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From: ekrell@ucla-cs.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.politics
Subject: Re: Nicaraguan Opposition access to TV: Reply to Sevener
Message-ID: <4697@ucla-cs.ARPA>
Date: Sun, 7-Apr-85 22:53:35 EST
Article-I.D.: ucla-cs.4697
Posted: Sun Apr  7 22:53:35 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 10-Apr-85 03:35:38 EST
References: <680@ihopb.UUCP> <489@harvard.ARPA> <528@whuxl.UUCP> <4512@ucla-cs.ARPA> <562@whuxl.UUCP> <4625@ucla-cs.ARPA> <574@whuxl.UUCP>
Reply-To: ekrell@ucla-cs.UUCP (Eduardo Krell)
Organization: UCLA Computer Science Department
Lines: 29
Summary: 

In article <574@whuxl.UUCP> orb@whuxl.UUCP (SEVENER) writes:
>1)Other *democratic* countries have government owned TV stations.  The
>  fact that the government happens to own the media is not prima facie
>  evidence that different viewpoints are not represented on the media.

  True, but add to that the fact that there is heavy censorship and that
in any dictatorship (left or right), the government has no incentive to (and
they won't) air any opposing viewpoint. Also, do you think the Sandinistas will
ever allow the opposition to have their own TV station?
 
>6)The censorship of La Prensa is reprehensible as is all censorship.
>  The Sandinistas should properly be severely criticized for that.
>  But the issue at hand was opposition access to TV time, which was
>  provided. 

  I still disagree, but even if you were right, the issue is much broader.
The question is: will there ever be democracy in Nicaragua?
A marxist-leninist dictatorship, like the Sandinista government, will NEVER
return to democracy by their own will. If you don't agree, then ask yourself
the following question:
  Right wing dictatorships always end up falling (with or without violence).
Just look at South America in the last couple of years. Peru, Bolivia,
Argentina, Uruguay, Brasil, etc. have returned to democratic governments.
Name one marxist-leninist regime that has gone back to democracy by their
own will (not by a military coup or by foreign invasion).
  Don't look too hard because you won't find any. Isn't this interesting?
-- 
    Eduardo Krell               UCLA Computer Science Department
    ekrell@ucla-locus.arpa      ..!{sdcrdcf,ihnp4,trwspp,ucbvax}!ucla-cs!ekrell