Energy America vs. the world
By DR. ALT A. MAZRUI
If Jimmy Carter's energy cru-
sade is a drive for American
self-sufficiency, that is had news
for the rest of the world.
An America which is needed
by other nations, but could it-
self find others "expendable,"
is an America still not ready
for genuine internai>nal inter-
dependence and a more bal-
anced and egalitarian global
system.
Thus parts of the Third World
today see a direct clash between
resource conservation by the in-
dustrialized nations and pros-
pects for social justice in the
underdeveloped nations of Af-
rica, Asia and Latin America.
A sustained attempt by the
Northern Hemisphere (especial-
ly North America, Western Eu-
rope and Japan) to reduce its
consumption of oil and other re-
sources is bound to mean re-
duced leverage and influence
The Michigan Daily
Edited and managed by Students at the
University of Michigan
Friday, May 6, 1977
News Phone: 764-0552
Tricky Dick-tricks on
JICHARD M. NIXON has made one thing perfectly
clear: he will never fully confess to his part in
Watergate-related crimes.
One thousand and one days since his resignation
from the presidency, he continues to shield the truth.
In the first of a four-part series of interviews with
David Frost, Nixon only went so far as to confirm
knowledge the public already has.
Such knowledge, including the times Nixon "learned
about" different facets of Watergate, was brought to
light through the establishment, cross-examination and
corroboration of various testimonies by reporters, Con-
gressional commit tees and courts.
Nixon offered nothing new. In fact, he only evasive-
ly re-established the old.
Despite 1,001 days in virtual seclusion, time has
obviously not rehabilitated the old Nixon. He still evades
any and all questions possible. He still twists and shades
the truth. And, he still relies on the old "Trust Me"
emotional appeal first seen in his "Checkers" speech
in the early 50's.
In fact, it is just that emotional appeal which may
fog viewer's minds, and induce them to forget several
unanswered questions.
For instance, if Nixon's claim he had no part in
Watergate wrongdoing is true, whey then, did he not
put a total end to it was soon as he learned of the
problems?
Or, why were the Presidential tapes ever made?
Who did the erasing?
What is the story behind the Nixon pardon?
As it stands now, we are only left to speculation
based on the testimonies of people close to the Nixon
Administration.
After 1,001 days, Dick Nixon has shown us one thing:
he still has the American public to kick around.
U.S. to OK Viet Nam
for U.N.--it's about time
WE NOTE WITH SOME SMALL sense of satisfaction
and a larger sense of relief the announcement
from Paris that the U.S. government will no longer veto
the admission of Vietnam to the United Nations. We
hope this is part of the process called "normalization,"
and that diplomatic relations will be initiated and the
trade embargo lifted in the very near future.
The American government's decision not to oppose
Vietnam's entry into the U.N. is neither especially in-
novative nor visionary, but at least it demonstrates (along
with much of the rest of the Carter administration's
foreign policy) a firm grasp on the obvious.
It is encouraging that the decision not to veto was
made for the right reasons: a token demonstration of
cooperation, and a touching belief In the universality of
the United Nations,
Apparently this administration has discovered the
rest of the planet is not simply a sideshow to be man-
ipulated for its effect on the circus of domestic politics.-
for the resource producers over
the resource consumers.
While this prospect may ap-
peal to consumer nations, it has
already resulted in tough revi-
sions in Iran's ambitious de-
velopmental plans. The tone of
decision-making within OPEC
has become more circumspect,
a little more cautious.
The OPEC nations realize they
have little more than a decade
to exert leverage on the indus-
trialized countries. Further re-
straint in consumption by the
Northern Hemisphere would
weaken OPEC leverage even
further.
Yet the need for the oil pro-
ducers to use their power not
only for themselves, but to en-
courage an entirely new world
economic system, remains as
great as ever.
The late British philosopher
Bertrand Russell reminded us
civilization was born out of the
pursuit of luxury. As man got
beyond the struggle to satisfy
basic needs and started to as-
pire to additional comforts, civ-
ilization began to emerge out of
the womb of that extravagance.
But while it is true the pur-
suit of luxury helps give birth
to civilization as we know it,
it is equally true the excessive
pursuit of luxury could destroy
civilization.
In this sense, some may view
Jimmy Carter as a kind of re-
incarnation of the prophet John
Calvin. A reintroduction of Cal-
vinistic austerity in the West,
and restraint to conserve re-
sources and curtail consumption,
would help to arrest the decay
of Western civilization.
