The Nation's Pulse
Rusthoven, Peter J.
The Nation's Pulse by Peter J. Rusthoven Like the vast majority of journalistic observers of the American scene, both The Alternative and this columnist devote but fleeting attention to the...
...As is well known, Turkey and The Alternative: An American Spectator December 1975 15 Greece are inclined to square off at semi-regular intervals on the question of which should be permitted to dominate Cyprus...
...No one has accused the President of being a genius...
...Needless to say, I do not at all mean to argue that these disparate incidents prove that with Ford in the White House, all's right with the world...
...One must understand that unlike the diatribes of an Arafat or an Amin, blunt honesty of this sort violates the spirit of the UN...
...America's UN Ambassador, Daniel Patrick Moynihan, promptly and accurately labeled Amin a "racist murderer," whose chairmanship of the OAU was "no accident...
...The latter activity in particular has suffered in the wake of the arms embargo...
...In part, no doubt, this restraint was due to ongoing negotiations between America and Spain concerning U.S...
...Adopting a critical tone is, of course, squarely in the historical mainstream of political discourse in this country...
...The predictable calls for Spain's expulsion from the United Nations were issued, and Swedish Prime Minister Olaf Palme even took to the streets of Stockholm, replete with protest sign, to collect money for the Spanish opposition...
...The impact on our relations with Turkey was more direct: the Turkish government toyed with the idea of expelling United States military forces, and at present has placed the 25 American installations in the country under Turkish command...
...Now I am not proposing a mindless rant of the "Why don't we concentrate on the good news" genre...
...I do think, however, that three recent incidents in the foreign policy field provide fairly encouraging indications that the current Administration is capable of intelligent use of the variousdiplomatic means at its disposal, and that a few paragraphs of praise are in order...
...Leaders who enjoy the adulation of the masses (whether spontaneous or coerced) appear considerably more prone to large-scale mischief than their counterparts who must deal with a populace fond of vociferous second-guessing...
...The President, however, stoutly denied that this was the prime factor motivating our stance on the issue, and I believe we should take him at his word...
...The American military presence in Turkey is of no small strategic import...
...Somehow, the globe has managed to weather these confrontations without significant permanent damage...
...Despite notable journalistic and diplomatic pressure, the United States steadfastly refused to join the current chorus of anti-Spanish voices...
...Given the overwhelming Democratic majorities on both sides of Capitol Hill, the current almost petulant assertiveness of the legislative branch in the heady arena of foreign affairs, and the general mood of noncooperation with the Chief Executive that sets in as opposition Senators begin jockeying for the Presidential nomination, the Ford Administration's patient success on the issue of arms for Turkey is quite remarkable...
...One must understand that unlike the diatribes of an Arafat or an Amin, blunt honesty of this sort violates the spirit of the UN...
...Last time, however, spurred on by Greek-Americans and by that strain of post-Vietnam "wisdom" which contends that a more active role for the legislative branch is the cornerstone of sound U.S...
...throw the bums out" tends to strike a more responsive chord...
...Needless to say, I do not at all mean to argue that these disparate incidents prove that with Ford in the White House, all's right with the world...
...military bases in that country...
...Five political terrorists, including members of the Basque separatist movement and a Maoist radical outfit entitled the "Patriotic Anti-Fascist Revolutionary Front" (FRAP), were executed for their participation in a calculated campaign of assassination directed at Spanish civil policemen...
...Such language is characteristic of the reasoned discourse that echoes in the halls of peaceful international cooperation...
...As is well known, Turkey and The Alternative: An American Spectator December 1975 15 Greece are inclined to square off at semi-regular intervals on the question of which should be permitted to dominate Cyprus...
...The immediate factual background of this controversy is deceptively straightforward...
...Leaders from Mexico to Britain, who would never dream of castigating, say, the North Vietnamese for executing thousands of Catholics, were striving to outdo each other in expressing horror at this latest outrage perpetrated by Fascist Franco...
...And on balance, this seems altogether proper in a democratic republic...
...For once, however, the United States' response was not so characteristic...
