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Page 4 -The Michigan Daily- Monday, January 13, 1992
5be lIft dl4 ln ai
420 Maynard Street
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109
Edited and Managed
by Students at the
University of Michigan
ANDREW K. GOTTESMAN
Editor in Chief
STEPHEN HENDERSON
Opinion Editor
Unsigned ediiorials 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.
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It is no secret that the larger chain bookstores in
Ann Arbor, such as Ulrich's, Michigan Book &
Supply, and Barnes & Noble, rip-off students -
first by overcharging them, and then, by buying
used books back at prices well below their resale
value. It is also no secret that Ulrich's and Michi-
gan Book & Supply are both owned by the same
company, Nebraska Book Co., and have a virtual
monopoly on the sale of books for University
courses.
This mere facade of competition between the
stores, helps insure that prices stay high. Fortu-
nately, the Student Book Exchange (SBE), a non-
profit student group founded in 1989, exists to
provide students with an economical way to buy
and sell books.
The book exchange is a flea-market of sorts that
allows some students to sell their used textbooks at
the prices of their choosing, and other students to
purchase books below the market value. The SBE
has tried to expand its market by working out of the
conveniently located Michigan Union. The pres-
ence of the SBE would undoubtedly pose a great
threat to the major bookstores. For this reason, the
SBE has been barred from the Union.
Since 1989, the Michigan Union Board has not
allowed the SBE to take place in the Union, claim-
ushin ol
ing the SBE is not a student group. Barnes & Noble,
located in the bsement of the Union, has argued that
the SBE be kept out, citing its own contractual
rights prohibiting competition within the building.
This is foolish reasoning.
The Union exists as a service to Michigan stu-
dents. The SBE is a non-profit group run for and by
students. As a student organization, it is entitled to
use Union facilities, as are all other student organi-
zations.
Last year, the book exchange was held for the
first time in nearby West Quad. But this year the
SBE was kept out. The administration claimed the
event had caused a "disturbance" for residents.
This past weekend, as in other years, the SBE took
place in a small, inadequate room in the basement
of the Michigan League. Because of the room's
small size, students were forced to wait in long lines
just to get into the room.
It is time for the administration to remove re-
strictions that have held back the SBE in the past.
Students are encouraged to take advantage of the
SBE, and to shop around at alternative bookstores.
The leaders of the SBE should work to expand the
program so that more students can benifit from it.
In this way, some real competition can be restored
to the Ann Arbor book market.
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Scapegoating Japanese prevents real progress...
At a meeting at the Detroit Economic Club,
Chrysler Chairman Lee Iacocca, impatient with
those emphasizing the failures of American indus-
try, raved about the the closed nature of Japanese
markets. The question of quality, he insisted was
no longer an issue. Iacocca's rantings displayed an
inability to cope with the failure of American
industries to make American products appealing
and cost-efficient. Unfortunately, his anti-Japa-
nese sentiments are shared by many throughout the
country.
As anyone who has followed President Bush's
recent trade talks with Japan can attest, the debate
over free trade is often confusing and full of
.rhetoric. Rather than discuss the specifics of the
issues, many policymakers and media pundits pre-
fer to bash Japanese policy, American industry, or
both. It is unfortunate that such a serious subject
sparks such dismal debate, but what we should be
really concerned about is how some capitalize on
this confusion for their own ends.
It is no secret that protectionism and xenopho-
bia go hand in hand, and the current situation with
Japan is no exception. Iacocca's comments during
the recent trip represent only the mildest form of
Japan bashing. The more sinister comments have
been coming from the likes of Pat Buchanan and
David Duke, both of whom have used the trade
deficit with Japan as central points of their presi-
dential campaigns. Regardless of their chances at
the polls, these two isolationists have at least
succeeded in framing the issue of free trade in a
confrontive and dangereously xenophobic way. If
the debate among the major candidates follows
this lead, the nation can expect, not a lowering of
barriers, but rather a heightening of isolationist
sentiment and even racial hatred.
The press has aided the xenophobic elements
by airing overtly anti-Japanese stories. Prominent
businesspeople have accused the Japanese of the
worst crimes against the free market. It would be
unfair and inaccurate to accuse the Japanese of
being the source of American economic problems.
Whetherornot the Japanese play fair, however, the
prominent spokespersons for American industries
should encourage negotiations, cooperation, and
self-reflection before turning the American people
against the Japanese.
Clearly, the American industries have valid
complaints about Japanese protectionist policies.
But, the recovery of our economy and future pros-
perity depend on friendly relations with competing
nations. The current trend of xenophobia will prove
to be a detriment to improving relations.
