A
OPINION
Page 4 Sunday, October 26, 1980 \The Michigan Daily
The liberal alternatives: A whore or a hope
The two-party system has done its worst job
yet this election year. It has produced two can-
didates, who, despite clearly distinguishable
policies and proposals, will have a suffocating
effect on the American citizenry. The claims of
each party that it has the answers to America's
mounting problems are ridiculous.
The question of precisely which variety of
bungling and wrongheadedness will dominate
governmental policy until 1984 is neither of
great interest nor of particular consequence.
THE REAGAN BRAND of power abuse will
be less underhanded than his opponent's. He
will make no bones about pulling SALT II from
r -
Obliquity
By Joshua Peck
would march in his second term?
Yet for some reason, the Democratic
coalition has been falling in line behind the in-
cumbent, whose record is shaping up to be the
worst since Herbert Hoover's. Why Carter's
already-committed mistakes should be less
frightening than Reagan's potential ones
remains a mystery.
CARTER'S DOMESTIC policies are
laughably bad, and everyone seems to know it.
Inflation has risen, but unemployment has not
dropped in compensation. The lot of American
blacks is worse now, both absolutely and in
comparison to whites, than it was when Carter
took office. Nuclear energy, which'to candidate
Carter was a "last resort," is an integral part
of President Carter's on-again-off-again
energy program.
No one can doubt that a conservative trend is
afoot among the American electorate. The very
fact that Reagan is certain to finish within a
few percentage points of his opponent confirms
that trend.,
But the general mood of the nation does not
mean that there are no liberals, progressives,
and leftists remaining. Nor does it mean that
the pendulum could not swing back the other
way, perhaps even in the -near future. In lieu of
any acceptable candidate who stands a chance
of. getting elected, liberals, progressives, and
leftists owe it to themselves and to their gran-
dchildren to vote for the one candidate who of-
fers hope for the future-Barry Commoner of
the Citizens Party.
COMMONER WOULD NOT make a very.
good president. That may sound like a con-
tradiction; in fact it is not. Commoner himself
has no chance to win and he knows it, but his
lack of legislative experience has no bearing on
the wisdom and compassion the Citizens Party
platform exudes. If and when the day comes
that a Citizens Party candidate has a clear shot
at the presidency, that candidate certainly will
concrete results. Specifics from the party plat-
form bear it out.
AMERICAN LABORERS know well that
large corporations pay them less than they feel
their efforts are worth. They know many com-
panies manage without American labor
altogether by exploiting cheap labor pools
abroad.
The Citizens Party recommends that cor-
porations be forced to pay a living wage to their
employees, whether they be residents of Yp-
silanti, Michigan or Soweto, South Africa.
Think of what the enactment of such a proposal
would mean: An end to slave wages for many
of the poor abroad, a disincentive for the multi-
national corporations to take their manufac-
turing plants elsewhere.
Need it be noted that neither Jimmy Carter
nor Ronald Reagan has made any mention of
the corporate policies that impose low wages
on workers around the world? How could they?
That would be biting the proverbialhand.
The Citizens Party platform features a
wealth of proposals for programs that would
benefit various factions of society. These in-
clude renewed and thoroughgoing daycare
facilities, more expenditures for battered
women and rape victims, efforts to redistribute
wealth more fairly along racial lines, moves
for Hispanic and Native American rights, and
vastly increased funds for the development of
conservation and renewable resource energy
plans.
THE KNEEJERK Republican respon-
se-and perhaps, these days, the Democratic
one as well-is a cry that there is no money to
fund these proposals, worthy though they
might sound. The Citizens Party response?
Take the money from the two repositories
where it languishes now, to the advantage of
virtually no one: the national defense budget
and the coffers, once again, of the large cor-
porations.
The billions the United States pours into
defense make California's defense industry{
happy, but do little for anyone else. If even a
half those dollars were spent on socially useful..
programs and industries, the beasts of inter-
national military tension and domestic in-
flation could both take a needed beating.
As for the corporations, their billions were
earned not only through the sweat of their
workers, but through the collusionary policies
of the government. Barry Commoner and his
colleagues want to make good the unfair ad-
vantages that have so horribly inequitably a
distributed the nation's wealth.
THERE IS AN understandable tendency
among the electorate in general and first-time
voters in particular to vote for a candidate who.,
at least has a chance to emerge victorious.
Making one's vote "practical" must seem
especially pressing when one of the candidates
has been cast as a raving maniac, and when,
indeed, the quality of American life might suf-
fer considerably more under one candidate
than under the other.
But Jimmy Carter, the man who demands
and expects liberal support, is a cynical,
hawkish, mendacious political whore. He is an
enemy of good economics, good sense, and
goodheartedness. He is a friend only to good
politics.
A vote for Barry Commoner is not a vote for
Ronald Reagan. It is a vote of conviction that j
the poor, the sick, and the hungry are not $,
spongers, or enemies of the middle class, but
rather victims of a corporate system that is the -
enemy of us all.
