Letters: Apr. 20, 1998

AFRICA RISING

Your report “Africa Rising” was a welcome contribution to a better understanding of what’s really happening on the continent [WORLD, March 30], but I missed seeing in-depth coverage of the overall economic situation there. Business is carried out in the name of free and fair competition, but that requires a balance of power, and there is no such balance. There is virtually no protection for Africans against the imported goods and surplus produce from Europe that are being dumped on the market. For many Africans, life is solely a matter of survival and freedom of speech has very little meaning. KJELL-ERIK NORDLIE Vallset, Norway

You stated that “life is finally looking up for many Africans,” but those of us committed to the resettlement of refugees know that it is not getting better, unfortunately, for many others. Not all in Africa is a bed of roses. The thorns are still tearing away at millions of dispossessed people throughout the continent who have lost their homes. U.S. refugee policy closes the door on some of the most severely oppressed and displaced people in the world. The number of Africans admitted to the U.S. is absurdly low in relation to the need in Africa. RALSTON H. DEFFENBAUGH JR. Executive Director Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service New York City

You struck a good balance in your article between the political and economic progress many African nations have made and the considerable challenges remaining for the continent. While we don’t want to have unrealistic expectations, prospects for an African Renaissance are brightening. As you reported, African countries are opening their economies, allowing individuals to prosper and achieve independence from development aid. It is encouraging that Eritrean President Issaias Afewerki and other new-era African leaders understand the need for Africans to shape their own destinies, creating self-sustaining countries. The bipartisan African Growth and Opportunity Act promises to further this progress by encouraging economic reforms and promoting mutually beneficial trade with the U.S. ED ROYCE, U.S. Representative 39th District, California Washington

Leave Africa alone! Let the Africans decide the scale of their economies, the most appropriate technologies to use and the level of industrialism that is desirable. Buy their products, yes. Offer favorable terms of trade, yes. But don’t organize their economies for them by offering Western models of unlimited growth in a finite environment. Multinational corporations that do business in Africa should guarantee that most of the benefits go to Africans. MARK HACKLER Glenview, Ill.

Blame for Africa’s ills has in the past been wrongly laid at the doorstep of foreigners. We have come to accept, however, that our choices of the wrong political and economic models following independence from the colonial powers have been the cause of most of our present misery. The economic and political reforms under way in many of our countries will at long last translate into more freedom and higher living standards for us. In Kenya and other African countries, reforms are being implemented that will result in privatization of state enterprises, more efficient public-service structures, a concerted fight against corruption, and removal of economic controls. It is no exaggeration to state that Africa is the new–and last–frontier for investors. MICAH CHESEREM, Governor Central Bank of Kenya Nairobi

There is much speculation as to what Clinton’s visit has meant for South Africa. I wonder just what impact this trip has had on all the President’s men and the President himself. Africa has much to give and teach to those open enough to receive and learn. KEITH GRAHAM COATS Durban, South Africa

TOLERATING CLINTON’S FLAWS

Are we in denial of the obvious? Are we not aware that America’s own declining moral and ethical standards are reflected in the polls that sanction the alleged conduct of the President [NATION, March 30]? We individually need to become cognizant of our personal values in order to effect change. Americans should not accept less than the most noble of ideals in our leaders. VIVIAN WEEDE Oro Valley, Ariz.

Clinton is courageous. He attacks his attackers, tempts fate by wading fearlessly into crowds, lies when he must and damns the consequences. He’s crafty, and has consistently outwitted a hostile Congress by appearing to give it what it wants. He is charismatic and feckless, and women (apparently) adore him. In the multiplex theater that has become the U.S., the virtual reality is Hollywood, not Washington. We want a touch of strife and then a happy ending. JAMES E. HASHIM Jacksonville, Fla.

A troubling finding of your poll is that most Americans seem to be indifferent to the charges that face President Clinton. Am I really to believe that groping women at will and committing perjury (if those charges prove to be true) are acceptable behavior for anyone? Shame on us, the American people, for not demanding more from the highest office of the country. Shame on feminists for offering little or no support for these women. History will remember us as fools and cowards. NEIL D. SALISBURY Dallas

The U.S. used to be the country where the Bill of Rights was the law. Now it seems that the Rights of Bill are ruling the country. Shame on him. ERIK SVARRE Copenhagen

Not one of the women involved in the Clinton soap opera took legal action at the time they claim they were sexually harassed. Now they appear to be on the bandwagon to enrich themselves one way or another. They make me feel ashamed to be a woman. JUNE PRENTICE Athens

Why are some Americans trying to ruin their nation by harassing President Clinton? People are trying to dig up anything they can to destroy him. But he is only human, capable of committing mistakes. Don’t condemn him. Instead, try to see the good he has done. Americans are lucky to have him. STELLA VILAR DE ASIS Muscat, Oman

DOING IT SUHARTO’S WAY

Indonesian President Suharto is acting like a kleptocrat who allows those under his care to suffer for his failures [WORLD, March 23]. He must be made to understand that finding solutions to Indonesia’s economic disarray isn’t about losing face but about the salvation of 202 million people. This “my way or the highway” behavior of Suharto’s is an insult to those who have come to Indonesia’s aid. Suharto is finding it hard to relinquish even a modicum of authority. ROY CHRISTY Bangalore, India

CAN NIKE FIGHT BACK?

The descent of Nike, its loss of sales in the U.S., is great news [BUSINESS, March 30]. Nike has done more than its fair share to mislead the youth of America through unrealistic and outrageous TV commercials. Athletes who come from disadvantaged backgrounds should be acting as role models for youngsters, but they accept millions of dollars to promote Nike and seem to care little about kids who come from similar backgrounds. I have discouraged others from buying Nike products for years; now I hope millions of parents will do the same. Should Nike have a change of heart, stop misleading America’s youth and become a made-in-the-U.S. company instead of using cheap labor in Asia, I could change my opinion. JOHN R. GALLOWAY Las Vegas

Nike shoes have been priced out of the reach of many Americans for some years now. The single best remedy for the company’s woes is to market its products at a reasonable price. Charging $100 for a $50 pair of running shoes won’t do. We have to be able to afford Nikes in order to wear them. MARC MCCLENAHAN Scottsdale, Ariz.

I dislike the Nike company because it pays athletes a fortune to pitch its products, buying its way into any market it wants. Bah! I have boycotted Nike’s products for years, and will continue to. This company is the Microsoft wannabe of the athletic-shoe industry. MIKE NAJERA Haslett, Mich.

THE ROLE OF COURT CLERKS

Former Supreme Court clerk Edward Lazarus’ book Closed Chambers [NATION, March 30] presents a misleading and distorted account of the 1988 term of the court, including what he says about me. It’s sad that Lazarus has violated his duty of confidentiality to the court for money and has maligned the honorable men and women who have served as Justices and law clerks. His notion that 27-year-old law clerks “spoon fed” legal arguments to America’s most eminent jurists is absurd. His conduct is particularly reprehensible because he knows those of us who adhere to the court’s ethical canons may not respond specifically to his allegations. I can say, however, that I have helped defend capital and other criminal defendants since my clerkship. ROBERT J. GIUFFRA JR. New York City