Such a turn of policy is clear-
ly not in the best interests of
the Southern Hemisphere na-
tions. On the contrary, it is im-
portant to them that for at least
another generation the Northern
Hemisphere's appetite for ener-
gy and raw materials should
remain relatively unabated. On-
ly in this way will the North
increase its dependence on the
countries that produce those re-
sources.
Petrodollars in the hands of
the Arabs on one side, and gold
in the hands of the majority of
South Africans on the other,
could jointly constitute an enor-
mous threat against monetary
stability and rates of exchange
in Western centers.
The West's response to Third
World arguments is often in di-
rect proportion to its own sense
of vulnerability. Increased re-
source importation by the West
should increase its responsive-
ness to Third World pressures.
If the Third World perfects
techniques of negotiation and
international lobbying for
change before the West's en-
ergy appetite abates, the old
pattern of relationships between
the dominant North and the un-
derdeveloped South might at last
be transformed.
Western pursuit of luxury,
which had been such a major
force in the rise of the West
to global pre-eminence, would
at last also be an instrument
for cutting down to size West-
ern power over the rest of man-
kind.
Dr. Mazrsri, profe sor of fio-
li/ial irience at the University
of Michigan, and a member of
its ri/er for Afro-American
Studies, has au/hored numerous
books and articles on Africa and
the Third World, some for the
Pacific Ne-s Service.
aMY' kN46 5 .11r IM'( AR ,\
I Letters to
sulsexual
To The Daily:
A few scattered thoughts prompted by Gregory
Hill's letter printed on April 15.
I become angry when "Biblical Christian prin-
ciples" are the basis of a persecution so intense
that it's out to destroy a rather large slice of
an individual's identity - his sexuality. You for-
get, brother Hill, God loves us all.
Hill attributes the graffiti in men's restrooms
to gays. Being female, I've never seen the "de-
cor" contributed by these "immoral/disturbed
individuals." I suggest if Hill believes the vul-
gar words and graphics come from gays only,
and if that is all he knows of gays in this or
any other community, it's no wonder he's sick-
ened (though it's a gross reaction) by homosexu-
ality.
The issue of gay teachers, policemen, soldiers,
etc. is thorny only because of the child molester
label given any homosexual and the fear gays are
out to convert the world to their way of having
sex.
Speaking of conversion, the best sex I've had
(if defined in terms of climax intensity and/or
duration) has been the result of masturbation.,
I'm almost certain Hill views self-manipulation
and other methods which are not the front-to-
front, woman-man, let's-have-a-baby variety as
perverse, so here I am - baddest of the bad.
Social pressures aside, I've had the opportuni-
ty to learn the best way of satisfying my sex
urge - intimate loves and lovers available or
not. If I were realistic l'd admit that social
pressure can never be aside and that it did/does
have an effect on my sexual evolution. Some-
where along the line I found masturbation the
only comfortable option I had. SUISEXUALS
UNITE!
Joanna Soukup
TeDailyI
no waste
To The Daily:
I am a junior doing a double major in Ger-
man and history. Although your recent series of
articles on the language requirement here was
not blatantly critical of the program, the impli-
cations were obvious. It seems that students are
forced to spend time studying languages when
they would rather be pursuing other academic
goals, and the people dedicated enough to go
to the language lab are really just wasting their
time (although generously a few opposing opinions
were quoted).
There is value in studying foreign languages.
The more you study a language the more you
realize that it is not the words, but the ideas
behind them, that are important. The same
thoughts can be expressed in many ways.
I do not think that going to the language lab
is a waste of time. I found it very helpful, es-
pecially in the lower level classes. True, it does
seem a bit silly to be talking into a machine,
But the repetition does help the student to learn
words and their pronounciation; it also helps
you get used to common sentence structures and
to responding to German with German - the
first step towards being able to hold a con-
versation in German.
I can't help thinking that Americans really
are too egotistical. We demand that all the na-
tions of the world come to us on our terms, and
communicate with us in our language. It is too
soon for us to forget the mistake we make when
we assume that our culture is superior to all
others, and that a few English speaking people
can solve any problem. As the world grows
smaller through speedier forms of communica-
tion, we need now more than ever to be aware
that most other countries have a far richer
heritage than we do.
Helena Jo Goldstein