Daily Nebraskan
FC03 5
Friday, January 30, 1987
KRAUTHAMMER from Page 4
China's is a revolution from below, a brush-fire
rebellion which the leadership is desperately
trying to put down. To be sure, the revolution
originated from above, with economic reforms
now almost a decade old. But these have now
taken root in society and threaten to outgrow the
control of the Party. First, farmers are allowed to
sell to market. Then factory managers are given
control of their enterprises. Now students demand
democracy.
Marx was right. It really is change from below
in material conditions, economics, social
structure that ultimately creates revolution.
Deng started by introducing a hint of capitalism.
With Western-style economic liberty comes the
hunger for Western-style political liberty. Thanks
to Deng, China has incubated a democratic
capitalist revolution, 200 years late.
China's system of socialism is "feudal or semi
feudal in essence," said Marxist theorist Wang
Ruowang. (Saying it was one of "the five major
mistakes" for which he too was purged, reports
Chinese television.) Add a bit of capitalism
and Marx prophesied, as did Deng's hard-line
colleagues, precisely what comes next: "bour
geois liberalization," the demand for freedom.
China's curious time warp is reflected even in
the poverty of the language of political dissent. A
recent pro-democracy speech by Fang is as stun
ning for. its anachronisms as for its courage.
Declared Fang, "Men are born with rights." It
was a discovery as touching in its innocence as if
some isolated aboriginal tribe had just now came
upon the idea of the wheel.
Can totalitarianism undo itself? I am not very
, sanguine, even about China. It lurches from
campaign to campaign, every swerve in party line
announced in the morning newspaper, dictating
what thoughts may safely be worn that day. 1984
saw the "anti-spiritual pollution" campaign. The
Democracy Wall movement of 1978-79 was sup
pressed in 1980. The anti-rightist campaign of
1957 sent to labor camps several million people
who spoke up during the predecessor "let a
hundred flowers bloom" campaign.
The reversals are again dizzying. In spring
1986, Hu said "Let a hundred flowers bloom"
again. Now another flower harvest. Hu is cut
down. Fang, Wang and gang are purged. And the
most chilling repressive device of all, confession,
is back in operation. The People's Daily set the
tone by criticizing itself for having published
last year an article calling for more democracy.
Reports have begun to come in from the provin
ces of self-criticism by professors and teachers.
The tale of woe begins again.
Yet the turmoil itself is reason for some hope.
Gorbachev has his revolution firmly, depress
ingly in control. He lights the fires. In China, the
students lit the fuse, and so many are burning
that the party had to call out the fire brigade.
Can it extinguish every spark? I doubt that I will
live to see the first anti-totalitarian transforma
tion. But I am cheered by the thought that
somewhere in China today there is a baby who
might.
1987, Washington Post Writers Group
Krauthammer is a se nior editor with the National
Review.
Letters
Hajnralt hailed and Iiated
Aid should be for all
who are able to achieve
Face consequences,
responsibilities of sex
Although I'm usually not a fan of Scott Har
rah's articles, his piece on AIDS (DN, Jan. 26)
was well-written. He is indeed right on target
when he says, "Wake up, America." It's about
time we realized that sexual activity has
quences and therefore responsibilities to con
tend with.
Our nation's casual attitude toward sexual
promiscuity has led us into an untold number of
heartbreaks. Due to our lack of responsibility,
unwanted pregnancies are rampant and have led
to the tragedy of abortion. We have abandoned
the sanctity of the marriage bed, creating
numerous emotional problems as well as a 50
percent divorce rate, and the diseases, AIDS,
herpes and others, that accompany extramarital
sex. This is not to mention the increase in
deviant sexual practices including homosexual
ity, child molestation and bestiality (where
AIDS probably originated). Our nation has
abandoned its sexual morals which protected us
from many problems we could not foresee and
now face. We have traded emotional security and
responsibility for pleasure-seeking and tragedy.
So "wake up, America." Let us use our brains
and see through the myths of the sexual revolu
tion. Its consequences surround and are about to
destroy us.
Rob-Roy D. Murray
senior
mechanical engineering
University wastes funds;
students fear for future
Where is your money going?
Taxpayers and those of you who are payint to
send your children to the University should take,
a closer look." Parents and students who are
paying hundreds of dollars to get a degree, do
you really know what you are buying? Plenty of
departments here at I'NL are lacking professors.