BYOB policy
To the Daily:
Having been quoted, and
quoted out of context in the Daily
on the IFC Alcohol policy, we
wish to clarify our position as the
IFC representatives of Delta
Kappa Epsilon Fraternity.
We are diametrically opposed
to the concept of a BYOB policy
for several reasons. First of all,
BYOB greatly reduces the amount
of control a fraternity has over its
parties. Under existing circum-
stances, a host fraternity controls
which guests drink, what they
drink, where they drink, and how
fast they drink. BYOB will now
require guests to walk the streets
with alcohol, or worse yet, drive
with alcohol, in order to reach a
party.
At the same time, the only
thing this BYOB policy really
improves is the political image of
the National Interfraternity
Council/Conference (NIC) and the
IFC. It is hoped that this image
will result in leniency by a court
during any potential lawsuits.
We do not feel that this
improved image is worth the loss
of event control or potential
accidents which BYOB entails.
Since the Ann Arbor police
crackdown earlier in the year,
houses have proved that they can
curb underage drinking through
measures such as the stamping of
21-year old guests and the limiting
of admittance to parties.
We would prefer to strictly
regulate our parties by ourselves
and continue to have safe, non-
BYOB parties if we choose. We
resent this IFC attempt to seize
more power from individual
fraternities and enforce the
ideology of a few on the majority
of Greeks.
Despite our opposition to
BYOB, however, we realize the
NIC has made up its mind on the
issue. If we did not pass a policy
of our own, the NIC would have
pressured many houses on this
campus to accept a plan which
would have undoubtedly been
more stringent.
Therefore, we recognized the
need for a policy to pass. How-
ever, we will support this policy
only because it contains waivers
for those of us whose national
organizations/alumni associations
support our houses' desire for
autonomy and self-regulation.
In lieu of the upcoming NIC
conference targeting this campus,
we feel this policy will protect our
fellow Greek houses from the
wrath of a close-minded NIC,
while still allowing a few of us to
remain autonomous and have
safe, controlled, non-BYOB
parties if we choose.
1iam Caffrey
Alcohol Policy Committee
Dennis Quinn
IFC Representative
Delta Kappa Epsilon
E-mail changes
To the Daily:
While I appreciate that there
may be a number of factors
behind the decision to move all of
the student request accounts from
UB to UM, I feel that I must state
my displeasure with the new
arrangement. When I came back
to campus early, I found the new
UM system to be extremely slow.
Fine. I don't really have much to
do as classes haven't started.
But on the second day of
classes, I spent well over 25
minutes trying to sign onto MTS-
UM staring blankly into a screen
which soberly read over and over
that "% All UM Interactive Ports
are Busy."
O.K. - I've just got to give
this UM thing a chance, seeing as
they've moved over 20,000+ id's
from UB. But in the middle of
my third message, the system
freezes and the screen reads
"Error return (20) while trying to
lock the message file (*MES-
SAGES) for modification. Try
again in a few minutes." Enough!
A few minutes meant 20, as I
was greeted with "The message
file (*MESSAGES) is temporarily
unavailable." I don't and won't
have the time available in the
middle of the term to spend over
an hour and a half to check a
handful of messages.
I know that I, as well as many
other students and staff, rely on e-
mail for communication on
classes, on student organizations
or on everyday contact among
friends. While I understand that
the decision to phase out UB has
been made, I am unsure why it
has been made.
As an out-of-state student
paying a whopping $704 a credit,
I at least attempt to justify this
price tag with the knowledge that
I am getting the best undergradu-
ate education that I can. That is
why I am particularly disturbed
when I find that the e-mail
system, something I see as
necessary to communication and
to my education at the University,
suffering.
If there is a need to switch all
of the accounts, I can be sympa-
thetic. But I would like to know
why. Why has e-mail been
slowed to a snail's pace? Why
have all the accounts been moved
from UB? Why is UB being
phased "out," leaving UM with no
back-up in the event it crashes?
Alex Koff
LSA senior
Wanted:
The Daily is
looking for
talented staff
writers,
columnists and
artists to work
on the
Opinion page.
Interested?
Call 763-2359
or write:
420 Maynard
Ann Arbor, Mi
48109
0
...Bush returns from Tokyo empty handed
President Bush's three and one-half day trip to failures of U.S. industries or economic policy.
Japan was a full fledged disaster, marked by the Chrysler Chairman Lee Iacocca equated Japanese
president's bout with stomach flu, causing a world- protective trade policies to an economic Pearl
wide scare, and his inability to establish new trade Harbor. Outgoing Commerce Secretary, Robert
agreements. Bush's summit did nothing to im- Mosbacher, said "The Japanese are to blame for
prove the United States economy, U.S.-Japanese the recession." These anti-Japanese feelings only
relations, or the United States' flagging world harm relations with a significant trading partner,
image. President Bush simultaneously offended and stand in the way of needed reforms.
