To preach or practise

It must be admitted that those of us who wish to see the present order of things political changed, need instruction in the art of revolution. However to receive such instruction from the gentle pen of Steve Lahood (star of stage, screen and lanternslide) surprises me just a little.

Lahood talks about a projected cowardice in the face of fire, "A real revolution when there are actual, tangible issues and principles at stake". I feel that the most important and basic principle that we or any other people must face is the lack of control that we ordinary people have over our own lives. I cannot accept that a meeting of the sort that we protested at is in any way a minute issue. In the long term this conference was more important than any Governmental conference could possibly be.

The Bank of Tokyo, Mitsubishi, Mitsui, Chase Manhattan, First National City Bank Lockheed etc are the real enemy. It is the activities of these companies and others like them that govern our life. Lahood speaks of Nixon's warmongering and seems to think that this is a basic issue. He must realise that Nixon acts in Indo China as the servant of international Capital. That war like most is the result of economic considerations and such wars will continue until such time as these people are again brought down to the level or ordinary men, with their rights, and not the rights of gods.

Steve Lahood seems to take exception to the demonstration because he does not like me very much because of the issues involved Well Steve, I am heart broken, but do not transfer the personality of Alick Shaw to the demonstration as a whole. God knows I wish it were all my work... but it was not I can think of many people who demonstrated who might very likely find me irrelevant to the protest movement. I can think of none who would do me the honour that you Steve have done in naming me a figure head.

If you ever did anything to make the movement more effective and better able to recognise and act on the real issues then you might insult me with more authority. However since you are as armchair bound as you are mistaken on the role that we "fuck wits" must play, I do not feel disposed to take your advice to heart. If you are intent on some poor fool martyring himself by blowing up French Embassy, or burning Phillip. . .then I would suggest that you could do us a double favour by doing it yourself and getting shot in the process.

Alick Shaw.

Part~time mothers

In replying to Terence Coogan and his "arrogant minorities", I had always thought that the bulk of student opinion was usually on the side of minority groups.

Students, many of whom have never really experienced the joy and exhilaration of playing with young spontaneous children could gain a great deal from having a creche on the campus. Students, and other people in this age group are often alienated from children, and when they themselves become parents, have little idea of what to expect from themselves or their children Having easily accessible contact with children could be a very valuable experience.

As for serious students — who is a "serious student"? The examination pass rate for parents using the creche is somewhere around 90%. Mr Coogan makes some very sweeping generalisations here. Who also are "housewives"? Someone, who, with nothing to do all day decides to take Education I to fill in her abundant spare time, or someone finishing a degree; or getting further qualifications to establish herself in a career once her children have gained some independence; or perhaps she is a fulltime student who through the imperfections of modern medical science has found herself in the position of "housewife" rather unexpectedly.

"Standard of living higher than that for most full-time students" - try feeding, housing and clothing two adults and perhaps two children on an income that seems designed only to support one.

Dianne Alexander.

Phantom anarchists

It seems some of the university's radicals are as foolish as those they protest against. A person who writes on a wall "Shoot All Racists" is just another sort of bigot who feels the evil of his sentiments is justified by someone else's evil. Such slogans are easy to paint on, and effective in terms of shock value and publicity. But they are useless gestures in that the protest is not superior to what is protested against. A man who is shocked by apartheid because it dehumanises, only contributes to that process when he does something dehumanising. The whole idea of political slogan writing is wasted effort, since its only value is shock tactics, which any myth, Bogeyman or Phantom in the Night, perpetuates.

J.L. Middlemiss

Maths is a drag

At the moment I am suffering in a probability lecture under the auspices of Dr Johnston; so it seems as good a time as any to write about what is on my mind:

I am a second year student taking Math 206 and 231 — not, admittedly because I want to, but because it is required of me by the prescriptions of Econ 201 and 202. I do not find stage II maths easy, and I always thought that lectures were supposed to make clear and understandable things that people might find hard to understand. However, out of the four lecturers I have at the moment, two, it seems to me, have no idea whatsoever about lecturing. Professor Seelye at least has his notes written down (the night before, as he told us so encouragingly at the beginning of the year); Dr Johnston doesn't even bother to do that, judging by the incoherence his lecture has displayed so far today.

