European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 18, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 10 the stars and stripes wednesday december 18, 1985 columns Tom Wicker Philippines conspicuously missing from Shultz s list George Shultz told a London Audi ence the other Day that Western nations should use whatever Means necessary including coven military Aid to support anti communist forces in such places As Angola Afghanistan. Cambodia and Nicaragua. But conspicuously missing from the Secretary of state s list was the Philippines. Owing to important military bases there vital . Interests arc More certainly at slake in the Philippines than in any of the other places Shultz mentioned. It was Only four years ago moreover that vice presi Dent George Bush journeyed to the Philippines to offer in an effusive inaugural Toast the Reagan administration s commitment to president Ferdinand Marcos. We love your adherence to democratic principles and to the democratic a roosts Bush gushed. Bui no one doubts that Marcos s pro american government is now under severe Challenge from a communist insurgency so much so that president Reagan recently dispatched his close Friend. Sen. Paul lax Alt r-ncv., to Manila to warn Marcos that he was losing the Battle militarily and politically. So Why was t inc Philippines on Shults list because it s reasonable to speculate the communist insurgency is not the Only or even necessarily the most immediate of Marcos s problems and because it in t Clear even to the Reagan administration that backing him to the Hilt is necessarily inc Best bet to Stop a communist takeover. Accumulating charges of re pression and corruption and the assassination of a major political rival Binigno Aquino have shaken Marcos s hold on Power and his standing among non communist filipinos. Now Gen. Fabian Var and other military men whose responsibility for inc killing had been strongly suggested by an investigating commission have been cleared by one of Marcos s courts prompt ing complaints even from Washington. Marcos has been forced to Call a special election for feb. 7 although it s by no Means sure that he Aims logo through with it or to abide by the results if unfavourable to him. Hell be opposed by Corazon Aqui William Safire Well mrs Aquino vat do you think our Chimes Are. No Benigno s widow a powerful emotional Symbol to anti Marcos filipinos and her running mate Salvador Laurel the Leader of a Well organized opposition party a Strong ticket in a clean election democratically oriented and pro-. Here is a genuine american dilemma. Military men generally consider the . Bases in the Philippines highly important and although it s not Clear to what extent if any the self labelled communist insurgents arc linked to Moscow preservation of the bases undoubtedly requires preservation of a pro-. Government. If Aquino could win that might bring new life to a democratic tradition most americans would like to think their earlier stewardship effectively planted in the Philippines. Even conservatives might agree it would offer More Hope of effective resistance to the communist insurgency than a continuation of Marcos s repressive corrupt regime. . Military and other Aid almost surely would be More generously proffered by a Congress Long suspicious of the Marcos government s will and ability to clean itself up and put Down the rebellion. On the other hand the Cor up Strong Arm Marcos regime Long the recipient of in deviating . Support might survive the february election by fair Means or foul Only to crumble under the communists growing strength. Even if it did to Marcos hardly offers filipinos the kind of democratic future Shultz wants for angolans afghans nicaraguans Etc. Any suggestion of . Support for Aquino certainly would be denounced by the agile and vitriolic Marcos As unacceptable Yankee intervention in philippine affairs and might even give him an excuse to Call off the election and return the la lion to martial Law. What effect any of that might have on the military bases u hard to estimate Shultz s Case for intervention us is by no Means proved whether for in stance Covert Aid for the angolan re Bels improves or worsens the american position in Southern Africa remains to be seen. And the Complex Case of the Philippines suggests again that Mere anti communism is not always a sufficient base for intelligent policy. C new York times Newt serve it saudi fire of brings Only bored Yawn from Briff so the evil economic Empire called open which brought the world a decade of inflation and High interest Rales finds its Power to gouge imperilled by oversupply. Last ditch efforts to shrink Supply have failed. The Arab world encouraged Iraq to strike at Iran s main Oil depot but that has not closed Down iranian production. The soviet Union secretly supported open s goals by culling Back its Oil sales to the free world but not even Moscow s Tacil Aid has stopped up the glut. To Shore up the eroding Power of the Oil monopoly to control Supply saudi Arabia and its followers issued a threat to Oil producers outside their Cartel Norway and Mexico but mainly to great Britain where the Thatcher government has based its Promise of a tax Cut on continued huge profits from North sea Fields. The saudi message your free ride is Over. No longer will you be Able to Lake away our customers by telling at slightly below inc High rates our restraint and discipline have made possible. Either help us prop up the world Price by cutting your own production or prepare for a Price War. The British have neither panicked nor knuckled under. Their reaction to this intimidation recalls lord Nelson s gesture when told of the approach of an Over whelming enemy Force he lifted his Telescope to his Blind Eye and professed to see no Fleet. Less dramatically in a display of heroic nonchalance the British government and Public have responded to Sheik Yama in s psychological warfare with a Yawn of courage. Maybe this shrugging Al dire warnings Springs from the average londoner s distaste at the arro Gance of wealthy sheiks in London hotels and shops per haps it is rooted in a Kipling Szuc keeping of Heads while All about you Etc. Or it might be that Post Falkland brits do not take kindly to being pushed around. Whatever the reasons the so what and to hum is heartening. Why the Oil slide need not be bad for Britain is the headline Over an analysis in London s times pointing out that what is lost on the swings is gain of on the  the Chancellor of the exchequer has assured parliament worried about the loss of Oil tax reve Nues and the drop in Sterling thai most British production would gain from cheaper Oil which would boost employment and Lessen inflation. Some other nations notably Japan West Germany and inc open impoverished countries of the third world would Benefit More than Britain when a barrel of Oil dips under $20. But the . Would share in the world upswing. When not publicly pushed by open. British Oil producers last summer found ways to limit production somewhat by dawdling Over the maintenance of rigs in the North sea next summer however any such slowdown would be denounced As a Cave in to Cartel demands. Thai enlightened Altitude should not go unremarked in the United slates an importer which would Benefit mightily from a Steep Oil Price decline. We have the Opportunity now to in pc the Price Down further break ing the Carlyl s Power forever. The economist puts the answer in bold Type tax petrol America s Chance the world s  its sensible proposal the tax Man could simply stand by tween the will he Adana the petrol pump scooping every fall in the Price of erode without raising the Cost of american  a $10-a-barrel Oil import lax which some of us have been pressing for for years would Siphon off Cartel prof its to the . Treasury in would provide incentive to maintain inc Energy cons Valion that has enabled mar Ket forces Lod Feal monopolists it would serve import my National defense inter Sis by keeping the Villa 05. Of Industry producing and exploring. With the time Ripe and the world wailing prelude Jet Reagan Hestia Les. In would be a lax and he promised a would propose no new lacs. It would be a Tariff Barrier and he s against that too. For galling Hal Carlel Juen arc the Ulli Malc free a radars. But sometimes dogmatism asks too much a go Opportunity is presenting itself to fight inflation and 10 stimulate growth at Home and around the world we reducing the deficit through lower inner Cal rates and new revenues thai add no new Burden to the motor it. Tie thing makes defense sense economic sense diploma sense and has the added advantage of gelling in Orti of a budgetary  Industrial allies wonder what we retailing for. The brits in i hair refusal to Cut production have called open s Bluff. In a Cecal Defiance in tie lace of empty threats boredom. If we have the sense to follow up with our import fee Crusher history will re Cord that the demise of open was seeded up at tace crucial moment by the Yawn of the British lion. C new York Tinam Newt service