orb@whuxl.UUCP (SEVENER) (12/03/85)
Jan, you present a facade of "objectivity" behind which you mask incredible prejudices. These prejudices lead you to quite openly distort obvious facts. For instance: I wrote: > > >The latter is typically couched in terms of the "monolithic Communist > >Conspiracy" in which the Soviets represent a monolithic Communism > >arrayed against a "free and democratic" West. > > >One would think that after China's break with the Soviet Union and > >Nixon's trip to China that such myths were dead forever. But they > >have too much power as justifications for the military-industrial > >complex to be discarded. > Jan responded (can this be believed!!): > Never heard, or read *anyone* saying that. Reagan's "evil empire" > rhetoric was specifically directed at the USSR. WHAT??!! I never heard anyone suggest anything *EXCEPT* that Reagan's remarks were directed quite specifically at the Soviet Union! As I recall Reagan specifically said that the "Soviet Union is the focus of evil in the world." Whether commentators agree or not (and I have never read either liberal or conservative who disputed that Reagan was directing his criticism *precisely* at the Soviet Union) this is what Reagan said. Moreover in his speech at the UN's 40th anniversary all Reagan did was essentially blame the Soviets for every troublespot in the world today. Including Central America despite the fact that it is the US which violated international law by mining Nicaragua's harbor, and despite the fact that it is the US which is funding terrorists who have been responsible for thousands of deaths in the last few years. While Reagan has imposed a total economic embargo on Nicaragua by executive fiat he refuses to impose any such total embargo on the admittedly racist regime of South Africa. Indeed when Reagan first came to office he lifted the ban on export of arms and military equipment to the racist South African government which Jimmy Carter had imposed. And why is it that we must give implicit support to a racist regime which has illegally occupied territory, which has invaded its neighbors, which is funding warfare against its black neighbors in contradiction of its own past agreements with those nations to stop such raids, which has bombed US owned oil facilities in Angola? Because this might allow "Soviet influence"!!! Like Reagan's buddy Jerry Falwell says, this anti-apartheid movement is just some Soviet commie conspiracy! It doesn't matter that in fact the African National Congress was founded in 1912, 5 years before the Russian Revolution even took place, the Soviets are behind *everything*. There are *reasons* why people revolt: namely poverty, exploitation, disease, and oppression by their government. If we did more to solve those problems, there would be no reason for people to turn to Communism to solve their problems. People like Falwell, Ronald Reagan and Jack Kemp apparently cannot understand that. Unfortunately it seems, neither can Jan. tim sevener whuxn!orb