6 OPINION a, Toage 4 Thursday, March 4, 1982 The Michigan Daily Edited and managed by students at The University of Michigan Living with Polish martial law Vol. XCII, No. 119 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 Editorials represent a majority opinion of the Daily's Editorial BoardI Getting it straight THE PAST. May, 1982: Secretary Haig says he December, 1981: President has undeniable proof that Soviet spies Reagan says intelligence reports have have infiltrated the United Nations, confirmed the presence of Libyan "hit causing a perilous breach in security. squads" along the perimeters of the Haig says he heard this information United States. The president, however, from a friend, but he cannot release his says he cannot name his source due to name because it is of a "personal the secrecy which surrounds the event. nature." The U.N. is quickly closed U.S. border security is tightened down along with the entire east side of nonetheless. Manhattan. February, 1982: Reagan tells a group June, 1982: Reagan says a top aide of reporters assembled at the Capitol informed him recently that blacks are that he has impeccable evidence that one of the chief causes of unem- his earlier "incorrect" statements ployment. The president, however, about the history of Vietnam were ac- cannot release the advisor's name tually correct. The president, however, because it might, inspire a violent refuses to show the reporters his backlash. All blacks are subsequently evidence. denied voting status and some are "in- March, 1982: Secretary of State terned." Alexander Haig tells the House July, 1982: Secretary of Defense Foreign Affairs Committee that he has Caspar Weinberger says he has "irrefutable evidence" that leftist in- photographic proof that there are surgents in El Salvador are being con- Soviet missiles stationed in North trolled by forces outside of that coun- Dakota. The photos are classified, try. Haig claims, however, that Weinberger claims, but F-4,Phantom releasing this information would en- jets run continuous bombing raids over danger U.S. security operations, and Bismark, the state capitol, for a week. he refuses to do so. U.S. military and August, 1982: President Reagan says economic aid to El Salvador is he has figures that prove the Canadian thereupon increased. nation is rapidly shifting over to a Thefuture. communist dictatorship. The figures April, 1982: Reagan says im- are so important that only Reagan and migrating Haitians are actually in the his wife Nancy are allowed to view pay of the Cuban government. The them. Canada is subsequently brought president cannot name the source of to its knees by an American economic his nformation due to the sensitivity of embargo, and then nuked into the stone the issue. Immigration to all U.S. ports age; oTentry is restricted nonetheless. Next time, could we just have a bit more information? A succcessful taxi service A T A TIME when Ann Arbor-and 1980. PIRGIM has effectively the rest of the country-is becoming bargained with the AATA for the ser- a veritable graveyard of social and vice, and has stressed the role such a educational programs, it is heartening service will play in preventing crime in to see the birth of a valuable federally- the community. " funded program on campus. The new Just as pleasantly surprising as program, an all-night taxi transit ser- PIRGIM's effective lobbying, is the all- vice, will begin offering affordable and night ride's survival through the safe transportation for all Ann Arbor current budget-cutting climate. The residents by March 15. program will receive the bulk of its Ann Arbor Transit Authority's all- $89,000 from the federal Urban Mass night taxi program, approved by City Transportation Administration. AATA Council on Monday, will offer cab rides officials admit they are surprised that from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. for a flat rate of the program received funds, since it is $1.50 per person. The program will be far from cost effective. It is merely especially helpful in alleviating the helpful to the general public. problem women face when walking A discouraging note is that the ser- alone at night. The service thus will vice will operate for one year on an ex- prove not only a convenience, but also perimental basis. So the worthy ser- a tool to combat the ever-growing vice may face a shaky future. But at a crimes of rape and assault. time when the country seems more and Much credit for the program's more like a wasteland of neglected and creation should go tothe Public In- financially crippled social programs, terest Research Group in Michigan Ann Arbor can only be thankful that student