The Michigan Daily
Edited and managed by Students at the
University of Michigan
Wednesdc,, "-a istr
News Pl-.e Li I
Open U.N. to all nations
THE STASIS DAYS of world power roles, symbolized by
the cold war stalemate and the uncontested sub-
jugation of third world nations, are gone forever. The
balance of power has undergone radical change since
the Kitchen Debate era when international diplomacy
was on ice and the United States and Russia held all the
chips. In the interim, the overextention of eastern mar-
kets has outworn American welcome in developing na-
tions across the globe and forced U.S. withdrawal from
areas once considered ripe for the pickings.
The merits of detente and constructive dialogue were
pounded home by the bitter Vietnam experience, several
near misses (Cuba and the Dominican Republic, for ex-
ample) and the still festering Mid East sore spot.
The American diplomatic rationale, though mel-
lowed somewhat by the Indochina lesson, is still woefully
flawed if the U.S. feels it can still play power broker,
along with the USSR and a few other peripheral giants,
to the world. Judging from the U.S.'s recent move to
thwart the entry of the two Vietnams into the United
Nations, the residue of a cold war mentality still figures
prominently in the American outlook toward the family
of nations.
The U.S., through its leaders, claims to recognize
the value of detente of building bridges rather than walls.
Yet the walls of western economic manipulation en-
circling Third World nations have not been readily dis-
mantled, nor have bridges of human consideration been
extended to those nations.
The developing nations have grown weary of waver-
ing before the closed door of neo-colonialist contempt
and have shown a willingness to mend fences among
themselves and join ranks to surmount the obstacle of
super-power incursion together where they were once
thwarted standing alone.
The United Nations operates on a code of cooperation
and compromise. Its edicts are unenforceable, impacting
only where its member nations deem them acceptable.
By simply refusing the Vietnams of the world mem-
bership in the international collective, or by vetoing
their prerogatives from the sacrosanct Security Council
THE LIGHTER SIDE
New energy plan: Mild winter
By DICK WEST
WASHINGTON (UPI) - Con-
gress has been catching a lot
of flak recently for failing to
develop a comprehensive en-
ergy program.
Essentially, this is a bum rap.
The fact is that Congress has
come up with a policy of avoid-
ing energy shortages -without
building unwanted nuclear pow-
er plants, lowering antipollution
standards or otherwise creating
environmental hazards.
Although details of the new
policy haven't been announced
yet, I can reveal that the key-
stone of the congressional en-
ergy plan is a mild winter.
Much of the basic thinking
that led to the formulation of
this policy was done by the
House Government Operations
Committee. In a recent report,
the committee warned that na-
tural gas shortages could bring
economic disaster to some in-
dustrial areas if there is a se-
vere winter this year.
I SENSED insreading the re-
port thai it was the forerunner
of a move to put Congress on
record as favoring a mild win-
ter. So I checked it out with
sources close to the leadership,
who confirmed my hunch.
"I think you can expect
strong action along that line
soon after Congress returns
from the August recess," one
source told me. "Most likely it
will take the form of a joint
resolution endorsing the con-
cept of mild winters in areas
threatened by gas shortages.
"With this bold stroke, Con-
gress will seize the initiative
from the White House on energy
measures and spike President
Ford's insinuations that the
leadership is too weak and
divided to deal with the prob-
lem."
I said, "That's a pretty tough
position you are taking. Are you
sure the public will buy it?
The powerful ski lobby, for in-
stances, will fight tooth and
nail against adoption of any
energy policy that approves mild
winters."
FORD AOPsW 6f wCeSRlSE<OsPAOW 4 amEN OVA ,-"flSA
"I'M WELL aware it will be
controversial," my informant re-
plied. "And there's no doubt a
mild winter could cause some
hardships. But the time h a s
come when Americana simply
have to accept certain depriva-
tions in the national interest."
"What if Ford refuses to sign
the resolution?" I persisted.
"He's a skier himself, you
know. He would look pretty silly
if he went out to Vail for his
Christmas ski holiday and tries
to schuss down bare slopes."
"We are confident that this
time we have the votes to over-
ride a veto. And we are confi-
dent it will pay off at the polls
next year. It will show the vot-
ers that Congress is determined
to find the handle on the energy
problem."
Maybe so. Certainly it will be
reassuring to see Congress fin-
ally taking decisive action. But
administration energy experts
claim that congressional support
of mild winters is a stopgap
measure at best.
IN THE long run, they say,
the only recourse for those of us
who live in gas-short areas will
he to bite thebullet and move
to Miami Beach.
Letters should be typed
and limited to 400 words.
The Daily' reserves the
right to edit letters for
length and grammar.
chambers, the U.S. will not bend those nations' priorities
to jive with their own.1 ENRGY SS AVING A C ONEPA E
Such a policy of unrequited obstinance can only
force the United States' detractors to seek other forums -
for articulating their nationalist ambitions and thus WIH AIZ (ONPMON N11, POWER
increase international alienation at a tme when recon- <' $1EeJINQ WR? RAKI5 ANP
ciliation could work to everybody's advantage. ONI 'AS EUL G ACC$SR'Eb,
Editorial Staff
JE' SORENSEN
Editor
PAUL HASKINS
Editorial Director
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