Extensions of Remarks

June 1, 1988 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS 13187 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS A NEW PARTNERSHIP FOR democratic neighbors to resort to armed widely despised thug into a symbol of resist PLURALISM AND PROSPERITY force. ance to Yankee imperialism, and generate Had previous administrations accepted considerable concern on the part of our the essential truth of these propositions and allies abroad. HON. ROBERT G. TORRICELU acted accordingly, then perhaps we would Similarly, we must recognize that in Nica OF NEW JERSEY not now be saddled with a Sandinista regime ragua we have a far better chance of achiev IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES in Nicaragua that has threatened the peace ing our objectives and advancing the cause and stability of Central America. Wednesday, June 1, 1988 of democracy at the negotiating table than Had earlier administrations more actively on the battlefield. Mr. TORRICELLI. Mr. Speaker, a few days promoted democracy in Cuba, then perhaps But while opposing the resumption of ago our colleague, the gentleman from New we would not now be faced with a Soviet military aid to the contras-both because it York [Mr. SOLARZ], delivered an address on ally 90 miles from our own shores. is counterproductive and because it sets a It is, of course, one thing to acknowledge dangerous precedent for interventionism the promotion and preservation of democracy the general desirability of democracy, and in Latin America before the Democratic elsewhere-we must not be indifferent to quite another to figure out the best way to the struggle of Nicaraguan democrats for Party's platform committee. promote and sustain it. pluralism in their country, and we must be In his address, Mr. SOLARZ persuasively And here we need to distinguish conceptu willing to use our political and economic le argued that the promotion of new democra ally between encouraging the establishment verage to encourage the establishment of a cies and the preservation of existing ones, in of democracy where it does not exist, and genuinely free society in Nicaragua. Latin America and elsewhere around the supporting it where it already exists. Indeed, it is particularly important that world, should be a major foreign policy priority How does one actually go about promoting we Democrats harbor no illusions about the democracy in countries currently ruled by Sandinistas, whose record of repression of the next administration. Indeed, he elo repressive regimes, be they tyrannies of the quently made the case that important Ameri makes it clear that they have far more in Left or dictatorships of the Right? common with Leninists with a large "L" can diplomatic, economic, and strategic inter First, presidential and congressional pro ests would be served if we paid more atten than with democrats with a small "d." nouncements on pluralism can buoy the Finally, given historic Latin sensitivities tion to encouraging the spread of democracy. hopes of the oppressed and embarrass their to American intervention in their internal Mr. Speaker, it is my judgment that the oppressors. affairs, we must make every effort to pro ideas put forth by Mr. SOLARZ ought to be se And here I feel compelled to note that the mote our objectives in Latin America in a riously considered by the American people as statement made by Vice President Bush in multilateral context rather than on the they go about the business of selecting a new Manila in 1981, where he praised President basis of unilateral initiatives. Ferdinand Marcos for his "love of democra Just as the Reagan administration erred President this fall. Mr. SoLARz's insights and cy," constitutes a precise formula for how recommendations deserve the widest possible in jumping out ahead of our Latin American not to promote the spread of democracy in friends in Panama, it was also mistaken in audience. I commend them to my colleagues, repressive regimes around the world, inas and I ask leave now to place them in the much as it demoralized the oppressed and not more actively backing the Arias Plan enhanced the morale of their oppressors. and the Sapao accord, which has received RECORD. the support of all of Central America's de A NEW PARTNERSHIP FOR PLURALISM AND Second, where we have foreign aid pro grams, we can condition the offer or con mocracies. PROSPERITY: THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY AND Undoubtedly there will be times when our DEMOCRACY IN LATIN AMERICA tinuation of our economic and security as sistance on specific democratic reforms and capability to promote democracy abroad will <By Congressman Stephen J. Solarz) a real respect for fundamental human be severely circumscribed by political and DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM COMMITTEE, DEFENSE rights. strategic realities. AND FOREIGN POLICY FORUM, MAY 20, 1988 Third, in cases where assistance is not It would, for instance, have been