European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - April 29, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 10 columns the stars and stripes Friday. April 29,1988 George will Bush s Odd conservative world of education Skorge Bush s aides say their Tiger is about to Sharpen his message. Given his message to Date sharpening in will be like stopping a slab of Butler. Having run in 1980 on a ticket pledged to obliterate inc department of education Bush now says he wants to be the education  the Federal govern ment is and conservatives say it should remain a peripheral Factor in eduction. But then what remains of conservatism not much As will become Clear when Bush buckles Down to the business of portraying Michael Dukakis As a budget busting Liberal who a weak regarding defense. Dukakis May be exactly that but Bush must be at his Silver tongued Bronze Best to obscure this face after eight Yean in Power conservatism is so confused that Republican will have trouble making fear of Dukakis a subs Stuie for enthusiasm for Bush. In 1980, conservatism had a Clear if not altogether coherent catechism balanced budgets shrinking government Strong defense no nonsense about detente action or the social issues1 of abortion and school prayer. Reagan at he Peak of i Powers was unable to gel a Senate controlled by his own party la pass even the Mildest constitutional amendments pertaining to those two social issues. And Hinse issues Are the least of conservatism s credibility problem. How dots Bush portray Dukakis a a menace to fiscal propriety compared to what average expend i lures during the Reagan Yean have been ib.9 percent of Gnu compared to 18.4 percent in the preceding eight years. As a percentage of Gnu the 1981-1988 deficits averaged 4.4. Those of 1973-80 ave raged 2.4, How docs Bush make Dukakis scent reckless regard ing defense Given that Reagan s deficits killed Rea Gan s defense program Yean ago John h. Afcin of the american Enterprise Institute notes that the buildup began shortly before Reagan arrived and ground to a halt in 1985 the fas Lesl growth of defense spending came Dur ing 198q-82 essentially reflecting outlays mandated in two Carter budgets and one Reagan budget. The Rea Gan administration continued a defense buildup through 1985, with defense outlays peaking at 6.s per fete  off cent of Gnu during hit fiscal year that began in octo Ber 1985 defense spending never reached the average 6.9 percent share of Gnu of the 1962-1985 period or even the 1962-85 share of Gnu with inc Peak Vietnam years eliminated How does Bush depict Dukakis As Reagan did Carter As too fixated on arms control the Reagan administration like the Carter administration no made arms control he Centrepiece the Carter id ministration s word of  relations. Conservatives grievances in this regard Are compounded by the fact thai for inc last two Jean president Reagan has used his bully pulpit to preach an astonishingly garbled version of the european left s line. That is tie has stigmatized nuclear weapons has waxed sentimental about Gorbachev and has spoken nonsense about soviet history. It is inconceivable that Dukakis could say anything As Daft As Reagan s recent statement that Gorbachev is the first soviet Leader who has come along who hat gone Back before Stalin and. Is trying to do what Lenin was  what was Lenin the school Mas tar teaching Why glasnost and perestroika openness and restructuring and limited private Enterprise Reagan now defines the soviet regime with refer ence to Lenin the liberalized not Lenin the founder of democratic centralism and of the secret police 10 enforce it. Today s liberalization says Reagan applauding the chimera and ratifying Gorbachev s propaganda Campaign is much More smacking of Lenin than of  by contrasting Lenin the Good with Stalin the bad Reagan has endorsed a recurring Thorf of soviet apologists it is that the soviet regime is no hegemonic aspirations As a result of its internal dynamic. Rather the regime was distorted by a bad Man who was an aberration and the coming to Power of a different Man dissolves serious anxieties. The Reagan administration is now pursuing com Merce with the soviet Union with he ardor orc expects from republicans who really do believe this the business of America is business. In International affairs Many republicans have Only one idea and in i false. It is the 19ih-Ccntijfy Faith Hal Trade produces peace As though Trade Between european nations did not Boom in the years before 1.9 u. Given the republicans recent record in ii going Tobe fascinating to watch the education preside no in wailing educate the country about the current mean ing and indispensability of conservatism. Wmk Ingli pall Wiitung g our Flora Lewis China learning it s harder to build than destroy bluing the Basic issues of human society arc magnified and Sharp ened by i he dramatic enormity of China s experience. Now it is illustrating the truism Cuni Aind of course in an old proverb of How much harder in is to build than to destroy and China is discovering another twist How much harder it is to let go gradually than to take Over totally How much harder to Deai with pc Jiff Wrt with theories. The gun can be just a much an abstraction us the word in a ing la shape society. It can simplify was modelled on the old chinese Wimda Rinall. Key principles were in us Niue by examination promotion by a rail and posting people away fro Mihir Lime areas to avoid corrosive Den Anih i family and friends. China recognized the terrible drag of the population explosion on its Effort Oslo improve living conditions. In adopted draconian measures which led loan absurd . Withdrawal of support  control efforts to urge one child families. But the great Success of the return 10 family farming the base of economic and Vance is undermining the program. A people can afford to pay the financial penalties for having extra children they Are doing in even corruptly. There is Pride but not Only. When the family is the main economic unit of the private sector bigger families mean bigger re wards. So economic growth is spurring population growth. China humiliated by the West and by ils craving to copy things Western turned to copying All things soviet after the 1949 revolution. That is now cause for regret we were so weak explained one elderly official we had to seek  now China is proud of How much fur theril has gone than the Saviet Union in rejecting the Model hat Moscow tins also proclaimed to be in need of , say russians but we Are ahead in one area glasnost. That is also True. In terms of the press intellectual and cultural Liberal italian China is lag if t be Hind. It is so afraid of disorder. Ii Iru is ils people s energies even 1  extent sheif greed per tips not their lonely dreams. A woman in her ski by definition a victim of the cultural revolution said she had been Able to see the american film the color  she said it was about America Early in the Century when there was turmoil. Now you have a harmonious and orderly society. It take time we too will develop that  she is a member of the communist party she has lived through Many disillusion but she still imagines a harmonious and orderly society somewhere out there. Which leads to the question of ideology which is arid in t a fact of China now. An observant Diplomat found inc key difference Between the fallen party Leader he Yanbang and the current party Leader Zhao Ziying in this he saw practical needs conflict with ideology and said change lha ideology. Zhao avoids offending belief and nostalgia. He does what is needed and less ideology fend for itself. The result is that Higgley Pigg Ledy without Little books or great treatise China is sorting out the Een Tui Loni pieces of marxism. The Issue in Power and China holds to the marxist dictum of the historic injustices of inc powerful. But it is backing away from the one that Power derives from property. Class. Struggle is to be put Down As an out dated idea Hal poisoned the healthy National psychology says China daily recommending economic development instead. China in t offering any new social philosophy but in is full of fascinating lessons about How wrong it can be o get Loo enamoured of theories