...But by and large, the Ford Administration has done a good job in dealing with a delicate problem, despite the heavy-handed meddling of Congress...
...and his Secretary of State, who all too clearly revels when that accusation is leveled at him, has a far from unblemished track record...
...Nonetheless, the Ford Administration managed to display considerable common sense throughout this period of nonsense...
...Our citizens are not much given to empathetic reflection on the burdens of power, or sober commentary on the difficulties of responsible leadership in an ambiguous world...
...And recently, the Administration succeeded in persuading Congress to back off from its earlier position, a move that augurs well for re-strengthening the Turkish link in the NATO defense structure...
...In the past few weeks, our shores have been graced by the arrival of Uganda's far-seeing president, the current chairman of the Organization of African Unity, the redoubtable General Idi Amin...
...The immediate factual background of this controversy is deceptively straightforward...
...His Holiness Pope Paul VI joined the fray, terming the Spanish action "murderous repression...
...Washington, it is true, has not been able to work any diplomatic miracles in attempting to patch things up with Ankara, and pre-embargo relations may never be fully restored...
...Nevertheless, it is only fair that one periodically focus on those actions of our leaders which merit commendation...
...Such, however, was not the case...
...Although the efficiency of our strategic operations has been hindered, we have notbeen forced to abandon them...
...The Administration simply refused to seize on the execution of convicted murderers as the appropriate incident about which to express whatever discomfiture it felt at Franco's dictatorship...
...foreign policy, Congress decided to intervene by imposing an embargo on arms sales to Turkey...
...The first of these incidents involves the recent pother over the last days of Generalissimo Francisco Franco's rule in Spain...
...Instead, the nations of the world responded with that loud, self-righteous indignation which they seem to reserve for those occasions when such blathering is particularly unjustified on the facts...
...Five political terrorists, including members of the Basque separatist movement and a Maoist radical outfit entitled the "Patriotic Anti-Fascist Revolutionary Front" (FRAP), were executed for their participation in a calculated campaign of assassination directed at Spanish civil policemen...
...Another, less dramatic illustration of sensible leadership by the President and his State Department involves our now strained relations with the government of Turkey...
...There was no contention that any of the five were innocent...
...Franco, in short, was fair game, and in many ways justifiably so...
...The predictable calls for Spain's expulsion from the United Nations were issued, and Swedish Prime Minister Olaf Palme even took to the streets of Stockholm, replete with protest sign, to collect money for the Spanish opposition...
...foreign policy, Congress decided to intervene by imposing an embargo on arms sales to Turkey...
...In today's world, unfortunately, this sensible position emerges in context as one of high courage and integrity...
...The resultant contribution to stabilizing the situation in Cyprus can be charitably described as marginal...
...Leaders who enjoy the adulation of the masses (whether spontaneous or coerced) appear considerably more prone to large-scale mischief than their counterparts who must deal with a populace fond of vociferous second-guessing...
...Washington, it is true, has not been able to work any diplomatic miracles in attempting to patch things up with Ankara, and pre-embargo relations may never be fully restored...
...the Dahomeys of the world took their usual immediate, deep offense...
...In today's world, unfortunately, this sensible position emerges in context as one of high courage and integrity...
...Leaders from Mexico to Britain, who would never dream of castigating, say, the North Vietnamese for executing thousands of Catholics, were striving to outdo each other in expressing horror at this latest outrage perpetrated by Fascist Franco...
...And recently, the Administration succeeded in persuading Congress to back off from its earlier position, a move that augurs well for re-strengthening the Turkish link in the NATO defense structure...
...Indeed, one suspects that the Founding Fathers, however warmly they would welcome Abraham Lincoln as one of their own, would have counted it a healthy sign that his Presidency was accompanied by frenetic shouts of "baboon" and "dictator" as well as worshipful tributes to the "Savior of the Union...
...Big Daddy," as he is called, came to New York, like Yasir Arafat and many another peace-loving world leader, to address the UN General Assembly...
...In part, no doubt, this restraint was due to ongoing negotiations between America and Spain concerning U.S...
