Suchergebnisse

One day last February Ian Smith, head of the Rhodesian Government, sat down with three black leaders and signed an agreement that is designed to bring a majority-ruled Zimbabwe into being by the end of this year. After signing, Smith extended his hands upward and shrugged his shoulders, as though to signal his resignation to the inevitable. The black leaders were jubilant. Much of the rest of the world expressed relief that one of the nastiest conflicts in a race-conscious universe was apparently on its way to peaceful resolution. Resignation, jubilation, relief—but these are not the only reactions to what has come to be called "the internal settlement." In Africa and elsewhere, especially at the United Nations, the settlement has been condemned by many as a sellout to continued white racism. Because it is important to understand the objections to the settlement, we will begin there.

One day last February Ian Smith, head of the Rhodesian Government, sat down with three black leaders and signed an agreement that is designed to bring a majority-ruled Zimbabwe into being by the end of this year. After signing, Smith extended his hands upward and shrugged his shoulders, as though to signal his resignation to the inevitable. The black leaders were jubilant. Much of the rest of the world expressed relief that one of the nastiest conflicts in a race-conscious universe was apparently on its way to peaceful resolution. Resignation, jubilation, relief—but these are not the only reactions to what has come to be called "the internal settlement." In Africa and elsewhere, especially at the United Nations, the settlement has been condemned by many as a sellout to continued white racism. Because it is important to understand the objections to the settlement, we will begin there.

Mr. Peter G. Peterson, Assistant to the President for International Economic Affairs and frequently called the President's "economic Kissinger," must be credited at least with candor when he recently stated: "I believe we must dispel any 'Marshall Plan psychology' or relatively unconstrained generosity that may remain. This is not just a matter of choice but of necessity." In a hungry world, unfortunately, an American imperial policy of unmitigated self-interest is not made more morally palatable by the candor with which it is proclaimed. Mr. Peterson's recommendations would remove the ethical linchpin of the Jewish-Christian tradition (and of the American experience at its best), namely, the belief that the rich are accountable to the poor and the strong to the weak. As "idealistic" as they may seem, it is the better part of realism to recognize that such ideals are an essential ingredient in holding together the experiment that is American society.

The Bible has hard words for people who miss the time of God's vigitation. The fault is not God's, we are told, for he long ago warned us his spokesmen would appear in unlikely places and improbable disguise. The task of discernment is ours. History's record is one of missed visitations, from Jeremiah to Franz Jagerstatter, not to mention Jesus of Nazareth. Among those who take this business of discernment seriously the rumor is now about that God has done it again, this time in the form of a youthfully middle-aged Jesuit poet, priest, and prisoner. The less serious have picked up on the rumor, and excitement spreads. The way to Calvary is littered with books, magazine articles, T.V. specials, and a smashingly successful off-Broadway play (soon to be a major movie!), the offerings of a cheering crowd hungry for heroism.