European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 7, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 12 a the stars and stripes tuesday january 7, 1992 thes european edition circulation 100,000 col Gene e. Townsend Usan commander publisher Bernard a Zovistoski editor Bill walk european editor Deborah Kabahar news editor Bob Wicker sports editor Bryan Nolan City editor George Manaa special sections editor to write us unit 29480, Apo a 09211 or Postrach 11 14 37 6100 Darmstadt 11, Germany news Tel fax 06155-601416 to Call us dial 06155-601 plus Extension or ets 348-8 plus Extension As follows news ext 237, 255, 282, 226, 326. Sports ext. 225, 269, 263, 332, 321, 221. Features ext. 230, 245, 341. Letters to editor ext. 208. Education Jimi Jones ext. 226. Business ext. 326. News bureaus Bremerhaven Germany Ken Clauson. Building 103, Carl Schurz Cavern Apo a 09069 Telephone ets 3426659 or civilian 0471 -86762. 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Ets 440-6209 Nurnberg civilian 0911-712558, ets 460 7001. Stuttgart civilian 0711 546743, ets 420 71 75 Italy Naples civilian 003981 5685306. Ets 625-5306 Vicenza civilian 0444-515358. Ets 634-7545. Tel fax 0444 300 641 Spain Madrid ets 665 5807. Civilian and Telela 003416561465 Turkey Istanbul civilian and Leleia 0090 1 1724643 United kingdom Newbury civilian 0635 44768. Dan 266 3209 circulation Tel fax 06155 601417 advertising display Germany 06155 601247 or 601309 classified Normany 06155 601349 advertising Tel fax 06155 601412cqs Are necessary As part of the single Soldier initiative program commanders have been directed to cease the use of cos charge of quarters in personnel billets. As a first sergeant responsible for the health and welfare of soldiers 1 question the soundness of this policy. The purpose of the cd is to protect soldiers who reside in the billets not to harass them. During my tenure i can to count the number of times that a cd has stopped would be criminals in action and yes even saved the lives of fellow soldiers. As a Young single Soldier living in the billets it always gave me a sense of Security knowing that a sober level headed person was there should an emergency arise or for no other reason just to maintain order. It is argued that because married soldiers living in quarters done to need cos then neither should single soldiers living in billets. However How Many sets of quarters have two to six families strangers sharing the same living space in most areas of our society that Deal with housing of personnel . Hospitals motels hotels schools and such it is Normal practice to provide round the clock personnel to accommodate their residents. Is the Soldier living in the billets of less importance a first sgt. Stanley w. Brown Hanau Germany take offer while you can voluntary separation incentive or amp Quality management program with a Bonus Check come one come All. Bring us your sick lame and alcohol problems. Collect your Reward for your substandard performance. But beware. Read the Fine print first because if you get a letter commentary Stephen s. Rosenfeld done to turn it Down. You May not get another Chance. You have already been told you May not make it to retirement or that you have something in your records that is going to catch up with you sooner or later. But done to take it personally give me a break a editor s note a the Holiday season and the military Mai room closings associated with it have combined to produce a shortage of letters to the editor so this feature is being abbreviated for the duration. In place of letters we will present comment by our stable of columnists. Meanwhile we encourage our readers to write us and express their views on any matters of Public interest. Letters from readers expressing their viewpoints or opinions Are published daily in this space. All letters must be signed. We Reserve the right to edit letters for clarity length and taste. Preference is Given to Shorter letters so that More can be published in a timely manner. Letters should be addressed to letters to the editor the stars and stripes Apo a 09211. A a a letters requesting information or assistance Are answered in a feature called readers action line which appears on Page 16 every Day except thursday and sunday. Such letters should be addressed to readers action line the stars and stripes Apo a 09211.letters to the editor it seems that there Are More than enough programs and regulations to Weed out the people who Are overweight have an undisclosed substance abuse problem a less than perfect disciplinary record or any other liability that could end a military career. Is the Pentagon afraid to offer Money to those without these problems afraid that they would lose a record number maybe or is this just lip service to Congress to show them How much they care done to feel bad though. They May not think you re Good enough for Active duty but you re Good enough to enter a Reserve component and be recalled As Long As you Are receiving your checks just in Case. Remember you re expendable. If you Are one who has had a Good and rewarding career but just happens to think there May be something better out