University of Virginia Library

Letters To The Editor

CD Philistines Skate On Socialists

Last Thursday evening, the
National Caucus of Labor
Committees sponsored a forum
on the U.Va. campus. The
subject of the forum,
"Socialism or fascism: the
strategy for working class
defense against Phase III," was
of the most crucial importance
for every politically conscious
student. As the world economy
descends into the second Great
Depression of this century,
fascism will be forced upon us
all within this decade unless
the working class and its allies
unite around a socialist
alternative. Upon the outcome
of this struggle will depend the
future of the human race. And
yet, although information
about the forum was delivered
in advance to The Cavalier
Daily, no announcement
appeared in the newspaper. As
a consequence those students
who identify their interests
with the working class had
little opportunity to know
about the forum, and
attendance was poor.

This is the second time a
"slip-up" of this kind has
occurred. Previously, about a
month ago, NCLC candidate
for Congress Robert Kaufman
appeared on campus. The
notice of this socialist
candidate's appearance was
delivered well in advance to the
CD offices, but mysteriously
failed to appear in print.

Of course, The Cavalier
Daily found ample space to
devote to has-been economist
Milton Friedman, whose
reputation was discreetly
buried by the Nixon regime one
recent moonless night (August 15,
1971). Friedman, like Keynes,
mistakenly assumed that an
impending world monetary
crisis would be prevented by
manipulating contingent
phenomena, to the effect that
the "accident" of 1929-31
would not be repeated.

Now that he has evidently
retired from economics,
Friedman treated the U.Va.
audience to a hilarious
comparison between capitalism
and socialism, in which both
systems were presumed to be
based on the same
(Friedman's) view of human
nature: "Man is greedy." Such
pearls, especially when they
fall from the lips of washed-out
Washington bureaucrats, fit in
well with the CD's usual
coverage of fraternities and
sports.

It would seem that the more
parochial the question, or the
lower the intellectual level at
which it is treated, the more
likely it is to be covered in The
Cavalier Daily.

No one can interfere with
the CD's philistine views as
they are expressed in the
editorial column, nor can the
editors be blamed for the
skates the Legal Forum has
seen fit to bring to campus.
However, students too have the
right to hear alternative views.
If the CD does not wish to lay
itself open to the charge of
deliberately suppressing news
of left activities on campus, it
would do well to take more
care not to "lose"
announcements of interest to
pro-working class students.

Un-Hurd Of...

(an open letter to the Honorable
Mr. William Hurd)

We who are opposed to the
Vietnam War are very pleased
to see that you have had a
change of heart. We commend
you for your statement: "No
one should ever be forced to
contribute to an organization
whose activities violate his
moral, religious, or political
beliefs..." From this statement
we are certain that you are
now opposed to such activities
as war taxes and the Draft.

We are also glad to see that
the fear of being inconsistent
with former beliefs has not
inhibited you from such an
extreme, and we feel laudable,
change. We are sorry to see
that you may be ostracized by
your former cohorts since, in
taking this position, you will
undoubtedly be opposed to
further support of Capitalism
where the many are forced to
support the wealth, luxury,
and immorality of the few who
are rich. To help you along in
your change we now give you
the position of Honorary
Member of War Tax
Resistance.