European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - July 2, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 10 the stars and stripes wednesday july 2.1986 columns & comments James Reston ideals of Liberty under attack around fhe Globe in the 100-Yt-ar-old statue of Liberty in new York Harbor it May tie useful to reflect on what has happened 10 Liberty in the a orld during the 20ih Century and to define the meaning of the cold Monument. Al the beginning of the Century in was taken for Pranich. Even in Russia thai the Western democracies would provide the political models to Lead the Way in human repress i was widely believed Ihnn that by i Iii the Lecam Nancy and political institutions of he atm. Even the impoverished and backward nations Emilj gradually learn to Settje their differences by open discussion am free Cle Cionni and move toward the establishment of Justice under Law. Now in the closing years of the Century the ideals of Fth Wen Are no longer taken for granted or universally a replied As the Only or even the Best Way 1o the Good he. They arc challenged Over Broad stretches of the Earth and Are often doubled and violated in our own hemisphere. Alt the More reason Hen. To celebrate the Ideal of Liberty in new York Harbor along with our allies and renew our efforts to defend what s left of our common civilisation hut we must be Clear about the meaning of the word Liberty and Here we have some guidance from the Pasi. I Ocsid Conj Lincoln thought the world had never had a Good definition of Liberty. Jefferson and Hamilton argued about it. Jefferson stressed Liberty and Ham Ilton authority and even today there Are Many who believe a have to choose Between the two. But inc history of the Republic suggests that the conflict be tween Liberty and authority Ean be resolved Only by uniting the two principle. To be partisan today As Between Jefferson and Walter Lippmann wrote Over 40 years ago is like arguing whether men or women Are More Nec Essary 0 the procreation of the race. Neither can live alone. Alone that is. Without he other each is excessive and soon the evidence of this is All around us. The terror in tin world is committed by a Small minority that by Lirosi n k at Liberty to use any violent Means to Ujj Thieve us political ends. People arc deprived of inde pendent work in the soviet Empire by a dictatorship that demands Liberty for the few to destroy the Liberty of millions run Only in the . But in All of Eastern Europe. See also South Africa and other prisons too numerous to mention. Even in our Sweet land of Liberty the word has Man meanings. In the civil War Ine South demanded Liberty to secede irom the Union. President Reagan feels at Liberty to try to topple the government of Nicaragua though he Rico Gnu i that government and keeps an ambassador in Managua in the process he violates his treaty commit William Safire menu to the organization of american slates and the u.n., and rejects the world court s responsibility to pass judgment on his military Acilio is likewise he feels at Liberty to Send his bombers against Libya 10 punish col. Qadhafi for supporting terrorists and he resents the allies for failing to Cooper ate with his invasion. In the civil life of the nation personal Liberty has a Lovely sound but often Means License to break the Law Traffick in drugs abandon families and put personal or special interests ahead of Fth general Good. To argue against this kind of personal Liberty is not Mere moralizing. De Tocqueville insisted Hal lib erty could not stand alone but must be paired with a companion value Liberty and morality Liberty and Law Liberty and Justice Liberty and the common Good Liberty and civic responsibility. The modern nation state operating for the first time in a complicated world Economy has to find practical ways of reconciling personal Liberty with the general welfare if in is to compete successfully with other Industrial nations Hal Are making Progress through co operation by management labor and government rather than through conflict and confrontation. The statue of Liberty is a powerful Symbol. By opening its doors to the hungry and oppressed peo Ples of the world the United Stales increased its population from 50 million 100 years ago to 227 million in 1980, and was Strong enough to bring the new world 10 the Rescue of the old in the iwo great challenges of this Century to Western civilization it is still being faithful to the open door and provid ing Refuge to the displaced Peoples of Asia and latin America but learning Ever so slowly that Liberty with out restrain is like a River without Banks and that in must be limited to be possessed. Unfortunately it is easier to restore a Monument than to master a new philosophy for the coming age. Bui the statue of Liberty reminds us that even in a wayward age some things endure. La no Adf times Specter of Coli tonary paralysis haunting West a Specter is haunting Western democracies the Specter of Coati tonary paralysis. Few recognise the danger indeed the lust to coalesce has achieved a trendiness Nam 10 godliness to is As if voters every where distrusting political parties Are sch atm like the movie cop sending Marlin a Dietrich off to jail under guard and you two watch those in France dual Coni Rui is called cohabitation or coexistence Yefim president Mitterrand lingers on making it hard for rightist prime minister Chirac to get started on the dismantling of socialism. The voters in different stages of disillusionment chose both and now arc presented with government in a Strart Accel. In Israel a More planned coalition goes by the name of a government of National which Calls for four years of musical Cabinet chairs. Peres is scheduled to turn the prime minister s Job Over in Shamir who is hiding under a desk Leil he say or do anything to jeopardize the promised rotation of jobs. In Britain pollsters Are talking of the possibility of a Hung the tiring conservatives arc splitting be tween Las Cut thatch Crills and social spending Weis labor which has con Iron few is Kooky if left now leads in popularity. If in the next election labor achieves a plurality without a majority in would have to make an arrangement with the third party an Alliance of the Center to govern. Even in the United states where Sepa rate branches of government Are in tended to Check each other s Power a double Check a set in voters have chosen a president of one persuasion and a House of representatives of Fth oppo site. This fall if the democrats win the Senate the division of Power in Washington will be Complete we will join the French in All the turmoil paralysis Pas Sion and Lack of responsibility that conies with Cohan Iufoon the one night stand with never any morning. Cant voters in democracies Given a free Choice Between panics with distinctly different centers of Gravity use their precious franchise to choose must we make our leaders look like entrants in a three legged race is the Center which Yeats thought could not hold holding Alt Loo tightly moderates compromises and differ Cnoc splicers throughout the world will Hail this Triumph of muddling. After All. They say coalitions Case transitions France is slouching rightward As England is Drifting leftward with no shuddering dislocations or abandonment of Alli ances. Moreover under the carapace of Unity necessary actions can be taken that would be difficult otherwise wit Ness the control of inflation in Israel. The High Riding coalition Aries remind us of the Era of Good feeling in America when president Monroe presided Over a postwar period of non partisanship from 1817 to 1825. Are we entering an Era of relative Good feeling within the Western do mocha lies with voters forcing ideologues to mule their differences and panics merging their interests in Chr of aching deals ? not on your life. The trend is Perni Cious and should be resisted before it leads 10 stagnation bickering on a vast scale and Insixi Lional logjam. The Era of Good feeling was a fraud in those Early Days inc United Stales look a Long and. Unprofitable breather under one party Rule while political tensions built up thai exploded in furious partisanship and the Rise of inc spoils system under Andrew Jackson in inc same Way today s coalition politics brings out the least creative and least principled qualities in the men forced 10 pedal on a tandem bicycle. Be Hind the facade of Unity Competition for Power docs not Lessen on the contrary it merely Steps into the Back room and be comes Small minded and intensely per Sonal. Personalities clash while issues go und baled Petty politicians Bicker with the passion Hal should be reserved for the clash of great ideas. How then can we have the Benc tits of coalition especially its gentling of change As Power shifts Wishom the Lack of responsibility thai is inherent in j no party Rule diverse democracies will come up with different answers but Here is a political notion not to he forgotten ideological compromises should take place within parties to Avert operational com promises Between parties. The. Outbreak of coalition ism should be recognized before it becomes epidemic. The problem is not with the politicians who arc genuinely uncomfortable together but with voters everywhere who cannot de cide which rascals to throw out. In Unity there is weakness. Only in the open clash of panics is there winning and losing leadership and accountability change and strength. La naw York Tumi