there and May not want to stay the Reward is to take your Money and run. You re Worth every cent. A Michael s. Mcfarland Heidelberg Germany How about a Speed limit i would like to comment on the letter a inconsiderate  this should be reported to the German police not the stars and stripes. They would be Happy to collect the 40 Mark Fine. This is american bashing and nothing More. If the writer would like to do something about the environment and save Energy 1 would suggest asking the German government to Post a Speed limit of 110 Kilometres per hour on All autobahn in Germany. This will reduce the amount of gasoline used each year and reduce the air pollution. By reducing the Speed the germans drive they May also save a few lives in the process. A sgt. 1st class James h. Lowe Kaiserslautern Germany human rights democracy differ Freedom House and human rights watch invite us to consider whether history is not in fact sweeping us into a grand new Era a and whether the american government is doing enough to help history along. To the first question Freedom House carefully says yes to the second human rights watch sharply says no. To observe through Freedom houses annual Survey of Freedom in the world the global Progress of democratic government in the last three years is to realize that we Are Lucky enough to live in a special time. The Progress is neither Complete nor irreversible but it is Broad and steady and heartening. It suggests that Freedom defined mostly As electoral democracy is not culture bound but is accessible to almost everyone that it is a Universal value and not a peculiarly american or Western one. Not that Freedom House in its Pride in its product is at ease about the prospects. It worries about backsliding distractions and slowdowns. R. Bruce Mccolm the groups director warns that for All the Good it has brought termination of the cold War does not dissolve the social conflicts and conditions that have a shaped the contours of debate and War Over the past 75  on the contrary the collapse of communism and authoritarian states around the world is releasing a Long repressed ethnic and National antagonisms rooted in a longer historical  exhibit a is Yugoslavia. A bit More hopefully however he suggests that even More is going for pluralistic democracy than the fading of soviet Power and ideology. There Are a impersonal historical factors such As the integration of the global Economy the Cros Boundary Appeal of new information technologies and the growing desire of nation states to become reintegrated into larger regional economic and political  exhibit b is China whose partly liberated Economy is at War with its repressive political self. All this bears on the role of american foreign policy in advancing the cause of Freedom. Our role can be distinguished from the general March of history and from the Independent ways in which american business american technology and american society act in the world. Freedom House tends to put responsibility for moving to democracy on the people and leaders of a Given country on its own institutions and politics. Its traditionally Liberal premise is that while various things can keep a society Down societies finally pull themselves up. Certainly this is the lesson to be drawn from the former soviet blocks transformation in the last few years. Human rights watch takes another tack. Its concern is human rights a not the same us democracy. Democracy centers on procedures and institutions of choosing governments. Human rights centers on performance of governments. As the example of third world countries like Al Salvador shows a democratically elected government can have great trouble ensuring human rights which is unquestionably a More exacting and intrusive Standard. But to go on from there with human rights watch to dismiss a focus on elected governments As Mere a Electo racism a is shallow and unfair. In Many cases these Are precious and hard won gains. Elections establish the grand principle of accountability. First you must have an electoral system and Only then can you improve the elected governments performance and extend its reach Over other resisting sectors of the society like the military or the economic elite. Human rights watch finds the Bush administration selective on enforcing human rights a that is on enforcing human rights in someone else a country. The administration pushes hardest it says where the Effort is a Cost and conflict free Quot and where it does not bump other american interests. You can agree with this proposition and think that the administration is soft on human rights in places like China and still Grant that selectivity is not a High crime but a necessity of governance. There is a time for hollering and a time for mumbling a and a constant requirement to identify the difference. You can also take a certain cheer from the observation that the Progress of civic virtue in China and similar retrograde places does not depend entirely on the ardor of the american government. We have our part but so do the chinese and meanwhile those a impersonal factors of living in the modern world Are also at play. C the Washington Post