...and his Secretary of State, who all too clearly revels when that accusation is leveled at him, has a far from unblemished track record...
...The American military presence in Turkey is of no small strategic import...
...Our citizens are not much given to empathetic reflection on the burdens of power, or sober commentary on the difficulties of responsible leadership in an ambiguous world...
...Yet despite all trendy talk of the need for sensitivity to the "Third World," and the predictable cluckings of much of the press (Newsweek, in a fine display of perspective, headlined the story "Moynihan's Outburst"), the Ford Administration has strongly backed its ambassador and his statement—a development almost as gratifying as the original remark...
...On its face, then, the Spanish government's execution of murdering political terrorists would seem no worthier of prolonged attention than the bloody California shoot-out between the FBI and the SLA which led to the demise of that venerated revolutionary, Cinque...
...But the positions adopted by the Administration in connection with the events involving Spain, Turkey, and the visit of Idi Amin seem thoroughly prudent ones...
...Adopting a critical tone is, of course, squarely in the historical mainstream of political discourse in this country...
...military bases in that country...
...No one has accused the President of being a genius...
...The Administration simply refused to seize on the execution of convicted murderers as the appropriate incident about which to express whatever discomfiture it felt at Franco's dictatorship...
...Bordering as it does on the Soviet Union, Turkey is a valuable missile installation site, as well as an excellent base for intelligence gathering operations...
...The bottom line of all this reaction, of course, is that Franco was indeed a dictator, his government a constant reminder of the less prudent, more vicious fascist regimes that once ruled Germany and Italy and brought the world to war...
...Franco, in short, was fair game, and in many ways justifiably so...
...And on balance, this seems altogether proper in a democratic republic...
...Last time, however, spurred on by Greek-Americans and by that strain of post-Vietnam "wisdom" which contends that a more active role for the legislative branch is the cornerstone of sound U.S...
...The latter activity in particular has suffered in the wake of the arms embargo...
...Such, however, was not the case...
...The Nation's Pulse by Peter J. Rusthoven Like the vast majority of journalistic observers of the American scene, both The Alternative and this columnist devote but fleeting attention to the occasionally praiseworthy achievements of our erstwhile national statesmen...
...There was no contention that any of the five were innocent...
...Nevertheless, it is only fair that one periodically focus on those actions of our leaders which merit commendation...
...Big Daddy," as he is called, came to New York, like Yasir Arafat and many another peace-loving world leader, to address the UN General Assembly...
...throw the bums out" tends to strike a more responsive chord...
...The resultant contribution to stabilizing the situation in Cyprus can be charitably described as marginal...
...His Holiness Pope Paul VI joined the fray, terming the Spanish action "murderous repression...
...The President, however, stoutly denied that this was the prime factor motivating our stance on the issue, and I believe we should take him at his word...
...For once, however, the United States' response was not so characteristic...
...Bordering as it does on the Soviet Union, Turkey is a valuable missile installation site, as well as an excellent base for intelligence gathering operations...
...But by and large, the Ford Administration has done a good job in dealing with a delicate problem, despite the heavy-handed meddling of Congress...
...Now I am not proposing a mindless rant of the "Why don't we concentrate on the good news" genre...
...The final example of recent wisdom in United States foreign policy yields the greatest immediate emotional satisfaction...
...The point is simply that the nation does occasionally react intelligently in dealing with the rest of the globe, and that such occasions should not pass unremarked...
...16 The Alternative: An American Spectator December 1975 The Nation's Pulse by Peter J. Rusthoven Like the vast majority of journalistic observers of the American scene, both The Alternative and this columnist devote but fleeting attention to the occasionally praiseworthy achievements of our erstw...
...I do think, however, that three recent incidents in the foreign policy field provide fairly encouraging indications that the current Administration is capable of intelligent use of the variousdiplomatic means at its disposal, and that a few paragraphs of praise are in order...
...The bottom line of all this reaction, of course, is that Franco was indeed a dictator, his government a constant reminder of the less prudent, more vicious fascist regimes that once ruled Germany and Italy and brought the world to war...
