Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site randvax.ARPA
Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!seismo!hao!hplabs!sdcrdcf!randvax!david
From: david@randvax.ARPA (David Shlapak)
Newsgroups: net.politics
Subject: Re: Run Jessie, Run!
Message-ID: <1616@randvax.ARPA>
Date: Fri, 6-Jan-84 17:49:47 EST
Article-I.D.: randvax.1616
Posted: Fri Jan  6 17:49:47 1984
Date-Received: Mon, 9-Jan-84 00:11:19 EST
References: <788@ihuxm.UUCP>
Organization: Rand Corp., Santa Monica
Lines: 46


    Jesse Jackson accomplished a "beatiful moral action," or words to
    that effect?  Come on!

    I will not attempt to degrade Reverend Jackson's personal motivations.
    Assad's release of Goodman, unfortunately, had little or nothing to
    do with truth, beauty, morality, "personal diplomacy," or anything
    other than plain old garden variety Chicago ward politics...the kind
    Reverend Jackson is most familiar with.

    Let's face it...Lieutenant Goodman had absolutely no value to Syrians
    save as a tool for use politically against the US.  The Reverend
    Jackson's trip to Damascus gave them precisely the opportunity they
    had undoubtedly been praying for.

    Look what this one gesture did:

	1. By turning Goodman over to a non-governmental supplicant,
	   Syria succeeded in embarassing the US government and its
	   President badly.

	2. They seized what high ground there may be on the Lebanese
	   issue by appearing to make a gesture of conciliation towards
	   the US and, by implication, towards Israel.  Now the pressure
	   will be on Washington and Jerusalem to take the next step.

	3. They have improved Syria's image in the eyes of the American
	   people, thus making any further hostile action on our part
	   much less likely.

	4. They have elevated the most pro-Arab of the Democratic contenders
	   out of the also-running pack and made him, at least temporarily,
	   a man to be reckoned with politically.

    None of these elements contain any element of morality, justice, or
    beauty.  This is just the way politics is played.

    I applaud the Reverend Jackson's initiative in journeying to Syria,
    and I am as pleased as anyone that Goodman is back.  And again, I will
    NOT argue the Reverend Jackson's personal motives;  whether or not
    his actions will in the long run be a constructive step towards some
    resolution of the Mideast muddle is quite another issue entirely.

    Cheers!

					--- das