Lionel Abel
POSITIONS
Is anyone at all interested in how my view of our political
scene has changed over the years? Then let me here state some of the
positions I held formerly and the one I hold- or am trying to
hold- today.
During the thirties, I supported the Trotskyists; in 1941, I
broke with them because they did not support the war against
Hider. After the war, I was against McCarthyism, for civil rights,
and against our policy in southeast Asia. I voted for the Democratic
party candidate in 1960, 1964, and in 1968. But I did not support
McGovern in 1972 or Jimmy Carter in 1976 or 1980. I shall vote for
Ronald Reagan in the coming election.
But I do not consider myself to be a Republican or a right–
winger for good and always. I was of the Left, but have strayed
somewhat towards the Right. I cannot go into all the reasons for this.
Let me just explain why I'm going to vote for a Republican in the
coming election.
Morton Kondracke in the
Wall Street Journal
(June 28, 1984)
has given five reasons for supporting Reagan for president and then
a number of reasons for reserving judgment. I agree with the five
reasons he has given for backing the president. I do not agree with
his reservation, which I do not quite understand. So let me here sum–
marize his reasons for backing the president.
Kondracke holds that (1) the president has reassured our allies
about American resolve; (2) increased our defenses; (3) indicated
that we are quite ready to use force; (4) out-maneuvered his domes–
tic opponents; (5) and made much-objected-to cuts at one stroke in
the beginning of his term . I find these reasons valid, but I want to
add just another of my own.
I strongly object to the foreign policy notions held by the Demo–
cratic party's candidates. They follow the lead of President Carter
who stressed "human rights" in foreign affairs, a policy which led to
disaster for us and also for the people of Iran and of Iraq. On this
matter of morals in foreign affairs, let me quote Raymond Aron:
In international affairs, there are always elements of immorality
because foreign policy is a conflict, to one degree or another.
