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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 28, 1983)
Friday, October 23, 1933 Pag 3 4 Daily Ncbraskan i if -w 1 : .0. Grenada, Lebanon analogy iof uniniorMed The few Americans who seem to enjoy picketing against almost every thing the U.S. government does are using Tuesday's invasion of Grenada for everything it is worth. Armed with picket signs, distorted facts and twisted logic, marchers have hit the streets of almost every major .city to spread their anti-military pro paganda. But while this small minority has captured the media's attention, it should not make the mistake of thinking its views are shared by the majority of Americans. ' Make no mistake about it, Ameri cans were dismayed when they woke up Tuesday morning and found out what was going on in Grenada. But after the initial shock, must were real istic enough to look at the facts. Wore than 60 percent of the people who phoned the White House Wed nesday voiced support for President Reagan's action. That's not to say there is no cause for concern. After all nobody likes war. But the flaws in the protesters' logic are unmistakable. They lump the attack on Grenada in the same category as the U.S. presence in Lebanon, labeling both instances as f 2 a Gijptr Gazet Ml Rcsjan Firts rd Civil IlirHs ?z?A Herders 2g?s (Sad rtO Al iuuSSiiiiiii i ui EaHMftJ I twf o-i.,sj9m t .NS' . IVY HI IT SSAYS .2NTS UP In! - Meagan appalling use Since Lebanon and Grenada have become such hot topics, other news events have been given the cold shoulder and have been hidden from public view. It seems President Eecgan has talien advantageofthbsmchs screen. - Tuesday, Congress found itself in a mess when Reagan fired three hold over members of the US. Civil Rights Commission. What would have been front-page news most days, landed ' on pegs six. . Gone from the commission-. ' are Mary Frances Berry, the most out--spc'icn commissioner against Res-. .. pn'i policies;- Balandlaa. Cardenas, ... Kamircz and Rabbi Hurry Saltzman. With, this move, the White House hepes to force Congress into autho- ; liz'rS a new commission dominated by lleegan appointees. Two cf the ; . rcrr.r.l-ir.g commissioners arc Eca-g-r;-e;epc;.tcd Clzrer.ee Per. d!; ten, J1 l- t j, 1WJ' T A4 iff J- 'WiWtttovU - mrir.' - 3 has tv.'o , t;:r. ta rrrcvirg Lr iis r.cr:i n:t!: It c:n rciut:,c;i::j'tl2t3- C1 - - " r 01 .power- its six members be present for met ings, or it can watch the commission fade into the woodwork. ; Dispute over, the commission's makeup has existed since last July. . The Senate Judiciary Committee re ' fji-c-d to release, for cenfrmatbn, Reagan's nominations for these posi tions. " -' Nominees for these posts are Hor ns Abram, the former president of Erandsis University; John- Bunzel, senior research fellow at Hoover .Institution cf Stanford University, and Robert Destrow, a law profes ecr at Cxthcilc University. ': ' All cf the candidates have said they eppess racial quotas ar.d forced busing that would -desegregate. It's interesting that the Judiciary ComrrJttcs, made up of 10 Republi cans and efht Democrats, withheld these names from Senate approval It's crpallirg to see Rcagm try to force Ccr.grcrs' hand now when ac tually the ccrJIict hz3 gone cn since 1 1: 3 attack cn Grenada is a mejor tr.'zzt l:z:") czr ccs'cpcn for . c...;r: c.;cnt3L!:2 tlji ens. ... ."- t. r - - , gunboat diplomacy. But the two situations are vastly dif ferent. America's presence in Lebanon is a wasted effort against an enemy that nobody can quite, define. It is obvious our presence is not appre ciated in the region and it is question able what good we can ever accomp lish there.,. Things ara different in Grenada Several months agothe president spoke of the Cuban military buildup on that tiny island, but few people lis tened. Meanwhile, the Cubans main tained their presence and, with the backing of the Soviet Union, continued to extend the runway at Point Salines so it could be used by Soviet-bloc air craft. . Some argue that we should not con cern ourselves with such happenings in other countries. But when what is going on has a direct impact cn the survival of the United States, it becomes our business. The Caribbean area is vital to our trade and national defers. We simply cannot allow the Soviet Union to expand Many who were on the picket line this week claimed the U.S. invasion of Grenada is no different than the Soviet Union's invasion cf Afghanistan. They are wrong. It cannot be denied that some of this country's military adventures have been out of greed. But neither can if be denied that the politi cal philosophy practiced by the United States government is much more de sirable than that practiced in the Soviet Union. The very fact that there