...America's UN Ambassador, Daniel Patrick Moynihan, promptly and accurately labeled Amin a "racist murderer," whose chairmanship of the OAU was "no accident...
...But the positions adopted by the Administration in connection with the events involving Spain, Turkey, and the visit of Idi Amin seem thoroughly prudent ones...
...On its face, then, the Spanish government's execution of murdering political terrorists would seem no worthier of prolonged attention than the bloody California shoot-out between the FBI and the SLA which led to the demise of that venerated revolutionary, Cinque...
...The first of these incidents involves the recent pother over the last days of Generalissimo Francisco Franco's rule in Spain...
...Such language is characteristic of the reasoned discourse that echoes in the halls of peaceful international cooperation...
...Not surprisingly, in the course of his lecture the Ugandan ruler opined that the United States was an imperialist aggressor, and, consistent with prior bon mots like "Hitler was right," called for the "extinction of Israel as a state...
...Indeed, one suspects that the Founding Fathers, however warmly they would welcome Abraham Lincoln as one of their own, would have counted it a healthy sign that his Presidency was accompanied by frenetic shouts of "baboon" and "dictator" as well as worshipful tributes to the "Savior of the Union...
...The final example of recent wisdom in United States foreign policy yields the greatest immediate emotional satisfaction...
...Instead, the nations of the world responded with that loud, self-righteous indignation which they seem to reserve for those occasions when such blathering is particularly unjustified on the facts...
...Fully 15 European countries recalled their ambassadors from Madrid...
...16 The Alternative: An American Spectator December 1975 The Nation's Pulse by Peter J. Rusthoven Like the vast majority of journalistic observers of the American scene, both The Alternative and this columnist devote but fleeting attention to the occasionally praiseworthy achievements of our erstwhile national statesmen...
...Yet despite all trendy talk of the need for sensitivity to the "Third World," and the predictable cluckings of much of the press (Newsweek, in a fine display of perspective, headlined the story "Moynihan's Outburst"), the Ford Administration has strongly backed its ambassador and his statement—a development almost as gratifying as the original remark...
...Although the efficiency of our strategic operations has been hindered, we have notbeen forced to abandon them...
...Given the overwhelming Democratic majorities on both sides of Capitol Hill, the current almost petulant assertiveness of the legislative branch in the heady arena of foreign affairs, and the general mood of noncooperation with the Chief Executive that sets in as opposition Senators begin jockeying for the Presidential nomination, the Ford Administration's patient success on the issue of arms for Turkey is quite remarkable...
...The impact on our relations with Turkey was more direct: the Turkish government toyed with the idea of expelling United States military forces, and at present has placed the 25 American installations in the country under Turkish command...
...Fully 15 European countries recalled their ambassadors from Madrid...
...and it also seems perfectly appropriate to acknowledge, when one has the chance, an achievement so rare as prudence...
...Despite notable journalistic and diplomatic pressure, the United States steadfastly refused to join the current chorus of anti-Spanish voices...
...and it also seems perfectly appropriate to acknowledge, when one has the chance, an achievement so rare as prudence...
...Somehow, the globe has managed to weather these confrontations without significant permanent damage...
...Another, less dramatic illustration of sensible leadership by the President and his State Department involves our now strained relations with the government of Turkey...
...Not surprisingly, in the course of his lecture the Ugandan ruler opined that the United States was an imperialist aggressor, and, consistent with prior bon mots like "Hitler was right," called for the "extinction of Israel as a state...
...Nonetheless, the Ford Administration managed to display considerable common sense throughout this period of nonsense...
...the Dahomeys of the world took their usual immediate, deep offense...
...The point is simply that the nation does occasionally react intelligently in dealing with the rest of the globe, and that such occasions should not pass unremarked...
...In the past few weeks, our shores have been graced by the arrival of Uganda's far-seeing president, the current chairman of the Organization of African Unity, the redoubtable General Idi Amin...
Vol. 9 • December 1975 • No. 3
