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From: salex@rice.EDU (Scott Alexander)
Newsgroups: net.politics
Subject: Re: Redbaiting and Bad Guys
Message-ID: <146@dione.rice.EDU>
Date: Fri, 10-Jan-86 17:10:15 EST
Article-I.D.: dione.146
Posted: Fri Jan 10 17:10:15 1986
Date-Received: Fri, 17-Jan-86 03:37:10 EST
References: <1657@bbncca.ARPA> <1884@teddy.UUCP> <1265@brl-tgr.ARPA>
Organization: Rice University, Houston
Lines: 35

In article <1265@brl-tgr.ARPA>, matt@brl-tgr.ARPA (Matthew Rosenblatt ) writes:
> So, Mr. Carnes:  Is their press censorship in Nicaragua (is there ANY
> non-government press in China, Cuba, or Vietnam)?  Are there free trade
> unions in these places?  Are there lots of political prisoners?
> Would you be pleased if the changes taking place in Nicaragua were
> taking place in YOUR home state?  If not, then the people running the
> Marxist states are Bad Guys -- regardless of the fact that the Czar,
> Chiang Kai-shek, Batista and Somoza were also Bad Guys.  The people
> of these countries are not guinea pigs, for use in some Grand Experiment
> to show how a New System can build a New Socialist Man.  They are human
> beings just like you and me, and if WE wouldn't like to live under such
> an experiment, THEY shouldn't have to, either.  And as long as the
> Marxists endorse the Marxist view of the purpose of man, they will be
> Bad Guys, like the South Africans.
>
> I hope this helps.
>
>                                       -- Matt Rosenblatt
>                                       (matt@amsaa.ARPA)

The question which needs to be addressed is not whether or not one would
like to see these changes in his home state as it currently is, but would
he like to see these changes in his home state if that state is in the
condition that Nicaragua was before the institution of these changes.  While
these changes would definitely be negative in Texas, one must keep context
and realize that they might be a gain in Nicaragua.  Equally, one has to
examine the other *possible* changes and use that the help decide whether
the change is positive or not.  The question might be rephrased, "Would you
be pleased with the changes if you were a member of the masses in Nicaragua?"
(Insert your favorite phrase with praising or degrading connotations for
`member of the masses' if you desire;  that was just the first one to come
to mind:-)

Scott Alexander
salex@rice.edu