"
Page 4 --The Michigan Daily - Friday, September 7, 1990
Ube ridthjan Butie
EDITED AND MANAGED BY STUDENTS
AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
420 Maard Street
Ann Arbor, ichigan 48109
S eems
n
NOAH FINKEL
Editor in Chief
DAVID SCHWARTZ
Opinion Editor
Unsigned editorials represent a majority of the Daily's Editorial Board. All other cartoons,
signed articles, and letters do not necessarily represent the opinion of the Daily.
The Persian Gulf
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The world - not just the
JUST AS ANOTHER UNEVENTFUL
summer edged into August, the Iraqi
invasion of Kuwait captured the
world's attention. Saddam Hussein's
unprovoked and unjustified aggression
warranted the swift international con-
demnation it elicited, but better fore-
sight could have averted the crisis alto-_
gether.
U..
It is in the world's best interest to
stop Saddam Hussein, both for eco-
nomic and humanitarian reasons.
Though the economies of most of the
world's countries are far too dependent
on the oil industry, the fact remains that
unrest in the oil-rich Middle East has
severe ramifications around the globe.
Appeasing Hussein by reacting weakly
to the invasion of Kuwait might only
serve as encouragement for a future in-
yasion of another oil-exporting coun-
-couy, with Saudi Arabia serving as a
possible target.
a If Iraq ever gains control of the
Saudi oil fields, Hussein would di-
rectly control nearly 40 percent of the
world's oil reserves. Needless to say,
M tsch a development could prove a
calamity for the rest of the world.
. Aside from economic considerations
within the United States and most other
nations, the invasion of Kuwait vio-
lMted respected rights of national
sbvereignty. Though the United States
a has unjustifiably attacked and invaded
bther countries (e.g. Panama) or sup-
ported such activity (e.g. Israel's inva-
sion of Lebanon), these actions should
be contested and roundly opposed each
time they occur.
Unfortunately, what began as a
multi-national effort to oppose Iraq has
become a U.S.-led military operation,
with few countries other than the
United States playing an active role.
The notion of an economic embargo of
Iraq, supported and directed by the
United Nations, is sound policy,
though humanitarian items such as
food and medical supplies should be
excluded from the embargo. The na-
tions of the world, which were so vo-
cal in their criticism of Iraq following
the invasion, should now contribute in
tfie effort to facilitate the Iraqi with-
drawal from Kuwait.
but the U.S. must brea
U.S.-must stop Iraq...
In addition to the embargo, which
will have questionable impact in the
first several months, the UN should
take control of the defense of Saudi
Arabia. After Iraqi troops massed at the
Kuwaiti-Saudi border, there was much
talk of deploying a joint "peace-keep-
ing" force in Saudi Arabia to deter an
Iraqi invasion. Yet in the weeks
following, the joint effort has
deteriorated and the United States is the
predominant force in Saudi Arabia.
As President Bush continues to call
up more of the nation's reserves, the
threat of sinking the United States into
a full-fledged military commitment is
increasing. Both to spread the burden
of averting war in the Middle East and
to prevent the U.S. from becoming
firmly entrenched in the region, the
defense of Saudi Arabia should be un-
dertaken by a multi-national UN mili-
tary force, which would include U.S.
troops.
Finally, after discussing the present
crisis in the Persian Gulf, it is impor-
tant to understand how the situation
evolved into its current state. Saddam
Hussein, whom George Bush and
many congressional leaders now com-
pare to Adolf Hitler, has been a major
recipient of U.S. aid. Throughout its
decade-long war with Iran, Iraq was a
major beneficiary of the United States.
Even after Hussein used poison
gases to kill thousands of his own citi-
zens, the United States continued its
support. As recently as two months
ago, there was speculation that trade
barriers with Iraq would be completely
lifted.
What this demonstrates is the true
interests of the-United States. Rather
than stop a deadly killer, as the United,
States and the world could have tried to
do years ago, the Reagan and Bush
administrations helped Hussein to build
and, consolidate his power. As
inevitably happens, the policy of arm-
ing a killer has backfired on the United
States.
Aside from the lives thrown into
turmoil by the Iraqi invasion of
Kuwait, the real shame lies in the
short-sightedness of American foreign
policy.
U' cops: Students' finances and rights will suffer
By David Schwartz
University officials are touting their
fledgling police force, approved over the
summer by the Board of Regents, as a
much-needed measure to counter students'
fears about crime on campus. Unfortu-
nately, the new police force brings with it.
a high cost for students - in terms of
both finances and civil rights - while
failing to adequately respond to students'
concerns about safety.
mu.
In the past, the University paid the
City of Ann Arbor $500,000 a year to
provide patrols of campus. A new Univer-
sity department to control a new police
force, complete undoubtedly with excess
bureaucracy, will cost millions to set up
and maintain. Further, the cost of hiring,
training and equiping campus police offi-
cers will surely be measured in hundreds of
thousands of dollars - no one yet knows.
the total expense.
Essentially, the University is scrapping
a system which costs half a million dol-
lars to.implement one which could easily
cost 10 times as much. This added cost
will surely make its way onto our tuition
bills, as part of yet another double-digit
increase in the cost of a U-M education.
