Newspaper Page Text
Charles Autrey
During the latest round of
summitry in Moscow, observer*
•a, noted that Soviet party leader
v* Brezhnev appeared to behave
.gku more like the president of a large
corporation than champion of
the working class
Perhaps it is this attitude,
combined with Nixon and
Kissinger's emphasis on
pragmatism over considerations
ot doctrine, that forms the core of
the recent “detente” between the
United States and the Soviet
SUPERPOWERS
Though the two superpowers are still far apart
<n ideological grounds (as demonstrated by the
Soviet reaction to U.S. media attempts to in
terview a blacklisted scientist), both sides feel
that these matters may be put aside in the in
lerest of avoiding a nuclear war and insuring
their mutual prosperity in a time of increasing
shortages of raw materials. In plainer words, the
United States and the Soviet Union have, for the
time being, agreed to stop exploiting each other
in order to exploit the rest of the world more
efficiently Aside from proving that the love of
money is still mankind's most consuming
passion, this new attitude is having and will
continue to have served interesting con
sequences for the smaller nations of the world.
WRANGLING FOR
SUPREMELY
After much wrangling for supremecy during
the cold war era, the two super powers have
divided the Third World countries into spheres
,)f influence in much the same way that France
and Great Britain carved up Asia during the
nineteenth century. The lukewarm Soviet
reaction to the recent U.S. backed overthrow
of Slavador Allende’s Marxist government in
Chile and the gradual lessening of C.I.A. activity
Steve Liner
World War 111
The world is in deep trouble
this time.
Not to be a pessimist, I predict
'he third would war within our
lifetime This prediction doesn’t
come from any psychic message
from another world Rather it
comes from a study of the history
of the late 1800’s and the pre-
WWII days. All the elements are
again present for a global war.
except for one additional cause
'every war can't be the same and
WEST GEORGIAN
(m
STEVE LINER 808 FROST
News Editor Business Manager
Oropliici • Towwy Sinith
Sports to*
Gary Abba,
Stowort
Sbarmaina bontnor
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Detente?
in Eastern Europe confirms the theory that each
is beginning to respect the other’s “territorial
rights. “
STATUSQUO
Since the United States and the Soviet Union
have decided to freeze their status quo in the
Third World it effectively destroys the only
leverage these countries had in dealing with
them
During the Cold War, these nations were
somewhat protected from exploitation by, and
could expect a fair amount of aid from the two
superpowers by literally offering their political
alliances for sale to the highest bidder.
COSTLY PLAY
This “playing-both-ends-against-the-middle"
strategy has proven too closly and limiting to
both U.S. and Soviet interest, and this new
detente will allow both nations to reduce their
foreign aid commitments and will allow them to
drive a harder bargain with the Third World for
its natural resources. During this time of in
creasing shortages of practically everything, it
will be necessary for both powers to lean more
heavily on external supplies of raw materials to
maintain their economics and high standard of
living, and as usual, it will be the small and
powerless nations who will suffer for it.
HOSTILITIES LESSEN
Therefore, the recent lessening of hostilities
between the United States and the Soviet Union
gives rise to mixed feelings. Though it will
probably avert a nuclear holocast for the next
several years, it does not even confront the
serious problems that still exist between the two
nations. If material conditions in the world were
to change radically, the “detente” would fall
apart quickly. At best, it is a breathing space to
give the two powers time to work out their
problems on a more permanent basis. At worst,
it is a lisence to further exploit the under
developed nations of the world.
a spark.(The additional cause is a
world wide recession.
Such a recession seems close
at hand. The American
prosperity is shakey, although it
has faced worse trauma without
a collapse. But add on top of that
shakiness the alignment of the oil
producing countries, the closing
gap between the iron curtain
countries, the economic
desperation of the “lesser’
countires, and a general clutch
for power (both economic and
political) the world once again
has divided itself into the pre-pre
war battle lines seen so often
before.
Adding to the possibility of a
world wide recession is,
strangely enough, American
generosity. What this generosity
has accomplished is far from our
visions of “planting the seeds of
peace and brotherhood.” Rather
it turns out to be a nearly useless
Haunting of American wealth.
This causes resentment and the
friendship gaps are widened;
especially between North
America and her Latin neigh
bors. But, of much more concern,
our grand generosity has become
ill afforded at home. How, we ask
frantically, can Uncle Sam
continue to throw change from
his nearly empty pockets when at
home his children are
desperately searching for
economic survival? The phrase
“leave us; we have our own
children to feed” comes to mind.
As for the spark, look to the
Middle East, the possibility of an
intracontinental cold war in
South America, continuation of
the cold war in the Far East, or
hostilities precipitated by the
fear of a growing number of
countries with nuclear
capability. In other words, the
spark will come between haves
and the have nots.
The new world war could be
started by something as modem
as the graspings of the greedy
and the deserately needy or
something as ancient as a
religious conflict.
Yes, the world is in deep
trouble this time.
iffy
“West Georgian Policy'
Students’ Forum
“The West Georgian” is an investment in student knowledge. It is
both an investment of your Student Activity funds and of staff time.
In order for the West Georgian to bridge the gap between the
students’ needs and the administration’s wants at this institution, we
must be in touch with you. Although we earnestly try to be everywhere
at once and know all importar.! events and why they are happening,
occasionally we cannot.
In other words, we need communication with students in order to do
our job. If there is an event that you think should be given newspaper
space, write us a letter to communicate this idea.
Part of our power as journalists is the pressure we bring to bear
through the printed word. But the word is useless without readers to
agree that ‘‘something must be done.”
We would be the last to say that West Georgia is a hot bed of in
justice, but occasionally injustice is present here. It is for the good of
our college community that this injustice be branded and that involved
parties know that the students will not tolerate it here.
In short, we need your participation. We need it through letters,
columns, or straight new stories.
Our responsibility is to create a forum for students to respond to
what is happening here. Without your letters this becomes impossible
and our system of the press fails.
So many times we have heard students gripe about what is being
done, what should or should not be done, when we suggest a letter to
the newspaper about it, these people often shrug and say something
like “what would it accomplish?” Our answer is “who knows, but why
be afraid to try?” The cost of trying is a piece of paper and a little ink.
But the cost of not trying is the increase of the problems that cause
frustration, inaction, and eventually a worsening of the situation.
We are fortunate in that the administration here at least puts up the
facade of listening to the students, but without the feedback to listen to
they will simply go their own way and we students have a loss of
power.
The point is: more people need to take the little effort it takes to do
great things, before it takes a great effort to undo little things.
The West Georgian Staff
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THE WEST GEORGIAN. JUtY U, H 74
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