Stegman, Sam

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42 ]VIA Nuses [PTS.:our quest may seem foolish and pointless to those outside our agebracket. Sometimes it seems foolish to us, too. vVe waste many hours"redding around," driving a certain aimless pattern. We are lookingfor trouble, danger, and excitement, but mostly we are just looking.On the other hand, we listen, observe, and study, searching. Moreof us attend colleges and universities in quest of knowledge than everbefore. But because we fear life itself and all the dangers it mayhold, we are skeptical and distrustful, so we adopt no heroes noridols, nor do we commit ourselves to anyone belief.vVe want someplace to belong, someplace where we feel secure.'We do not enjoy being questioned and looked upon with suspicion.We are looking for someone who will accept us for what we are,instead of trying to dissect us and giving up when the job is botched.But the older generation eternally wants to know why, so we assimi-late what we hear and see and learn and keep our ideas within usuntil we can be sure of why ourselves. First we must find our ownsense of values. vVe need to find our place in this fluid society.For us, security does not mean world-wide acclaim. vVe have nodesires to climb mountains, swim channels, or discover continents.These things have already been accomplished. vVe merely want a goodhome and enough money to keep us comfortable. Often we seek ahigher education not for the knowledge involved but for the securitycollege degrees offer. vVe are very self-conscious. vVe have, as agroup, adopted no cause. \Ve have no commitments other than thoseto ourselves. vVe feel we must find out what we are, and so our lifeis a search for the answers. Until we feel sure of ourselves, our place,and our goals, we must guard against the poking and the pryingand the criticisms of our elders.The older generation accuses us of too much tolerance. But wecannot be intolerant when we are not sure within ourselves what isright and what is wrong. \Ve are called apathetic. But we cannottake a stand on something whose relationship to ourselves we havenot fully explored. Thus our studying is not for the pleasure ofknowledge in itself, but a search for ~he answers to the unsolvedriddles within us. Just as we are on the brink of adult life, we are onthe brink of a new world and a new way of life. The con fusions ofthe world are our con fusions. When we understand ourselves, ourgoals, our rnotives, and our clesires, we will understand each other.Then we will no longer need the protective covering of silence.Dull, Duller, DullesSam StegmanTHE UNITED STATES is technically one hundred sixty-eight yearsold; it is, compared to other civilizations, just in its adolescence.I often wonder, however, even at this tender age. if our briefperiod of supremacy is not due for a sudden change. Coming eventscast their shadows before them, and today our rich land is crossedlV[ANUSCRIPTS 43and recrossed by the shadows of events yet to come. One 0I themost menacing problems to face us is that of the inadequacy of ourforeign policy. In the field of foreign relations, the United Statesis still very young. 'liVe practiced "sunken head" isolationism for solong that when we finally did enter into world affairs, we were notarmecl with many capable statesmen. The present state department,under the leadership of the "wandering minstrel," bas been calledmany things; some even go as far as to say that the only thing thatthe department has accomplished is an all-time travel recorcl. I willnot be so harsh (mainly because I am not qualified to make such astatement), but I will point out several gaps and inadequacies thatI believe exist in om present foreign policy.One of the most glaring examples of an inadequacy in ourforeign policy was accentuated by our confused feelings during theHungarian revolution; we were like a little brother watching hisolder brother fight the neighborhood bully; we were afraid to jointhe fight for fear of becoming involved, yet we mentally foughtevery battle and spiritually suffered every blow. Granted, the UnitedStates was caught in a dilemma; however, the only safe way out ofan international dilemma is by having preventive rather than fire-alarm diplomacy. Cardinal Mindszenty and many other pro-Hun-garian supporters pleaded with the United States for help, but wecould only fumble around and not do much more than increase theimport quota. Another matter of grave importance was our involve-ment in the diplomatic struggle over the Middle East crisis. Britain,France, our olel wartime allies, and Israel-virtually an Americanprotege-were on one side. VIe, the Kremlin, and Nasser were onthe other side. 'liVe were actually urging the United Nations to takea course of action that would save the neck of a dictator who badinstigated the crisis against our oldest and dearest friends. The Suezincident also brought to our attention the importance of the controlof the Middle East and African land masses. Europe was virtuallystrangled when their supplies were forced around the Cape of GooelHope. The worlel, including the Communists, was the audience to thedisplay of power that could be extended by the proprietors 0 f thesetwo territories. The gravity of the situation can be realized whenone imagines what would happen if the Communists controlled theMiddle East and Africa. Finally. in West Germany, we have beensufficiently warned of the inevitable trouble which 111UStresult fromthe present arrangement. The United States made a spectacularshowing in the Berlin Air Lift, but what did we solve? If our presentdiplomatic atmosphere in West Germany is allowed to extend intothe future, we may be left with the job of protecting West Germanywithout any other help. Britain had to pull out of Greece because'of economic difficulties; she also had to cut her clonations to theUnitecl Nations' armies. Maybe her next economic measure willaffect West Germany,Therefore, after examining just three