OPINION Page 4 Friday, July 8, 1988 The Michigan Daily Schultz rewrites Unsigned editorial- represent the majority views of the Daily's Editorial Board. Cartoons and signed editorials do not necessarily reflect the Daily's opinion. Environmental and human rights meetings: Dark truths TORONTO WAS RECENTLY the setting of two remarkable and unprecedented gatherings. Although distinct and unrelated, these meet- ings reached remarkably similar conclusions from independent evi- dence. Taken together, they form a powerful indictment of the military and economic policies of First World nations as they are currently carried out. The first, a tribunal inquiry, co- incided with the economic summit in mid-June. Expert witnesses, hu- man rights activists, and scientists from around the world gathered to testify about the human and envi- ronmental rights violations com- mitted by the Group of Seven Na- tions (Canada, Italy, Germany, Britain, Japan, France and the United States).' Two weeks later, a conference on the changing atmosphere brought together climatologists, environ- mentalists and government officials from 48 countries to publicize the alarming degradation of the earth's atmosphere and to call for interna- tional action in checking the forces of environmental destruction. The tribunal, sponsored by the Alliance for Non-Violent Action, examined the effect foreign policies have on the majority of the world's population in the context of terror- ism and criminality. Over 150 tes- timonies examined the economic crimes of the Group of Seven against the poor and the- environ- ment, and investigated the illegality and terror of the nuclear cycle. Tribunal evidence presented by a variety of expert witnesses revealed many dark truths: how the Group of Seven uses the World Bank to wage economic warfare against Third World peoples; how U.S. policies are structured to the poten- tial use of nuclear bombs; how NATO war testing destroys the en- vironment of Native American people; and how marine mammals in the Atlantic Ocean have become so contaminated by toxic waste dumping that some would actually require a "hazardous substance" la- bel in order to be legally transported on land. The guilty verdict served up by tribunal jurors after three days of testimony was based on the Nuremberg Agreements; the UN International Covenant of Rights; and Canadian Bill C-71, which criminalizes crimes against human- ity. This is the first attempted ap- plication of this law, which calls for the refusal of entry of foreign citizens, such as President Reagan, found to be involved in such crimes. Called by the Canadian govern- ment, Toronto's conference on the world's changing atmosphere pre- sented predictions fast on their way to becoming dark truths: The spectre of recurrent drought in the American grainbelt in wake of greenhouse effect warming; massive fish die-offs in the Great Lakes; rotting tundra in the Arctic; concentration of toxins in shrinking underground aquifers; and increases in human skin cancers due to ozone layer erosion. Like tribunal witnesses, delegates to the atmosphere conference identified specific economic policies of First World nations as the root cause of global destruction. How- ever, conferees ultimately fell short of the mark by framing their rec- ommendations in terms of remedial technological measures and restric- tions on emissions rather than call- ing for radical restructuring of the First World economic institutions. Reductions in carbon dioxide emissions and rates of deforestation alone will only slow down a devas- tating process of environmental de- struction, making the predicted sce- nario simply a question of sooner or later. If atmospheric disaster is to be truly averted, then economic systems which depend for their sur- vival on endless production, limit- less consumption, waste and re- source exploitation must be dis- mantled. Both the human rights tribunal and the conference on the world's atmosphere in Toronto acknowledge clearly how crimes against human- ity and crimes against the environ- ment are backed by the legality of state power and its economic insti, tutions. International treaties and agreements with no official legal status will do little to deter or pun- ish the perpetrators of such crimes. SECRETARY OF STATE George Schultz visited Central America this week preaching the contradic- tory goals of isolating the Sandin- istas and furthering the Arias peace process. Schultz's trip can be better described asa propaganda campaign for the Reagan administration's immoral Central American policy, as his inflammatory statements went beyond rhetoric to blatant lies. Schultz hailed El Salvador, Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Honduras as democracies and attempted to showcase their "progress" as an ar- gument against the Sandinistas. Schultz pointed out Nicaragua's de- creasing standard of living, increas- ing inflation, and unemployment as inherent flaws of Sandinista rule. He contrasted this to what he claims are the economically and socially successful "democracies." The economies of all four of Schultz's model nations are struc- tured to benefit only the wealthy, dictatorial elites. Schultz decried Nicaragua, where "tens of thousands of workers are paid less than the cost of subsistence," while below- subsistence wages are the rule in Central America to ensure big profits for U.S.