14e £ fifi i aIhj
Eighty-two years of editorial freedom
Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan
Four more years of 'tricky'
surprises
420 Maynard St., Ann Arbor, Mich.
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.
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 1972
THE WATERGATE AFFAIR AND ALL
THAT IS JUST POUITICS! SO
- WHAT'S NEW?
1L
AND S LOG A IT OES T
WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS THAT YOU'RE
NOT WELL ENOUGH INFORMED TO
INTELLIGENTLY DISCUSS THE SUBJECT ...
THERE*S NO LAW
AGAINST PUBLIC
IGNORANCE Y'KNOW!
THE MiLWAUKEE JOUJRNAL
"iTM0 ASlrl ghts resered
Publishers-Sall SyndicarA
WE LEARNED yesterday that
we are midway through the
Nixon presidency. And in that light,
it wo-ld be wise for us to analyze
our nrospects for the next f o u r
years.
According to most c mentary
on the Nixon years, th President
has taken "radical" measures both
in foreign and domestic spheres.
Cited are his visits to China and
the Soviet Union and his announce-
ment of wage-price controls in Aug-
ust, 1971.
From now till 1976 wp can ex-
pect more of the same' - "sur-
prises" from the White House bas-
ed on political reality, but achiev-
ing no shattering bounties.
Apart from symbolic agreements
on pollution and space, N'on's trip
to Moscow resulted in n& substan-
tive agreement. And the strategic
arms limitations agreement signed
is none too broad, and, moreover,
faces a rocky road to realization.
The China excursion, as well, was
important for symbolic reasons
than for any concrete returns.
Nonetheless, the two trips were
greeted with great fanfare - not
to mention instant satellite trans-
mission - in the country. Sudden-
ly, Richard Nixon had become the
great peacemaker, one capable of
flirtation with the Nobel Peace
Prize.
THE POLITICAL career of Rich-
ard Nixon has been founded on
anti-communism. He has certainly
not grown fond of his arch-enem-
ies. On the contrary, a new world
situation has forced the President
to accept new terms for Amer-
ica's international relationships.
No longer is China an impover-
ished country ,straining merely to
feed its people. Nor can the United
States view the Soviet Union as
a temporary quality, an experi-
ment, bound to fade from the world
scene. And perhaps most import-
antly, no longer is this country un-
challenged in the world economic
arena.
Much has changed since the end
of the second world war. Japan
and West Germany, originally with
American aid, have risen from the
ruins of the war to becorne the
most successful capitalist econom-
ies in the world.
In Southeast Asia, Japanese sight-
seers are supplanting Americans as
the mainstay of the tourist indus-
try, while Japanese car rental
agencies are moving in on Hertz
and Avis.
AND THESE developments have
not been without effect on Ameri-
can posturings on the world econ-
omy and "free trade."
U.S. Undersecretary of the Trea-
sury Paul Volcker remarked re-
cently that Japan's payment sur-
pluses were "the major single force
of disequilibrium in the w o r 1 d
economy." He drew an angry re-
sponse from Japanese officials.
As European nations gradually
band together economically, the
United States is bound to feel the
crunch. The Nixon moves - in-
cluding last December's devalua-
tion of the dollar - assume a spec-
ial meaning.
In the face of lessened U.S. glo-
bal dominance, Nixon has respond-
ed with political pragmatism.
AS A REPUBLICAN president
committed to the ideals of free en-
terprise, Nixon has moved decis-
ively, if awkwardly, toward incr-as-
ed federal involvement in economic
affairs - with both wage-price
controls and the loan to the Lock-
heed Aircraft Co.
Nonetheless, Nixon will be faced
with further diplomatic and domes-
tic hopskotch in the next four
years. The United States' economic
problems will not go away, a n d
European and Asian nations will
become more powerful. "The grow-
ing dependence of the United States
on imported raw materials," Ihe
New York Times reported Sunday,
is becoming a matter of national
concern."
IS WORLD HARMONY around
the corner? The answer is as plain
to the President as it is to the
casual observer. The President was
correct last February when he fore-
saw "the end of American tutelage
and the era of automatic unity."
But it will be with difficulty
that Nixon attempts to jive this
realization with his victory speech
Tuesday night: "We are on tie
eve of what could be the greatest
generation of peace - true peace
- mankind has ever known."
Zach Schiller is a staff writer for
The Daily.
JACK ANDERSON
'o
.1
:/
I
I
..AND AS LONG AS IT DOESN'T
AFFECT YOU PERSONALLY YOU'RE NOT
CONCERNED ABOUT IT\
I
AP Photo
I
Confettibility gap:
Ticker tape Iixon
No&
Election '72: Issue apathy
TrE PEOPLE have spoken. And they
said "Richard Nixon." Richard Nix-
on has again been chosen to head the
country's government, and for this he de-
serves congratulations, given in the spirit
of good losers.
