opinions
editorial opinion
Olympics and ideologies
Despite the threat of heavy smog, as
intrinsic to Los Angeles as snow to the
Yukon, the spirit of Olympic competition is
strong. Strong too, are the acrid fumes of
ideological conflict hanging over the city.
Unlike the smog, the political fumes are not
intrinsic to any particular place but rather,
it seems, to large gatherings of internation
al a theletes.
• But while polities and ideology permeate
every aspect of mankind, they are consid
ered pollutants only once every four years.
They are harmful only to the Olympic
games. The Rumanian athletes, who were
given a standing ovation during the opening
ceremonies, are thought of as having over
come the temptation to "use" the Olympics
as cheap political fodder; as having the will
to resist the authoritarian and repressive
Soviet leadership; as holding international
cooperation through athletic competition
higher than the petty, selfish goals of politi
cal conflict.
Is that why we applauded the Rumani
ans? Or is the reason because we consider
the Rumanian's participation a victory in
the East-West conflict? Would the games
seem less politically motivated or would
daily Collegian
Monday, July 30, 1984
©1984 Collegian Inc.
Brian E. Bowers . Kathy Connolly
Editor Business Manager
reader opinion
Logical fallacy
I found the point of your. July 19 editorial, "Arms
control worth waving" extremely difficult to locate.
Whatever the stand you attempted to take, the editorial
was replete with technical misinformation and logical
fallacy.
You state that due to, "advances in missile accuracy
and mobility of launch platforms, on-site verification is a
must. The Soviet Union has never allowed this." True on
both counts. However, deployment of the Cruise Missile
by the U.S. makes verification of some treaties virtually
impossible, even with on-site inspection, something the
y. U.S. has never allowed either. Would '
we sign an arms
control treaty that we could not verify?
Further, your editorial claims that joint U.S./Soviet
development of anti-ballistic missile systems (ABM) is
necessary because "nuclear destruction will be spared
the government that strikes first." Perhaps a first-strik
ing GOVERNMENT will be spared but certainly not its
people. To believe this assumes we could launch a pre
emptive first strike, which would destroy the Soviet
strategic arsenal of over 10,000 nuclear warheads. They
would be required to hit over 13,000. We possess subma
rines which could destroy the USSR 3 months after the
entire American continent had been destroyed. And this
speaks nothing of nuclear winter.
• The ABM Treaty, which was signed by Nixon, and
which your suggestion would violate, was ratified only
because it had no substance. ABM systems were and are
today technically infeasible according to most knowled
t
gable personnel.
By speaking of the possibility of surviving nuclear war
1- via premptive first strike you are grossly misguiding the
public. Check the facts first.
j• You mention Ronald Reagan's sudden enthusiasm
toward arms negotiations with the Soviets. Would you not
be providing more of a service to your readers by pointing
out the fact that Ronald Reagan has blatantly spurned
• any notion of arms control for three-and-a-half years. Is
the upcoming election and his new found role as peace
: maker mere coincidence or is it editorial material?
In a July 24 editorial you criticize Jesse Jackson for
overstepping his legal bounds by interfering in our
i foreign policy with the Soviets and creating a "potentially
explosive intrusion into Soviet internal affairs." Techni
cally, Jackson's action may be illegal. But that action
pales by comparison to the crimes against humanity that
. '
f-. • • I
Economic data prove Reagan s recovery still going strong
- 4 .
