From: utzoo!decvax!ucbvax!CAD:ucbesvax!turner
Newsgroups: net.college
Title: Re: Orphaned Response - (nf)
Article-I.D.: ucbcad.808
Posted: Thu Mar 10 01:36:22 1983
Received: Fri Mar 11 02:33:51 1983

#R:mitccc:-33400:ucbesvax:2900005:37777777600:1643
ucbesvax!turner    Feb 17 16:38:00 1983


	There is plenty of good evidence that the lot of the
    Nicaraguan peasant has improved dramatically since the revolution.
    Only so much can be expected in terms of economic improvements when
    the man who owned 60% of the nation's land takes his life savings
    out of the country when he leaves.  Somoza was a multi-billionaire,
    by some accounts: how honestly he came by this wealth can be judged
    the popularity[sic] of the ex-National Guard, his private army.  Nobody
    in Nicaragua in their right mind (no matter how much they oppose the
    current regime) wants the Guardia back.  Strong evidence of this comes
    from our own State Department, which, while interested in destabilizing
    Nicaragua by any means possible, is now withdrawing support for any
    organization with strong ties with the ex-Guardia.  Even THEY realize
    the SOME popular support is necessary for overthrow of the current
    regime.  Now all they have to do is get Nicaraguans to forget who
    ARMED the Guardia...a tough one.

	As for the brave and free "contra" militias, I refer you to
    the current issue of "Covert Action Information Bulletin".  There
    is a detailed report on the extent to which the Miskitu Indians
    in the Northeast have been manipulated by the C.I.A. and various
    right-wing evangelist groups.  Of course, you never hear about the
    atrocities commited by the "contras" in the U.S. press.  The details
    (rape and ritual murder) about the activities of these fanatics makes
    current reporting on Nicaragua in the U.S. dailies look a trifle
    one-sided, to say the least.

	Michael Turner