Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - December 8, 1981, Winnipeg, Manitoba Two crises have Little to with the real world Sinai peacekeeping Force was almost sabotaged by begins reluctance to let european nations contribute troops to by Norman Kempster the los Angeles times Jerusalem surrounded by hostile beset with triple digit inflation and faced with fester ing inter communal Animo Israel would seem to have plenty of things to worry about without inventing yet for the past several the country political process has been tied in knots by conflicts Over Europe an participation in the Sinai peace keeping Force and a strategic cooperation agreement with the United states that seem to have Only the most theoretical connection to any thing in the real the Central elements of the twin jurors israeli withdrawal from the occupied Sinai Peninsula and possible armed conflict in the Middle East Are to be but the Emo Tio charged debates Are Over peripheral matters that Are unlikely to have much Impact on the key the controversy Over the Sinai Force was particularly under the terms of the Camp David peace Accord Between Egypt and is the israelis Are required to evacuate the final on third of the Sinai by next the treaty specifies that an International army will patrol the area to guard against treaty failure to establish the Force could be reason for Israel to refuse to vacate the in could cancel the peace the at the very would be a dangerous increase in tensions in the Middle that would be but that was not what the debate was the multinational Force is already assured and the israeli government is fully committed to carrying out the treaty to the the United states plans to contrib Ute about half of the strength of the Sinai detach ments also will be sent by co and the dispute was Over whether troops from Brit Italy and the nether lands would be allowed to participate after they said they would do so for reasons that the israelis found sus there was never any question of substance involved in the Controvert but the debate Over form was hot and heavy for a the matter seems to have been settled in a Way befitting the sort of crisis that it Israel and the United states issued a joint declaration soothing israels feelings without irritating the euro peans too unless the Europe ans object to the which is they will be allowed to Par the Brouhaha boiled up after the four european nations announced they were willing to Send troops to the Sinai in support of the european common markets Middle East poli which while insisting on Guaran tees for the Security of places equal emphasis on Justice for the palestinian people and their right to it also holds that the must be involved in the process leading to comprehensive those Are bitter words for Israel to but they Are Only from the the europeans said they were willing to participate in a military Force that has Only one conceivable purpose supporting the Camp David peace treaty Between is Rael and the who never inhabited the Sinai and have no claims do not enter into the picture at israeli led by prime minister Menachem reacted threatening to veto european for a it appeared that the rhetoric had be come so hot that neither Side could Back Down without a massive loss of but the ultimate Compromise seemed to leave enough room for each Side to proclaim the issues surrounding the Strate Gic cooperation agreement Between Israel and the United states Are More but on its the memo Randum of understanding is a modest document that does Little More than codify the existing informal cooperation be teen the the key article in the agreement pledges Washington and Jerusalem to cooperate to resist any threat to the peace of the Region caused by the soviet Union or soviet controlled forces from outside the there seems to be nothing in the memorandum of understanding to justify the extravagant language that was applied to it by both supporters and opponents in four opposition parties filed parliamentary motions of no Confidence against begins coalition govern in the course of the debate and in later both supporters and opponents of the document made some sweeping for unnamed government officials were quoted by Israel radio As saying the document would have a profound Impact on israeli foreign re these officials said that some african nations were interested in renewing diplomatic ties with Israel now it has a formal strategic tie with opponents charged that the agree ment might obligate Israel to Send its soldiers off to foreign wars in support of foreign perhaps even to help defend saudi arabian Royal fam the claims of the government and the qualms of the opposition All seem to be highly the Best guess is that begin wanted to codify existing practice As a Law he prefers to have things in it is difficult to see How the signing of the strategic agreement will change israels Security for better or it is equally difficult to determine How the presence or absence of european troops in the Sinai Force will affect israels withdrawal from the desert Peninsula or its peace treaty with but there is no doubt that the controversies have provided israelis with a Way to forget at least for a while the country More Basic ones that cannot be solved by issuing a joint declaration with some answers by Britta Kellgren special to the free press Stockholm de spite their Are not heavy alcohol consumption Here is far behind that of the worlds and it also trails the United Sweden is currently engaged in a Campaign to fight alcohol ism for one essential its Cost to society is Sweden is the total welfare where nobody social needs Are neg but if present trends on half of this nation will be employed in caring for the other half by the end of the alcoholism is a big Factor in the roughly on third of patients admit Ted to for suffer from afflictions related to drunkenness is a major cause of labor absenteeism and automobile even retarded babies can be traced to mothers who drank during studies the government spends nearly billion per year for social and health programs to Cope with problems directly or in directly connected with Given the fact that Sweden Popula Tion of million is 25 times less than that of the United the expenditure would reach some billion were it translated into american liquor is sold in Sweden Only through government owned outlets known As system Bolagek whose retailing methods Are strictly among other the shops Are closed on which discourages swedes from stocking up on alcohol for weekend oddly they have not been buying alcohol earlier in the week since the saturday ban started last liquor ads illegal liquor advertising is also stringently it is for to show people in liquor and even portraying wine on dinner tables is against the Only the bottle can be and Only in taxes on liquor Are so that a bottle of scotch whisky costs about there is also talk