OPINION
I -W
Saturday, April 10, 1982
The Michigan Daily
Mt' 3 i"oian 1iWlQ
NEdited and rhonaged by students at The University of Michigan
Vol. XCII, No. 151 420 Maynard 5t,.
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
Editorials represent a majority opinion of the Daily's Editorial Board
SAstate soludgtion
to dwindling fnniali
0
The Falkland Island crisis:
Nationalism on the
T HE STATES OF Illinois,
Massachusetts, Iowa, and
Maryland have all come up with a very
good idea.
The legislatures in each of these
states have decided that financial aid
is a priority, and have acted on that
decision by setting up new, "student
loan authorities." These authorities
will permit state colleges to issue tax-
exempt bonds to raise money for
students who have lost their federally
funded financial aid.
Because the Reagan administration
has cut back so sharply on the financial
aid system, these states have taken the
job of keeping their youth in school
upon themselves, and not a minute too
soon. Each state will float bonds with
the specific purpose of securing money
for students who no longer qualify for
federal financial aid due to tightened
restrictions. The new loans would
probably have a 10 percent or 12 per-
cent interest rate-well below the
national average-because of their
tax-exempt status. Currently, Guaran-
teed Student Loans run at 9 percent n-n
terest, only a touch below the proposed
bonded loans.
The first set of bonds should be
issued by June, and the first loans
should be available to students by this
September. They will come at a time
when financial aid is facing its leanest
and toughest years--a time, when in
novative ideas such as student loan
authorities are desperately needed.
Soon legislatures in Florida, New
York, and Connecticut will also be ad-
dressing the issue of whether to set up
similar programs. Given the national
concern over the issue, Michigan's
legislature should join in the
movement to save higher education
and consider such a move.
Certainly, a student loan authority
seems costly in terms of lost tAx
revenue, but most of the money would
be paid back eventually-these are
loans, not scholarships. More impor-
tantly, such bond-based loans would
provide numerous in-state students
with the opportunity tostart, continue,
and then finish their educations.
A student loan authority would
provide the middle income family in
Michigan with a chance to send its sons
and daughters to the institutions of
their choice,- or, in some cases, to an
institution that they can afford instead
of no institution at all. Excellent state
universities are one of the most
precious resources Michigan owns,
and the students who attend them
should be cherished as a precious
resource.
It is time for the Michigan state.
legislature to consider establishing an
alternate student loan program. A true
dedication to the youth of this state
would show a fundamental concern for
.the future-a concern the Reagan ad-
ministration seems to lack.
By Nelson Valdez
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - The
ideological engine that launched
the Argentine invasion of the
Falkland Islands runs on much
the same fuel that is propelling
the British war frigates toward
those desolate islands. It is un-
bridled nationalism, with deep
substrata of internal economic
pessimism and political crisis.
For both nations, the end result
of the seemingly unswervable
course towards confrontation
could be the fall of the present
governments and the rise. of
radically different political and
economic courses.
THE REPRESSIVE Argentine
military regime that invaded the
British-ruled islands sits heavily
atop a nation spinning out of con-
trol. The growing political op-
position factions united just last
December under a 'common
front. In late March and early
April massive street demon-
strations broke out in Buenos
Aires against the regime's seven-
year-old state of seige following,
the arrest of more than 2,000
workers who demanded an end to
the current economic policy.
The mounting political tension
is an expression of serious social
and economic problems. The 1981,
inflation rate was 131 percent, the
foreign external debt has reached
$30 billion ($10 billion more than
that of Poland) and foreign
reserves have dropped to $5
billion. The Argentine peso was
depreciated 250 percent in 1981,
and there are an estimated 3
million workers unemployed.
Salaries have been frozen, and
the' overall standard of living
declined in real income by 13.5
percent in urban -areas and 25
percent in the countryside last
year.
