European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - November 12, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 10 the stars and stripes thursday november 12.1987 Andrew j. Glass Washington oblivious to global political shifts frosty winds once again sweep across the Northern latitude. They Are forerunners of an annual autumnal Leaf pruning and in 1987, of profound pol Iii Cal shins As Well. Change is in the air in Moscow in Beijing and in Tokyo. Only Washington seems marked by a curious stillness. In this capital president Reagan a caretaker Cabinet and a divided Congress vacillate Between legislative sleep walking and political hibernation in Moscow Mikhail Gorbachev Lelis visitors that efforts to move the Ponder Ous soviet system Down uncharted pains have proven tougher to accomplish than he had expected. At Bottom the soviet Union is a conservative society one that harbours deep fears of the unknown. In grappling with his entrenched opponents both at the top and Bottom of the social ladder Gorbachev is prepared to make tactical re treats to ultimately Advance his Campaign for a new political and economic Structure. Despite these Cross currents the soviet leadership has treated its Celebration of the 70th anniversary of the bolshevik uprising As a watershed Evanl. If he re forms Lake Root and Bear fruit. Gorba Chev stands to go Down As a Clear headed disciple of Lenin s revolution and even As another Peter the great. But if his program Withers the revenge of bureaucratic zealots could prove both Swift and Savage. Events unfolding on the Kremlin stage Are being watched with special care by the communist states thai flank Russia s frontiers. The Eastern europeans Long to rejoin their West european cousins in an economic and cultural consensus. In introducing drastic changes of their own Poland Hungary and Bulgaria All look to Gorbachev to give them the Means to transform their societies without being crushed under the tread of soviet tanks As were czech reformers in 1968. In China the world s other major collectivist stale reformers also appear to be Riding the Crest. Barely a year ago political turmoil seized China As Stu Flora Lewis dents demonstrated for More democracy and As hard liners cracked Down against the protests. But now Zhao Ziyang. The new top Leader appears to have con Vinced his party Brethren that economic Progress cannot occur without further political liberalisation coupled with widespread acceptance of a Markel oriented system. The chinese arc entrenched however. In their bad relations with the soviets. Unlit Moscow pulls its divisions Back from chinese Borders and from Afghanistan As Well. Gorbachev s Low key but High priority bid to revive the once formidable Moscow Beijing Axi s remains doomed Japar Ralso has a new prime minister Noboru Takeshita. Change is often masked in Japan a consensual society where policy decisions often come at a glacial Pace. Still the japanese at Long Las appear to recognize that their continued Prosperity remains inner Woven with the Well being of other trading nations. Only Washington slays curiously isolated from these changing tides even though beyond the Gates of the capital a Marie ans express their pessimism and fears about the future by Cul Ling Back on spending plans. Those who look at signals from Rea Gan to restore Confidence in the markets and among Consumers May be disappointed. When it comes to government intervention Reagan believes in Hilling the Brake and not the accelerator. He is not Apt to change. With a democratic Congress pushing one Way and an enfeebled Republican president pulling the other the stage is set for a political stalemate. Yet the founding fathers provided for a Peri Odic uprooting in the executive Branch of government As Well. So change will come. But you May have to wait a year for of fat of Vite look hard of what America wants in leaders one after another the Persona is punctured and collapses. For judge Douglas k. Ginsburg it was marijuana although Here was nothing in his record to show he had the expertise experience and Wisdom to qualify him for the supreme court. For sen Joseph Biden it was plagiarism although the impoverished Welsh Miner ancestry of Neil Kin Nock the British labor Leader would nol have made Biden a More impressive candidate for president. It a appropriated merely for oratorical flourish. For Gary Han it was a Cine caught womanizing although there was something Brittle in his personality something synthetic in the facade that provoked questions about How he would behave under stress As the nation s Leader. Further Back when the late William Casey faced controversial hearings on his confirmation As director at the Central intelligence Agency the Issue was dubious financial dealings although his record As a rambunctious freewheeling spy in world War ii showed no sense of the accountability required under postwar congressional oversight. On the Coniviry he openly opposed Legal restraints on the Cia but it was not until the Iran Contra hearings which opened after he died that this was deemed a Haw in his ability to head the Agency. The list is piling up of things that work 10 Rule out a candidate for president or a key official. But it has less and less to do with performance in office and there is still no Clear list of the abilities and qualities that justify a positive Choice. President Reagan s response was do whal you think is right the while House said when education Secretary William Bennett wanted to Tell Ginsburg to withdraw because his nomination to the supreme court was hurting the administration. That is strange from the Man with the constitutional responsibility for the nomination. It s As if he were saying i m Only president you decide for some of the disturbing aspects of this huge Public Impact of disclosure of personal peccadilloes have been pointed out. As . Dionne a new York times political reporter and himself a Man of the 1960s, has noted there is an ironical perpetuation of attitudes from the permissive generation that the Reagan admin is ration vowed to reverse. It is the revulsion against hypocrisy bringing things out of the closet thai weren t mention abre before. As sen. Albert Core who admitted that he used marijuana at one time has said. There have to be some lines establishing the right of privacy drawn the human Price of daring to offer one self for Public service is soaring As wildly As the financing Cost of campaigning. To non americans it is a bewildering display of the political ethos gone berserk. Many Are Temple w put it Down 10 proverbial american Punia ism making for an unsophisticated awkward inflexible political culture. Others Cile it As proof thai the United states is unpredictable therefore less than a reliable partner in the endlessly Complex business of dealing with the world. They find that it shows a Peculiar understanding of the purpose of politics and government which it to enable societies to function effectively. There is a strik ing contrast Between the widespread indifference 10 management of Public affairs shown in regularly Low voter participation in elections compared with All other democracies and the almost prurient attention to the imitate histories of those who do present them selves for Public approval. There is not Only a double Standard when it comes to the lives of politicians the standards Are quite different from those applied to others and have remarkably Tittle to do with the Job. The qualifications for Success As a candidate and Success in office have diverged dramatically. This comes in part from reforms in party procedure in part from the overwhelming role of television which High lights the superficial and in part from the far More difficult tasks and pressures facing a Modem Leader. There is no assured Way to audition for president. So it matters More than Ever to try to figure out what we do want in the Nix president Ana to apply that lest rather than to lick off what is unforgivable in each one s past. Are Charm to go along stamina and a few simple ideas enough or does the Republic require More the capacity to choose Good advisers and administrators to make hard decisions to understand serious issues and educate the Public on the reality of unpleasant choices As Well Aslo inspire. It is Lime to turn the approach around to look first Al our needs and Only then Ai Ului it Best suited to Deal with them