Recently released economic data were rapidly decreasing unemployment is the percent annually. That number was the government, business and consumers future despite federal deficits. •
found to be unwelcomed by the markets —at chance of inflation igniting much sooner. same for May, but much lower than April's competing for fewer dollars. With rising In The Wall Street Journal on July 23, an
least in the beginning of last week. Indeed, You see, there's a short-run relationship robust 5.6 percent increase. One thing interest rates, businesses would not expand editorial predicted the total budget deficit
the continuing stock market slump in- between unemployment and inflation that should be mentioned, however: Because of inventories crowding out. If consumer which includes all state and local govern
creased fears of rising inflation and rising makes rapid decreases in unemployment being based on a specific market basket of demand remained strong, prices cone- ment surpluses will decrease through
interest rates. foreshadow rapid increases in inflation. goods that does not incorporate changes in quently would be bid up. Thus, inflation 1989. The editorial thus advocated further
As consumer demand increases in a re- consumer tastes and preferences over time, would ignite. tax cuts, contrary to Mondale's soak-the
covery, business inventories are run down. the CPI usually overstates the rate of infla- The market's fear was understandable. rich campaign promises of increased taxes.
At first, businesses pay overtime to begin tion. Perhaps inflation is even lower than But, Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Vol- In fact, according to that editorial, tax
. , i rebuilding inventories until they are certain suggested. cker told the Senate on Wedensday that revenues from the wealthy have increased
the increased demand is permanent. After Moreover, durable goods orders, which monetary policy would not be any tighter because of Reagan's tax cuts. People don't
...a realizing demand has permanently in- are orders for goods that last three or more or any looser. Volcker said the Fed expects mind paying taxes when there are incen
_._ I 7 ' creased, firms hire more workers, pushing years, decreased 3.2 percent last month. GNP to slow substantially, with low rates of tives, such as profits from investments,
•
/11 up wages thus prices. Wages, of course, This implies that consumer demand is slow- inflation. With that reassurance, the stock which benefit everyone through economic
depend upon the future rate of inflation.
Inflation, however, is running at an am- t in io g ns , f_ert i h n e t r h r e ed ne u a c r in t g er rationary expecta- market picked up to close Friday at 1,115. growth.
- Early June's predicted summer stock mar- So, if taxes were increased with a Demo
azingly low level 3.2 percent. And gross The stock market's reaction to all this ket rally may now become a reality. cratic president without being accompa
national product is growing at its highest news was a mixed bag. At first, the market Economically speaking, the Democrats nied by major federal spending cuts other
levels since right after World War II 10.1 continued its five-day downward trend, with now have nothing to decry. After all, it's than defense more tax sheltering by the
Yet, as the markets worked the data percent in the first quarter and 7.5 percent the Dow Jones Industrial Average on Reagan's and the Fed's— policies of rich would occur, not to mention near-zero
through the week, predictions of looming in the second quarter. That's not too bad for Wedensday closing at a 17-month low of sustained long-term growth with lower in- investment. This would destroy any good
economic disaster were weakened. A casual the nineteenth month of an economic recov- 1,086. Fears of rapidly accelerating infla- nation rates that have received credibility. that has come of • this investment-driven
look at the numbers gives the reasons. ery. Furthermore, estimates for the rest of tion and interest rates were the culprits. Granted, the federal deficit is still high, but recovery of low unemployment and low
Unemployment has decreased to 7.1 per- the year's GNP are low, which signals still What happened was the stock market so-called "crowding out" has not yet ap- inflation. •
cent, which indicates strong economic lower future inflation. believed that the Federal Reserve had fur- peared, which implies interest rates are not
growth, taking into consideration unem- The well - known Consumer Price Index, ther tightened monetary policy. Interest yet high enough for businesses and consum- Jeffrey J. Diecidue is a senior majoring in
ployment's previous* 11 percent high, 19 for example, reported that in June, consum- rates, it was expected, would increase as a ers. In fact, some analysts are now predict- journalism and economics, and is a column
months ago. The only bad thing about such er prices increased only 0.2 percent, or 2 result of more sectors of the economy ing steady, if not lower, interest rates in the Ist for The Daily Collegian.
there be more international cooperation if
the Communist bloc nations were partici
pating?
Of course there are two answers to each
of those questions. One we give inwardly.
That one comes from our collective gut; the
kind of answer we gave when Luke Sky
walker destroyed the Empire's Death. Star.
