Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!tamsun.tamu.edu!mtecv2!americast.com!americast.com!usa-post From: usa-post@AmeriCast.Com Newsgroups: usa-today.issues,americast.usa-today.issues Subject: issues Fri, Aug 28 1992 Message-ID: Date: 28 Aug 92 08:57:03 GMT Organization: American Cybercasting Lines: 133 Approved: usa-post@AmeriCast.com 08-28 0000 DECISIONLINE: Issues & Debate USA TODAY Update Aug. 28-30, 1992 Source: USA TODAY:Gannett National Information Network Here are some of the issues and topics being debated across the nation Friday morning in USA TODAY: Iraq, Teaching, Baseball. TODAY'S DEBATE - IRAQ POLICY: USA TODAY'S OPINION: Saddam Hussein should recall that although those trying to hold him to his word may consider patience a virtue, they've never claimed it's infinite. The Iraqi leader reacted to the latest efforts to constrain him - the "no-fly zone" barring planes from southern Iraq - by muttering he might bar the U.N. weapons-inspection team due Monday. He also threatened to expel U.N. guards and won't recognize borders with Kuwait. .. Saddam again is trying to weasel out of the deals he made to end the Persian Gulf War. This no longer can be allowed. The Baghdad tyrant bought an end to fighting at the world's most reasonable price: agreeing to live by a few basic tenets meant to keep the peace. ... The U.N. was right to show patience with this postwar posturing. Military action always should be a last resort. Now, though, it's time for Saddam to pay up, to meet the cease-fire terms. ... The alternative - letting Saddam rearm - would invite a new war and encourage other tyrants. The U.N. has several levers: The no-fly zone, undertaken to keep Saddam's warplanes from attacking rebellious Shiites. ... Economic pressure, which exerts slowly growing force on the economy that supplies Saddam's war machine. ... Military enforcement, if Saddam continues to dodge his cease-fire agreements. ... Saddam's shenanigans must be met with firmness always, with force if necessary. The time for patience is past. OTHER VIEW: TED GALEN CARPENTER, director of foreign policy studies at Cato Institute, Washington: When it comes to Iraq, the Bush administration can't learn to leave bad enough alone. The U.S. "victory" in Operation Desert Storm and subsequent protection of a de facto Kurdish state in northern Iraq have created increased political instability in an already turbulent region. Now the administration has proclaimed a "no-fly" zone in southern Iraq, thereby extending protection to Shiite insurgents battling Baghdad. Washington's action probably reflects frustration with the failure of Iraq's military to oust Saddam Hussein .... Administration leaders hope the additional pressure will finally impel dissidents in the military elite to launch a coup. The unintended result, however, may be to push Iraq over the brink into political chaos .... Such a development would make Iran the dominant power in the gulf region. ... Washington would then use the chaos in Iraq and the revived Iranian expansionist threat as justifications for new rounds of U.S. military intervention. ... Each time the U.S. has intervened in the Persian Gulf - beginning with the CIA-orchestrated coup in 1953 to oust Iran's democratic government and restore the shah to power - it has made matters worse. Proclaiming the no-fly zone is merely the latest installment in that dreary record. VOICES ACROSS THE NATION ON TEACHING AS A CAREER: PHILADELPHIA, Pa., Tyrone G. Miller, 35, accountant: Based on changing demographics of children in the classroom, I would not recommend it to a child of mine. The risks of teaching greatly outweigh the financial rewards. I don't think teachers can be paid too much. They are molding our future society, our future leaders. AUSTIN, Texas, Dixie Howell, 39, ad account exec.: I would recommend it if their goal in life is to help society and feel good about their contribution, but not if their goal is to make money and be rich. It probably won't happen in our lifetime where we see teachers living high on the hog. OAKVILLE, Wash., Nancy Grant, 54, elementary principal: Because of the importance of the position and dealing with our most important asset - children - we want the finest people to be a part of this profession. I agree they are shortchanged when you consider they are on the job X hours per day and into the night and weekends. HAYS, Kan., Victor Unrein,69, retired: Although $34,213 seems like a fair salary, I think teachers should be paid more, especially with the types of things, like violence, they have to put up with now in schools. Their jobs are a lot harder today. When I went to school, things weren't as difficult. CHICAGO, Ill., Theresa Reid, 35, executive director: I come from a family of teachers and principals and value the teaching profession highly. It is a noble calling. Al Shanker is right; they do get shortchanged. It's incredibly hard work and some of the most important work done in this society. TOPIC - FAY VINCENT: Al Neuharth is the founder of USA TODAY. Your boss wants to talk with you about the job you're doing. You thumb your nose at him and say you won't listen. Might you be fired? Bet your life. That's life in the real world. But not in the misty mind of major league baseball Commissioner Fay Vincent. Vincent says he'll boycott a meeting next week requested by ... the 28 major league team owners who pay him $650,000 a year. He claims it's illegal for them to call him on the carpet. ... (it) is typical of the way he's played the game since the bosses booted a big one and put him in the lineup three years ago. ... He has abused and misused his office to browbeat some players, some managers, some owners. ... During the last World Series he proposed: Shortening the season and the games. No more expansion teams. ... I rated Vincent in this column as one of the two worst commissioners in history. ... Vincent wouldn't comment. Instead, the bully blew his stack. He called USA TODAY President and Publisher Tom Curley to demand that the column be killed. Baseball's world-champion coercer threatened to turn his lawyers loose on us if the column ran. That's the same tactic he's using now with the baseball owners. ... the column was published despite the threat. ... Once we called Vincent's bluff, the windbag backed off. Something the owners might keep in mind next week when they decide whether the bully is bigger than his bosses. Issues & Debate Editor: Kate Coughlin. (1-919-855-3491) Making copies of USA TODAY Update (Copyright, 1992) for further distribution violates federal law. 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