University of Virginia Library

Harbaugh, Germino Lament Nixon Election,
Condemn Administration's Misuse Of Power

By BARBARA BROWNELL

"I regard President Richard
M. Nixon's four more years in
the White House not as a
reason for cheer, but for
lamentation," said Government
and Foreign Affairs Prof.
Dante L. Germino in a panel
discussion. "Nixon: Four

Down, Four to Go!," at the
Graduate Lounge last
night

"I was socialized in North
Carolina when Graham and
Scott contributed much to the
Humanism of politics. I carry
this Humanism with me and
Nixon has never measured up
to these standards of North
Carolina Humanism," he
lamented

Mr. Germino explained that
Nixon was elected "without his
vote" and since that time he
has been faced with three
major issues of power,
equality, and quality, each of
which he has "poorly
handled."

"Through America's
acceptance of power she was
faced with a global
policeman's job" he said. "In the
equality issue was the task of
abolishing discrimination, and
the quality issue enveloped the
problem of the spiritual
poverty of the affluent."

Kissinger Sets Trend

"When Nixon took office he
solved the first issue with
Henry Kissinger, who seems to
maintain that all the problems
of power can be solved with
power." Mr. Germino said.

"The second issue of poverty
has been poorly confronted
with a policy of benign neglect
and Mr. Nixon's busing role
has been little short of
disgraceful."

Mr. Germino also
emphasized Mr. Nixon's failure
on the last issue. He accused
the President of lacking
theories and fundamentals.

"I would have expected a
conservative party to be
interested in conservation of
social values instead of in
materialism," he speculated.
"Nixon asks for pragmatism
and adjustment, but in a crisis
more basic, humanistic
concepts are needed."

Compared To Fallen Empire

History Prof. William H.
Harbaugh also chaired the
panel and presented several
anti-Nixon views. Relying on
an historical perspective, Mr.
Harbaugh compared Nixon's
leadership to that of past fallen
empires.

"The fall of the Roman,
British, and Spanish Empires
may be attributed to an
over-extension of power and a
resulting arrogance which lead
to internal dissension and
dependency on mercenary
powers." Mr. Harbaugh
asserted. "Nixon is pushing
toward the same goal with his
desire to be number one. We
have to learn to share power."

Mr. Harbaugh expressed his
disappointment in Mr. Nixon's
confrontation of current issues.
He explains that Mr. Nixon has
a "bad sense of history."

"I have come to the
conclusion that Mr. Nixon is an
ideologue and believes a lot of
what he says and does," he
asserted.

"I remember his
extraordinary speech saying
that we'd have the most radical
program in years through
reorganization of the cabinet
and I believe that he thinks this
reorganization will make him
go down in history."

The panel members later
opened the discussion to the
audience.