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From: mjk@tty3b.UUCP (Mike Kelly)
Newsgroups: net.politics
Subject: Re: Those crates
Message-ID: <534@tty3b.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 17-Nov-84 18:51:52 EST
Article-I.D.: tty3b.534
Posted: Sat Nov 17 18:51:52 1984
Date-Received: Mon, 19-Nov-84 03:33:18 EST
References: <20300001@hpfcla.UUCP> <331@whuxl.UUCP> <332@whuxl.UUCP>, <201@ut-sally.UUCP>
Organization: Teletype Corp., Skokie, Ill
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My own belief is that the whole MiG thing was just the kick-off of a large
propaganda campaign to turn U.S. public opinion strongly against Nicaragua in
preparation for the return of Congress and a renewed fight for funding for the
contras (or worse.) 

People should seriously ask themselves the following questions:

	(1) What right does the U.S. have to continue to undermine a foreign
		government, regardless of whether or not we like how it was
		chosen?  

	(2) What right does the U.S., now in the middle of the largest peacetime
		military build-up in history, have to criticize the arms buying
		policies of another country?  Who is George Schultz to decide
		what the Nicaraguan's "need" for their self-defense?  And how
	        has U.S. support for the contras contributed to convincing 
		the Sandinistas that less should be spent on defense?

	(3) Assuming the goal of current U.S. foreign policy is to overthow
		the Nicaraguan government, what U.S. interests are furthered
		by that policy?  Why will this be any more effective than
		similar U.S. actions in Chile, Iran and (to install Somoza)
		Nicaragua, which have only resulted in brutally repressive
		dictatorships and a general anti-Americanism?  
	    If you assume the goal of U.S. policy is not the overthowal of
		the Nicaraguan government, explain the active U.S. support for
		forces whose repeatedly stated goal *is* the overthrowal of the
		government of Nicaragua.

It seems to me that the Reagan policy  has no answers to these questions.  It
is able to go on and on about "Soviet influence" without addressing the real
question: what is the best policy to follow in the area?