I do not contend that these people are bad as mathematicians, but that as lecturers they are completely incompetent — at least at the level of my ability to grasp mathematical concepts.

But why should we be content with mathematicians who cannot lecture, not merely adequately, but not at all? My future career may well be at stake here, and I can see no reason at all why it should be jeopardised by people who are paid considerable sums of money to do the opposite. This must not be allowed to happen.

In short, Sir, I find this situation intolerable. No attempt is made by the lecturers I have mentioned to ensure that the class understands what is going on — it seems that we must take or leave whatever is scrawled onto the black-board (usually illegibly in Seelye's case) in such a hurry that I am left gasping.

It can be made even harder for people like myself to pass maths at stage II — but its seems to me a pointless thing to do. This is a university, a place of education, not of mystery and incompetence.

All of a bother

After reading Earle Grey's (heavily disguised) record review, I sat down ail of a bother, but determined to refute some of his seemingly more outlandish statements. Possibly it was just his style which threw me ( a style brilliantly adapted to his content), but I found myself, on re-reading the review, agreeing with him more than I cared to admit. However I would like to proffer the following thoughts.

I take it that the obscure reference to 1936 means that Mr Grey has heard the fourth symphony and approves of it, at least in part. I also take it that Mr Grey thoroughly disapproves of the fifth symphony, in which case I would submit that the poor man very possibly wrote it just to stay alive. "Aha" says Mr Grey, "Why then did he not go elsewhere and continue the good things that he started in the fourth?"

Dare I say that the reason was love of his mother-country? (very anarchical things, emotions!) In other words he compromised and earned the wrath of those in the alleged "vanguard."

I don't think that Dmitri was really suffering from "the old humanistic illusion that work and struggle ennoble Man and give point to existence". What I think he was saying was "Life is all thats left us, so dont kick it in the balls" or does that amount to the same thing for Mr Grey? Mr Grey implies that he is ready and waiting for death, in fact he can't get there quick enough. However, if faced with the prospect I think he may do a little cringing and compromising himself. I would certainly agree that Dmitri hasn't come far since the halcyon days of the fourth, and that the fifth exists as an anachronistic masterpiece in splendid isolation. But I am still left with the feeling that all those agitated strings cackling trumpets and vulgar percussion are indicative of great conflict (and not just tension).

Perhaps he sees his destiny as the demolisher of classical form. No no surely not. My feeble mind wanders.

Tony King.

Unclear smear

I wish to object strongly to yet another one of your anonymous, opinionated "news" stories.

The article in the last Salient (31st May) headed "Trots Walkout" gave the impression that "Socialist Action League members and supporters" alone walked out of the Committee on Vietnam meeting last week In fact members of the Socialist Action League constituted less than half of those who walked out. Most of the others had nothing whatsoever to do with the SAL. This sort of reporting is a smear on the antiwar movement and those who have set up the July 14 Mobilisation Committee.

I have no objection to Salient continuing its tradition of printing smears against the radical and antiwar movement in Wellington, just so long as those responsible for them have the decency to put their name to their handiwork.

Ian Powell

Money fucked

I couldn't help but feel a little sad while reading the May 31st issue of Salient. While agreeing in principle with the Labour Club's efforts at confronting the PBEC delegates (and I take it this is your position also), I was disturbed at turning to page six to read that Wilberfoss and Company were asking me and my fellows to help them accumulate a lot of money. I was particularly touched by the phrase "adjusting your career to fit your chosen life-style".

Now surely Mr Wilberfoss & Company are the very people the demonstrators were thumbing their noses at. My point being that Mr Wilberfoss and his ilk are the people with the money and therefore the power in our society. Where does this leave the editor of Salient? Castrated. (Revelling in the hypocrisy — Ed.) While I appreciate the irony that Mr Wilberfoss's money (paying for the ad) is being used to tell him he is a prick, nothing will change. New Zealand is far removed from revolution and the working class are now the last bastion of the status quo. Any change in our society will have its existence solely in the minds of men. I have to agree with Eric Blair (alias George Orwell) who said that revolution is self defeating (see Revolution, The Russian.)

Tony King.