Opinion
Jana Pedersen, Editor, 472-1766
Alan Phelps, Opinion Page Editor
Kara Wells, Managing Editor
Roger Price, Wire Editor
Wendy Navratil, Copy Desk Chief
Brian Shellito, Cartoonist
Jeremy Fitzpatrick, Senior Reporter
Peacetime
Congress needs to put end to Cold War
Canada’s announced withdrawal of its forces from Ger
many and has European NATO members worried that
the United States will follow suit.
They have little to fear from our shortsighted leaders.
Canadian officials told their NATO allies that all 6,600 Ca
nadian troops will go home as part of Canada's peace dividend.
The withdrawal represents a $1.9 billion savings from the
$10.8 billion Canadian defense budget for 1992-93.
The British and German governments appear to be the most
upset that the move symbolizes a new North American isola
tionism, which will soon leave Europe to fall back on age-old
petty rivalries.
But the U.S. defense program, led by pork-barreling Con
gress members and fed by the military-industrial complex,
won’t be trimmed down as easily.
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scenarios detailing outrageous future conflicts that would
require continuing our Cold War armada. Congress is slow to
close down any bases or programs that would put constituents
out of jobs in the recession.
Some arc arguing for a renewed public-works program to lift
the nation out of the economic doldrums. It already exists.
President Bush is requesting $286 billion in 1993 for the
program, which will produce weapons and warriors.
Planned reductions will shrink the defense budget to an
inflation-adjusted figure of $255 billion by 1997. If Pentagon
officials have their way, Europe doesn't have to worry about
losing the American occupation force.
No thinking person is arguing for no military or even a
Canadian-sized force. But $255 billion is simply ludicrous.
While members of congress know this, they never have been
prone to do w hat was good for the nation over w hat was good
for their chances of re-election.
It docs take time to convert a wartime economy to a peace
time economy. But a mere 10 percent reduction over the next
five vears will not do while our debt crows and our economic
competitors try to shove American firms off the high ground.
Canada doesn’t have to consider a large defense program
because of the American commitment to the defense of the
entire world. The United States doesn't have the luxury of a big
brother to watch over it. But what our leaders evidently have
forgotten is there really is no force to defend against.
Canada has recognized the end of the Cold War. They don't
believe that maintaining peace in Europe requires a force strong
enough to battle the military myth of the Red Army streaming
across Germany. It is past time for our leaders to do the same.
While total withdrawal of U.S. troops from Europe is not in
our best interest, a sizable reduction is.
-LETTER tTh°e EDITOR
Cleaning complaints not shared
Mr. Kane, il look you and your
organization how long to clean up the
Sports Center (“Cleaning up own
messes saves time, trouble,” DN,
March 13)? Eight hours, and you had
50 people working! Even if this was
the first time you (and I’ll assume
your group) ever cleaned the sports
center, I can’t help but wonder, what
in heaven’s name were you doing for
eight hours?
Perhaps I can save you some time
in the future. Instead of running up
and down taking the mop to the bucket,
why not take the bucket to the mop?
What a concept! But after eight hours
I can imagine how tired you must
have been, too exhausted to lilt a
bucket of heavy water several flights
(Boo Hoo). Also, try mopping before
you sweep. That way you won’t have
“to be careful not to sweep through a
spilled malt or soda and drag it througl
the whole row, making more of i
mess to mop up.”
Mr. Kane, please consider ih<
implications of my next scntcnci
carefully. Half of the people in hal
the time. Over the past three year
I’ve helped clean that place nine times
My group supplies 28 people to clean
and we average four hours. I chcckci
our records to be sure.
Toconcludcyourthought-provok
ing letter, you suggested we, the read
ers, “think about who cleans it up.
Well, I did, and I think someone wh<
whines as much as you ought not l<
do it again.
Troy P. Christensc
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-EDITORIAL POLICY
Staff editorials represent the offi
cial policy of the Spring 1992 Daily
Nebraskan. Policy is set by the Daily
Nebraskan Editorial Board. Its mem
bers are: Jana Pedersen, editor; Alan
Phelps, opinion page editor; Kara
Wells, managing editor; Roger Price,
wire editor; Wendy Navratil, copy
desk chief; Brian Shellilo, cartoon
ist; Jeremy Fitzpatrick, senior re
porter.
Editorials do not necessarily re
flect the views of the university, its
employees, the students or the Nl
Board of Regents.
Editorial columns represent ih<
opinion of the author.
The Daily Nebraskan’s publisher
are the regents, who established th<
UNL Publications Board to super
vise the daily production of the pa
per.
According to policy set by the re
gents, responsibility for the editoria
content of the newspaper lies sold;
in the hands of its students.
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ALAN PHELPS
Nobler mission debatable
Rep. Fred Grundy, R-Iowa, made
the news recently as a mem
ber olthc Housed Represen
tatives ethics committee that investi
gated the big, bad check-bouncing
scandal.
Fred has come a long way. Read
ers will recall that our litUe Mr. Grundy
used to play the character of “Go
pher” on the long-running “Love Boat”
television series.
I can remember the days when
“Love Boat” was on. I used to watch
it with my family. I grew used to the
way there were always three plots on
every episode, and they all almost
alw ays ended up with happy cruisers.