of return ing to a rationing system such As existed until under that married men were entitled to four quarts per and single women to one quart every three one idea is to record liquor Pur chases in government stores by com so that heavy buyers can be the restriction might also curb buyers from passing liquor to drinking has actually declined Here Over the past two on a per capita swedes consume six quarts of pure alcohol per year compared to 17 quarts per person in France and nine quarts in the United but drinking Here tends to be of the self destructive swedes often aim simply to get drunk by finishing off a bottle of Gin or Brandy in a and then stagger Home through the driving while drunk is1 a serious of in the crusade against alcohol ism is being promoted by politicians responsive to moralistic strains in the Many swedes Are reacting against the image of Sweden As a permissive in which drinking is associated with pornography and other for Many the social costs of alcoholism Are calculated in More than Money at one Hospi Tal Here in for the staff is fed up with treating Drunken patients Are sent away and told to return when they Are a doctor told its pointless to Deal with they disregard instructions and just keep coming lift prohibitions that attitude reflects the mood of numbers of who would rather lift than enforce the prohibitions on and at the same time reduce the attention paid to heavy their View mirrors the growing feel ing Here that Overly pampered by the swedish welfare ought to be allowed to determine their own Fate rather than rely on the government for the real approach to alcoholism should be to Stop trying to turn swedes into Ideal and consider them As adults who can be entrusted to drink As much As they that is the policy in most other it is not and it is a Good Deal less expensive than the swedish system of helping people who will not help a swedish writes on social issues in drunkenness is a problem new As the new ministers gathered last week for their first Cabinet the new Era was officially under this change in government has been a rather cordial in Sharp contrast to the revolutionary like mood which characterized previous Transi there is some apprehension in the outside world about future policies and trepidation in the hearts of those employees who realize their jobs May but basically there has been less panic in All Sec when the first new democratic party government came to Power in 1969 there was particular concern in the business sector about the invasion of the socialist hordes and fear about government while Vari Ous civil servants who had Laboured under the tories for 11 years were fearful about their loss of positions and As it turned the latter group did not suffer As much As sex primarily because of the new governments As it merely brought in its own people and attempted to reorganize around the existing instead of dismissing eight years later when the tories returned to there was originally less concern in the business commune but those within the governmental process quickly Learned they were in Sterling Lyon had made it under the dome Arlene Billinkoff Clear during the Campaign that his government would practise protracted restraint in order to fight the growing deficit created by the and intended to rid the administration of those with a socialist it was immediately evident that he would keep his word when he fired three Deputy ministers even before being officially sworn into by the end of the tory More than civil servants and contract employees had been compelled to seek new numerous govern ment programs were Frozen or can celled and a negative mood was Preva Lent in almost every segment of the that mood seems to have at least concerns of the business world have been eased by Howard Hawleys Middleon therond and less apprehension is evident among government employ presumably the nip approach to the is the reason for the rela Tive unlike the Surprise Vic tory in they expected to win this time and Pawley appointed a transition group even before the votes were it was not a sign of he but rather an attempt to ensure the changeover would be smooth and we dont want the chaotic bloodletting we had in that does not mean a total absence of but it is going to be orderly and of lesser magnitude than in Pawley while he did not intend to treat the civil service in the same manner As his Nec Essary adjustments would be at least the warning was issued and those who recognize their own Vulner ability have the Opportunity to exit in honorable one Deputy minister immediately notified the government of his willingness to but others remain reluctant to admit there would be any difficulty working with the nip despite their previous relationships with the their Are num the employment of 23 people was already and while those executive and special assistants to Cabinet ministers knew when they were appointed that their jobs would end when the government their departures were an indication of More to despite the absence of mass firings in the initial it is evident that off on this government will place its own people in crucial therefore Derek who had been clerk of the executive Council through four found himself As a technical officer with Little to do in an obscure an apparent incentive for voluntary at the same some Deputy and assistant Deputy ministers Are aware that their work and political beliefs Are being assessed to see if they reflect the philosophical direction of the new As Pawley while most members of the civil service Are dedicated professionals serving the Public there May be a Small number of individuals with Strong political and policy views who Lack compatibility with the activist approach of the nip his people will be studying various officials and making changes with compassion and concern for careers and he but regardless of that it is inevitable that some will certainly if the first week was any Indica various people placed in virtual vacuums will eventually search for other while that activity continues in the the Cabinet members Are Busy coping with their new As they strode into their first Cabinet they presented a Range of several looked one smiled broadly and others looked veterans such As Sam Yuskiw and Len Evans had the confident appear Ance of those who had been there while Wilson Parasiuk dra Matic pause for the television seemed to emphasize that the show was about to the show will be a difficult one As Billie Uruski Manitoba is on our with Monu mental Meg project negotiations and various election promises which May be problems Are nevertheless they seem to be starting on a positive doonesbury were haying a Herb pm f youre ii us if you Era a you just vont Khou when to do you Justice is som5 thing you never Hes just i a Bujard 85 5kpeckdtd 1 grasp what v yeah to says i cant i its a pkiv5n fact youre mature than at this ;