Nixon: The rhetoric of deception

By ZACHARY SCHILLER
ONE OF THE MOST interesting recent news con-
ferences was held last Wednesday between re-
porters and President Nixon. Seldom does the Presi-
den reveal himself or his policies in such a manner
as he did in that interview.
Nixon's language alone gives us some idea of his
political stance. For instance, he refers to the recent
peace proposals by the South Vietnamese Provisional
Revolutionary Government as proposals made by the
"vc."
He calls monthly statistics on unemployment and
prices "aberrations" when they indicate a trend which
throws an uncomplimentary light on the administra-
tion's policies.

day of Nixon's press conference, "Right now it's a
land of deep sorrow down here."
Nixon casually remarked that, "America's trade
balances . . . have deteriorated over the past 10
years," giving no indication that the U.S. may.have its
first trade deficit this year since before the turn of
the century.
TilE PRESIDENT by no means limited himself
in the conference to deceptive rhetoric. He revealed
that the administration is in a quandry over how
to get out of the economic slump, which they so
politely call a "recession."
"The question is what do we do about it (the wage-
price spiral) without going all the way to a totally
controlled economy," Nixon said.
Perhaps even more startling was Nixon's disclo-
sure that the government is powerless to stop steel
corporations from raising their prices.
.at a time that the steel industry has nego-
tiaed a settlement of this nature, at a time when its
profits at 2.5 per cent are the lowest of any major
industry, to tell the steel industry that after they
have negotiated a settlement they must roll back
their price and run at a loss is simply unrealistic.
They are not going to do it."
THIS SIMPLE ADMISSION that the government
is ultimately at the mercy of the profit-seeking steel
corporations is even more shocking in the face of
Nixon's admonition that we must "tighten our belts"
in order to be competitive in the world.
Regarding his Vietnam policy, Nixon reverts ba'ck
to deception. One wonders who he is deceiving besides
himself, however, when he says that, "We want a fair
(South Vietnamese) election and we, of course, have
some observers on the scene on the person of the
Ambassador and his staff who will watch that elec-
tion."
Vice president Ky has now been disqualified from
the election, and "'Big" Minh has threatened to. re-
nounce his candidacy if the elections are not "free".
The obvious inanity of the overseeing of the eleo-
tion by American officials could only be paralleled by
the South Vietnamese offering to oversee the U.S.
elections in 1972.
A careful study of Wednesday's news conference
would be revealing to all Americans. In it, the Presi-
dent has combined skillful deception and revelations
of a government-corporate alliance with a statement
of the government's utter incapacity to deal with the
nation's problems.

Semantic antics
But more important than his semantic antics, the
President's remarks illustrate a deliberate attempt
on his part to deceive the American people.
SOME TIME AGO, the President predicted an up-
surge in stock prices. He says in his latest news con-
ference, "The stock market has come up, even at its
present level of 850-230 points since I made that
prediction."
He neglects to mention that the market has been
falling consistently, and is now back to its level of
Jan. 14. One Wall Street broker commented the same

