European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 15, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Wednesday april 15, 1992 the stars and stripes a Page 13 commentary Anthony Lewis major now has Chance to turn tories around any Democrat who thinks it will be easy to beat George Bush because this country is in a recession should look at the British election results. Economic misery is worse in Britain and has been going on far longer. Yet the conservatives in Power for 13 years won again. Why of course there Are Many reasons for the tory Victory. But first among them i am convinced is that millions of britons Are now Middle class property owners More interested in raising their own living standards than in alleviating Public squalor. During the Campaign the Independent newspaper published a series of articles by Well known people on of they would vote. Sir Claus Moser the Warden of Wadham College Oxford said he was for labor because of its a caring attitudes on health education and poverty. He continued a a a in a looking for a government which cares crucially about our Public services. Our general infrastructure is appalling and compares poorly with Europe As everybody who travels knows. I look to labor to give top priority to these even if this does mean somewhat higher taxes i put All that higher than personal  sir Claus was right about run Down Public services in Britain dirty streets delayed subways a struggling National health service. But he was evidently in a minority in being willing to pay for improvements. As the Campaign began labors chief economic spokesman John Smith published detailed economic plans. A labor government he said would increase spending on the health service and other Public needs and pay for it by raising taxes on a the Rich. A but the tax increases he outlined covered Many who did not consider themselves a the  there would be increases on anyone earning More than the equivalent of about $37,000 a year. The maximum income tax rate on incomes above roughly $70,000 a year would Rise from 40 percent to 50 percent. The conservatives spent much of their Campaign denouncing those tax plans. And the strategy worked. In exit polls Many voters said they were troubled by labors tax proposals. Smith in Short paid for his honesty. He and others in the labor party May have Learned what George Mcgovern did when he made his proposal in 1972 to tax away All inheritances above $500,000. Only a Small percentage of americans would have that much to leave. People who Are not Rich May nevertheless Hope to do better a and not want the government to take it. Another reason for labors disappointing showing Harry g. Summers or. Was undoubtedly the historical baggage the party carries. Neil Kinlock its Leader who just resigned did a remarkable Job in pruning its extreme left. But voters still remember the marxist rhetoric and the excesses of Union Power. Perhaps it will just take time along with a new party Leader to give labor the modern look of a european social democratic party. History has also helped the conservative party by dividing its opposition. Before this Century it was conservatives is. Liberals. Then the labor party became the dominant Force on the left. But the liberals and successor parties now the Liberal democrats continue to compete. Because of Britain a voting system with the Winner in each of 651 districts going to parliament a third party gets few seats. Most of its votes scattered around the country Are wasted. The Liberal democrats want to change the voting system to proportional representation which would have Given them about 117 seats. There will be increased pressure within labor to support that profound change. For without some compact with the Liberal democrats labor May have Little Chance to win. The election finally was a personal Triumph for prime minister John major. He took Over a tired and embittered party from Margaret Thatcher. Perhaps now free of her ghost he will be Able to produce a government More competent in economics and less negative in its most important policy toward the european Community. C the now York Olmos peacetime military needed to keep recently not too far from Culpeper in the rolling Hills of Virginia a Norse country the american Security Council foundation the army War College and the National defense University co sponsored a conference on . Defense policy in transition. One of its three panels had to do with a most timely subject a the key Issue of strategic concepts and capabilities. What makes that subject so critical is that it is or should be the very foundation for the ongoing debate on the size and composition of americans military forces. It addresses the most fundamental National Security question of them All a a what a a military Good for anyway a that question provided the Shoals upon which americans Vietnam War policies eventually ran aground. A either win the Damn thing or get out a was the pragmatic american Public reaction to the drawn out conflict there. By the fall of 1967, 2vi years after american ground combat forces were first committed to Battle the american Public finally rebelled. When the american military appeared to be unable either to win or to disengage Public opinion turned decisively against the War. Now in the aftermath of the cold War that same question has once again re emerged. The persian Gulf War Reaf firmed the Faith of the american people in the wartime use of military Force a to fight and win on the Battlefield. Less understood is the military a peacetime use. A now that the soviet Union has disintegrated Why do we need a military a unless the answer is convincingly explained that question May scuttle our future . Defences. The discussion at the conference entered on several related reasons Why we needed to maintain an adequate military Force in peacetime a deterrence Assurance and War fighting. All three depended on combat Power a the combination of physical capabilities and moral Power. While much of the Public debate has been on physical capabilities a How much Money we should spend on our defences How Many men and women to maintain in the Active and Reserve Force How Many new ships planes missiles tanks and guns we should buy and the like a Little has been said about the even More important moral dimension. Yet it was a perceived shortfall in that dimension that precipitated the persian Gulf War. A America was regarded As a paper Tiger a said one asian Diplomat in the aftermath of that War. A while mindful of Superior american muscle we had until now figured that the United states would Lack the will to  Saddam Hussein was not alone in believing that canard. Such misconceptions by our enemies led us into War time and again in this Century. One Way to avoid such future misreading is for the american people to Send Clear signals to potential foes that we know full Well what military Power is Good for. Above All it is Good for keeping the peace. Military Force backed by the Public and political will to use it is the essence of deterrence of War. As British adm. Peter Hill Norton once put it deterrence raises the fearful doubt in the mind of any potential adversary that any possible gain is not Worth the inevitable risk. The problem is that deterrence can be measured Only in terms of things that never happen. But As strategist Herman Kahn once said there Are Many doors in this world that Are not being opened precisely because someone is leaning against them. A what is the significance of the Spanish land Grants a he asked a group or mexican scholars. A just historical curiosities a they replied. A but what if the . Emerged from a War with its military inferior to that of Mexico a he asked. To a Man they then said a in that Case the matter would Haveit that Way to be  another Way military Force keeps the peace is through Assurance. For More than 40 years . Military presence abroad has helped to assure both allies and adversaries that the United states is committed to world peace and stability. Among other things this presence has allayed rears of German and japanese re wanchism and has obviated the need for destabilizing regional arms races paradoxically yet a third Way the . Military has helped keep the peace is through its War fighting abilities. The perception by both allies and adversaries that the United states has both the will and the capability to fight and win on the Battlefield is key. If the opposite were True a if the perception were As it has been Over and Over again in this Century that the United states would lose or recklessly turn away a then aggression would be encouraged rather than deterred. In world War i and world War ii in Korea Vietnam and the persian Gulf our enemies misread the . Reaction to their aggression. A a what a the military Good for anyway a among other things to keep that aggression from happening again. Tyz lecturer in strategy and distinguished fellow of the army War College. Col Summers is the author of the re Conoy published on strategy ii a critical analysis of the persian quit War j Clos Angeles times Syndicate