group, which has lobbied for an the night ride program has been given all-night taxi service since September, a chance in our community. *d o . - -'. if { 1Ii(' I l 1 1' + t'I II ' II ° _ J'y '7' h I'I\ 7 Raymond Taras left Poland in February-a month and a half after mar- tial law was declared in that country-after completing his doctoral work at the University of Warsaw. Taras, a Canadian who studied political sociology during his tenure in Poland, discussed his months spent under martial law and his,.predic- tions for Poland's future with Opinion Page Editor Julie Hinds this week. Taras currently lives in Montreal and has been offered a position as a research associate at the University's Center for Russian and East European Studies. Daily: When martial law was enforced in December, what was the mood like in Poland? Was there more sympathy toward the government or Solidarity? Has the mood changed? Taras: The mood has changed. I think it's important to make the point that especially after the statements made by Solidarity leaders at Gdansk on December 12 (prior to martial law) there was a strong reaction in society against Solidarity, against what people viewed as Solidarity's decision to un- dertake a confrontation with the government. People had been living on tenterhooks since the establishment of Solidarity. A lot of my academic friends were glued to the radio, with so many crises occurring one after another. In a lot of ways martial law came, I wouldn't say as a relief, but as some kind of definitive resolution. I would take the view that there was con- siderable understanding among the population on the imposition of martial law, especially in light of what happened in the preceding weeks. But, although there was considerable un- derstanding for Jaruzelski's measures, at the same time exasperation began to grow as martial law dragged on and on. People had no experience with martial law and assumed it would last ten days, at most a month. People had high expectations in January that if mar- tial law was not completely eliminated, at least most of the restrictions felt in daily life would be lifted. Nothing of the sort arose. To put it bluntly, I think the mood of the population is now much nastier than it was in December. Daily: What were the effects upon intellectual life? Were your activities or those of your colleagues curtailed? Taras: Yes. There was a ban on all publications. At the universities all lectures, seminars, and so on were suspended until January, which meant that when I went to the University of Warsaw there was virtually no one there. People couldn't meet even in an in- formal way. There was very little intellectual contact during that period apart from one person going to the house of another. Even then, there were limits on personal meetings until February, when up to 10 people were able to meet in a house freely without in- fringing on the decree of martial law. Daily: Were any of your Polish friends or colleagues arrested? Taras: Some of them were interned, but now most of them have been released. Daily: Are the activities of Solidarity visible now? Taras: Solidarity has made a point of remaining visible. As for factories, Solidarity is limited to collecting from members dues for the benefit of the families of those interned or dismissed from their jobs. As for Solidarity in intellec- tual circles, there are considerable analyses being done at the moment, academicians writing 10 to 15 page reports of why martial law was imposed, where did Solidarity go wrong, and so on, Leaflets are being written, printed, and distributed. Daily: What about Lech Walesa? Is he still a powerful figure even though he's kept isolated by the government? Taras: First, it's impossible for anyone in Poland to answer some very big questions. Such as, where is Walesa? Are negotiations taking place between him and the gover- nment? Very, very few people in Poland know the answers. But the pro-Solidarity section of the population is now focused less on Lech Walesa and more on Solidarity leaders who escaped the dragnet of martial law. These leaders have been elevated to folk heroes. It's not the Pope, it's not Walesa;. these aren't the important characters in the images of the Poles at the moment, it's other leaders. Daily: What is the opinion of the Polish people on U.S. and European economic sanctions? Is it viewed as a positive or negative step? . Taras: I would tend to say that the population: realizes that these sanctions are bringing hardship. For example, since no American corn is being imported, there is no chicken feed. With no feed there will be no chickens or eggs in a month or two. But since there were very