From: utzoo!decvax!ucbvax!CAD:ucbesvax!turner Newsgroups: net.college Title: Re: Re: J. Kirkpatrick at U.C. Berkeley - (nf) Article-I.D.: ucbcad.630 Posted: Fri Feb 18 02:05:08 1983 Received: Fri Feb 18 06:09:12 1983 #R:mitccc:-33400:ucbesvax:2900005:000:1643 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