April 1988

4/1/88

USSR says would open its space program to internat investigation if others did same & banned space weapons

Shamir says rioters would be crushed “like grasshoppers.” “We say to them from the heights of this mountain and from the perspective of thousands of years of history that they are like grasshoppers compared to us.”

Edwin “Never Been Indicted” Meese is not cleared by ind counsel, who says there is not enough evidence to indict.
-Rumor says Nancy wants him out


4/2/88

USSR-Pakistan negotiations on Afghanistan going badly. Part of problem that the latter party is making a fortune out of internat aid & wants to make sure its refugees leave.
-On aid, inc UN, Pakistani practice is granting registration of a refugee only through intervention of a party of the Afghan resistance. Can only get food, etc by declaring support. Also, Afghans insist that discrim prevails. UN-run camp schools teach 104,600 boys & 7,800 girls; high schools = boys-only

Russell Baker, commenting on Israeli theories of riot control, says that the Fr Revo could have been prevented if there had been tv cameras to ban.

Stanford has replaced its required western culture class w/a multi-cultural


4/3/88

“Government is the great fiction, through which everybody endeavors to live at the expense of everybody else.” Frédéric Bastiat, 1872

A Nation article by Rob’t McIntyre 4/2/88 on taxes says the cost of non-Social Security nondefense spending dropped from 10.3% of GNP fiscal 1980 to 7.8% 1988, more than enough to pay for the increase in military spending from 5% GNP 1980 to 6.5% 1986 (6.1% 1988). So where from the deficit? Supply-side tax policy, slaying taxes for richest. 5m families (inc their share of corporate tax reductions) by $370b 1981-8. Federal interest payments 1.5% GNP 1970s, 3.4% now.
-1/4 of the rich’s tax breaks were taken back 1986.
-95% of families now paying a higher % of income in fed taxes than 10 yrs ago. Ave tax for richest 1%, down 25% from 1977, their ave real after-tax income having jumped 74%.

4/4/88

Ed Koch: “If people who don’t stand by Israel are Jewish, may they rot in hell.”


4/5/88

Jesse Jackson last mo. wrote to Noriega asking him to resign

Evan Meacham convicted & ousted by AZ. senate


4/6/88

1st conviction for a fed employee disclosing info to the press (Jane’s Defence Weekly)

Geoffrey Stokes in Village Voice suggests that contrary to every news report, which seem based on little as there were no exit polls, that in the Mich. primary, Jackson won a plurality of white votes.

The Economist says that Kinnock is not fighting the leadership threat on an ideological but a personal level.

The 1st Israeli civilian died, teenage girl stoned & beaten to death. The area was then sealed off. Israeli (civilians) fired 1st

Dukakis wins Wisc.; front-runner again


4/7/88

Simon, what’s the term, “suspended” his campaign. Ditto Robertson.

On military, Jackson says a freeze on military budget would take place over 5 yrs, w/no scrapping of weapons systems

ANC leader Albio Sachs (white, prominent) hit by a bomb in his car in Mozambique. His arm blown off, may die. SA is trying to kill ANC leaders. Its representative in Paris was bombed last week. 4 were killed by SA soldiers in Gabarone last week.

LaRouche’s lawyers subpoena the notebook of Ollie North who is said to have directed the plot to destroy him.

Israeli Relig Affairs Minister calls on army to “cut off the arms of these wild men and smash the skull of the viper of death.”

The case mentioned 4/5/88, US v. Morison involved a civilian Navy employee who sold a US satellite photo of a Soviet aircraft carrier. Court of Appeals case.

This is good: the Israeli teenager killed was autopsied & a bullet found--from same gun as shot 2 Palestinians. 5 homes were blown up, more to come, one Arab shot dead. Indeed, hit in head.


4/8/88

Edwin “Never Been Convicted” Meese’s nomination for #2 spot at Justice belongs to an all-male & to an all-white club. He hasn’t decided whether 9 mos. in DC is worth resigning from them.

Sec Ed. Wm Bennett says Cath schools should seek out the worst & drop-out students, educate them, “then ask society for fair recompense for your efforts.”

The results of tax simplification: RR’s income up $9,000, tax down $6,000


4/9/88

SA censorship now being exported to Namibia


4/11/88

Israel expels 8 more to Lebanon

Duarte revokes amnesty of 3 who killed Amers. in 1985


4/12/88

Georgia to prohibit execution of retarded. Who does that leave in Georgia?

Nixon says RR should pardon his indicted former aides (North & Poindexter).


4/13/88

Former press sec. Larry Speakes said in his book that he made up quotes by RR, inc at the 1985 summit.

ARENA says it was defrauded in Salvadoran election, wants it overturned. Got 30 of 60 seats in assembly.

Bush says hopes North & Poindexter found not guilty.


4/14/88

Norway intro 37½ hr week last yr

RR admin trying to use McCarran-Walter, for 1st time, to throw out resident aliens

A real estate developer gave Ed Meese’s wife a job while negotiating a $50m office lease from Justice in a building he owned.

Bush wants swift execution of convicted of drug-related murders.

Ed Koch endorses Gore, Likud’s defender in te US

Alexander Cockburn comments on Amn. Int’s failure to adopt Mordechai Vanunu, who will be in solitary for 18 yrs. They say he was prosecuted for a criminal offense. So are Soviet dissidents.


4/15/88

The Afghanistan peace accords signed. 12,000 Russians killed; NYT doesn’t bother mentioning Afghans. Back to chaos.


4/16/88

If there were 2 gates, one “To Heaven,” one “To lectures about Heaven,” all Germans would make for the 2nd.

