries which
have a lot of oil. Even when it appeared cer-
tain that the Shah's repressive regime would
be overturned by Ayatollah Khoemini and his
followers, the Carter Administration still
backed the Shah until the very end. The
Ayatollah had threatened that when he took
power, he would cut off all oil exports to the
United States. The Shah told the U.S. he would
continue pumping oil into the U.S. To Carter
it seenied a simple choice - oil or no oil.
And just as easily when Khoemini took over
the government last week, the Carter Ad-
ministration moved quickly to recognize the
new leadership. It was 30 years after the
Communist Revolution in China before the
U.S. finally normalized relations. But now
when Iran's oil is so vital, diplomatic
recognition can be tossed around so loosely to
any country.
Final item: Mexico. Carter's recent voyage
to our southern neighbor typifies the height of
"oil diplomacy." The U.S. for years has
ignored the social needs of the Mexican
people. The Carter Administration had also
outraged the Mexicans by vetoing a deal to
sell Mexican natural gas to U.S. companies
and by proposing another border crackdown
on illegal Mexican immigrants. But all that's
forgotten now.
In 1972, Mexico discovered the vast sea of
oil buried 15,000 feet beneath its southern
jungles and currently its oil reserves are
listed at 26 billion barrels, equal to the
amount of U.S. reserves. Despite some harsh
criticism delivered by Mexican President
Jose-Lopez Portillo to Carter last week when
the two leaders met in 'Mexico city, (see
editorial) diplomatic sources expect Mexico
will be exporting oil to the U.S. by the end of
the year. In return, the Carter Administration
will reconsider the national gas deal and help
Mexico solve their deep economic and social
problems - including the status of illegal
immigrants.
This new emphasis, on "oil diplomacy" is
-very disturbing because it essentially
established a new criterion for international
relations. It has replaced the old theories of
"balance of power" and "theory of contain-
ment" and put oil as the king of international
power. No longer does it matter what
ideologies dominate a regime or what type of
society it is. It all depends on who has oil and
how much.
Michael Arkush is co-director of the
Daily's editorial page.
Mexico ready to bargain
gas rationing was considered, though was
eventually shelved.
By the time the embargo was finally lifted
in the spring of 1974, American bureaucrats
had come to the realization that alternative
sources of energy would have to be found to
prevent future oil shortages from crippling
the country. Thus, the embargo drove home
the fact that although the U.S. produces a
large share of its domestic oil consumption, it
is still too dependent on the Arab bloc. At the
'MEXICO, LONG the poor nephew
of the U.S., finally has a bar-
gaining chip. Although the nation has
been producing oil for decades, the
recent world oil crisis coupled with
new finds there have forced this coun-
try to court its neighbor to the south
with sincerity.
Mexico is a nation beset by
staggering social problems, including
soaring unemployment and
devastating poverty. Although the U.S.
has not totally ignored the Mexican
need for assistance, aid to that
beleaguered country has not exactly
been overwhelming.
But Mexico now has something to
trade for the needed help, and the
Mexicans are apparently-and right-
fully-going to take full advantage of
the opportunity, according to last
week's directions by Mexico's
President Jose Lopez Portillo.
The Mexicans are understandably
wary of American commitments. The
U.S. governmeent reneged on an.
agreement last year to buy Mexican
natural gas-released during oil
drilling-because the price was higher
than that of Canadian natural gas.
President Carter's quiet tolerance of
Portillo's harsh criticism of the United
States during the summit in Mexico
last week seems to point to the begin-
ning of a new relationship between the
WE DON'T NEED A /A.A AGE
ICETIFICATE ! I LOVE YOU AND
WANT TO LIVE WITH YOU!
two nations, one where Mexico may
prove to have the upper hand.
The meeting did not produce any
sweeping solutions, but groups from
both countries have been established to
try to work out agreeable policies
regarding such controversial issues as
immigration and trade arrangements.
The immigration situation would not
be such a serious problem if conditions
were better in Mexico, though. While
the oil fields are by no means a
panacea, Mexico now has the oppor-
tunity to strengthen its economy and
improve its social conditions while
providing much-needed oil to the U.S.
and other nations.
We hope the Mexican leaders can
take advantage of the situation in such
a way so as to not just increase the bit-
ter social schisms in the country. The
Mexican oil finds ,have great potential
for improving the country, but if the
benefits do not filter down to the
majority of Mexicans, it could lead to
strife and unrest, as it did in Iran.
The United States and Mexico should
be able to work out an agreement to the
mutual satisfaction of both countries.
The United Staes needs Mexican
petroleum and Mexico needs a new
foundation for social improvement and
reform. If both sides can put aside
their differences, there is no reason
'both may not benefit.
I LOVE LIOU'OO ,BA8Y! SUr I
JUST COULDN'T AO THAT' IT'S
A MATTER~ OF PP)NCIPLE-
very least, if alternative energy
sources
The next time you pick up a
well-sharpened No. 2 pencil and
begin to hurriedly answer a stan-
dardized, multiple-choice test,
chances are that your test is one
of more than eight million given
annually by the Educational
Testing Service (ETS). You may
know ETS manufacturers SATs,
LSATs, GREs and GMATs. With
these tests alone, ETS influences
the educational and career op-
portunities of millions of people.