The other answer is the one we give to social
scientists. The answer that fits our idea of
what the value of athletic coMpetition
should be: its not whether you win or lose
. . . That's what we tell our children, when
they lose.
What did we tell our children when, dur
ing the 1980 Winter games, the U.S. Olympic
hockey team defeated their Soviet oppo
nents? Was the reaction one of national
pride or was it a victory: over the evil
empire?
Politics are as intrinsic to the Olympics
as smog is to Los. Angeles. This is so
because the world is divided ideologically
and such because it is human nature that
makes us want to be affiliated with distinct
groups. In this era of civilization, humans
have invented two conflicting ideologies
and have taken sides. May the best one win.
The Daily Collegian's editorial
opinion is determined by its Board
of Opinion, with the editor holding
final responsibility. Opinions ex
pressed on the editorial pages are
not necessarily those of The Daily
are Ronald Reagan's foreign policy and military policies
Let's get cogent, Collegian. At least relevant.
Timothy Bowser, State College
July 26
Carelessness
We are , writing to point out how careless journalism
sometimes can lead to amazing and humorous mistakes.
It also illustrates why so many of us are hesitant to be
interviewed by members of the press.
On July 16, Collegian Staff Writer Bruce L. Cary phoned
Professor Michael R. King to ask if he would agree to be
interviewed about the implications of having a woman on
the presidential ticket. Professor King declined, and
referred Mr. Cary to Professor Robert E. O'Connor, who
was then interviewed by Mr. Cary. On July 17, an article
appeared in the Collegian about the Mondale-Ferraro
ticket in which Professor King was quoted extensively.
Professor O'Connor was not mentioned.
When Professor King read the Collegian on the morning
of the 17th, he was astounded to find that he was quoted in
the Collegian article. He first thought he was suffering
from temporary amnesia or terminal absent-mindedness,
because he couldn't recall being interviewed. When
Professor O'Connor read the article, he was amazed at
how closely. Professor King's views agreed with his own,
even down to the words he would have used to answer the
reporter's questions
As you have probably guessed by now, the Collegian
reporter apparently thought . he was interviewing Profes
sor King, when he was actually interviewing Professor
O'Connor. Mr. Cary's carelessness in verifying his
sources has not only caused us considerable trouble, but
has shown how an otherwise first-rate college newspaper
can gain a reputation for sloppy journalism.
Although the Collegian has printed a correction, correc
tions are seldom read. Therefore we would like to take
this opportunity to state that the views attributed to
Professor King in the article are actually those of Profes
sor O'Connor, and not necessarily those of Professor
King, who was never interviewed.
Michael R. King
Robert E. O'Connor
associate professors of political science
July 20 •
Collegian, Collegian Inc. or The
Pennsylvania State University.
Collegian Inc., publishers of The
Daily Collegian and related publi
cations, is a separate corporate
institution from Penn State.
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A 'link' to a fantasy world
Are there times when you just aren't sure how to
approach something? Times when you are presented
with conflicting mores that don't seem resolvable? I
spend a lot of time pondering such things, but I've
discovered something that can help. Not a thing,
really, but a place. It's something of a fantasy world,
and all you have to do to visit is concentrate with me. In
this world, all is not as it appears at first.
There is one advantage, though: It gives you an
invaluable opportunity to compare objectively with
your own, real world. Let's find out what is happening
over there today. Just concentrate, and peer through
those mysterious windows that will appear. Ready?
Look!
M 6: Hey, gang, what's up?
M 3: We were just talking about Ml.
W 2: Yes. Did you see Ml yesterday at the office? At
it again with M 4.
M 6: Come again?
W 2: They were goofing around, looking funny at each
other and
M 3: And touching
M 6: Looking funny? Touching?
W 2: You know how it goes. Ml comes in joking and
being foolish, and pretty soon hands end up on some
one. Ml makes like it's a joke, but I'm not so sure.
M 3: Yeah, you've seen it. Ml comes in, shaking
hands, patting backs, puts a. hand on someone's shoul
der, even hugs people, or worse. Yeesh.