Richard Secord is suing Leslie Cockburn, author of Out of Control, on Iran-Contra, her journalist husband, and an ex military man who is testifying in the Christic Institute lawsuit for many millions, claiming loss of business from damages to his rep


4/17/88

After PLO’s military leader assassinated in Tunisia, riots in Israel, 15 killed

In Nicaragua talks, Contra leader Chamorro: “We came here to achieve at the conference table what we have not been able to achieve in the mountains.”

Fed appeals court says Admin acted improperly in denying Salvador Allende’s widow visa into US

There’s a bill before Br Parl to reduce abortion deadline from 28 to 18 weeks. Intro by a Lib, chances said to be about even. The problem is that medical science keeps reducing the viable age of a fetus and it is now nearing the earliest effective time for amniocentesis

Alexander Cockburn on contra aid & the choice between military aid (calling a gun a gun), non-lethal aid (calling a gun a logistical support item) & humanitarian aid (calling a gun passive air defense equipment).


4/18/88

Denmark trying to ban nuclear ships

After another mining in the Gulf, US blew up 2 Iranian oil platforms. Today, naval war ensued

Tunisian gov has found Israel responsible for assassination of PLO’s #2 man.

Bush says Libya subsidizing Noriega. And Qaddafi endorsed Bush for prez

The Economist endorses Mitterrand in the prez elections


4/19/88

Pope Celestine V (13C)’s remains stolen

In a badly-regressive tax, Thatcher passed it only 320-295. There seem to be Con. revolts

Bennett claims that Stanford capitulated to a campaign of intimidation in move to require multi-cultural readings “an assault on western culture, on western civilization.”

Dukakis wins NY 51%, Jackson 37, Gore 10

Some of the secret files from the Rob’t Kennedy assassination investigation by LAPD opened. Seems that many many files & 2,400 photos were destroyed

3 more Justice Dept aides resigning


4/20/88

SA gives the administrator of Namibia powers to override the Namibian cabinet, authorize race-based elections & censor the press.


4/21/88

Br gov thinks the MacBride accords for NI investment promote positive discrim to the pt. of illegality, and discourages investment

Delvalle asks a multinational force to oust Noriega

Sup Court upholds gov plan to dev part of a nat forest in n. CA. sacred to 3 Ind tribes, 5-3. Says there is no remedy, even if the religion is destroyed

Gore pulls out.

Tunisia in UN says while Israel was attacking Abu Jihad of PLO, a Boeing w/Israeli markings was jamming radar.

A State Dept report says RENAMO, opposition in Mozambique, killed 100,000 civiliains, 100s of 1000s fled country

Sen. votes 69-27 to give $20,000 & apology to each Jap-Am. interned WW2.

Pope Celestine shows up

The 1984 RR campaign fined $10,000 for violations of the $1,000 max-contrib, for a total of $193,674. Not a bad deal


4/22/88

Mass. enacted 1st guaranteed health insurance to all residents

4/24/88

Fr 1st round elections: Mitterrand 34%, Chirac 20%

Israel thought killing Abu Jihad would end the unrest. What contempt they must have for the Palestinians. Rabin (min defense, Labor) very supportive, so Peres shut up about it


4/25/88

Israel to execute another Nazi, this one expelled from US


4/26/88

Most disgusting mixed metaphor of the week, from the Guardian: Says Jean-Marie Le Pen’s vote gives US a glimpse of the dark corners of the French body politic

René Rémond says Mitterrand inflated Nat Front to divide the right a) through proportional representation, b) reviving immigration issue by saying that foreign workers should be allowed to vote in muni elections

US will start easing sanctions on Panama

AZ fails to ban abortions 30-28 in favor of ban, needed 31. Evidently, they think RR’s Sup Court might overrule itself

Israel throws out reporters from NBC & WaPo for stories on assassination of Abu Jihad--not submitted to military censor.

World Court orders binding arbitration on US expulsion of PLO’s UN mission

Sen. passes 48-30 benefits for 250,000 vets exposed to atomic radiation

Thatcher’s new community charge is predicated on the interesting logic that regressive taxes are necessary to keep everyone interested in local spending. No representation w/out taxation.


4/29/88

Sen. Foreign Relations Cmte votes to subpoena Ollie North’s diaries for drug smuggling

Trade between the 2 Germanies fell by 5% last yr to less than W Ger trade w/Denmark. But last mo. E Ger signed accord to be linked w/W Ger’s electricity grid

Something unusual: refugees from one communist country in another. Since Jan., >8,000 Hungarians from Transylvania have left Romania & applied for formal residence in Hungary (granted to 1,800 so far)

Thatcher had to back down & restore housing allowances. Last week she had to increase tax rebates for poor people for the poll tax

Roh Tae Woo’s party in S Korea’s Nat Ass dropped in election to well short of majority

SA to shut the Weekly Mail for 3 mos. This following closure of New Nation.

The judge in the Iran-Contra case accuses the gov of intentionally w/holding documents

Meese wants everyone arrested to be subjected to drug testing -- for pretrial release & as a factor in sentencing. Presumption of innocence?

House votes 252-159 to ban any Star Wars tests violating ABM
Treaty

De Beers calls for a new SA const to give pol & econ equality

Dukakis claims as one job qualif that he has balanced the MA budget. When RR left CA, our budget was balanced too

Hong Kong const is out. Capitalist system and life-style for 50 yrs. China has veto. It is said it could effectively outlaw some form of pol dissent


4/30/88

Br gov tried to block a tv program on killing of 3 IRA in Gibraltar. It includes an interview of a witness who says that 2 had surrendered. They did keep it out of Gibraltar. Thatcher: “Trial by tv or guilt by accusation is the day that freedom dies.”

US forces in the Persian Gulf will now protect all neutral ships

Gorbachev calls for relig balance. Will be a law on freedom of conscience. This is nearing the 1,000th anniversary of Russian christianity