To make matters worse, Ann Arbor of-
ficials are fuming over the revenue they're
losing from the University. In addition to
forming its police force, the University is
planning to keep the money resulting
from parking fines accumulated in campus
lots - about $600,000 a year- money
which formerly went to the city.
In retaliation, the city is considering
new measures of its own. The city council
will likely consider proposals which
Schwartz, an LSA senior, is the Daily
Opinion Editor.,
would recover some of the revenue; ideas
discussed so far include plans to tax tu-
ition and football tickets - which again
place the financial burden on students.
After examining the monumental ex-
pense of a private, University-controlled
police force, one must ask whether the
benefits outweigh the costs. Specifically,
will the new police force protect students
better than the old one?
ing to pay more money for a new systen,
that promises to be no better than the o
one? The answer most likely has to do
with University control over students, a
subject which has received much attention
since the inauguration of President James
Duderstadt two years ago.
During the last two years, the adminis-
tration has implemented controls on stu-
dent protest, and has tried, so far unsuc-
Essentially, the University is scrapping a system
which costs half a million dollars to implement one
which could easily cost 10 times as much. This added
cost will surely make its way onto our tuition bills.
As it appears, the answer is no. The
new officers will likely be similar to Ann
Arbor cops in every aspect except whom
they obey. The survey of students used by
the regents to justify the police force
showed that students fear rape and theft
most of all - not surprising, and proba-
bly indicative of most communities.
A new police force will have no advan-
tage in fighting rape or theft - or any
other crime - over the Ann Arbor police.
Especially in cases of rape, a dozen cops
wandering campus won't solve the prob-
lem - in truth, probably only increased
education and awareness will.
And because the majority of sexual as-
saults occur between people acquainted
with one another, any police effort short
of placing a guard outside each dorm room
will likely fail. Money would be better
spent to increase lighting, especially off-
campus, and to expand effective programs
like Safewalk and Northwalk.-
So why, then, is the University choos-
cessfully, to limit student speech and ac-
tivity. Duderstadt and the regents, by their
own admission, hope to adopt a compre-
hensive code of student conduct - includ
ing non-academic conduct - as soon as
possible.
While a University-run police force
may not be any more effective at fighting
crime, it would be a useful tool for the
administration, which could unleash gun-
wielding cops on students to break up
protests or parties.
Revealing of the University's intent is
a conversation I had with the University'
head of propaganda, Walter Harrision, a
last year's Hash Bash. Harrison, after fail-
ing to convince an Ann Arbor police
sergeantto break up the rally on the Diag,
turned to me and said, "Next year is going
to be different."
Unless students convince the Univer-
sity to abandon its plan for a private po-
lice force, he'll probably be right.
its oil dependency
IN AN UNUSUALLY OPEN DISPLAY A culture which worships decadence,
of intentions, the U.S. Government wealth and waste - as well as endless,
has been remarkably candid about its profit-motivated industrial expansion
aspirations during the current Gulf cri- - is digging its own grave, and threat-
sis. And well it should be. Because ening the lives of the world's people.
while economic self-interest and Oil spills themselves are only a visible
strategic gains were never far from the reminder of the environmental damage
surface in recent U.S. actions - no- caused by the dependence on fossil fuel
tably the last year's invasion of Panama combustion and the use of natural re-
- the profit motive in the current con- sources at an unsustainable rate.
flict is clearly a primary factor behind Even before the crisis, a recession
the decision to move in the military. was widely predicted for the end of the
The easy analysis says the United year. Conveniently for President Bush
States is protecting its oil interests. And and Washington's economic planners,
even though the combined oil resources the crisis in the Gulf, and the subse-
of Iraq and Kuwait are not enough to quent increase in oil prices, is a perfect
totally dominate the world market - scapegoat. In addition, the crisis has
Sard they make up only a small percent- shifted attention away from other gov-
age of U.S. imports - oil in a general emmental problems, including the
sense is still behind the government's multi-billion dollar savings and loan
Obncem. The world-wide dependence bailout and the ever-growing federal
On Middle East oil by the industrialized deficit.
and underdeveloped nations alike make Now, although recession is still upon
cpntrol over the region an essential us, Bush is seen as having acted to
: mponent in any U.S. strategy to protect the economy through economic
Either its global economic interests. and military intervention. However bad
~ -'That dependence has deepened more it is, the Bush administration is likely
iu- the United States than elsewhere in to say, it would have been that much
recent years. Low oil prices - which worse without U.S. action.
Iraq's Saddam Hussein was trying to ur
idisrupt -- have driven U.S. oil pro- As oil became scarce in the 1970s
ction to a 25-year low, while con- and lines at the gas pump continued to
: e ation and alternative energy efforts grow, political leaders vowed to move
ve been squandered. the country away from economic de-
-.-rhe combined interests of oil and pendence on Middle East oil. Yet in the
} wapto companies have largely prevented relative prosperity of the last decade,
government support for either of two attempts at developing alternative fuels
essential steps: the development of safe were shunned, and Americans contin-
(but not necessarily profitable) alterna- ued to gorge themselves on the world's