few goods available before martial law, y 7~ the fact that, for example, chickens disappear from market doesn't really make all that' much difference. I would categorically rule4 out the idea that the Polish population is op- psosed to the sanctions. Daily: How long do you think martial law will' last? Do you think the discontent among the people will growv into more resistance or will martial law have an uneventful conclusion? Taras: Everything depends on the piower. struggle that is taking place in the political leadership. I insist that Jaruzelski should be viewed as a moderate. There are people who are hardliners and oppose the fact that Jaruzelski says that some kind of autonomous trade union should exist even after martial law is lifted. My contacts in Solidarity viewed Jaruzelski as someone they could work with. They don't say the same about other leaders in the government. If Jaruzelski doesn't have his hands tied by the conservative, dogmatic faction of the par- ty, I think he will make significant gestures toward the trade union movement. If o such gestures are made, then frustrations will' grow. There will be trouble in Poland. I'm notu sure that Solidarity should be blamed for any such trouble, for there isn't any conspiracy.' Solidarity is wiling to work with the gover nment. It's imperative 4hat Jaruzelski be given a little more time and some freedom to maneuver during this period to reach some: sort of agreement with Solidarity. ;* i i ;, ; f' G Dialogue is a weekly feature of the: Daily 's Opinion Page and appears every Thursday. i Weasel CHARLESTON HEX)OMIA 14 s1'ARPATE- 1995: Thusis ~ cDMMAN1', CR.uT~, SOk--6OR-V1bdK OF THF- £TARS*{ "FRM041SE." TN6i REST OF THE cREW 15 PMAQ TbtsoNP 6Y PRKIN6 SOME $Rm'L> TAN( LOST ANDP WITHOJST KoPS, r W4iLL (W FORGED' TO MAKE Att IEMJ66'Y LAMPIM, AT7-fS I5 METUOPMAREAP. _ /~ G' "" , --. / G z By.Robert Lence y' WAT A STRgANGE ?LA.TY NOT4IMG B BUTGOLF COORSES, As FAR AS TE EM CAN SEE! WHO KNOWS WHAT HORRORS AWAIT ME! 6 h LETTERS TO THE DAILY: Witt gets it all- wrong on Pc To the Daily: I found Howard Witt's column on Pakistan (Daily, Feb. 16) an insult to my intelligence. His source sounded like he was a paid agent of the murderous Zia regime. If the peoole of Pakistan believed the self-appointed dic- tator Zia was a necessity, Zia would not need a ubiquitous machinery of repression. He would not refuse to hold elections, arbitrarily dismiss judges, or Guessing for Econ. grades To the Daily: I've been insulted! (Why's he telling me you're probably asking). I have written this letter on your behalf; you the student, the consumer of education. The class: Economics 400, the . insult: guessing for grades. In Tuesday's lecture, before 100, students, the class teaching assistant posed the following: Af- ter I put up the grade distribution for the midterm, you may: professional, so educationally unethical,, someone need be heard from. This letter is not coming from a student disgrun- tled over his treatment by a T.A., for until this moment I was just another happy face in the crowd. Nor does it come from a casualty of the exam. I am interested in nothing more than getting my money's worth. Something like this makes me wonder, that's all. Here then is what I offer to make the law subservient to his dictims like one who rules by martial law. When I was visiting my home in Pakistan a year and a half ago, an old acquaintance of mine, Nazur Abass, was, arested. He was a young lawyer printing pam- phlets criticizing the martial law-something Solidarity workers are now doing in Poland. A few days later, Abassi was. dead while in custody of the security forces. His body bore telltale signs of torture. There was no investigation, no prosecution, and no action again- st any police or military official. And unfortunately, Abassi is not alone. Amnesty International thoroughly documents many cases quite similar to his in its recent report. Mr. Witt, as a human being I from a commitment to hs people-the people he torments with those bullets. The economy of Pakistan is fou the rich. The poor under hid repressive, unrepresentative, and provincial government are worse than ever. Illiteracy is up, malnutrition i up, inflation tops 30 percent, and the chasm bet- ween the rich and poor continues to grow by leaps and bounds. Repression does not hold a nation together-once before the genocide committed by the Pakistan army led to the division of Pakistan and creation of Bangladesh. Today that very army is in control and I found much hatred for what it has come to symbolize throughout the smaller provinces. The regime is anti-Pakistan. More importan- tly it is inhumane. T+ is -ariA *. *Pt .P dnt.