poli-sci (06/07/82)
>From JoSH@RUTGERS Mon Jun 7 09:02:08 1982
Poli-Sci Digest Mon 7 Jun 82 Volume 2 Number 141
Contents: Conservatives and Civil Rights
More Nun Stories
De Facto Laws
Libertarian Paradise
A-Bombs (2 msgs)
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Date: 4 June 1982 2309-EDT (Friday)
From: Gary Feldman at CMU-10A
Subject: Conservatives and Civil Rights
Some conservative thoughts on the Civil Rights Act of 63/64:
"The Howard Johnson case from Virginia is a case in which a man
wanted to be served. Howard Johnsons refused to serve him, and he went to
court, but the court held that a man did not have to serve anybody on his own
private property that he did not wish to."
Strom Thurmond, speaking against the Public Accomodations provisions
US News & World Report, 30 Mar 64, p102.
"In its provisions relating to a standard literacy test, and in other
provisions, the Administration's bill has nothing to do with State deprivals
in the area of `race, color, or previous condition of servitude.'
"I take no position one way or another on the merits of a poll tax.
"If local school boards throughout the South are to be prohibited by law
from maintaining separate school systems, a law must be passed `pursuant to the
Constitution' to impose such a prohibition. I would take the position, in the
light of the history of the Fourteenth Amendment, that such a law would not
be `pursuant to the Constitution.' It would violate the plain intention both
of those who framed the amendment and also of the States that ratified it."
James J. Kilpatrick, arguing against the entire bill
National Review, 24 Sep 63, pp231.
"Granted the charges against Mississippi are overdrawn. Inded, when they
are uttered they sometimes have a ring of genocidal fanatacism -- we recently
heard a sophisticated man say that life in Mississippi is no better for
the average Negro than life for the average Yugoslavian or Pole.
column in National Review, 29 Dec 64, p1136.
"Second, I object to the apparently widespread opinion among this crop
of leftists that civil rights, and the civil-rights movement in the
60's specifically, are strictly leftist issues. Not so. Many
conservatives have long opposed racism and unequal treatment for
racial minorities."
[Cox]
Gee. I wonder where they were.
Gary
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Date: 4 Jun 1982 2036-PDT
From: Jim McGrath <CSD.MCGRATH at SU-SCORE>
Subject: More nun stories
A nun (I forget her name) is running for the position of Attorney General
in a small eastern state (I believe Conn.). Don't worry about her being
soft on criminals - she has earned the nickname "Attila the Nun" for her
previous involvement in the justive system (as a DA type I believe).
Its always interesting when religious "officers" run for political office.
Although relatively few in number, they often turn out to be some of
the most solid politicians we have (at least they are relatively moral -
something you cannot be so sure about with most of our politicians).
Jim
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Date: 5 June 1982 02:23-EDT
From: Daniel Breslau <BRESLA at MIT-AI>
I can't say anything about corruption in NY -- except that I'm sure it exists.
I do remember that out in Chicago a few years ago, one of the two papers
(I think the Tribune, if someone wants to dig this out) ran an Abscam-type
expose of that city's building inspectors. As I remember, they were setting
up a restaurant or something, for which they had lawyers and private
contractors ensure that the building met *all* applicable codes.
The city's inspectors, however, somehow managed to find all sorts of costly
violations, which all somehow went away after money appeared...
Dan Breslau
[as a PS to this subject, there was a story in the local paper
about reports that the governor had been seen doing 70 on Route 1
--JoSH]
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Date: 5 June 1982 10:04-EDT
From: Robert Stanzel <STANZE at MIT-MC>
Setting aside the absence of coherence and documentation,
Seth Steinberg's message implicitly raises the necessity of standard
definitions. Since this been a problem in past discussions of
libertarianism, I submit the following, which pretty much follow the
usage in the literature:
anarchism : the absence of government and centrally enforced
personal/property rights
anarcho-communism : the philosophy holding that under anarchy,
society take on communal characteristics
anarcho-capitalism : the philosophy that society will take an
individualistic, competitive form under anarchy
limited-governmentalism : the theory of a naturally occuring
set of rights which are the domain
of governments
Libertarian : relating to the political party
libertarian : an ill-defined term that includes all of the above.
In fact, I believe that in a 1980 "Reason," President
Reagan described himself as "basically libertarian."
My point is that what Steinberg describes is \anarchy/, which few
libertarians subscribe to, according to polls. Indeed, the absence of
personal/property rights would not be a paradise. What limited-
governmentalists hold is the theory of natural rights: it is the
job of political philosophers to define that minimum set of rights and
privileges which is enforced by government.
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Date: 5 Jun 1982 10:56:57-PDT
From: decvax!minow at Berkeley
Subject: Hiroshima Consequences
It was pointed out in the book "The Nuclear Barons" that the problem
with bombing Japan was two-fold: the morality of bombing Nagasaki
and, more importantly, the latend radiation damage whose effects
appeared 20 years later when good-will with Japan was essential to
our interests in the Pacific.
The authors claim (if I remember correctly) that, had the scientists
pointed out the post-war consequences, Truman's decision might have
been different. However, no information on long-term biological
effects reached the president.
One other point: by speaking directly to the people, the Emperor of
Japan made it possible to surrender as he took the disgrace on his
own head, and consequently, away from the Japanese people.
By the way, has Russia signed a peace treaty with Japan yet?
Martin Minow
decvax!minow
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Date: 6 Jun 1982 1756-EDT
Subject: VISA REJECTIONS
From: WDOHERTY at BBNG
Any comments on the State Department rejections of around 500
visas to those attending the United Nations Second Special
Session on Disarmament? Any precedents for this action?
Apparently, a good percentage of the official Japanese
delegation was refused entry to the US. A phone, telegram
and letter-writing campaign to Alexander Haig, Secretary of
State, as well as several demonstrations of a few hundred people
each occurred this past week (notably in Boston and NYC).
Will Doherty (WDOHERTY@BBNG)
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