-.-
'Falcon, this is Houston.. All 1971 lunar
rovers are being recalled by the factory
because of possible steering linkage de-
fects ....
It's a mad mad
mad, mad, world
(Editor's note: Mad world is a weekly collection of the most unusual-
sometimes bizarre, sometimes comic-reports of the Associated Press.)
LEVITTOWN, N.Y.-Police became suspicious when they found
James George, 17, sitting on the curb in front of his home reading
How to Grow Marijuana.
Officers checked and found 27 plants believed to be marijuana
growing on the flat roof of the George family's garage. George
was charged with growing marijuana.
WASHINGTON - Rep. William Clay (D-Mo.) says he will not
apologize for his remarks about Vice President Spiro T. Agnew.
And, told Thursday of the demand by House Republican Leader
Gerald R. Ford of Michigan, Clay said:
"Gerald Ford suffers from the same illness Agnew has. Part
of his problem is that he played football in college without a
helmet."t
Referring to Agnew's attack on U.S. black leaders, Clay earlier
said: "In my opinion, our Vice President is seriously ill. He has
all the symptoms of an intellectual misfit.
"His recent tirade against black leadership is just part of a
game played by him-called mental masturbation.
"Apparently, Mr. Agnew is an intellectual sadist who experi-
ences intellectual orgasms by attacking, humiliating and kicking
the oppressed."
Ford said later of Clay's refusal to apologize: "I'm not bothered
by what a big city ward politician says about me personally. I'm
proud of the fact I played football in high school and college."
ULM, Germany - Struck with an urge to travel, an 86-
year-old man got on the West German autobahn last week and
set out for Yugoslavia -- in a wheelchair.
After pushing himself nearly two miles along the passing
lane, he was apprehended by police who explained that, among
other things, we was heading to the wrong direction.
Without charging the man, police took him home.

Letters to The Daily

People's culture
To The Daily:
FOLLOWING is a copy of a let-
ter sent to Gov. William Milliken:
Dear Bill,
It's hard for me to understand
what you think about "rock con-
certs" as an institution. But I am
kind of in tune with what a lot of
18-year-olds are thinking.
That's why I was concerned to
hear over Detroit radio that there
would be no free concert in Detroit
on Sunday. Aug. 9. Now, a few
thousand of She ietropolitan youth
naewes ould descend on the re-
shtlr Ann Arbor consuunity park
con aet o) this strains our food,
sanitation and msetical facilities.
TIte' As Arbor parks program
doec soesonee its cncerts on
Detroit rti as par of cite tope
(ls a niy local cosnnitics as
possble tic able to orgnize and
1nlay tii asn t i: at eveits.
'This b a's up tr poi of ste
titer l s r Detroi
cotdc't Iso) a sotiev asave it
ttsng to ti ss ttshr proposed sie
being a s pt Ciinia y CDe-
trfrnmscAttetmpig btito
people' toal Thtre hive ern
weekly ivrk performanesa on te
"Negenis Plor: of rte Utniveroity
te alichigsn Purs velatnte
udyp'kconcerts a .e h '1: on
'city 1 tid"-a public park.
Rocireot o has a vast ardience
in Mietin and especially in De
troit-.an inportut nation 1yen-
ter for nev mu.ic. Aotemptung to
drive live performances out of
the state is sirely driving some
of Sitos atdience ito the streets.e
To get into wat drug use or
abuoe has to do with this. I'd like
to extend an invitation to you or
any of your staff to come to Ann
Arbor ot one of the sunny Sun-
day afternoons tit we have left.
Cotse to he Drii Help/'Free Peo-
ple's Clinic Tent in Diana ugh-
con Menmorial toe Gallup) Park.
There wilt be plenty of "experts"
10 talk to.
Bob Rondos
Drug Help Inc.
Aug. 6

Why wait?

To The Daily:

THERE IS A VICIOUS WAR
in Indochina; the U.S. economy
is in dire trouble; the Provisional
Revolutionary Government (PR-
G) of South Vietnam has made a
new proposal in Paris. Why must
we wait for Nixon to go to Peking?
We applaud the recognition of
the People's Republic of China by
the Nixon administration. We hope
that it is indeed a step toward
world peace. But we must raise
the following reservations about
Nixon's proposed trip.
The Pentagon papers have docu-
iented ie deceits. the treacher-
ies, and Ie false hopes raised by
etadi ste:ding administration rep-
retauttng bat the Democrats and
thsa Reubt-ians. We hoyt grown
'eary tf the repeatrd ttcttpts to
etacily anit divemrt te growcing
str'ngth ci ths Vienantese and tit
mnssivi ti-wat sentiment at
tieie. the discontent caused by
agiralist atsenatres wii not and
ro:t bc divetsd by the more
of:,,mtiteetindt Of a trip months
a ,, no matter wS'at its desi
Thi tilts. o ePO'so
vi e hint t uar gote on
diansannd Amtteicans continue to
he Potoded and die as the res-t
of bombing and chemical warfare
: iWd oat by the U.S. military.
Thoie en-ne to be PPW's on
both 'ide'. Political repression as
evideced in the trial foe treason
of Satgon shident leader Hoysh
Tan Mum it only the prelude to
riggeit elections in South Vietnam
this October.t
The PRO on July I further iso-
Iated the Nixon administration
swith its seet point program for
an inmnediate resolution of tse
tr. We densand that the U.S. in-
umediately announce its date for
withdrawal and begin serious ne-
gotiations around the seven points
at the Paris talks.,

