Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!news.media.mit.edu!americast.com!americast.com!usa-post Newsgroups: usa-today.issues,americast.usa-today.issues From: usa-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: usa-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: issues Mon, Sep 21 1992 Date: Mon, 21 Sep 92 04:39:57 EDT Message-ID: 09-21 0000 DECISIONLINE: Issues & Debate USA TODAY Update Sept. 21, 1992 Source: USA TODAY:Gannett National Information Network Here are some of the issues and topics being debated across the nation Monday morning in USA TODAY: Single market, Schools, U.N. TODAY'S DEBATE - SINGLE MARKET: USA TODAY'S OPINION: The French may have issued only a stifled "oui" to European monetary and political union Sunday. But for the USA, the European move toward unity deserves a loud vote of approval. ... a more united Europe offers many gains for this country. Economically, while a unified Europe will offer stiff competition to U.S. producers, its single, large market also offers a great opportunity. As the single unified U.S. market has shown, it is simply more efficient for exporters to sell to one market than many. That's why exporters target the U.S. Europe, with 330 million consumers, should be such a target for us. Europe's single market also should diminish the power of parochial self-interests to use nationalist arguments to prop up protectionist trade barriers or expensive subsidies. ... Indeed, as Europeans see themselves more interlinked with each other's well-being the more muted will be the extreme nationalistic voices that have divided the continent in the past. That was the premise for European integration. It began after extremism plunged the world, including the United States, into bloody wars. And that, more than anything, makes the French "oui" on Sunday heartening and European integration worthy of U.S. support. OTHER VIEW: HARRY SCHWARTZ, writer and former member of the New York Times editorial board: The creation of an economically, politically and militarily unified Europe would be a very dark omen for the United States. ... What the ideologists of a united Europe want is the conversion of that continent into the equivalent of a single country ... with a population of 500 million people, almost double our own. The zealots for this cause see a united Europe as the instrument to win economic control of much of the world. The USA, its trade and its economic position in Europe all would become targets of economic warfare, warfare waged by unfair tariffs and unlimited subsidies. ... As we saw last week, the decisive voice in today's loosely linked Europe belongs to Germany. Do we really want a massive, continental, united Europe under the leadership of Germany, many of whose people have neither forgotten nor forgiven their defeats in this century's two world wars? VOICES ACROSS THE NATION ON ECONOMY AFFECTING SCHOOLS: YARDLEY, Pa., Alex Buzick, 14, student: I go to a private school, and the economy definitely hurts it. When I was younger, to pay all the teachers, they had to sell the meat slicer from the cafeteria. The teachers all joke with us about their salaries. Some of the books are old and out of date. MORTON GROVE, Ill., Karen Kring, 30, photographer: In the '70s when I was in high school in Niles Township, teachers struck every three years because of pay and benefits cuts. It's better there now. It's hard to tell about Morton Grove because the population is changing and moving, so they've closed schools. CAMARILLO, Calif., Shirley Cobb, 55, media services manager: Certainly, the California budget has impacted the schools. Dollars are important, but the dedication of educators is the primary ingredient in making sure children get a good education. In the communities where I work and live, the schooling is very good. JEFFERSON CITY, Mo., Richard McCall, 36, director of bands: Yes. I remember that as a student, we had 11 faculty members in the music department, and now we are down to four full-time, one part-time and two adjunct. Also, funding for necessary materials has been cut. TOPIC - UNITED NATIONS: Boutros Boutros-Ghali, secretary-general of the United Nations, was interviewed by USA TODAY's Lee Michael Katz. CAN THE UNITED NATIONS HANDLE ALL THE CURRENT CALLS FOR HELP? During the Cold War, there was a crisis of credibility for the United Nations. Today, there is a crisis of too much credibility. The perception among the member states, and particularly the new member states, is that the United Nations will be able to solve all their problems. WHAT ABOUT THE PROPOSED RAPID DEPLOYMENT OF MILITARY FORCE? They say they are doing a study. I've received a positive response from France and the European community. I will listen to the speeches of the different ministers. WILL THE FORCE BE AN ARMY TO THE U.N.? I never asked for an army to the United Nations. What I'm asking is that different member states put at the U.N.'s disposal a contingent of troops. They would be trained by the member states and be put at the disposal of the secretary general. Issues & Debate Editor: Susan M. Andrews. (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. For more information, send-email to usa@AmeriCast.COM