U.S. automakers, the Japanese, and the Europeans. U.S. automakers were dismayed by the "vol-
In a recent poll, a majority of Americans believe untary" agreement reached by the President for
Bush went on the trade mission to Japan, "mainly $19 Billion in auto parts overin three years. Iacocca,
for show," rather than the stated reason of "jobs and stormed out of the meeting and Harold Poling,
economic growth for the United States." Bush was president of Ford Motor Co., said "There is no
clearly unsuccessful in his attempt to display his agreement." Bush was viewed by industry as weak
renewed concern for the economy, and left with for refusing to press the Japanese on lifting import
only minimal concessions from the Japanese. barriers, instead settling for this stop-gap measure.
Most experts concluded that the recent trade Europeans viewed the trade mission as an
agreement would not create any new jobs, and the affront to their economies, and felt the Americans
provision concerning some American-made auto -got a special deal. They felt the U.S.-Japanese
parts would prevent few layoffs in the nation's agreement was aviolationofGATT(GeneralAgree-
industries. ment on Tariffs and Taxes), which espouses free
During the trip, the President's popularity trade.
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U.S. can not be trusted at peace table,
rating dipped to 48 percent. Bush's futile attempt to
win support at home only made his position look
weaker.
Japan-bashing increased substantially during
the trip, in part due to a bad example set by the Bush
Administration. Statements from the White House
blamed the recession on the Japanese, rather than
In the end, Bush seemed to alienate all parties
involved. He promised Americans and U.S.
automakers more than the Japanese would deliver.
Bush settled for short term gains to win political
support. The only benefit of this trip is that it
highlighted his incompetence as an economic ne-
gotiator.
by J. Michael Jaffe
This past week, the United
States voted in favor of the U.N.
resolution condemning Israel for
expelling 12 Palestinian militants.
U.S. involvement in this latest
example of U.N. hypocrisy
indicates the willingness of the
U.S. State Department, James
Baker and the Bush administration
to a) forego ethics for the sake of
expedience, and b) surrender to
Palestinians diplomatic blackmail.
During the past 10 weeks, as
the Middle East Peace Conference
raised hopes that the violence
might end, PLO-affiliated activists
murdered four Israeli settlers.
Over the course of 1991, intifada
(the Palestinian uprising) violence
has produced 121 Palestinian
terror incidents involving fire-
arms, 124 incidents involving
explosives, and 88 incidents in
which Palestinian activists
resorted to the use of grenades
(Jerusalem Post International
International 1/4/92). The latest
U.N. resolution made no mention
of this or that the 12 proposed
deportees were involved in the
sions to deport the Arab popula-
tion of the West Bank.
As clearly stated by Israeli
Defense Minister Moshe Arens,
the purpose of the deportation is
simply to reduce the violence of
the intifada, which helps neither
the Palestinians, the Israelis, nor
the cause of peace. The 1949
Geneva Convention is far more
applicable to Saudi Arabia's
expulsion of 600,000 longtime
Yemeni residents last year and
Kuwait's decision to expel
200,000 Palestinians residents at
the end of the Gulf War. Why
then is the diplomatic outrage of
the U.N. over the expulsions
aimed, so inappropriately, at
Israel?
One possibility is that the
latest U.N. resolution is a bizarre
type of consolation prize to the
PLO for the General Assembly's
vote to rescind the resolution
equating Zionism with racism.
Another answer lies in the
strategy of the Palestinian
leadership to exert outside, third-
party pressure on Israel rather
than discuss the substantive issues
peace settlement in which the
ends justify almost any means.
According to William Safire
(New York Times 1/9/92) the
U.S. State Department acquiesced
to PLO pressure by not only
voting to deplore the deportation,
but by influencing the draft of the
resolution to "strongly condemn"
Israel. The terminology consti-
tutes a rebuke even more severe
than when the United Nations.
decided to merely "condemn"
Iraq for invading Kuwait.
In a diplomatic process like
the peace talks, the selection of
rhetoric is the basis of monumen-
tal decision and far-reaching
consequences. Wording is never
taken for granted. The unbal-
anced, unjust U.N. resolution, and
especially the U.S. involvement in
its formation and passage, will not
influence Israel to take security
risks.
To the contrary, it indicates
that U.S. foreign policy is
unjustly biased against Israel and
that American guarantees for
Israel's security are simply not
credible. When Israel perceives
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