Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 exptools 1/6/84; site ihuxm.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxj!ihnp4!ihuxm!berman From: berman@ihuxm.UUCP (Rational Chuzpah) Newsgroups: net.politics,net.flame Subject: Lost Countries Message-ID: <1114@ihuxm.UUCP> Date: Mon, 29-Oct-84 12:45:17 EST Article-I.D.: ihuxm.1114 Posted: Mon Oct 29 12:45:17 1984 Date-Received: Tue, 30-Oct-84 01:37:29 EST Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Naperville, IL Lines: 73 ------------------------------------------------------ Milo Medin, refering for former President Carter, says: >This was the Bozo who nearly lost el salvador! Milo's attack recalls the McCarthy purge of the Roosevelt-era employees in the US State Department, in the early 1950's. At that time, the accusation centered around blaming them for "losing China." This almost begs for a snappy rejoinder about "losing" countries, but the ignorance behind Milo's kind of thinking is currently a bit too popular to joke about. In the 1950's, as now, it stands to point out that: 1) El Salvador doesn't BELONG to anyone but the Salvadorans. It can't be "lost" by American presidents who never OWNED it. In El Salvador there is large resistance to the military rulers who run the country for the benefit of a tiny oligarchy, despite the facade of the Duarte regime. The country is currently very "lost" to justice, democracy and the other values good people everywhere cherish. A wiser US foreign policy would seek a non-military solution to the conflict in El Savaldor, exploring the proposals of the broad-based opposition (the Democratic Revolutionary Front) for a negotiated solution and a government representing all sectors of Salvadoran society. 2) In Milo's way of thinking, we had better take heed, for we about to "lose" several more arsenals of democracy and freedom: ---Marcos' Phllipines, where an extremely repressive and unpopular dictator is soon headed for the garbage heap of history. (Reagan, who clearly is quite ignorant of the political situation in the Phillipines, stated recently that the only alternative to Marcos is Communism. In fact this is not so, there is a large middle class social democratic opposition.) Which opposition group will take power after Marcos coming demise isn't yet determined. A more sane US foreign policy could probably help insure a non-communist government. One thing is certain however, the tyranny of Marcos is approaching its end. The Phillipines too is about to be "lost". ---Pincohet's Chile, too, is soon to be "lost," as will eventually the racist white-supremist regime in South Africa. All of Reagan's rhetoric and military actions can't "save" these regimes. Persons of conscience really don't want them "saved" anyway, not in Milo's or Reagan's sense, which reduces all conflict in the world to "us" and "them." Their perspective isn't interested in democracy, justice or the well-being of a nation's populace. Their only concern is the East-West conflict. Such a perspective has already "lost" the most precious values we could offer. Andy Berman ...ihnp4!ihlpg!berman