But the power of ETS does not
begin or end with those tests. ETS
markets 299 different tests, which
are used to determine entrance to
over 60 occupations including
firefighters, actuaries,
policemen, real estate brokers,
sailors, teachers, gynecologists,
engineers, and auto mechanics.
ETS test results are the standar-
ds of access to some of the most
powerful professions: Foreign
Service officers. New York
stockbrokers, lawyers in over 40
states, CIA agents. Two million
elementary school students take
ETS tests, and it is even
developing ways to test infants.
ETS HELPS determine who
will be eligible for financial aid,
and how much s/he will receive.
The financial information ETS
obtains on nearly two million
families is more detailed than a
mortgage application or an IRS
return. ETS consultants and
trainees help shape education
and labor allocation policy in
scores of countries, including
. Singapore, Brazil, and Saudi
Arabia. And ETS has test centers
in 120 countries.-
In thirty years, probably 90
million people have had their
schooling, jobs, prospects for ad-
vancement, and beliefs in their
own potential direct4y shaped by
the quiet but pervasive power of
ETS.
What is the Educational Testing
Service? How has it centralized
so much power? Is it accountable
to anyone, or anything? Should
your opportunities be so influen-
ced by ETS' standards of ap-
titude or intelligence?
DESPITE ITS massive in-
fluences, few people question
ETS. Students may want to tear
Testing the power
of the people wh
con trolfultures'r
By Ralph Nader
'ETS is exempt from federal and state
income taxes, is effectively beyond the
reach of many anti-trust laws, and has no
stockholders. It escapes the restraints
governing other corporations because it is
an "educational'' institution. '
this corporation.
Indeed, ETS is, in non-dollar
ways, a large corporation. It has
more customers per year than
GM and Ford combined. Despite,
its non-profit status, it declares
roughly a million dollars in "non-
profits" each year. This money is
plowed back into corporate ex-
pansion and maintaining the ETS
estate, which includes a 400 acre
headquarters in Princeton, New
Jersey, a $250,000 home for the
president, William Turnbull, and
a three million dollar hotel/con-
ference center - all built with
student test fees. Its revenue
from test fees enabled ETS to
double in size every five years
from 1948 to 1972, a rate of growth
faster than IBM.
ETS's sales and near monopoly
power, combined with its
privileged legal status as a non-
profi't corporation, make it un-
precedented in corporate history.
ETS is exempt from federal and
state income taxes, is effectively
beyond the reach of many anti-
trust laws, and has no
stockholders. It escapes the
restraints governing other cor-
porations because it is an
"educational" institution.
enters college, graduate and.
professional schools, as well as
many occupations and
professions. Is that power
legitimate?
ETS defends its role as the
gatekeeper by claiming it has
developed the "science on mental
measurement,"but as pur report
will "argue, the tests measure.
nothing more than how you an-
swered a few multiple-choice
questions. The correlation - bet-
ween SAT scores and first-year,
grades in college, for example, is
often lower than the correlation
between the test scores and the.
income of the test taker's paren-
ts. At best, standardized tests do
not'measure key determinants of
success such as writing and
research skill, ability to make
coherent arguments, creativity,
motivation, stamina, judgment,
experience, or ethics.
ETS not only influences how in-
stitutions judge individuals,
however; it also influences how
individuals judge themselves. As
Nairn says, "A false self-
estimate or image is instilled in
the mind of the individual who
receives a standardized test
score. For although the scores
plicant information to. secret
evaluation of grades and test
scores - and they have no
recourse.
We must begin to examine the
examiners.
There is a growing movement
to reform and restructure the
testing industry. In New York,
Ohio, Texas, and ,other states,
student-run Public Interest
Research Groups (PIRGs) have
introduced "Truth in Testing"
legislation in their state
legislatu;es. This legislation
would force ETS and other
testing companies to disclose test
questions and answers, and all
studies and data on the tests; it
would also require companies to
keep information on applicants
confidentialD isclosing test an-
swers would enable students to
contest disputed answers, 'and
thus eliminate' much of the
mystery surrounding the tests.
ETS has said it is willing to
release 99 per cent of its test data.
But, Nairn says, the bulk of this
99 per cent is the material
provided by the test-takers them-
selves - name, social security
number, etc. Nairn says it is
crucial to disclose that last one
per cent, as it includes ETS's ex-
trapolations from the infor-
mation provided by test-takers -
such as predictions of future
academic success.
The testing reform movement
has other facets. Jesse Jackson is
organizing around the issue of the
ETS National Teacher
Examinations which have
systematically eliminated
qualified black applicants from
teaching jobs. The FTC has ap-
parently found, contrary to ETS
claims, that certain kinds of prep
or cram courses can raise test
scores - but the report has been
withheld at this time. And several
members of Congress have called
for an investigation of the testing
industry.
Students now have oppor-
tunities to challenge the test
makers.
Individuals interested in this
issue, or in sponsoring Truth in
Testing legislation, can contact
Ed Hanley at our office at P.O.
WHAT PRINCIPLE? HONE4,
THIS IS 1979!
THE LEE MARVIN
PRINCIPLE 9
0
p..
A4
E~/W/- I
.