But supporting him is another matter.
In the past four years, many have been
disenchanted with the behavior of this
administration, and thus look forward
with trepidation to "four more years" of
the same antics.
NIXON SOON starts a second term,
fairly confident that the majority of
Americans are behind his every move. He
may become less receptive to public opin-
ion. Hopefully not.
The crushing victory, anti-climatic as
it was, came as a shock to those who felt
that George McGovern was making some
leeway in his attempt to catch up with
the President. That McGovern lost by a
Today's staff:
News: Tammy Jacobs, Eric Schoch, Char-
les Stein, David Stoll, Terri Terrell
Editorial Page: Bill Heenan, Arthur Lerner
Arts Page: Gloria Jane Smith
Photo technician: Denny Gainer
%01r ftrilnDal
Business Staff
ANDY GOLDING
Business Manager
BILL ABBOTT........Associate Business Manager
FRANCINE SCHERGER.........Personnel Manager
PAUL wENZLOFF ...............Promotions Manager
STEVE EVSEEFF:............,..Circulation Manager
margin of about 25 per cent appears to
mirror an attitude of "issue apathy"
among the electorate.
The issues? An unended war in Viet-
nam. Unexplained government scandals,
High prices and unemployment. Rising
crime. A loss of direction for many of the
country's young.
These issues and more should at least
arouse discontent in the average citizen.
Few presidents have ever won, or deserv-
ed, a victory based on such a record.
Unfortunately, issues did not seem to
be the voter's chief concern this year.
Rather, media images seemed to have a
heavier influence. The choice was be-
tween Richard Nixon, in all of his Madi-
son Avenue splendor, and "wild-eyed
radical" George McGovern. "The Selling
of the President-1972" has occurred.
But, that's the American way, and
what's done is done. One can only hope
that President Nixon is sincere in his
campaign pledge of bringing us together.
NIXON PROMISED that his victory
"will be a victory for America, if in
these next four years we, all of us, can
work together to achieve our common
great goals of peace at home and peace
for all nations of the world. And for that
new progress and prosperity which all
Americans deserve."
Nixon also said, in 1968, that "those
who had had a chance and could not pro-
duce peace should not be given another
chance." Nixon has another chance and
maybe, just maybe, he won't abuse it
this time.
If not, there's always 1976.
-MARTIN STERN
WASHINGTON - Tons of con-
fetti hit the fan when President
Nixon paraded majestically through
downtown Atlanta last month.
The litter poured out of office
windows as the President passed
by. The President was delighted,
but at least one Southerner, 19-
year-old clerk Marian Landis, was
appalled.
Once the downpour had begun,
Mrs. Landis tried to put a stop
to a confetti operation in a building
near where she works. She trooped
up to the tenth floor of the William
Oliver Building where she expect-
ed to find employees throwing pap-
er snow.
Instead, she found an office suite
filled with a half-dozen or more
men in shirt sleeves hauling bags
of confetti in front of a huge fan.
The man who greeted her at the
door was armed with a pistol in a
shoulder holster.
"I was surprised," Mrs. Landis
told us, but she was still angry
enough to deliver a stinging anti-
litter speech.
"When I asked him to quit, he
refused," she said. "When I asked
him who he was, he said he was a
Secret Service agent. I could tell.
they weren't volunteers."
The Secret Service denies that
any of its agents were in the room,
but it admits that it frequently
uses local law officials to moni-
tor confetti operations along par-
ade routes for security reasons.
But the only apparent security
involved here was making sure the
President 'was well received.
TRAGIC DELAYS
Disabled citizens who have been
turned down for Social Security
benefits are encountering h u g e
delays in appealingetheir cases be-
fore government hearing examin-
ers.
A serious shortage of hearing
examiners, we have learned, has
caused delays of six months to a
year for thousands of citizens
across the country.
Right now, there are 33,000 dis-
abled citizens awaiting hearings
and only 336 judges authorized to
listen to them. That adds up to a
backlog of about 100 cases for
every hearing examiner. And every
day, the backlog gets worse. In
Cleveland alone, hearing examiners
are falling behind at a rate of
35 cases a month.
In human terms, the delays can
be tragic. Paula Hanley of Akron,
Ohio, for example, has suffered
from inultiple sclerosis since 1970.
She has been bedridden for at least
12 months of the last two years.
A mother of two, she and her hus-
band can't pay the mounting medi-
cal bills. She has waited six months
for a hearing date and still none
has been set.
In another documented case, a
35-year-old father of three became
so upset over his poor health and
failure to get a response from
Social Security that last month lie
simply dropped out of sight. The
man had been out of work since
last January whenhewas forced
to quit his job because he had
emphysema - a chronic lung con-
dition. His family is now almost
penniless.