At the time, I never would’ve
guessed that Gopher w ould someday
be a leader of Iowa and a member of
the prestigious but oxymoronish House
ethics committee.
The only show I watch with any
regularity anymore is “Star Trek: The
Next Generation.” I wonder if one of
the characters on Star Trek one day
will sit in Congress.
1 Actually, the two TV shows arc
> alike in a lot of ways. Both arc about
shins on lo rlivlnnl nlarr*^
: allhough one travels the cold depths
: of the galaxy and the other floats
I around in the warm waters off the
> coast of Mexico.
Parallels exist, however, in many
. aspects of these, two of America’s
* greatest shows of all time.
The Mission: Capt. Jcan-Luc Pi
■ card says at the beginning of every
; episode of Star Trek that the mission
of the Enterprise is to explore strange
) new worlds, etc., etc. The Enterprise
> is a peaceful ship that zooms around
the galaxy making friends and coop
erating.
The mission of the Pacific Prin
n cess isn’t stated as explicitly at the
)r beginning of every Love Boat cpi
g sodc. However, by listening to the
theme song, one gets the idea:
Come aboard, we’re expecting you,
blah blah blah, the Love Boat... soon
will be making another run, blah blah,
something about “life’s sweetest
J reward,” love won’t hurt anymore,
blah blah.
; The Pacific Princess usually goes
to a few specific destinations along
» the coast of Mexico, such as Puerto
i Vallarta. Gavin McCloud, who played
- Capt. Slubing, didn’t have the sophis
- licaicd communications technology
on hand to contact the local residents
- as Picard has, although occasionally
I he might have “hailed” the port au
\ thorily.
Basically, while the Enterprise crew
Basically, while the
Enterprise crew
seems intent on
learning about other
cultures on faraway
planets, the Princess
eme seemed intent
on not losing am td
the passengers ’ lug
gage.
seems inicni on learning about other
cultures on faraw ay planets, the Prin
cess crew seemed intent on not losing
any of the passengers’ luggage.
Captains: Both Patrick Stewart and
Gavin McCloud arc bald or balding.
Both captains wear nice uniforms,
although Stubing’s is white and typi
cally sailorish, while Picard's is like
some jumpsuit an Olympic bobsled -
der might wear.
Picard dislikes the use of force in
settling conflicts in deep space. Slubing
disliked lovers lighting on his ship.
Picard delegates authority well to a
competent crew that works together
to gel the ship out of life-threatening
jams. Slubing gave orders to people
named “Gopher” over a laugh track.
First Officers: Will Rykcr is the
I irst officer of the Enterprise. Gopher
apparently was the first officer of the
Pacific Princess, although he was called
a “purser.” What exactly the duties of
a purser were is unknown.
Gopher spent a lot oftime in wacky
adventures. Rykcr spends a lot of
time holding in his gut and kissing
aliens.
Doctors: The doctor on board the
Princess was known as “Doc.” He
fixed a lot of minor injuries that pas
sengers used to get playing shuffle
board or putting on suntan lotion.
Beverly Crusher is the doctor on
the Enterprise. She has a big sick bay
with all kinds of computers and flash
ing lights. She treats more serious
injuries than Doc did, although there
weren’t any phasers on hoard the
Princess, so Doc never really had the
chance.
Crusher also has a son named
Wesley, who is almost as annoying as
Stubing’s kid, Vikki. who used to he
on the Love Boat. But while Wesley
is a computer whiz who entered Star
Heel, Vikki was a spoiled hrat who
usually got lost in Puerto Vallarta.
People they meet: The Enterprise
encounters many alien cultures on its
travels in the Federation and beyond.
Some arc more advanced than others,
but all have knowledge to share w ith
the Enterprise.
The Princess carried hundreds ol
passengers, but they were all from the
plancL Earth and wore old clothing.
The crew of the Princess were friends
with a lot of washed-up comedians
who regularly made the voyage to
Mexico.
Charro,a bubbly Latin beauty, was
on the Pacific Princess a lot. There is
no one like Charro on the Enterprise,
luckily.
Minorities: The Enterprise is a very
progressive ship of the future, w here
all people can live up to their poten
tials without facing stereotypes. An
android, Data, is very valuable to the
mission. A Klingon, Worf, is accepted
as a friend by all.
Isaac, the bartender, is the only
minority I remember from the Love
Boat. Although he was a good bar
tender, and could be at every bar on
the ship simultaneously, he never saved
the Princess from certain destruction.
He always had a steady supply ol
paper umbrellas on hand, and he had
a cool costume to wear in the Pirates
Cove.
The ship: The Enterprise is ca
pable of speeds a little over Warp 9. It
is a self-contained city, with schools,
recreation areas, living quarters, a
park and Whoopi Goldberg.
The Pacific Princess was also a
self-contained city, although it was
designed for much shorter missions.
It was not capable of moving faster
than the speed of light, as it still was
trapped in the laws of the Einstcinian
universe.
The big question is which is the
better ship.
The Enterprise spreads goodwill
from the Federation of Planets to
unknown societies. The Princess evi
dently cranks out congressmen named
Fred.
You decide.
Phelps is a sophomore news-cdilorial ma
jor, the Daily Nebraskan opinion page editor
and a columnist.
