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From: tan@ihlpg.UUCP (Bill Tanenbaum)
Newsgroups: net.politics,net.flame
Subject: Re: We've GOT to do somethin' for Peace Dept.
Message-ID: <1100@ihlpg.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 19-Aug-85 14:05:07 EDT
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Posted: Mon Aug 19 14:05:07 1985
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> >>[Ken Arndt]
> >>A doctor just back from the good ole USSR writes in the current American
> >>Medical Assoc. Journal that we and they should exchange 250,000 students
> >>as hostages against the threat of nuke war... 
-------------------------------
> [Frank Silbermann]
> >Don't fall for it, America!  It's a commie trick!  The Ruskies aren't soft
> >on the destruction of innocent life, like we are.  They wouldn't think twice
> >about sacrificing 250,000 of their own innocent students if one of their
> >evil political goals was on the line.  But our government, which loves
> >its citizens, each and every one (except the trouble-makers), would have
> >its hands tied.
-------------------------------
> [Fred Williams]
>     GIVE ME A BREAK!!!
>     I'm telling you that the U.S. does not have a monopoly on love for
> it's citizens, or justice, etc., etc.  People are pretty much the same
> the world over.  There is just no evidence to the contrary.

People may be, but Frank was talking about governments.

>     In the USSR the police have more widspread powers of search &
> whatchyamacallit, etc. Often these are abused...or so I've heard. 
> I suspect that the Soviet reputation to set human rights aside, or at
> least give them low priority is well deserved. For this I must condemn
> them. It is no way for an enlightened nation to conduct themselves!
>     At the same time, I am not very pleased with the U.S. when the
> FBI, (CIA?, It's so hard to differentiate without a program), comes
> into Canada and arrests people just like they had a right to do so.
> This has been done repeatedly without any attempt at extradition
> proceedings, and without informing any Canadian authorities. This is
> also not the way an enlightened nation should conduct themselves.

The U. S. Govt. is far from perfect (as is Canada's - remember Trudeau's
action during the Quebec separatist bombings a ways back), but to compare
the U. S. with the Soviet police state is is an abomination.  There is a
real difference between western democracies and the Soviet Union.

>     I could make references to the way blacks are treated in the U.S.
> if we were to talk about human rights, etc. But really, I don't want
> to repeat what has already been well posted on the net by others.

It's not the U. S. government that oppresses blacks, but the attitudes
of many of its people.  But as you say, people are much the same the world
over.  The U. S. government has been, at least before Reagan, the prime
force allieviating discrimination.

>     I just want to say that believing that "God" is on your side;
> or that your enemy is "evil" and must be destroyed, etc. This is
> what I call national chauvenism, and it leads to wars. So when you have
> these thoughts, you should scare yourself!  You scare me!

True, but this does not mean that one government is just as bad as the next.
I would have to agree with Silbermann's assessment of the student exchange
idea.
-- 
Bill Tanenbaum - AT&T Bell Labs - Naperville IL  ihnp4!ihlpg!tan