The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current, November 08, 1984, Page Page 4, Image 4

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    Thursday, November 8, 1934
Pago 4
Daily Nobraskan
E
ms&yeirs predict United! States iwoMmoti
Folks gotta eat.
While most of America basks in
President Reagan's re-election, some
doomsayers predict revolution in the
United States within the next few years.
A revolution born of growing social ineq
uity and reared by its resulting poverty.
The Republican Party will tell you there
is little social inequity. And what little
there is will be cured when businesses are
free to hire people at sub-minimum wages.
That is, if business can find enough of
those shiftless poor to claim jobs.
Now, if you listen to average Demo
crats, they'll tell you how sensitive their
party is to the problems of the poor and
how those damned country club Republi
cans live off the sweat of the impoverished.
Their argument is fine in theory. Walter
Mondale's tax hike and deficit-reduction
plan would have evened the social struc
ture by heavily taxing only those families
with annual incomes of more than $50,000.
Mondale and Ferraro's support of the
ERA, freedom of choice in abortion cases
and the Civil Rights Act, certainly put
them on a ideological plane above our
moralizing president and his radical
Christian friends.
But the election is long gone. It was
over before the polls even opened, really.
The Democratic Party cried in its beer
and whined that the country is ignorant,
that the Republicans can have it because
trouble is imminent.
Nebraska's Democrats spent the even
ing at a subdued bash at The Cornhusker
hotel.
Despite Exon's victory, most Democrats
spent the balance of the evening mourn
ing liberal losses across the state and the
country.
Funny thing, though. The funeral at
The Cornhusker was well attended by the
middle and upper class of the Nebraska
Democratic Party. Most of those poor,
unfortunate, downtrodden folk who Demo
crats had courted throughout the cam
paign didn't show up to mourn Mondale,
Ferraro, Bauer, Cavanaugh, Hunt
A few Democrats of the non-elite var
iety went to the wake only to find them
selves ostracized by the "concerned, car
ing" office seekers and their contributors.
Those few sat at tables, munching on
popcorn, sipping cola, waiting for their
favorite candidate to extend a glad hand.
It never happened.
In theory, the Democratic Party had it
all over the Republicans. In practice,
there really was no difference.
Sure, President Reagan's policies will
make the distinction more evident be
tween those who have and those who
dont.
The Democrats could, but probably
wouldn't, do better. This quiet, non-rebellious
atmosphere prevailing during Rea
gan's reign will break up. Dont let the
Democrats kid you that they could have
curbed the coming revolution.
Folks gotta eat. Neither party really
understands the gravity of that fact. They
soon will
Jeff Browne
Dally Nebmsk&n Senior Editor
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B&ea&an mandate to wreak IiaYoe
Yeccchhh. An unrestrained
President Reagan with a
blank-check mandate. A
truly scary thought. Sort of like
an unrestrained Howard Cosell
with a Mr. Microphone.
R) James A.
k Fussell
OK, So Minnesota Fritz and the
party of doom went down to a
crushing defeat. America wants
to feel good again. Yippie skip, we
go traipsing, tra-la, through
Camelot-West, building "bombs
and tax-loopholes as we go. 1
Let's pray in schools and lynch
Ralph Nader, build more nukes
and bomb Grenada.
The rich get richer, the poor get
ignored, and problems fade into
the woodwork to be varnished
over by the new Reagan veneer.
Sure I'm a sore loser. I dont like
Reagan. But then I never did have
a stomach for phony-baloneys or
disingenuous actors. Reagan is
slowly flushing our future down
the drain for short-term gains.
And he's doing it with a smooth
line, and a wry smile. Ladies and
gentlemen, we've been had by the
best. '
The only thing worse than the
result was CBS Dan Rather falling
all over himself trying to be charit
able to Reagan. "RONALD REA
GAN HAS A CHANCE FOR A 50
STATE SWEEPT Rather blathered
every three minutes with un
characteristic unprofessionalism.
His voice was agitated, he looked
like a jelly bean and sounded like
Joe Garagiola rooting for Tom
Sawyer to throw a no-hitter. I
thought I'd lose my lunch.
Rather came unglued. Fidgety,
nervous. Words flew out of his
mouth like carrot dollars out of a
La Machine. He even reverted
back to his old Texas accent, did
you notice? Everything was mist a
Raagun this, and mista Raagun
that; Jay Rockefeller became Jay
Rockafella and the eyes of Texas
were upon us for the rest of the
evenin'. Hook 'em, Dan.
And, c'mon, where did he get
all that copy to read anyway1? I
swear he talked for 20 minutes
without a breath one time. He
started to turn green, and they
cut to a commercial.
I got this image of a sweaty
little cue card guy on the floor,
frantically toiling with his Marks-A-Lot
to stay one card ahead of
Dan or else. I wouldVe liked to
have had the anti-perspirant con
cession for that election team.