Because of the lack of professional educators,
post-doctorates (who may have no experience in
teaching) were told by the university they must
teach. Even though they are very knowledgeable
about the subject, they cannot convey this
subject to the student as well as professional
educators.
Is it that the university cannot affordto pay
for professors? The university claims that it is at
the receiving end of numerous budget cuts by
the state government. While this may be true,
how can the university afford to buy two multi
thousand dollar buildings that are j ;oing toward
recreational facilities only?
It's true that private institutions will have to
pay for what the government can no longer afford
because of economic decline.
Julie Sarringar
physical therapy
freshman
Roberta Schmechel
biology
senior
On the front page of the Jan. 2 1 edition of the
DN, the story entitled "Tax law will be felt by
those seeking aid" begins with the statement,
"There is no free lunch." The statement perhaps
should have read, "There is no such thing as
equal opportunity in our educational system."
More and more the ideal that the ability to
obtain education should be conditional upon
how you perform academically is distorted to a
point beyond recognition. Increasingly, what
determines the availability of education is not
academic ability but economic background. The
new tax law and reformed student-aid programs
are direct descendants of this unfortunate state
of affairs.
This dangerous shift in attitude has occurred
not just because the political situation in the
country has put uncaring people into positions
of power, but also because of the gross apathy of
the student body in general. The general decline
in any kind of academic spirit in the university
setting has given rise to not just a "get by"
attitude but one of complete unawareness of the
forces that shape one's life. What kind of clothes,
haircut or car one possesses, what fraternity
sorority one belongs to, andor how much alco
hol one can consume before vomiting become
all important aspects of most students' lives and
scales by which other people are judged.
Matthew. Mulford
junior
Latin-American Studies
Reader cans Harrah
for putting out 'garbage'
During my first semester here at UNL, I was
under the impression that the DN was a some
what good newspaper, considering the fact that
it is independent of the College of Journalism.
But with the introduction of "Harrah's Holly
wood," I have lost all respect for the DN.
Since my arrival here I have been fair in my
judgment of the DN. The one prevalent good
point of this paper, I felt, was that it was not
printing sloppy journalism, such as horoscopes
and gossip columns. But upon my return for the
second semester, the first thing I read was this
piece of non-journalistic garbage put out by
Scott Harrah. I have to admit I never have held
much respect for Harrah's writing, but this one
takes the cake. His new column is something I
would expect to read in the supermarket while
waiting in the check-out line instead of in a
major college newspaper. My first reaction to
this column was to burn it as soon as I was
finished throwing up; instead I decided to throw
it out with last night's pizza. The next day I
reluctantly paged through the paper, hoping
that this column was not a daily thing, only to
find two-week-old pictures of the Sugar Bowl.
Chris Shipwash
freshman
journalism
' ii-ha liiidDuJuQSK
A M M f i fl V
lJ Mil I
1 4 V.
(TOFJIGHT)
EVENT
7:GO
Tex Nord
(Rope Twirling)
Model UN Int'l
Trivia Bowl
PIACE
Main
Lounge
Georgian
Suite B
EVENT
9:45
Curt Angove
(Hypnotist)
PIACE
CDR
Sho-Rei-Shobu-Kan Main
(Karate) Lounge
7:15
Dennis Taylor Crib
(Singer)
7:33
Billard Exhibition Centennial
(Paul Gerni) Room
Music Committee Main
(Barbershoppers) Lounge
7:45
Talent Show Harvest
Performers Room
0:00
Comedy Shop Regency
Suite
Caricature Artists Main
Lounge
Model Security Georgian
Council Suite A
10:00
Scarlet & Cream
Centennial
Room
Crib
Jello Eating Contest Main
Lounge
Trickle Trickle
(Singers)
10:15"
Peter Niclous Main
(Juggler) Lounge
Shirley's Boys Harvest
(Band) Room
10:45
Society for Creative Main
Anachronisms Lounge
Susan Simon Crib
(Singer)
11:
Talent Show Winners Crib
11:15
Eddy Strange Ballroom
0:30 11:30
Trash Can Alley Ballroom LiT Safe Driver Harvest
(Band) Room
Int'l Folk Dancers Main
Lounge Essence Main
(Belly Dancing) Lounge
Ho-Ho Crib
The Magic Clown
11:45
Kevin Koci (Magic) Crib
9:0
The Raves Harvest
Room 12:0
Verandes Centennial
(Main Band) Room
9:15
Paul Mesner Crib
(Puppeteer)
Wheel of Fortune Main
Contest Lounge
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