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friday, September 26, 1980
daily nebraskan
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!Reagan's dosmna mist be rejected.
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Ronald Reagan this week offered a valuable
insight to his views on what American foreign
policy should be and what he might try to make
it if elected to the presidency.
He blamed the Carter administration for the
war between Iraq and Iran, citing "weakened
defense capabilities and "vacillating foreign
policies."
Implicit in Reagans remarks is the belief
that America still can be the world's policeman,
capable of defending any region it chooses and
preventing any war it wishes through threats
backed up by the U.S. arsenal.
First, it is clear tfrat even if the United States
had built every death-dealing weapon proposed
during the Carter administration the Soviet
Union's arsenal would be a formidable threat,
and that U.S. choices and wishes for the world
would be balanced by the other superpower.
Secondly, it is silly to believe that the United
States or the Soviet Union is capable of prevent
ing certain conflicts in the world. Tension and
hostility between Iraq and Iran is motivated by
something much deeper than American world
views.
Religious and ethnic claims and conflicts have
kept the two Middle Hast neighbors in adversary
roles longer than Jimmy Carter has been president.
Ayatollah Khomeini was expelled from Iraq
after the shah expelled him from Iran and before
he set up shop in France. Since taking power,
Khomeini's regime has called for the overthrow
of Iraq's secular government through radio
broadcasts aimed at the Shiite Moslem population
in Iraq.
Thus, the ayatollah, with a rapidly decaying
military force, has been escalating tensions with
a traditional rival with a capable war machine.
That is not Carter's fault.
Reagan also charged that the Carter admini
stration "helped in the fall of the shah." The
assumption that the United States could have
prevented the shah's fall runs along the same
lines as the view that we can be the world's
policeman. We have enough trouble with
worship:.. SUKE W
SEEtt TO BE IN SUCH
COMPLETE ffiREEhOrr
asout wtw is
RESPONSIBLE R
CONSIDER
domestic politics without trying to control other
states.
The United States did a great deal to prop up
the shah's religiously unpopular regime, for which
we are now paying the price-for the 328th day.
The shah's monarchy could not withstand the
pressure from within, despite the help from out
side. But the unrealistic nature -of Reagan's view of
foreign policy and what can be achieved by mili
tary strength is not the important consideration.
What is most important is that Ronald Reagan
could be the next president of the United States
unless the electorate rejects his dogma.
If that happens, his philosophy of the 50s will
be a major force in what the United States
decides to do in crisis situations. Would Ronald
Reagan decide that Iraq or Iran is "a third-rate,
raggedy-assed country" (Lyndon Johnson re
ferring to Vietnam) and take charge of the
situation?
Judging from his comments, he would, and
then he would have to deal with the real Soviet
threat-a very likely response if American troops
and guns start maneuvering in their backyard.
Yes, let's make America great. But let's de
feat Reagan so we still have that opportunity.
Pentagon's answer man knows all the questions
WASHINGTON-Time now for the
military-industrial-complex World War III
answer man:
Q-What is it about the radar proof
"Stealth" bomber that will make it impos
sible for the Russians to see it?
A -After President Carter is safely re
elected the White House will never build it.
Q-How is the Cruise missile working
out? Is it adding to our strategic deterrent?
A-Many of those being tested have
shown an unfortunate tendency to fly
at supersonic speeds at mid-tree level,
including one that collided with a camp
ground in Utah. The Cruise is expected
to be quite a deterrent, however. Es
pecially to any Russians who try to sneak
into the United States as campers.
Q-Is it true our B-52 bombers are
25 years old?
A-No, I think that they're now 27
years old.
O-Is it true we're striDDine Navv shins
of cres just to keep other ships operational?
A Yes. Just as our new MX missiles
are moved around, from site to site so the
Russians won't know which site to target,
the Navy apparently moves crews from
ship to ship so the Russians won't know
which ones to sink.
Q-Was our military ever in such bad
shape before?
A -After the Revolutionary War the
Congress reduced the size of the United
States Army to just 80 enlisted men.
Q-What happened then?
A-The War of 1812.
Copyright 1980 Chicago Tribune Co.
(O
u
Editor in chief: Randy Essex; Managing edi
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Address Daily Nebraskan, 34 Nebraska
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68510. '
Q-How is the Navy's women-aboard-ship
program working out?
A-Judging by the recent lesbian trials,
the only time the Navy's women-aboard-sliip
program has truly been successful
was when that submarine commander
hired a go-go dancer named Cat Futch to
perform on the forward deck while he
sailed into port.
Q-I just read where six of the 10
infantry divisions the Army has in the
United States are considered unfit for
combat. Can this be true?
A-That's in error. The more accurate
figure is nine divisions unfit for combat.
According to a confidential report that
fiendish Republicans seem to have leaked
to every newspaper in the country, the
82 nd Airborne Division was the only one
found not to have any major deficiencies.
A few minor deficiencies were found in
the 82nd, I think largely stemming from
the fact that the division is deployed
mostly in the beer bars of Fayetteville,
Q-How come our army is in such
crummy shape? Is it because of moral
laxness in our youth?
A -I think it's because there was a
mixup somewhere, and Army. Secretary
Clifford Alexander got the idea he was
being appointed director of the Job Corps.
It should be noted, however, that many
Job Corps units have had a higher combat
proficiency than many of our infantry
divisions.
hMm Daiquiri-sipping mannequins
"makeup9 Jason's compromise
A newly -compromised Jason and Marie
are spending the night in opposite parts of
town. Having lost the toss, I get Jason. We
sit at the bar and discuss how he plans to
change his ways to keep Marie as he watch
es the waitresse's legs airstream around the
corner.
"So what's it going to take," I ask.
Lassie or stilts?"
Jason inclines his head to a table full of
picture-perfect mannequins sipping straw
berry daiquiris near the stage. They are
coated in two-ply makeup and smile our
way.
"You mean the pre-fab four?" I ask in
amazement, "There's nothing subtle about
them.
"I know," smiles Jason, "and the
number is about right too . . ."
A pistol-whip rim shot from the band
saves me from having to answer him and
the band slides into a sensuously pulsating
version of the Temptation's "My Girl 2
Jason orders another picture of beer and
I wheel around and tell him that I really
don't want anymore. He gives me one of
his famous "I just raised my eyebrows"
looks and says, "I didn't offer you any."
He takes the pitcher and sips from it like it
is a mug with a hormone problem.
Couples move to the dance floor and
Jason and I watch them dance for a while
in silence. As usual, I am transfixed by one
dancer or another and am a metaphoric
mile away. Jason taps me on the shoulder
and nods toward a couple on the fringe of
the crowd. They are incredibly physically
mismatched. He is a good foot-and-a-half
taller than she is, and slim; site is heavy.
They rock to and fro, tense and closed into
what is obviously a self-conscious defensive
posture.
It seems as if all eyes are on the couple,
and amidst much side jabbing and smiles
there is something couragious about the
two. Their dancing becomes almost a state
ment of their mutual commitment and
tenderness. I am moved.
Jason sees that Vm not smiling and leans
closer expecting explanation. I don't offer
any and look away. Jason sips his beer.
The band slips back into a disco drone
and the crowd on the dance floor swells,
the couple on the dance floor is no longer
a main attraction.
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