Vote for Barry Commoner on November 4.
Joshua Peck, is the co-editor of the,
Daily's Opinion page. His column appears
every Sunday.
consideration before the Senate. He may get
tough in word and deed with the Soviets, though
it must be noted that the presidency has usually
had a moderating effect, even on seeming ex-
tremists.
Does Jimmy Carter offer significantly less of
a threat to world peace than Reagan? His avid
support for the MX missile, his rash reaction to
the "discovery" that there were Soviet troops
stationed in Cuba, his insistence, faithfully
echoed by Congress, that young men register
for the draft, and of course, the enormous in-
creases in defense spending over the course of,
his four years in office, are but a few of the
ways in which Carter has betrayed the trust of
the liberal Democratic voters who put him in
office. Unhampered by concerns that his ac-
tions might hurt his re-election chances, who
knows how dangerously far to the right Carter
Barry Commoner
be a man or woman suited for the job.
But at the moment, the party is only begin-
ning to spread its ideas. The man who leads it is
an articulate and captivating spokesman for a
group whose dreams are set on future election
years, years when more and more American
voters have come to the realization that the
tenets of the Citizens Party platform are facts.
"The commanding heights of the American
economy are occupied by giant corporations
whose grip on the nation's economic and
political life has brought our society to the
verge of national crisis." That assertion, the
opening sentence of Commoner's platform, is a
joke in "respectable" political circles today.
But it is no joke to the people, Americans and
foreigners, who suffer from its painful and very
0he 3IEIpt3an 1Bailjj
Edited and managed by students at The University of Michigan
420 Maynard St.
Vol. XCI, No. 46 Ann Arbor, MI 48109
Editorials represent a majority opinion of the Daily's Editorial Board
Keeping remarriage can
LETTERS TO THE DAILY:
Reagan plague will doom America
T HE MONTH-LONG Synod of
Bishops at the Vatican is finally
over, and so; for the moment at least,
we can cease our frequent attacks on
the antiquated Church rules the
bishops have affirmed. Almost.
As if desiring one last volley of
criticism from Catholics and non-
Catholics alike, Pope John Paul II
closed the synod with yet another
policy straight out of the Middle Ages.
,He said that divorced Catholics who
remarry should participate "in the life
of the church" but cannot receive
Communion unless they remain
celibate.
-That requirement is about as
ridiculous as ordering a child who has
measles not to develop small red spots.
:This latest backward order from the
keepers of the Catholic faith might be
amusing were it not part of a
devastating trend.
Earlier in the synod, the rigid ban on
artificial birth control was reaffirmed,
although the sensitive prelates did ex-
press compassion for those Catholics
who have trouble accepting the rules.
And Friday, in a brilliant example of
confusing logic, a San Francisco arch-
bishop said that the growing rates of
violence, abortion, and divorce in the
United States since the early 1960s are
proof that the liberal attitudes of some
Roman Catholics toward birth control
are not beneficial to society.
Perhaps the archbishop meant that
the availability and use of artificial
birth control has loosened our society's
morals, leading to the aforementioned
ills.
Of course, he and the other Church
leaders conveniently ignore the social
chaos millions of unwanted
babies-sure to be born in the Catholic
dream world of rhythm-method con-
traception-would wreak upon society.
To the Daily:
Theoretically, the American
political system is designed such
that the people rule. The people,
by voting in their own interests,
insure that the decisions made by
their representatives will be
congruent with those interests.
As a male college student
registered for the draft, I have a
very specific set of interests to
protect in the upcoming elec-
tions. First and foremost in my
mind is a desire to keep myself
out of the Midest with a machine
gun in my hands. It seems ob-
vious to me that Jimmy Carter's
foreign policy is much less likely
to result in war than is Governor
Reagan's. Carter's Olympics
boycott, wheat embargo,
economic sanctions, and
peacetime draft registration,
although cautious, are effective,
appropriate, and benign tools of
foreign policy.
Reagan's desire to increase our
nuclear arsenal and his proposal
to blockade Cuba are clear in-
dications of his philosophy con-
cerning foreign policy. There can
be no doubt that the probability of
war will be much greater under a
Reagan administration.
As a student, I have another
major interest to protect-my
education. At present, I receive
$2,500 from the federally sub-
sidized guaranteed student loan
program. It is no secret that the
flow of these funds would come to.
an abrupt halt should Reagan be
elected. In a recent interview,
Walter Cronkite asked Reagan if
he would increase or decrease
federal aid to students.-
Reagan replied, "Aid becomes
an interference to education."
After this brilliant response,
Reagan expressed his desire for
the states to offer aid to students.
I can't help but wonder if this is
what he had in mind when he cut
state aid to students 100 percent
in California. Strange how his
basic politicalrphilosophies
change depending upon what job
and whose votes he is after.
Well, Mr. Reagah could easily
serve a four-year term without
involving the United States in a
conventional war. And I could
probably continue my education
at a school in my home state. But
a vote for a man who advocates a
nuclear arms race with the Soviet
Union is in no one's interest.