FURTHER, WE WILL NOT be
distracted by Nixon's future travel
plans from the effects of imper-
ialism at home evidenced by the
Nixon - Reagan blatantly racist
Family Assistance Plan (FAP); by
growing resistance of corporations
to all labor demands and strikes;
and by a politics of austerity
which continues basic cuts in city
and government services especially
to the poor, cuts which have been
endorsed by conservative and lib-
eral leadership alike.
We call upon the American peo-
ple to join immediately in the Fall
Offensive; to rally and demon-
s ate for an immediate end to the
Vr in Southeast Asia; to work
and ititsmunsre for social jus-
Ste in Ameria; and we call par-
tieu.ity upon the pesple of Mich-
tao ln iet folloting
sehaduta of evints:'
Osp. :Sato eek of lob-
hina C tr lt deftat
tif FAP (Nixos's "rosly mnade-
Se. T based on
Clsa at 1theUnitver'sity.
A m n dis th Seach-
in :will be h-ld at _t Intern-ational
Ce.ar's M-delon Pound House.
East Uinve: ily and Hill, on Sun-
day, Aug. it at 2 p.m. Anyone in-
Se-ted in planning the teach-in is
steleotme.
5)ave Gordon
Ann Arbor Pople's
Coalition
Aug. 9
Letters to The Daily should
be mailed to the Editorial Di-
rector or delivered to Ma r y
Rafferty in the Student Pub-
lications business office in the
Michigan Daily building. Let-
ters should be typed, double-
spaced and normally should
not exceed 150 wofds. The
Editorial Directors reserve the
right to edit all letters sub-
mitted.

PALM
tan gasolts
The ah
and acteit
cards or di
A Shl'
Micy Ma
Hut then.

OPRIIGS, Calif._- Peter DeKaynyne has been issued
ecredit raids.
plication, snt to the Shell Oil Co. by the tdg' oser,
upo faviibly listed no bank accounts, :thee 'reiit
cil Sentricy niumabr.
1 spokesman cammanid. "W h'asc 1ad PtWr 'bh'
use ait othas who aiply, and we usuly tek thm.
ot people o renally named Pete N bbil."

420 Maynard Street, Ann Arbor, Mich.
Edited and managed by students at the
University of Michigan
Editorials printed in The Michigan Daily expres the individul
opinions of the author. This must be noted is oil repdri.
Tuesday, August 10, 1971 News Phone: 764-0552'
NIGHT EDITOR: ANITA CRONE

AL

Stuo'r Edilorial Staf
MARCIA ABRAMSON LARRY LEMPErT
Co-Editor . Co-Edt
ROBERT CCNROw. .............................. .os. Eitt:'
JIM JUDKIS................... .. P ot__:,aoy Cdior
NIGHT EDITORS: Anita CroneTamy Jacobs, Alan Leioff, Jnathn
. Miller.
AiT'ANT atoHT EDITORS: Patricia E. iuer, J ies aIrwi, Ciitaiiher
Puiks, Z'chary Schiter.
Stittoer Slots Stuff

RIcK CORNFELD
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As..;o..'.s E C lr
Summer usin:s Staf
. . . .. . .......... . .. Business ? ao agee

JIM STOREY