were picket lines on the streets prove that. You can bet there weren't too many protesters in Moscow the day after the Soviets moved into Afghanistan. Americans, especially those who re member the Vietnam era, have a right to be afraid when cut military makes a move like it made Tu:;;-J;y. They also have a right to express that fear. , But we must rcccj.iL:3 the strength of the Soviet military machine and, if necessary, take action to aeeure we always will bs atb to dcfer.d curselves. t S t As a native cf tha Erish-speakin Caribbean, I am well acquainted with the situation there, litis personal familiarity with the region and its his tory prompts me to speak out cgain.vt the rccsr.t Ui3. fcvreicn of Grenada The pscpla of Grenada and the rest.,', cf the inIi-cciCaribtaan are r the descendents cf either slaves from Africa or indentured laborers from India. For us, colonialism meant not only the domination of our countries by the British, but aieo the "enslave ment of our people until the early 20th century (the British did not discon-: tinue the indentured labor system until the 1920s). Y; ;!'- Krishna ) v' ' Madan Even after slavery and indentured labor was discontinued, the economies cf our countries were controlled by the Bii&h for their purposes. The sugar cane plantations the original reason " for slavery continued to be owned by British companies, licet rural peo ple worked for these companies under conditions that were only a little better 'than slavery. : - After World War I, the United States also began to develop seme economic interests in. the region. In Guyer.a, for example, the bauxite industry became totally controlled by North Americans. The result of this type cf development was that most English-speaking Caribbean workers ended up working for foreign interests. During the interwar period, educa tion became accessible to a small minority of Caribbean people. This privileged group began to CI lower- tevel bureaucratic posts whfe their less fortunate countrymen continued to labor for British and American interests. When decolonization bi after Vorld War II, the British beganTo groom thb elite bureaucratic class to take political power with the under standing that British and American economic interests would b cro tected. , . This arrangement worked v;z'l Th3 . educated Uncle Ton cl;:3 c: various political parties andftecl: . turns geirg in and cut cfcCes. l2n- whUe, the plight of the common laborer improved liitb rs prclts cv tir.'jed to Caw cut cfth? re-J"i to r '-i-. to cr.i the United C::-C ' ' There ivere tr Cz cl;ei- lenges to thb tcr.der.cy. In Guyana, .vuul 4buMl u twAu4 Uft, CU it progressive political party which f aincd C3 percent cf the vcte in 1953. 'ilds ptxty msda pany siiiUcant im provements in the lives cf the common .psopl2. SSiST 13 d, howevxr, Brit ieh trccp3 landed and toppled the government. Guyeaa is now a repres sive dictatorship.. . ... . In Jamaica, lliehael Manley sought to use one of the traditional political parties to improve the situation of the Jamaican people. His government was destablizied by , U.S.-sponsored vio lence and was voted out cf power in elections plagued by thb violence and intimidation. . I : .' In Trinidad, the psepl had resigned themselves to vctbg fer the came political- party gei cr.d rgein. Their rationale was that it was better to vote for corrupt pclltieeis who had already filled their pockets than to vote for those who hadnt yet In 1070, how ever, a spontaneous, mass revolution ary movement based cn the Ideals of Black Fower developed. IS was only put down with.ths help cf the U.S. Navy which preeerrei th2 previous Uncle Tom democracy. In Grenada, thb typs cf "democracy" has degenerated i:;t3 crs cut-and-out dictatorship, llnyrlcs Dieliop and other prrceelvej tlr:i crgnbed the Her J:;vel tlovener.t to improve the ccur.tr:n.'113 party b l&3.'xd brought I i3 cT tS3T pover se: mer.y LeneHeiel c;;:r;;j to tr.3 coun try. It vas trcmend-e-uely popular among ordinary Grer.e:dar because it gave them direct centre! over their own lives. ,; : ' The ether Ur,cl3 Tern governments in the re;;er. cz:? tlire? chs,nges as a three:!; they v;cr-2 rJTreii that their own -citieens rc;! i br''i t.-n derr.ar.d sim il:jrrerrr:e. c,t;!::: their dislike cf Henries r':!:e;i rr.i il.-i Hew Jewel - Thee.3 ether Crrlll r::i I:--iers thus ' used He.ile:; Vzts Czzlh asapre tert to get i?e U : ' -'! C 1' : 1 to invade and depees th? ilr.j .:v::l Ilerement. . Their future cVJ;::;: ? b to tzt up the fiaens typ2 cf rrc eneive, elitist demccrrr in C;z:.: : il.'t pervades 1 re:-:-. m tha Her IiTr I ! - : t,tl.e Grcna den pee;!;- c .: -1 red, direct, rcrper.e:r2 C U.3. ir.ten'en- tlei r-rj I: - : :..- - y; .1 Cen trie-; r r" ... -jeffree-. deriv..:- . ' -- ' r to over- r , f