RESPONSES to PRESIDENT BUSH's NATIONAL President , Violeta Chamorro
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EDITOR'S COLUMN T ABLE OF CONTENTS The coJlllpse of Marxism in Easte rn Europe is the most significant foreign EDITOR'S COLUMN .. ........... • . • . • . • . •• •. ..... 2 poticy event since World War II. Of course. the philosophical dismissal of PROFILES AND PERSPECTIVES: Lenin. Marx and Stalin by Eastern A Conversation with Elliot Richardson . ... • • ••••••••••••••••••••• 3 Europeans and now Nicaraguans leaves profound potitical consequences. SOUTH AFRICA: Of Gods & Men In this issue of the Forum. we con Terrence M . O 'Sullivan .................. ... .. .• . .. .. .• .•. ... ....7 ti nue to explore these ramifications. Ambassador Elliot Richardson headed EDITORIALS • ....................... .. •. .. 8 the Uni ted Nations' observer team to .Nicaragua for that country's February CREATING A FREE WORLD FUND elections. In his interview, Ri chardson Steven B. Kl insky . •••••••••• • •• • • •• • • •• • ••• • ••• •• • •• •••• • • ••• discusses Nicaragua 's e lection process, 1( the challenges facing new Nicara guan RESPONSES TO PRESIDENT BUSH'S NATIONAL president , Violeta Chamorro. and the " mechanics" of assembli ng a TRANSPORTATION POLICY .................... • .. I democ rat ic tradition . T he formt:( Cabinet secretary also argues that the RIPON SOCIETY POLICY CALENDAR ... .. • .. .........1 U.S. must take the lead in crafting a new s truc t ural framework fo r global BRUCE GELB: Voicing America security. Without such. we and o ur Winiam P. Mc Kenzie .• ••• • ••• • •••••• • ••••••••••••••••••••• • • •• 1 Western all ies wil l lack the adequate means to absorb the world's changes. SBA: Back In Business To be sure. the changes abroad will Mariann Kurtz .••••• • • •• • •• • • • • • •• •• • ••••••••• • •• • ••••• • •••• 1 lead to shi ft s in American defe nse priorities. The operative phrase is that SUSTAINING THE ECONOMY we will reap a "peace dividend ." ' The Richard Innes .. •••• • •••••• • ••••••••••••• • • • • • •• • • • •• • , •••• • •1 Forum agrees. but argues in an editorial that any defense savi ngs must first be REVIEWS: applied to deficit reduction. Only then can we develop the economic strength Offspring of History: Stephen Jay Gould: historian Paul Kennedy says will be the Alfred W. Tale ••••• • ••• . •• • •• .• • •••••••• • •• • •• •• ••• • •• • •• • • 20 ne w ""metric of powe r. "' THE CHAIRMAN'S CORNER: Not that global responsibi lities must be ignored. Ripon Forum editorial London Bridge Isn'l Falling Down But Others Are: board member Steven Kli nsky. a New Wil liam Clinger .• •• •• • •• •••• • • • • •• •••••••••••••••••••. • • • • • 22 York merchant banker. outlines a plan fo r a new in ternational security WASHINGTON NOTES AND QUOTES . ...•. .. .. .. 23 framework. In Klinsky's estimation. a ""Free World Fund"' can more adequate ly address post-Cold War needs than such organizations as NATO. The Forum :llso provides commen ta ry on the president's rece nt national RIPON/orum transportation strmegy. Ripon chainnan £dil(Jr : Will iam P. McK""zie William C li nger discusses how ai rport Production o;"clOr: B radl~y E. K<'1Id3I1 and highway trust fun ds can be used. E"diloritll Board: Pany. ,\ bnuscripts and photograph, are soliciled. but David A. Fuscus do not .... presentthe views of IN: SociCly unless so Mated. And Republican congressional leaders Stepi>cn A. Messinger .\ I ari~nn KUn7. Second cia" po<!3ge and fees paidat Washington. D.C. John Danforth. Mark Hatfield. John AJfn:d W. T... Steven Klin,ky and addition.l m3i!ingoffie<:s. Postmaster. Send oJd .... ss Gail Slocum Te.,..,,,,,e M. O·Sulliv.n Pa ul Ha mmerschm idt ,md Nancy changes tu Ripon forum. 6 Li brary COUrt . S.E .• lJ ~~ig .. C""$"II(J" I: R.J. /.l3tSOll Washington. D.C. 2(X)(l3 Johnso n present their vicws on the I:'diIQritJlA.ssislo"l: Robc:n Wright Subscription "'t~: S25 per year.SI7.SO for student •. president's policy. They remind us that. -erviccmen. Peace Coq>:s. Vi'ta and other vol untee .... THE RIPON FOR UM (ISN 003>-5526) i, published Owrsca,. ple~ add S6. PIe ..... 110101 five wech for ad· in a bas ic way, without improved bi _ monthly in 1990 by The Ripon Society. Contents d .... ss change. transport ati on systems. the U.S. cannot arecop)'rightedl990 by tN: Ripon So.:iety. tne .. 6 The Ripon Society Inc .. Marl E. Unc-.pher. president. Library Coon. S.£ .. Washingt"". D.C. 2(X)(l3. is a Republican .... se. rch and policy organi1.Olion whose remain economically compet iti ve. In the publication the Society hope' to provide a forum rncmt.;,rs a .... busir.css. academic. and profe"ional men for r .... sh idcas. wdl .... so:archtd proposals. and a .pirit and women. II is i>cadquane .... d in Washington. D.C.. of Cream'. critict~m and innovation in the Republican with National As<o<ia .. memt.;,rs th""'shnutthc United -- Bill Mc Kcnzie St3tl'$. Ripon is supported by chapter dues. individual Contribulion,. and revenue> from it, publica""",. 