But Dan and his motley crew
weren't the only ones I was upset
with on election night, Try every
body else in TV election coverage.
The worst phrase of the night?
". . . and well tell you why."
They might as well have said
"and well tell you what to think."
Reagan still in the saddle and
Rather still in the booth. And
they say there's no propaganda
here. All I can say is God Bless
America, she needs it more than
ever.
'Non-partisan' State Department promotes Reagan campaign
The State Department is sup
posed to implement foreign
policy in a non-partisan
fashion, but that tradition has
been tossed aside in this election
Jack
Anderson
year. The department recently
issued a slick, soft-cover, magazine
size compilation of self-praise by
Reagan administration officials.
The publication was apparently
a timely bit of propaganda for the
Reagan-Bush re-election effort.
Its title sets the partisan theme:
"Realism, Strength, Negotiation:
Key Foreign Policy Statements of
the Reagan Administration."
The contents consist of ex
cerpts from speeches by President
Reagan, Vice President Bush and
Secretary of State George Shultz.
The State Department has
printed 25,000 copies of the
Reagan puff piece, with a picture
of the president on the cover.
Printing costs came to about
$45,000; mailing expenses totaled
another $5,000.
Strictly pergonal: Our con
tinuing series on waste in govern
ment has inspired thousands of
readers to voice their support,
suggest stories, and raise ques
tions. One of the most frequently
asked questions is: Why doesn't
Congress crack down on waste?
One reason is that the law
makers sometimes can't see the
forest for the trees. While thrash
ing out the multibillion-dollar
defense budget, for example, Sen
ate and House conferees debated
the following:
Polyester uniform linings: The
military wants to switch to poly
ester jacket linings, but some law
makers were concerned that the
artifical fabric a butt of fashion
jokes for years "may make a
major difference in troop accept
ability." The brass hats were in
structed to reconsider the pro
posal Chauffeurs: The comptroller
general recently ruled that eight
Defense offlcials were not entitled
to free door-to-door transporta
tion. The House agreed, but the
Senate granted an exemption for
the excommunicated eight. The
House gave in.
Hardship Pay: The Senate
and the House managed to agree
on discontinuing hardship pay
for two hazards seldom en
countered by the military: Glider
duty and exposure to leprosy.
Copyright, 1S34,
Unlttd Fttturt Syndicate, Inc.
Political backlash clouds Gandhi death
The events surrounding Indira Gar.d.-j $ death are
clouded in communal language, the teas: of which was
your comment "It would be ideal if India's new prime
minister and the Sikh leaders could achieve peace
through nonviolence.' (Daily Nebraskan, Nov. 6) This is
not any confrontation between two communities. The
depth of communal amity in India is far greater than to
be broken by this incident The political backlash was by
disgruntled elements. It was political, not communal.
Guest Opinion
There is no parallel to the Indian syndrome in any
country. To Americans, to describe India is to imagine
traveling from Iowa to Nebraska and not being able to
speak the same language, eat the same food nor dress in
the same mode. Least of all, the religion could be
different India has more Christians than many European
nations put together, the third largest Muslim popula
tion in the world, not to speak of the Sikhs, Jews, Jains,
Buddhists and the assorted sub-cultures. It is tc the
enduring genius of the Indian psyche and its leader that
every community people have held outstanding positions
disproportionate to their strength. As it is said that if it
fails, it will not be the failure of democracy as much as
the failure in the greatest experiment in secular living.
The true melting pot is India.
The enduring tragedy of Gandhi's death is that Sikhs
have enjoyed a distinct economic superiority under her
rule, and it was under her rule that she launched the
vastly successful green revolution with outstanding
success in Punjab, among many other states. Punjab is
the spiritual homeland of Sikhs. She gave Punjab
autonomy as soon as she assumed power in late '60s.
The Sikhs have always ruled the state through electorcal
participation in different parties. The paradoxical thing
is that Sikhs are also in the communist party of India,
which is one other quixotic variation in India.
The people who have killed her have done a great
disservice to the great Sikh community by failing to take
advantage of a secular, democratic process, when the
elections were due in January, 1085. By their acts, they
will move the country into hands of those right-wing
zealots who have been frustrated through the years, and
who will not think twice before they strike against the
minorities. It was a monumental mistake for them to
ignore that economic progress of the minorities and
hence their security goes in tandem with national
development
It is depressing to note that the educated Sikhs failed
to condemn the violence that has been festering in
Punjab, and being carried out from the precincts of the
holiest of the holy shrine of Sikhs. The act was
synonymous to gun-toting zealots taking over the Vati
can, and yet the Italian army cannot go inside.
Co&tizmed on Pag 5
Mn Daily n
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i ,J, D f; y Nbra!an (USPS 144-CSO) Is published by the
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