The Bureau of Hearings and Ap-
peals has requested money f o r
twice as many examiners to handle
the backlog of cases. But we have
learned the request has been de-
nied.
A YIPPIE REVOLT
Young radicals, dejected by their
failure to whip up anti-establish-
ment sentiment this election year,
apparently have turned against
three elders of the Yippie move-
ment - Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rug
bin and Ed Sanders.
Four years ago, the three Yip-
pies led the youth demonstrations
in Chicago against the system. But
this year they are urging followers
to work within the system and vote
against Richard Nixon.
Their views are spelled out in a
new book, "Vote," which they co-
authored after covering the poli-
tical conventions in Miami Beach
last summer.
Since their return from Miami
Beach last August, all three have
been victims of harrassment by
former followers. Here are some
examples which we have carefully
verified:
* Jerry Rubin's car has been
vandalized - or "trashed" as the
radicals put it - on two different
occasions. The last time, damage
was so extensive he junked it.
Three days later, someone threw
a rock through Rubin's front win-
dow in the middle of the night.
0 Ed Sanders has had similar
car trouble. His car windows were
smashed, the tires were slashed
and a foreign substances was pour-
ed in the gas tank. Sanders, fur-
thermore, has been threatened with
physical harm.
* Abbie Hoffman went on tour
to promote the book and every-
where he went letters mysteriously
preceded him. The letters, written
on Yippie stationery, denounced the
three co-authors as over-the-hill
hippies who are trying to exploit
the "movement."
Their publisher, furthermore, has
been innundated with hate mail.
One envelope contained h u m a n
waste.
The zany trio refuses to discuss
who is after 'them. But "crazies"
- as the young anarchists are cal-
led - now regard Abbic Hoffman,
Jerry Rubin and Ed Sanders, of all
people, as establishment capitalists.
Copyright, 1972, by UnitedFeature
Syndicate, Inc.
1
r
t
Letters to The Daily
HAS RENNIE the New joined Abbie
the Old (left) and Rennie the Very
University student)?
hnd Jerry and forsaken Rennie
bId (right, as an early sixties
Zero growth: A
capita list conspiracy?
Bustline blues
To The Daily:t
EVERY TIME I go shopping in
Ann Arbor, I cannot find a dress
that is suitable for my figure. I
also have trouble finding makeup
and cosmetics. Does this sound n-
usual? Not when you take into
consideration that I am black.
For one thing, like most black
women and some white sisters I
have a full bustline (39) and fairly
full hips. I am not fat - just well
built. I have found that it is very
difficult for anyone who has a bust-
line larger than 36 to find a dress
that fits.
Companies such as "Funky" of
California make clothes which are
designed for women with larger
busts, but most of the stores do
not order many of these styles or
any separates that really coordin-
ate and fit. Everyone is not skinny
and flat-chested.
I believe that this is a not-so-sub-
tle attempt on the part of the
archaic female "establishment"
(white) to discriminate against
black women and to dictate what
full-busted white women should
wear. They have no right to do
this.
This helps to perpetuate the stig-
ma that black women do not try
to look nice unless they are pros-
titutes. This is a damned lie. What
can you do when the entire city
refuses to carry makeup, cosmel ics
or clothes for black women?
-Carolyn Brown
Nov. 7
'Environmental sin'
To The Daily:
IT IS BAD enough that the sru-
dent governments at the University
have decided to spend vast sums
of money on an unnecessary stu-
dent newspaper. But that they have
seen fit to inject into America's al-
readyamonumental garbage prob-
lem an additional 40,000 isses
The 'paper-mongers'
To The Daily:
SPEAKING as a transfer sta-
dent at the University I am con-
stantly amazed at the voluminous
amounts of paper distributed by
"interest groups" at the University
in the form of advertising, c a m-
paign literature, or whatever.
In the Diag, in class buildings, in
the library, in my mailbox, there is
no escaping the omnipresent paner-
mongers.
There can be no doubt that a
University student government elec-
tion constitutes a major threat to
the nation's forests.
-Richard Livorine
Nov. 2
Libertarian Party
To The Daily:
RE YOUR ARTICLE in the "to-
day" column Nov. 2 characterizing
the Libertarian Party as "ultra-
conservative:"
I realize that glib epithets are es-
sential to journalism, and t h a t
newspapers specialize in quick and
simple formulations.
I also realize that The Daily is
not sympathetic with the ideals
of the Libertarian Party, as is
made all too obvious by such editor-
ial positions as approval of the
recent repression of Ann Arbor
massage parlors, and political en-
dorsements of looters and crypto-
tyrants.
Therefore it would seem inevit-
able that any reference to the Lib-
ertarian Party in The Daily must
be . accompanied by a derogatory
remark. However, such derogatory
remarks would betmuch more ef-
fective were they true.