Last December a new military
government was imposed in the
hope that this general crisis could
be solved. It now seems that the
high command concluded that
the only way to unify the country
was to engage in a military ad-
venture. Ironically, nationalism
A British navy assault ship, followed by three landing craft
toward the Falkland Islands.
has been invoked by a military
regime that has been accused by
the opposition of selling Argen-'
tina to the multinational cor-
porations.
ARGENTINE authorities
evidently assume that the
takeover of the Falklands will
have internal political benefits
and few costs. This, of course, is
promised on the assumption that,
the British would not be: able to
react in a forceful manner and in
the end would accept the accom-
plished fact.
But the British government
may be compelled by the logic of
its own internal problems to react
forcefully to the Argentinian ac-
tion. Apart from the question of
possible oil reserves off the
Falklands, the Thatcher gover-
nment has its own political
reasons for welcoming a
nationalistic response. The
British economy is in serious
trouble, unemployment continues
to rise, and political division is
rife. A foreign aggression by a
Latin dictatorship could uniteat:
least temporarily a weary ands
devisive Britain behind a
resurgence of wounded
nationalism. For Britain to do
nothing would be tantamount to
acknowledging that Britannia no
longer counts on the wo
Curiously, both go
are following nearly
economic policies. E
not only makes stra
fellows but also stran
saries.
WHAT CAN the Britis
of outright war? The
have broken diplomatic
and frozen Argentinian
Great Britain. They c
through diplomatic
primarily the United S
not much can be hope
that front. Argentinaa
committed.
The British nav
surround the islan
establish a blockade, 1
some point to the land
ces on the territory..
could involve a militar
tation at sea.
Another option wou
blockade the port o
Aires. This was done it
century on several occ
the British. If it worke
-tine. foreign trade wou
.mediately-affected.fBu
economic hardship wo
the Argentinian milita
knees is something else
be noted that the Argeni
a powerful air capa
ramp age
might change the entire military
equation.
ALSO, AS regards an economic
blockade, both the United States
and the Soviet Union are major
trading partners of Argentina.'-
Eighty percent of all the wheat
that Argentina exports is per
chased by the Soviet Union. It
. remains to be seen how the
Soviets would respond to such an
action.
Obviously, there will be strong'
" pressure from the world com-
munity to compel both countries-,t e oit e oui n b f r
to negotiate a resolution before
w w the conflict reaches all-out war.
But what can be negotiated? Both
countries claim absolute'
sovereignty over the same landr
nment were to agree to return the
islands, the government would
, steams not survive the very signing of
such an accord. The same may be
rld stage. true for the British if they were to
vernments cave in. i
identical The only possibility at this
:conomics point may be for the British to
inge bed- give soverignty over the islands
ge adver- to Argentina, but arrange for
leasing them back under an
sh'do short autonomous status, perhaps
y already similar to the Hong Kong
c relations arrangement. The idea is not far-
iassets in fetched. It has been suggested
ould work previously by the British but
channels, rejected by the Argentinians;
States, but Unless some accord is reached,
dfor from both governments may find
already is themselves either having to .
commit their nations to war or
y could lose political power.
nds and For Argentina, especially, the
leading at two options may combine. While
ing of for- the invasion may allow the
But this Argentine military to gain some
y confron- nationalistic support from the,
populace, nationalism is a
Ild be to dangerous and volatile political
f Buenos force. It does not solve political or
n the 19th economic problems but merely
asions by covers them over with a thin.
d, Argen- layer of emotional unity. In the
ld be im. long run, ,the nationalist response
t whether .nmigt even exacerbate the un
uld bring denying crises.
Haig views the.armsrace
ry to its
It should-
tines have
city that
Valdez wrote this article foe
the Pacific News Service.
The UNITED STATES remains a
peace-seeking nation, but it reserves
the right to start a nuclear war, said
Secretary of State Alexander Haig in a
major policy speech Tuesday.
Forget the nuclear freeze proposal
too, and full. speed ahead with the
largest peacetime military buildup in
the history of the United States, he told
his audience.