2 Ripon Forum. March 1990 PROFILES AND PERSPECTIVES A Conversation with Elliot Richardson Nicaragua' s fir,~1 peacefil/ transfer of pawel'. On a mini-scale, Mrs. Now a lawyer ill \V(lshillglOlI. tile former al/omey general i.'i hesl kllOWI/ Chamorro faces th e same for refllsing Richard Nixon's order 10 problems Gorbachev COI1- fire sfJecia! fJroseClllol' ArchibaM Cox during \Vatel'.!1ll1e·,f famolls "Satllrday frO /lfs. Both have to deliver Night Massacre." RichoI"lJ.wII·s expel" quickly. With U.S. help, Shorrl), iJljore midnight all Felmwry lise has bet'll drawll 111'011 by leaders of maybe she can. 25, Elliot Rh:lwrdSOIl, Jimmy Carler bOlIl parries, (lnd ill lhis imer"iew he and Joaf) 8(1('11(1 Soares. Sl'crelary discusSt's Ihe changes ill Celllral l!elll'ral of the Organi:alio/l of America. AmericlIlI Stales, were called to mcel Richardson: Let me firs t say that the 11';,11 a sWill/cd DOl/iei Ortega. who hatl Ripon Forum: Were you surprised by purpose of the U,N. delegation was to just lost Nicaraguo' s IJresidemia/ race the elec ti on results in Nicaragua? verify the electoral process. A dozen /0 Via/eta Clwmorro. The pllrpose of full- time people arrived in Nicaragua in the ml'{,fing. arranged by Or/ega. I\'as to Richardson: I wasn't really surprised. August. By Decemberthe U.N. number orchestrare his acknowledgement of but that wasn't because I could foresee had grown to over 40, and we had de/em, the outcome. A coupl e of astute people in every region. From August Nicoragllo's February eJeeriOll, of American observers who had been in on. we dealt constantly with repre CO W ,fl', II'a,\" rlil' Cli lmillarioll of a /ollg Nicaragua the week before I arri ved said sentati ves of every region and pany. alld surprising campaix", Since /978. they believed Viole ta Chamorro's One of our earliest deci sions was 10 Or/ega's SllIl(iinista Par')' had heltl United Nicaraguan OPI)()sition would agree thaI we couldn't simply nOle power wilh Ilule serioll.f OPIJositioll. So win . What surprised me was that the deficiencies in the process withou t Doniei Ortega's defeat. whidl was wil observers thought they had a pretty finn seeking to get them corrected as soon as nessed by thollsands of i"'emaliallal basis for their belief. possible. Much of my time was spent absurer.\'. brollgh, (II/ nul/a tlnother Theonlyclue I did see was in the huge talking to the Supreme Electoral Coun Marxist power. rally for Daniel Onega on the cil. pany representati ves and to Daniel Elfiol Richardson. who has heldfoM campaign's last day. The crowd was the Onega himself. We didn 't succeed in Cabinet positions under Republican largest one I'd seen in my li fe. Onega gelling all our corrections and improve preJidentJ. and serred as U.S. ambos· w'llked up and down the plmfonn with me nts. but we recogni zed that we had a .wdo/" to Greal Britain. led Ihe Uniled a hand-held mike. li ke a rock slar. evok second responsi bili ty. That obl igation NlIIiolls' ubsen'er delegation for Ille ing roars of response. Yet the cheers was to dec ide before the e lection Nicaraguan eiec:lion. Tile UN. group had a rote, rh yt hmic pallem. I was whether the process had been sufficicnt Iwdfollowed the Nicaraguall campaigll st ruck by the crowd's lack of spon ly free and fair. We had to say with since August 1989. After the filla/I'ure. taneity or genuine enthusiasm. reasonable confidence that the people AmhtlSsador Richardson and Presidellt would be going to the polls the next day Carter were asked to stay Ot/IO discl/ss Ripon Forum: So what do you think able to exercise a free choice through wilh Nicaraguan leaders Ihe trat/sfer of about the election's conduct? Several passing a secret ballot which was pOll'er. As Ihe longlime Ripon member years ago few people wou ld have ex honestly counted. tells Ripot/ Forum editor Bilf Mc pected Nicaragua to ha ve a free elec During the campaign. we also issued Kell:ie. Ihe election markel/ ti on. five reports. one of which included an Ripon Fomm, March 1990 3 analysis of the media's role. By the agri cul tu ral land has been taken out of portant 10 distingui sh between three time of the election. we had become in use, and a current annual innation rate kinds of problems. One issue is will the timately involved with every procedure. of somewhere between 2,(XlO percent Sandinistas tum over powe r? Not onl y I told the Ne w York T imes that I saw and 10,000 percent , it's remarkable thai with respect to the government general no way of beating the system. The pro the government had even a seri ous ly, but also in the case of the AmlY and cedures were far more rigorous than any prospect of ree lection.