So rather than use the epithet
"ultra-conservative," which is both
derogatory and false, I suggest
that in any future reference to the
Libertarian Party, it is in the self-
interest of The Daily to use the
following descriptive phrases,
which are derogatory (from The
Daily's point of view) and true:
anti-statist: advocates of the free
market; proponents of peace ard
freedom; opponents of the initiation
In my opinion, the NARMIC slide
show on the Vietnam War is as
relevant to a lab course in chem-
istry as it would be to one in con-
tinuum mechanics or sky diving.
Therefore, Prof. Green's argument
that he was not doing anything
wrong because of the show's rele-
vance to the subject matter is ra-
ther weak.
On the other hand, since a teach-
er must follow the dictates of his
conscience regarding his own con-
cept of what 'education' means, he
definitely has a right to take up
class time for activities like this.
But then he must also have the
courage, to stand up and be counted
when the decision of his peers and
students goes against him. The
proof of the strength of one's con-
victions only comes out when one
is willing to accept the consequenc-
es with grace.
I must confess that I would have
considered this slide show 'edu-
cational' if any of my instructors
had shown it to any of my classes!
--Dinesh Mohan, Grad.
Oct. 27
Inequality
To The Daily:
ACCORDING TO the League of
Women Voter's Study, as much as
$1,427.32 public tax money was
spent per child on -somechildren's
1970-71 school year in Michigan.
As little as $540.63 was spent on
others. This is a difference of
$886.69, meaning that some child-
ren receive less than half, almost
two-thirds less in education funds
than others.
Why this gross inequality? Are
some kids more deserving? Smart-
er? Better citizens? Richer? Heal-
thier? Do their parents pay more
taxes? No, not necessarily any of
these.
What, then, is the determining
factor in the preferential treatment
of some children?
The answer is hard to believe.
Although circumstances differ, the
sole final reason is because of that
child's zip code, his address, where
his parents happen to live. Some-
By PETER RUSH
IN CENTURIES past, learned men com-
puted how long ago God created the
Earth, and argued over how many angels
could dance on the head of a pin.
Today, quackery of the same order
parades as science, as a growing legion
of "learned men" attempts to compute
how many years longer man can sur-
vive on today's economic resources, and
how many people should be eliminated
in order to prolong the survival period
- organized under the twin banners of
"zero economic growth" and "zero pop-
ulation growth."
These latter-day scholastics would pro-
vide us no more than comic relief, were
it not that their ideology of zero growth
coheres with the political needs of a
capitalistic class desperately trying to
stay in power, even as that class is
sinking us into a new Great Depres-
tion" is to strangle all further economic
growth, prevent population increase, and
attempt to stretch current resources.
This is the general recommendation of
the recently published The Limits to
Growth by Dennis Meadows of MIT. The
sponsor of the "research" project is the
Club of Rome, a loose group funded by
the Volkswagon Foundation and the Pre-
sident of Italy's Fiat Corporation] The
book is representative of a burgeoning
collection of such studies, and its no-
growth conclusions are being widely ac-
cepted by the public.
THE REACTIONARY policies being
advocated by "zero heads" are epito-
mized in a slogan used by the Zero Po-
pulation Growth (ZPG) organization. Ac-
companying a picture of a factory belch-
ing smoke are the words "Too many
factories produce too many goods for too
manv nenl " ."Reductinn r the mtps
kind continually faces "survival crises".
The progressive invention of agricul-
ture, of irrigation, and of steam pow-
er, all solved crises no less severe than
today's. The problem today lies in capi-
talism's refusal to invest in the future.
Today, factory equipment is becoming
ever more obsolete, our technology is
staginating, and fusion power research,
is not funded.
For in fact it is the promise of fusion
power which can solve the energy crisis,
allows for nearly total recycling of ma-
terials, and through desalination on a
large scale - solve the food short-
age.
WE FACE a capitalist-induced crisis,
not a natural one. The capitalist class
can no longer maintain a sufficient rate
of profit on socially useful production.
So instead, we see "investment" in
waste of all descriptions: military ver o-
sace. useesffie honingR rPq P-
nomy, and operate it for human use.
The vicious mythology of the inevitabil-
ity of zero growth is already being used
to try to prevent such a movement from
being organized.
BUT A DEPRESSION would create
even more sinister problems. In order
to finally brevent any possibility of popu-
lar resistance, the capitalist MJass must
organize one stratum of the population,
normally drawn from the middle class,
into a fascist movement, which is to be
used to destroy all possible working class
action. Zero Growth is the perfect ideol-
ogy for such an incipient fascist move-
ment.
This reactiopary charlatanry must be
exposed for the fakery it is. In its place
must be propagated the real nature of
the crisis, the real direction raquired for
its solution; and the rea1 means for rir-
i.
*I
1.