Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!news.media.mit.edu!americast.com!americast.com!usa-post Newsgroups: usa-today.issues From: usa-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: usa-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: issues Wed, Aug 12 1992 Date: Wed, 12 Aug 92 04:31:16 EDT Message-ID: 08-12 0000 DECISIONLINE: Issues & Debate USA TODAY Update Aug. 12, 1992 Source: USA TODAY:Gannett National Information Network Here are some of the issues and topics being debated across the nation Wednesday morning in USA TODAY: Defense, Loans, Blacks. TODAY'S DEBATE - DEFENSE: USA TODAY'S OPINION: What's a two word definition for misdirected? Star wars. Strategic Defense Initiative advocates are rushing to deploy a space-based missile defense system even though no urgent missile threat exists. Their gripe this week: A cut in SDI funding from $4.3 billion to $3.3 billion. The lesser funding would still pay for more research plus development of ground-based missile interceptors. But it would cut out the glitzy space-based technology star warriors love. Proponents ... say it's needed to protect the USA from accidental missile launches from former Soviet states or deliberate ones by future rogue nuclear nations. ... A ground-based SDI would cost $25 billion and could be deployed no sooner than 1998, and probably safely in 2003. Adding space-based complications would push costs to $100 billion, delay deployment even longer and violate the Anti Ballistic Missile Treaty. ... there can be no "space shield" to protect the nation from any missile launch from the ex-Soviet states during the period of their worst instability. ... controls should be tightened on technology needed for making missiles. And ground-based interceptors ... should be refined to handle both long-range rockets and short-range Scuds. The $3.3 billion would do that while continuing moderate funding for research on space weapons. OTHER VIEW: DANIEL GRAHAM is director of the High Frontier "star wars" advocacy group: If Congress had to choose to buy one defense program for continued strong funding, it should be the Strategic Defense Initiative. We have the capability to defend ourselves and our friends against aircraft, ships, tanks and terrorists - but no capability to defend ourselves against ballistic missiles. ... the threats of accidental or unauthorized attack, brought about by disorder in the former Soviet Union, or deliberate missile attacks by the world's Saddam Husseins, grow fast. ... The threat of a deliberate, all-out Soviet missile attack is gone, but thousands of warheads remain pointed at the United States. ... At June's summit, Boris Yeltsin offered to join in a global protection system against missiles. Why can't Congress? Tinhorn dictators understand that getting a few long-range missiles with mass-destruction warheads is of great value so long as the United States and its allies choose to remain totally vulnerable to these weapons. ... We have the capability to put into space a defensive system to protect people everywhere from the expanding threat of ballistic missile attack. Such a defense would do much to prevent the inevitable small wars from escalating and remove the urge of irresponsible leaders to acquire missiles. It is hard to think of a government program more valuable than SDI to our society and economy - to our future. VOICES ACROSS THE NATION ON CONGRESS' VOTE ON LOAN TO ISRAEL: STOCKTON, Calif., Maxine Bennett, 37, legislative aide: Although I'm very sensitive to the Palestinians, I support the loan guarantees. Yitzhak Rabin seems to be more willing to work toward a solution than his predecessor, and I think we should be more flexible. But we should make sure that he keeps up his end of the bargain. ORLANDO, Fla., Stanley Atkinson, 42, assoc. prof., finance: I would be reluctant to do that. With the domestic recession as it has staggered on, I think we have to turn back to our own economy, to our own well-being, and quit being the protector of the world. We need to take care of our own before we take care of the world. TUTTLE, Okla., Christine Peters, 75, retired teacher: I'm sure President Bush has given it more thought than I, but I feel we need to care for our people here. We have many, many problems here that need to be addressed. I'm inclined to believe those should be cared for first. BOSTON, Mass., Ronn J. Keel, 29, credit manager: When countries like those in Africa, specifically South Africa, had problems like this, Congress and this country didn't do enough. To turn around and help a country like Israel is contradictory. Our assets should go into making our country what it was meant to be. HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill., Kris M. Motyka, 26, strategic marketer: They should guarantee the loans in keeping with our relationship with Israel. This would expedite a more stable social climate within Israel. The stability would ultimately help the USA. It would help the relationship and immigrants from the former Soviet Union. TOPIC - BLACK SUPPORT: Aldon Morris, chairman and professor of sociology at Northwestern University, was interviewed by USA TODAY's Sharon Shahid. At this juncture, black organizations need the kind of leadership that can deal with the contemporary problems confronted by the African-American community. They have to give some very serious thought to how to develop a young, dynamic leadership within the African-American community. The older leaders have to know that what they did was important, but that each generation is given challenges, experiences and insights that can go beyond the leadership of their elders. ... Until the Urban League, the NAACP, the SCLC and other groups are creative enough to get their financial support from the black community, they are limited in their vision and in what they can actually do. ... I would certainly have to say that when you look at what is happening in the black community, especially in the inner cities ... that if the civil rights organizations aren't addressing those kinds of issues head on, then they are going to really miss the gravity of what is happening within those oppressed communities. ... Also, African-Americans are so aware that racism hasn't gone anywhere, that it remains an important issue they have to deal with daily. Issues & Debate Editor: Kate Coughlin. (1-919-855-3491) Making copies of USA TODAY Update (Copyright, 1992) for further distribution violates federal law. This article is copyright 1992 Gannett News Service. Redistribution to other sites is not permitted except by arrangement with American Cybercasting Corporation. 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