arndt@lymph.DEC (08/05/85)
I laud you concern about the Third World turning to Communism. However, if you will pick up a recent paper you will find that to deliver the goods (food, jobs, education) the Third World countries are turning en masse to the West. They turn to the East for things like police training, guns and 'advisors' who build military projects. Of course there are some exceptions to this flow but in the main this is accurate. Communism has demonstrated to ALL the world that they can't deleiver the good life to their OWN people much less to anyone else. That is why, contrary to your advise (spawned by cockamamy liberal views?) they are inviting the multinational companies in to invest in their countries! No one it seems (including the Russians) wants Russian washing machines. Food IS a weapon we should be using. You've just got it backwards. How many countries have to turn from breadbaskets and potential breadbaskets into desserts under communism before YOU get the picture? There is an old joke from the East to the effect that if the Communists took over the Sahara Dessert in five years there would be a shortage of sand. Aren't you glad I've cleared this up for you?? Regards, Ken Arndt
todd@SCIRTP.UUCP (Todd Jones) (08/08/85)
> > I laud you concern about the Third World turning to Communism. However, > if you will pick up a recent paper you will find that to deliver the goods > (food, jobs, education) the Third World countries are turning en masse to > the West. They turn to the East for things like police training, guns and > 'advisors' who build military projects. Of course there are some exceptions > to this flow but in the main this is accurate. Kenneth, you're generalizing. While there may be some nations that seek peaceful resources from the west and weaponry from the east, they have to make a choice. The hard-liners typically cut off all aid to countries flirting with socialism/communism. "We'll starve 'em. That'll show 'em that America is a better ally!" > Communism has demonstrated to ALL the world that they can't deleiver the > good life to their OWN people much less to anyone else. What about China, Ken? They are experiencing downright prosperity compared with pre-revolution China, despite doubling their population since then. But as for Russian communism, I make no claims as to its efficiencies or virtues. Read my first posting. > That is why, contrary to your advise > (spawned by cockamamy liberal views?) they are > inviting the multinational companies in to invest in their countries! Who's they? The fascist el presidente' or the starving child? Ken, you know as well as I do (I assume) that socialist revolution requires *some* level of popular support. > Food IS a weapon we should be using. You've just got it backwards. Gosh, I love this one! Guns are butter is guns! Food is a weapon we've been using against these countries for years. So why are we so shocked when a country, (e.g. the Philippines, net food exporter by a huge margin, but wracked with abject poverty) should ever question the western values that set the country's priorities? > How many countries have to turn from breadbaskets and > potential breadbaskets into desserts under communism before > YOU get the picture? Look Ken, read my original posting! I'm not advocating communism one bit. I'm offerring a reason (a valid one at that!) why nations we had "supported" for years (Nicaragua, Cuba, etc...) become disgruntled: they see all their food being exported to rich countries and el presidente' riding around in a Mercedes putting bullets in the chests of communist sympathizers! Some poster said something to the effect of: "But America grows plenty of food, why would we need the food from these other nations?" We take rich farmland, capable of supporting an enormous variety of crops, and grow bananas on 20% of it, leaving the rest fallow to ensure many farmers will be out of work, hence: cheap labor! > There is an old joke from the East to the effect that if the Communists took > over the Sahara Dessert in five years there would be a shortage of sand. Sure, but when you are hungry and someone offers you the promise of food, telling you that you will work for yourself and fellow citizens, even YOU will go for it (Don't tell me you'd rather be dead than red, Ken.) > Arndt you glad I've cleared this up for you?? Pleased as punch! -your left-wing, sissified fellow poster, todd jones