OPINION Page 4 Sunday, September 9, 1984 The Michigan Daily 4 AE By James Boyd I have been to Heaven. It is a place where the majority is politically concerned, a place where the world's harsh realities rather than blind optimism dictate policy. The people there prefer self-examination over flag-waving and pray in churches, not in schools. Best of all, Ronald Reagan is seen as the two-bit actor and high-riding cowboy that he is. I have been to Europe. ACTUALLY, Europe isn't Heaven but compared to the current state of American political psychology it is vir- tually Heaven. It is depressing that the disparity between the two is so evident since this country is so good at what it does and has traditionally spurned mindlessness in its government. From Washington to Roosevelt and beyond, America could only be proud of itself; always becoming more prosperous, almost always giving the little guy a chance, and most important of all, always trying to do the smartest, most decent thing possible. The aftermath of the war saw America as Europe's savior-a role for which our allies were most greatful. Not only had the stars and stripes delivered Europe from the. Nazis, but they were going to defend .against the Russians too. The Berlin airlift in 1948 proved us to be the good guys. No operation anywhere in the world was too great in the pursuit of freedom. Then, however, came Vietnam-the irope's greatest operation of all-and Europeans beganto question whether or not the United States was really fighting for freedom. American aggression had reared its ugly head. President Reagan's invasion of Grenada and confrontational posturing with the Soviets have reaffirmed America's status as potential aggressor. He has also convinced the Europeans of the ridiculousness of American politics. How can an actor of dubious talent who starred in a movie named "Bedtime for Bonzo" even aspire to the presidency of the United States, much less attain it? And how can that president say what he does-so much, so little, bad jokes, misinfor- mation, and all-and still retain the adoration of the public? They find it ridiculous that Reagan doesn't want to debate Mondale because "it would bore the pants off the American public." It is ridiculous. America elected a cowboy, not a statesman. THE RIDICULOUS aspect of this administration combined with this aggressive nature has produced in the Europeans a most understandable emotion-fear. This fear was first clearly recognizable in the mass protest against proposed American deployment of medium-range missiles in Western Europe. At that time Europe had the first clear vision that they would be the battleground in any war between the superpowers. As potential first victims they don't have that great a sense of humor about nuclear war. Ron's "begin bombing in five minutes" joke didn't go over too -eye view of U.S. '101 * )h -C- politics groups, and all socio-economic classes asked that Reagan take his missiles with him when he returned to, hone. Included was an organization of ex- servicemen calling for disarmament. British vets aren't as bashful about exhibiting their sanity as their American counterparts. What makes U.S. vets, and most everyone else, bashful is the American idea that if you're for disarmament you must be a hippie, a communist, or.:a faggot. Missiles are macho and pai- ted red, white, and blue, don 't you knock 'em or we'll knock you. The power of patriotism can be wielded for 4 good and bad. Europeans got a strong dose~of American patriotism in the papers atd on TV during the Olympics where the finely-honed and orchestrated event seemed to serve but one goal: tie glorification of America. Not that the Los Angeles Olympics and olympians weren't glorious, but the power.of patriotism can be wielded for good and bad. When it obscures a debate, suchps 4 that concerning disarmament, it is bd. As a nation, we could learn a lot from Europe's attitudes and fears. Unfor- tunately, there's nothing to make us learn. The United States has moved from savior to feared ally but no one noticed because we're not the ones who areascared. When others are threatened, we should be threatened ourselves. well. Call 'em stuffy but you wouldn't be laughing either if your survival hung in the balance between two nations waging a deadly war of silence. After learning my nationality, a Swiss woman's first question to me was, "How can your president tell such jokes?" Because he is ridiculous and aggressive. And that is scary. The anti-nuke movemen- ts-especially the strong coalitions in West Germany and the Netherlan- ds-do considerably better in Europe than in the United States. DURING REAGAN'S visit to London last June, 200,000 Britons crowded into Trafalgar Square to protest Reagan's foreign policy. The rally, sponsored by the Campaign for Nuclear Disar- mament, was amazingly heterogenous. Groups from all parts of Britain, all age Boyd is a Daily Opinion editor. Page4 1be £iIgau ilailti Edited and managed by students at The University of Michigan Vol. XVC, No. 4 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 Editorials represent a majority opinion of the Daily's Editorial Board MORE ACCUSATIO4S ABOUTSPADE But. SWASMN FO cR 8\ SIDES SPAD TREY WOULD CONThINU To. FRSSFOR ZA____.,___ FF..o0 0SGGVeQ MLR D "MCOF F- WL NEoTI NTI0WS AD U1 0 .4 r+ Nosing around i ON4 \N"OWNS To 1UN F THE actions of the housing office so far this year are any in- dication, administrators will again be testing the waters of student tolerance. Continuing a trend which started last year, they seem more than willing to see just how much University inter- vention an increasingly apathetic student body is willing to put up with in its private life. Last year, the housing office cracked down on alcohol consumption in the dormitories by enforcing restrictions on how and where students could hold parties and drink in the dorms. Later, the Office of Student Services proposed that the University adopt a code of conduct and a judicial