excep I have been asked to speak for a few min available as a lever, economic sanctions can tionally ill-advised for Franklin Roosevelt to utes this morning on democracy in Latin be imposed, although we must remember insist on conditioning lend-lease assistance America. that sanctions work best when they are mul to the Soviet Union in 1941, with the Nazis In my view the promotion and preserva tilateral rather than unilateral. at the gates of Moscow, on Stalin's willing tion of democracy-not just in South Amer Finally, the National Endowment for De ness to initiate a multiparty system and ica but in southern Africa and South Korea, mocracy offers an effective means for eliminate the gulag. not just in Panama but in Poland and Paki strengthening democratic organizations and But to concede that we may not be able to stan-should be a major foreign policy pri institutions throughout the hemisphere. promote democracy everyWhere must not be ority of the next administration. At the very least, we must permit no allowed to become a pretext for promoting By now it should be abundantly clear that doubt in anyone's mind that the United it nowhere. the promotion of new democracies and the States stands on the side of democracy Iran, Nicaragua, and CUba should remind preservation of existing ones clearly serve rather than dictatorship. us of the price we have paid for an indiffer important American interests. In deciding which methods will most ef rence to the suppression of democracy in Diplomatically, the promotion and preser fectively advance the cause of democracy in the name of security, just as the recent vation of democracy will advance a broad our own hemisphere, we should be influ transitions from dictatorship to democracy range of U.S. foreign policy objectives, since enced in part by the views of the democratic in the Philippines and South Korea should democratic governments are more likely to opposition in the countries concerned. remind us that the best way to protect our share our goals and much less likely to Surely these courageous men and women interests is to promote our ideals. pursue those of our adversaries. are entitled to the presumption that they Of course the mere fact that a country Economically, the promotion and preser know best how to promote the cause to has successfully made a transition to democ vation of democracy is likely to strengthen which they have pledged "their lives, their racy hardly guarantees that it will remain the global economy, since political pluralism fortunes, and their sacred honor." democratic. is usually associated with market economies But while we attempt to promote plural The history of Latin America is replete that facilitate economic growth, while to ism through political and economic means, with examples of democrats overthrown by talitarian regimes tend to be associated with we should refrain from the use of force as a colonels and generals who believed that command economies that more often than way of supporting the establishment of new they were better able than those who had not stifle economic growth. democracies. been elected by the people to guide the af Militarily, the promotion and preservation A direct American intervention in fairs of state. of democracy will contribute to peace, since Panama, as some have suggested, would fan In the 1970s, when democracies were the history teaches us that democratic countries the flames of anti-Americanism throughout exception and· dictatorships the rule in the are considerably less likely than their non- the hemisphere, transform Noriega from a hemisphere, our principal emphasis rightly e This "bullet" symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. Matter set in this typeface indicates words inserted or appended, rather than spoken, by a Member of the House on the floor. 13188 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS June 1, 1988 lay in the promotion of political pluralism Democratic administrations of Presidents lot. That's the best indicator a CO can have and human rights Roosevelt and Kennedy. of a job well done. We will carry on with the President Carter's human rights policies standards you have set-we will move for were particularly well-suited for this task, ward and to new heights. God bless you and and left an important legacy of American CAPT. FRED MOOSALLY AS Carla as you depart Iowa and head to your concern for individuals who were tortured SUMES COMMAND OF THE new duty station. I wish you all the best. by tyrants and people who were denied de U.S.S. "IOWA" mocracy by dictatorships. In the late 1980s, however, now that a NATIONAL GLEANING democratic tide has swept over the hemi HON. IKE SKELTON sphere and dictatorships are the exception OF MISSOURI CLEARINGHOUSE rather than the rule, our task is somewhat IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES different. Wednesday, June 1, 1988 Now we must concentrate as much on sus HON.

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