-based companies. Additionally, millions of U.S. government dollars, in place of popular support, are poured into these four governments and mili- taries to maintain the status quo. In fact, it was the Nicaraguan Revolution's threat to this status quo which launched the Reagan ad- ministration's terrorist attempts to discredit and overthrow the popu- larly-supported Sandinista govern- ment. The Sandinistas made a clean break from decades of corrupt, U.S.- backed Somocista rule and insti- tuted reforms. For example, the Sandinistas decreased illiteracy from the So- moza-level of over 50 percent to less than 15 percent. Polio was eradicated. By 1984, infant mortal- ity dropped from 125 per 1,000 births to 75 per 1,000 births. Addi- =W - history Nicaragua's present problems. In November 1981, Reagan authorized $19.5 million to the CIA specifi- cally for covert operations targeting bridges, power plants, and other non-military facilities in Nicaragua. Since then, the United States has invested at least $350 million in funding a terrorist army against the Nicaraguan people, economy, and government. Whether legal or ille- gal, the sole effects of aid to the contras are the deaths of innocent OUR MAN4 IN PANAMA,. NICRAGUA,, HOiJDLURt'$, 1AnI~t tionally, the Sandinista government won the 1982 UNICEF/World Health Organization award for making the most improvements in health. Schultz ignores the U.S. role in One less pig In the trough CITIZENS CONCERNED WITH JUSTICE offered bittersweet toasts across the United States Tuesday in recognition of Edwin Meese's res- ignation. While anti-Meese activists enjoyed seeing the departure of perhaps the most disgraceful Attorney General in American history, the disturbing reality that Meese had survived in office for so long and the apparent political benefits for George Bush and Ronald Reagan of Meese's timely disappearance spoil the "victory" for everyone. Listing Meese's crimes and improprieties while serving in the Rea- gan administration is unnecessary; all that really needs to be said is that, as the highest ranking law enforcement officer in this country (not including the president), Ed Meese has come to personify injustice na- tionwide. Although there have been calls for Meese's firing or resignation for several years, "The Pig" survived long enough to obstruct investiga- tions of both the Iran-contra debacle and the more recent Pentagon graft scandal - and, one can easily assume, long enough to make a small fortune prostituting his office and relationship with the president to the highest bidders. Also, Meese's departure has been timed perfectly to allow his trail of slime to dry before the presidential elections in November. Whereas Democrats had been counting on Meese as an easy target on the campaign trail, now they will have to settle for attacking George Bush directly - not that it's so difficult to do. So, farewell, Ed Meese. We're sorry we knew ye. people and destruction of a strug- gling Central American democracy. When detailing Nicaragua's problems, Schultz must take into account the U.S. bombing of Nicaraguan harbors, CIA-authored assassination manuals, and the purely ideologically-based trade embargo against Nicaragua. Americas Watch and the New York Times have documented mur- ders of health-workers, teachers, and other civilians; rape, torture, muti- lation, and mass murder as contra standard operating procedure. Schultz is welcome to lament the depressing state of Nicaragua; but, as Reagan's foreign policy hench- person, he must take much of the responsibility. Along with Elliot Abrams, who shuns all efforts to- ward diplomacy, Schultz has advo- cated Reagan's militaristic solu- tions. If Schultz is really concerned with making peace in the region, he should meet with the Sandinistas and assist in the recovery of their nation instead of spreading lies and working against it. There will be a "Nicaraguan Cof- fee Party"at the Federal Building between noon and 2 p.m. on Satur- day. This is an opportunity to protest the Reagan administration's trade embargo against Nicaragua. The protest will include live enter- tainment and writing postcards to Washington, D.C., in an effort to lift the embargo.