Haig's address reiterated the ad-
ministration's inferiority complex
concerning U.S. military forces. The
United States must go through With
President Reagan's huge military
program the administration con-
cludes, or it will not have a credible
deterrent against a Soviet military
move.
The administration seems to be war-
ning that, unless the United States
immediately starts playing military
catch-up, a giant horde of freedom-
devouring communists will sweep
across Europe and, eventually,
is not even essential for the United
States to maintain a deterrent against
Soviet agression. If the Soviets were
planning to launch an attack on
Europe, they would need (according to
most military planners) a two or three
to oie advantage to succeed. The
Soviets do not possess a clear edge in
nuclear arms. If they were to launch a
nuclear attack on the United States
they would face tens of millions of
casualties themselves - they could not
wipe out the entire U.S. nuclear ar-
senal. The United States would still be
able to launch a devastating counterat-
tack.
Therefore, contrary to Haig's claim,
the current nuclear deterrent will work
without a grandiose expansion in U.S.
arms. And if the U.S. deterrent
remains viable then the freeze
represents the best alternative to con-
tinging the arms race. No one in the
nuclear freeze movement is suggesting
the United States should send up a
white flag to the Soviet Union. What
they are suggesting is that more arms
will not make the West any more
secure; the United States has enough
arms already.-
If the United States really wants to
be considered a peace-loving nation,
Haig, and the administration should
demonstrate this fact, stop the
military drum beating, and start being
reasonable about nuclear arms.
- -
Weasel
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By Robert Lence
TO STAND RIG-T HRE
ANP WAlt FOR A
U4MMERCIAL.
-VI
6
a
LETTERS TO THE DAILY:
Friends question Israeli sincerity
To the Daily:.
The American Friends Service
Committee expresses its deep
concern at the removal of
democratically elected
municipal officials in the West
Bank city of el Bireh by the
Israeli military. This act reinfor-
ces the fears of many Israelis and
Palestinians who believe that the
Government of Israel has no in-
tention to negotiate a viable
solution to the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict. The action against el
Bireh officials raises the question
whether similar action will be
taken against the elected leader-
ship of other West Bank
municipalities.
It is ironic that the Israeli
authorities removed the mayor of
el Bireh from office. In our con-
versations with him, Mayor
Ibrahim Tawil has expressed his
desire to live in a sovereign West
Bank/Gaza Palestinian state and
to have that state co-exist in
peace with Israel. Mayor Tawil
and his colleagues should be
sought out by Israel in developing
a mutually constructive solution
to the conflict instead of being
removed from office.
We note that both Israelis
and Palestinians have peacefully
demonstrated in Tel Aviv,
Jerusalem and on the West Bank
against the government action
taken in el Bireh.
We believe that our own gover-
nment must recognize that
without a solution to the
Palestinian problem there will be
no stable peace in the Middle
East. We join in the words of
Knesset member Yossi Sarid who
stated on the pages of the New
York Times on March 21: "If we
wish to save the peace with Egypt
we must prepare to negotiate a
solution to the Palestinian
problem. It is unlikely that such
negotiations would be possible
without PLO participation..
The American Friends Service
Committee believes that
President Reagan should con-
vene negotiations between the
leadership of the Palestine
Liberation Organization and the
Government of Israel with the
goal of obtaining mutual
recognition: Israel to recognize
the right of self-determination of
the Palestinian Arab nation and
the Palestinians to recognize the
right of the State of Israel to live
within -approximately pre-1967
borders.
-Joe Volk, AFSC
April 8
Daily goofs on PLO
4
To the Daily:
I was one of the speakers
quoted in your article "PLO rep
urges students to support
Palestinians" (Daily, March 28).
I wish to point out two serious
errors in the detailing of my
comments.
One, I did not suggest that U.S.
just as fascists could not ex-
tinguish Jewry by relocation, the
Israelis cannot extinguish:
Palestine by driving the residents
off their land. In fact, Jews in
Israel recently demonstrated in
support of Palestine and against
the resettlement policies of their
own government.
Imitating Rolling Stone
... d . 1 i I
A&