of the many faults in our44 lVL\NUSCRIPTSforeign policy, one can visualize the importance of every internationalpolicy decision. One wrong move could possibly give the Kremlin thereins in the Middle East; Europe could be starved into submissionwithout the firing of a single shot. And certainly a change in ourpresent policy concerning Communist satellite countries must be madeif we are to save face in the free world, especially after the blow ourprestige su ffered in the Hungarian incident. Although I am no moreinformed on foreign affairs than the average news follower, I believethere are two areas where our international strategy might be im-proved. First, let me establish the idea that our status in the worldtoday places us at the head of all free world actions; therefore, anyaction we take becomes the policy of the entire free world. In theMiddle East conflict, it would seem to me that the area where weshould concentrate our efforts would be the basic core area of allmiddle East disputes. If we could help solve the ubiquitousArab-Israeli dispute, we might be able to make some headway infounding a stable relationship with the Arab-Af ric nations; as it isnow, we have trouble even making contact with these countries.Under the Eisenhower doctrine we have committed ourselves tofight only in the face of direct CO~111Tll1nistaggression. VIe have takenno actual measures to alleviate the basic clash. Next, to improve ourstanding with the satellite nations, I would suggest a policy of traderather than aiel. I realize that such a recommendation is certainlynot new, and it has not escaped being the topic of many debates.However, I still believe in the principle. At present, we have manyrestrictions on trade to the Communist satellite nations. By theserestrictions, we are 110t hurting the Communist cause, but ratherhelping it by forcing these nations to trade behind the iron curtain.When small nations become economically dependent on Russiantrac1e, they are 1110Stvulnerable to Communist control. If a nationis economically dependent on another nation, the threat of loss of thattrade can be used as a powerful weapon to coerce conformity. If wewere to start making trade agreements with some of the satellitenations, we might stand a chance of pulling some of this economicpower from the Communist leaders. Not only would such actiontend to neutralize the effectiveness of this Communistic weapon, butit would also promote a better feeling for the United States amongthe suppressed countries; these afflicted countries want assistancerather than gifts. I realize that I have taken the risk of over-simplifying this trade-rather-than-aid issue, but after the minor fal-lacies of the proposal are arbitrated, the principle still stands, and itappears feasible. At least, one could see some concrete progressbeing made.Surely, the actions we take in the next few years concerninginternational problems will all have great influence on the final"showdown" between the free world and the slave world. The faultsI have found in the status quo may not be the most practicable whentried, but as a reader of the weekly news magazines and the dailyMANUSCRIPTS 45papers, I would speculate that the current international trend is aprologue to something bigger and more important in the future. Ican only hope that the policies finally made by our nation are onesthat will strike at the basic con flicts, and ones that will be worthy ofposterity.I Will Find My PlaceGary MooreICANNOT see! I am aware of lizht but I cannot perceive images.The blinding light is intolerable. imust take refuge in (~~\rkness.When I try to move, I find that I am unable to walk! F inally, Imanage to squirm and wriggle deeper into the warm, slimy ooze wh.ichenvelops me. Here in this wet, pulsing darkness, time means nothingto me. There is no sleep or boredom "no nizht or cia)'. There is only. ' "the all-enfolding darkness.N ow I am aware of a great urae within me. I must do some-thing! I struggle up through the blackness toward the light. As Iemerge into the light, I anI surprised to realize that it is no longera source of discomfort. Instead, the lisrht seems to increase theurgency of this indefinable need which drives me. I succeed in forc-ing my almost helpless body out of the clinging slime and ontodry land.As I lie here, exhausted, a great change ripples through my body.Suddenly, my perception clears. I am overwhelmed by a wealth ofsights, sounds, and smells. My vision is still slightly blurred, ho~-ever. Although motion is easily discernible, r"'have difficulty 111distinguishing still objects. I am greatly pleased to find tha.t I amnow able to walk. I walk in circles, testing my legs and loving thefeel of independence and mobility. I pause to rub the filth from myfeet and smooth down my hair.This is unbelievable! I am flying! I am moving effortlesslythrough the air. My surprise is dulled, however, by a gnawing, ove~·-powering hunger. I spiral down onto a broad, flat plain to beg111my search for food. Luck is with me! I soon find several largejagged crystals which, I am pleased to discover, have a surprisinglysweet taste. Nearby, I find an odd, ring-shaped lake where I eagerlyquench my thirst. The cool water lifts my spirits, and I look upon thispuzzling existence with renewed hope. Perhaps, after all, I will findmy place in this strange world around me. My thoughts are inter-rupted by a sudden feeling of alarm. Then, I see it! A large, blackshape is hovering above me. I crouch, unable to decide whether torun or to fly. The black thing grows larger, and I realize that it isrushing clown upon me. There is no escape! As the air whistlesviolently around me. I know that I am about to die.The housewi fe gives the fly-swatter a final decisive shake as shemumbles, "Pesky fly!" Then, with a determined sni f f, she returnsto her cleaning.

Dull, Duller, Dulles

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Dull, Duller, Dulles

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