system :to punish students for offenses which have little or no relation to academics. Now, housing official Jo Rumsey has started the year with a subtle, but revealing coup to kick off the new crusade. Last week, Rumsey decided it was her responsibility to call city police and check if several fraternities. needed a permit to sell beer at large parties this weekend. The fraternities never asked for her help in organizing their party and the police requested her help in publicizing city liquor laws. Nevertheless, Rumsey called several fraternities to inform them that they did indeed need a license to sell beer, although they never had ex- perienced any problems hosting similar parties without a license. After checking with police, at least one fraternity, Theta Delta Chi, can- celled a large party it had planned for the weekend. What's wrong with Rumsey doing the fraternities a favor by informing them they need a license? Only that she is not doing them a favor. She is subtly intruding on their right to have a party without interference from the University. It is a right every. student, or citizen for that matter, deserves. No, Rumsey didn't tell the frater- nities they could not have the parties. She didn't even ask them not to have them. But that's not the point. The point is that Rumsey had her nose, and the University's nose, where it had no business being. And there can be little doubt that on- ce students accept the University's nose in their business, it won't be easy 1< L iI1 OO F-I FHi- s LF -UI 00 ORO - i c S, W° '. 4 4 I Lt 1I1- 1 %. ___ -"_ 4 Are the Moonies in eclpse? to remove. By Andrew Ross When the Rev. Sun Myung Moon entered prison for income tax evasion and perjury in July, there were no noisy demon- strations or emotional farewells from his devotees-though they had spent virtually all their time and energy for two years in an expensive public campaign to keep him out. Moon, now working in the kit- chen of the Federal Correctional Facility in Danbury, Conn., reportedly told several hundred followers that his imprisonment will motivate people "to go beyond their past differences and work together for religious liber- ties." IN FACT, Moon's legal dif- ficulties did bring his Unification Church some long-sought legitimacy. The National Council of Churches, the National Association of Evangelicals and former presidential candidate Eugene McCarthy filed legal briefs on Moon's behalf, arguing that mingling church and per- sonal funds is standard practice and that Moon was being unfairly singled out. In his appeal, Moon was represented by one of the coun- try's foremost constitutional scholars, Lawrence Tribe of Harvard University. All this has "but they are carrying on with fierce determination,especially when they see other denominations support them on this." NEVERTHELESS, there are signs the controversial movement is at a major crossroads. Former member Gary Scharff, who now counsels other ex-members, says he has seen "a gradual disintegration inside the church for some time now." Garratt claims the church has 8,000 full-time "missionaries" in the United States and three million members of "all levels of commitment"worldwide. But outside critics like Scharff estimate U.S. membership at no more than 3,000 and say new recruitment is "way down." Some of the church's largest businesses-notably its newspaper, the Washington Times, and its fishing fleets-are reportedly losing hundreds of millions of dollars.: In fact, despite a proliferation of businesses and non-stop fund- raising activities like flower selling, the U.S. branch receives substantial contributions from its more prosperous Japanese cousin, according to the former editors of church-run papers in both Washington and Japan. them wed in "mass marriages" involving thousands-now have children. They plan to have more, in accordance with church stric- tures to procreate "perfect families." The church newsletter has a regular feature entitled "Goo- Goo News," and conversation in church households is as likely to concern diapers and baby sitters as God's plan. As one long-time insider puts it, "Many of the members' lives now revolve around their kids. They need clothes and pacifiers. There just isn't a lot of time to be involved in other things." SUCH DISTRACTIONS, say observers, have created the seeds of conflict. Some new parents have even been accused of "goofing off" in their church duties. "The church grows and changes with the people in it," concedes Garratt, "but we're still pretty hot and exciting." To the larger public, the image of the church continues to be dogged by controversy. Last May, Zenebe Giorgis, an Ethopian refugee who had been recruited by the Unification Church in Phoenix and brought to the San Francisco area, wrote a Baptist minister in Phoenix, "Now, pastor, I'm in trouble. suffering physically and IN JULY, the Japanese magazine "Bungeishunju" published a long article ',yA Yishikazu Soejma, former editor of the church's Japanese newspaper, "World Times." Soejam wrote that he was beaten up and thrown out of the newspaper office by church members, including "karate eat- perts," and charged that Moon directs a highly sophisticated tax-evasion scheme involving the church's multi-million dollar Happy World Inc., a huge Japanese corporation which makes and sells Moonie artifa- ts-seals, prayer jars, treasure pagodas, etc. Ironically, he says, Moon or- dered him thrown out because he wanted to professionalize the newpaper and hire non-Moonie staff. A similar dispute was in- volved in the recent, non-violent firing of James Whelan as editor of the church's Washington Times in the United States. o Moon's position seems little af- fected by all these. events. In what appears to be a con- solidation of his power, and a slap against secularizing, he has in- stalled several Koreans as heads of the American church's 10 regions. The "spiritual center of the church," according to Garratt, now is officially at Dan- hin. n M lm