European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 21, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 10 a the stars and stripes wednesday november 21,1990 columns William . Goal in Gulf is to saves lives not jobs  i m my Yum quest comment wrap clean cots a a  a a Friendly guards o a soon after America stepped up to its responsibility in the persian Gulf sen. Bob Dole a Ever the cynic and a prime appeaser of Saddam Hussein a spelled out the motive he saw behind our action  _ a Hundred Days later with americans still denied the articulation of a purpose worthy of fighting for Secretary of state James Baker a Iii Ever the pragmatist and the architect of the appeasement of the iraqi dictator came up with his own equally Short equally cynical answer a jobs president Bush tried to defend that dismaying rationale in an interview with can. A look what a happening in our own country right now a he said. A a there a a slowdown an economic slowdown a which he attributed to the Oil Price Rise and the fear of further rises that Saddam could bring about. A and so a it does mean jobs. Here is the president espousing a line set by the Man be has Long trusted most in the formation of Public opinion. Baker persuaded his Boss that this pocketbook explanation of War Aims despite its negative reception with opinion leaders would play in Peoria. Baker is first and Foremost a Campaign manager. As he proved with his 1988 Willie Horton commercials and allegiance pledging he is not above using a Keals to fear to Sway Public opinion. He As had time to think through the political reason for the presidents severe drop in the polls and Nis conclusion led to the a a jobs strategy. Lets see Why. He undoubtedly remembered How president Reagan a popularity plunged As the recession of 1981-82 drove up the unemployment rate. Baker also knows that the worsening 1990 recession has not yet pushed up the rate of unemployment but that such a Rise must accompany the Economy a fall at least 8 percent of the work Force is Likely to be out of work before Bush runs for re election. Who is to be blamed How can the coming anger be deflected Reagan was Able to blame Jimmy Carter because his recession took place Early in his first term but Bush cannot blame Reagan. Nor can he shift the blame onto the democrats for triggering recession by raising taxes a because Bush joined that tax hike caravan at bakery surging. The Baker answer blame Saddam Hussein. Never mind the conclusion by most economists that the downturn was Well under Way before his August invasion that a a lot of Egghead talk. Most people remember that Prosperity was Here last Spring and its gone this Winter a and the intervening big event was the doubling of Oil prices after the invasion of Kuwait. But its a phony Alibi. Of course the Oil Price hike adds to inflation of course Post Kuwait uncertainty troubles the Stock Market but the inevitable turn of the Cycle after eight fat years was on its Way. To try to use the confrontation in the Gulf As an excuse for the coming decline of retail sales and drop in corporate earn Ings and loss of jobs is a cheap trick. Baker is not above these tricks but leads a Media charmed life. The savings and loan scandals took place on his watch As Treasury Secretary but nobody grills him about his inattention. The sanctions to Stop Saddam from using . Credit to buy weapons were Defeated by bakery a personal decision yet he was Able to i Veigle a front Page dope Story saying How he really had wanted to get Tough with Iraq but Robert Gates at the National Security Council  let him. To use the crisis to avoid Domestic political heat is to invite disunity. Bush should dispense with the Sleazy Baker advice and follow his better instincts. In the same can interview Bush made a powerful Point in going beyond the cliche of not rewarding aggression with face saving concessions. A when you rape pillage and plunder a neighbor should you then ask the world a hey give me a Little  a on the contrary future would be aggressors must be shown International crime has costs not a return to the status quo Ante but reparations for killing and looting War crimes trials for hostage taking and the verifiable elimination of All weapons of mass destruction. This is getting serious about keeping the next generations peace. The president noted that Saddam a has a nuclear capability that he a trying frantically to build. He a trying hard to get an atomic  now you re talking about the coming threat to the lives of millions of americans. That is the reason for finishing this War with Art Allied Victory a not to save our Oil Supply or to save jobs but ultimately to save lives. C new York Tim Santhony Lewis Thatcher out of sync in relations with Europe t two great Bugaboo have sapped Britain a strength since world War ii. One was the fear of encrusted Trade unions the belief that there was no Way to break their strangling grip on Industry. The other was the fear of losing a a sovereignty to the european Community. Margaret Thatcher conquered the first. She challenged the unions broke their Ower and freed Britain from their Obs Ete work rules and political strikes. But the second baseless fear had and has Thatcher in its grip. In her paranoia about Europe she has weakened her government and divided her party. Now she is herself on the Edge of a political abyss. The conservative party on tuesday was to hold the first of what might be two ballots on its leadership. For the first time since she became prime minister in 1979, Thatcher has a formidable challenger Michael Heseltine. Even if she were to survive she would at Best be wounded. Issues other than Europe concern conservative members of parliament As they choose a Leader. British voters Are livid at a poll tax introduced by Thatcher. Inflation is running at nearly 11 percent three times the figure in Germany or France. But Europe is the Issue that brought Thatcher to this moment of crisis. She did it to herself unnecessarily a one would almost say irrationally. In doing so she showed How powerful is the preoccupation with a a sovereignty that has bedevilled British politics for 40 years. I put the word in quotation Marks because it has come to have mythic qualities. Think about the Point that Thatcher has made her rallying cry against Europe in recent months Britain a Sovereign right to have its own monetary policy. She has been resisting the Community s movement toward a european Central Bank and eventually a european currency. But the idea of Britain having Independent monetary Power is a myth. The Bundesbank Germany scentral Bank already Calls the tune for Britain As for All of Western Europe. The real Choice is Between that situation and a european Bank in which Britain would at least have a voice. Hie reality of monetary policy in Europe is a metaphor for the larger reality. Britain can do very Little on its own these Days. In isolation from the Community it would sink into economic irrelevance. Even its outstanding asset the financial operations entered in London would surely move to Frankfurt. The myth of sovereignty kept Britain out of the european Community when it was formed. And successive prime ministers have preferred to cozy up to . Presidents playing Greece a As they thought a to americans Rome. Thatcher very much fancies herself in that special relationship. But it is an unequal relationship doomed by facts. How can the United states put an Alliance with Britain ahead of its relationship with the increasingly dominant european Power Germany in the end Thatcher miscalculated with her most faithful colleague sir Geoffrey Howe the last remaining member of her original Cabinet. Sir Geoffrey is a quiet Man extraordinarily patient but his patience broke As the prime ministers invective at Europe grew Ever thriller. He resigned and last week made a remarkable speech of explanation to the House of commons. A the prime ministers perceived attitude toward Europe is running increasingly serious risks for the future of the nation a he said a we paid heavily in the past for late starts and squandered opportunities in Europe. We dare not let that happen  he said Britain must not a Retreat into a ghetto of sentimentality about our past and so diminish our own control Over our own destiny in the  Thatcher has always had a rather Low opinion of her political colleagues treating them As if die were their governess. But there was an exception lord Carrington foreign Secretary until he gallantly resigned to take responsibility for the Falkland islands policy failure that led to War. Lord Carrington had a Way with Margaret Thatcher. He persuaded her to adopt a policy on Rhodesia that succeeded in producing the transition to an Independent Zimbabwe. I think he would have helped her to see reason on Europe. Without lord Carrington Thatcher grew More arrogant. She could not even see that at this moment in history with change m the air there is an extraordinary Opportunity to help build a new Europe. C new York times the opinions expressed in the column and cartoons on this Page represent tons of the authors and Are in no Way to a considered As representing the views the stars and stripes or the unite states government