In a recent television speech,
Reagan said, "The way to avoid
an arms race is not simply to let
the Soviets race ahead. We need
to remove their incentive to race
ahead." Apparently Reagan in-
tends to remove this incentive by
keeping up with Soviets: He
believes that if we race right
along with them, then they won't
move ahead, and this will destroy
Hazing co
To the Daily:
I was amazed that your Octo-
ber 23 article on the hazing in-
cident did not contain even a note
of apology. Since your first ar-
ticle concerning the incident on
October 14, you have run a total
of (correct me if I'm wrong) at
least fifteen articles related to it.
Besides the fact that we were all
getting a little sick of reading
about it, I think you should
realize that you are the ones who
blew the whole thing out of
proportion. If was, after all, just
a hazing, not a murder or ex-
their incentive. Reagan is
arguing that the way to prevent
an arms race is to engage in one..,
This type of circular reasoning
exemplifies the ignorance and
stupidity of the man. He is
neglecting, or is simply ignorant
of, the fact that every single arms
race in history has resulted in
war.
Ronald Reagan is an
uneducated, misinformed, illad-
vised actor. He is no more
qualified to be president than
Henry Fonda. Reagan is a
disease attacking the American
people, and his plague must be
wiped out before Election Day or
every American will be doomed
to a political black death.
-Joe Becker
October 22
verage hit
posure of mismanagement of
millions of dollars in University
funds. Furthermore, no one, as
you've told us so many times,
was seriously hurt.
I do not condone hazing, but
neither can I condone blatant
journalistic irresponsibility. It is
mostly your fault that Baseotto
and Todd left. Next time you
publish so muchabout one in-
cident, make sure it's worth-
while.
-Chris Case
October 23
4w
Tisch will crush hopes
Tot e Daily:
For many of us, November 4'
will mark the first presidential
election in which we are eligible
to vote. Surprisingly, there are
those who do not intend to cast a
ballot, not wishing to show sup-
port for any of the candidates.
Do we need to be reminded that
there are other issues at stake in
this election? As readers of the
Daily, we are fully aware of the
disastrous consequences
Michigan faces if the Tisch
amendment - Proposal D - is
passed. According to University
of Michigan economists, the
state's entire system of higher
education will be wiped out.
Those colleges and universities
not forced to close would have to
double or even triple
tuition-while at the same time,
student financial aid would be
eliminated at the state level.
But in this situation we are not
powerless. We don't have to sit
back and watch The University of
Michigan be hacked to pieces by
Mr. Tisch's meat ax. We have a
vote. And it does count.
By not voting on November 4,
you won't change the system of
American politics. One of the
candidates ' will be elected
president; the two-party system
will continue to dominate.
By not voting on November 4,
however, you will be providing
no opposition to a proposal that
could crush all our hopes for
higher education in Michigan. We
must show up at the polls in full
force if we are to stop Mr. Tisch
from turning our goals for the
future into unattainable fan-
tasies.
-Kevin West
October 24
01
Help the elderly Nov. 1
To the Daily:
For some, old age brings
physical problems which make it
difficult to do simple but
necessary jobs like yard work
and window washing around the
home. CHORE DAY, sponsored
by Neighborhood Senior Ser-
vices, is again coordinating a
community effort to help Ann Ar-
bor senior citizens, and it is im-
portant to have responsible in-
dividuals who can assistus.
Neighborhood Senior Services
is an organization whose goal is
helping older persons remain in-
dependent in their own homes.
We have found that help with
these seasonal chores can often
make the difference for seniors
who want to continue on their own,
in their familiar neighborhoods.
The CHORE DAY this fall is
Saturday, November 1. Please-
see the "Happenings ' column for
further information.
-Mary Baker,
Director
Neighborhood Senior
Services Staff
October 14
Mideast problems building
To the Daily:
The situation in the Mideast is
of concern to all of us. However,
-we should not only pay attention
to those crises that have come to
an open outbreak, but also to
those that are building up, and
especially, the role of our gover-
nment in relation to them.
Part of the Mideast "Arc of
Crisis" is Somalia and Ethiopia.
Somalia, in its quest for
territorial expansion. is waging a
Ethiopia's 30 million and one of
the strongest armies on the con-
tinent without exterior backing.
The goal of the U.S. government
is to destroy the socialist
revolution in Ethiopia.
Socialism is the only hope for
these poor countries, and a coun-
try as rich as ours has no
business preventing Ethiopia
from building the social and
economic system that suits its
needs best. Ethiopia just won a
Tt. ~ _a _ , _ _ : _ _ _ _
Vote for Bullard urged
c]
To the Daily:
If you want to be sure of having
a representative in Lansing who
understands the needs of Ann Ar-
bor students and their rights
within the University system,
vote for Perry Bullard. He is ac-
cessible, interested in our
problems, and very effective in
helping to solve them. He has my:
recommendation, and I hope he'll.
have your vote!
-Carmell Anderson
October 2
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