W 2: Something is definitely fishy about Ml.
M 6: Has MI done any of this to you?
W 2: Me? No, but we don't know each other very well
anyway.
M 3: Just more fuel for the fire. Ml only seems to do it
with other M's. To be honest, I think MI is an H.
M 6: Whoa, now hold on there. Them's mighty stiff
words, considering the evidence
M 3: Evidence? M 1 is forever doing that stuff, every
time he comes over here. I mean, we don't see much of
Ml outside of here, but now I think I know why, if you
get my drift.
M 6: I'm sure I don't want to. Just because one M
touches another, that doesn't imply either one is an H.
And so what if an M is an H? Has M 1 done any of this
with you?
M 3: Ml stays clear of me, thanks.
W 2: It makes my skin crawl. I think M 3 is right. Ml
shows all the signs: I know an H when I see one.
M 6: Is that so? And just what might those signs be?
W 2: You know. The touching, the leering looks, the
jokes. M 1 is sort of emotional, too. You can just tell.
M 6: This physical part bothers both of you. But
handshakes, pats on the back? In some realms, that's a
part of daily life for an M.
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The Daily Collegian
Monday, July 30, 1984
M 3: Sure, and look where it gets them. It's not all
right over here, at least not by me. It's just plain un-M
-ly.
W 2: Things certainly are confusing enough as it is
these days, without all this other stuff on top of it. I like
things plain and simple. Call me old-fashioned, if you
like.
M 6: Well, haven't you ever hugged or kissed another
W, W 2?
W 2: Sure, but it's usually OK for other W's. Besides,
it was always a W that was related to me or very
special to me.
M 6: Bullseye! Doesn't , that imply that there are
motivations for physical contact that are not sexually
oriented?
W 2: Sure: If I love someone or care about that
person, then we can touch.
M 3: But you're a W. That's OK. Part of being an M is
being strong about not doing that sort of thing.
M 6: Like eating quiche.
M 3: Come on. I'm not talking about all that crap.
You eat what you eat. Don't get stupid on me:
M 6: What about the end zone after the winning play?
I've seen an awful lot of risque tush-squeezing and
general grabbing.
W 2: There's no question there. It's a team effort,
lot's of intense emotion, all at once. Those M's are
really tough, and they are expressing that, in a way.
M 3: Control, that's what it's all about. An M should
be able to hold in all the little things. Out on that field,
it's all real hearty. If one of those players was called an
H, you can bet a good pounding would ensue.
M 6: But if an M isn't inclined (or tough enough) to do
that pounding, it's all right to judge? Hmmmm. Let's
go back to the issue of emotions. W 2, you mentioned
that Ml shows a lot of emotion. But you also equated
the touchdown with an emotional experience.
W 2: How can explain it more clearly? It's just
different. TO me, anyway. _ _
,M 6: So where do you draw the line? Where does the
expression of emotion or empathy or sensitivity cease
to be acceptable?
M 3: I'm so sick of that "sensitivity" garbage.
M 6: When does a hug cease to be an expression of
goodwill, and become something perverse? And what
about just joking around?
W 2: It's just a matter of degree, that's all. I guess
you see it or you don't.
M 6: Well I guess I don't. Frankly, it seems sort of
healthy, to me
M 3: Listen to 'the psychotherapist. Well, Ml can
emote and empathize and sensitize 'til the cows come
home, as long as he stays away from me.
M 6: Something tells me he will.
POP . . .
Oops. Looks like we lost the "link." No matter. I've
- had my fill of that for now anyway.
A footnote, though. The last time I saw that group, I
was sure I heard something about "Ml" being in some
sort of "contract" with some "W." It. had to do with
spending, their lives together. I certainly haven't
figured this all out. If I do, I'll let you know.
In the meantime, back to the real world. It somehow
seems a little clearer to me, now.
Karl Washburn is a graduate student in the Acoustics
Program and a columnist for The Daily Collegian.
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