Scott Replies

May your locks turn to dust and disappear in the wind you old barbarian, you will be calling me a member of the KGB next. If, by "he secretly made his decision" you mean I made it myself without asking anyone else's permission or consulting the Delphic Oracle, then you are right and how singularly unsurprising. As for "not taking the chance of being.......persuaded" out of it - unlike Peter Edwards - I would not resign if my reason were so shaky that all I needed was a bit of "persuasion" to reverse it.

Thirdly if my principle guiding force in life was "fear of blemishing my academic record" then given the state of said record I would have either given up or committed suicide before now. It is not only Not the reason I resided, but given your own personal knowledge of my situation and precisely what aspect of it has changed since I stood for the position last year, it was an unimaginative guess. I said my reasons for resigning were personal and I Meant personal, not academic. I'm sorry about the vagueness of the word but if I thought your readers would be even slightly hungry for the details I probably would have suggested serialising The Young and the Restless in Salient last year.

I am aware that your Editorial was written to perform a necessary function, and despite my lack of affection for its inaccuracies I think it did quite well. But I share your belief in the need for a good Executive and an effective SRC Co-ordinator, and I don't see how the alternative possibility of having to conduct the position by correspondence from Canada could be seen to fit in with that principle.

Finally may I suggest that in order to prevent this sort of thing happening in the future you demand from all prospective Exec candidates an assurance that they can predict the future. That way if they are later sauntering past a building site one day and a great block of concrete drops on their heads crushing them to a 1 inch thick disc, you can rip into them for unjustiable and irresponsible resignation. It they're impressed enough with that arguement they might even agree to carry on in that condition in order to stave off the crippling cost and bother of finding a healthy replacement.

The Soviet Union and Iran

James Morgan's article on Iran in the February 26 Salient gave some interesting background to the ferment there. However, it ends on a note which is quite discordant with the rest of the article. After having pointed out that the Iranian upheaval has primarily been against exploitation and by the United States and its henchman, the Shah, Morgan switches positions abruptly to say that "The most urgent task for the Iranian people is to unite against any attempts of Soviet social-imperialist to subvert their revolution.

The most "subversive" forces in Iran are the old capitalist politicians, police and army leaders, who are trying to worm their way back in, and who have close traditional ties with the United States. And a number of US Cabinet ministers recently threatened publicly that there would be military intervention if oil supplies from the region were threatened.

It is true that the Soviet government does have a conservative influence. This is consistent with its foreign policy since the rise of Stalin. They have shown this in Iran in the past, particularly during the revolutionary upsurge in Iran just after the Second World War. Stalin used his troops at the time to demand a joint Soviet - Iranian oil company to process the oil.

It is quite false to say, as Morgan does, that Russia "welcomed the toppling of the pro-US regime". The Soviet Union did not welcome the Iranian upheaval. It has a destabilising on the Soviet Union's southern border. So Brezhnev maintained ties with the Shah right up until it became obvious that the monarch's days were numbered. Last year both Brezhnev and Hua Kuo-feng sent the Shah extremely laudatory birthday greetings.

The attitude of the Chinese and the Russian governments is not in fact essentially different. They both fear revolutionary upsurges. They both seek to preserve the international status quo.

The likes of Brezhnev and Deng Xiao-ping feel happier hob-knobbing it with the Shah (as Hua Kuo-feng did last year) than supporting the struggle of the Iranian people.

Morgan should be careful that his anti-Sovietism doesn't get out of hand. The main Soviet influence in Iran is in the Tudeh Party, which plays a not insignificant role among the oil workers. Morgan could well end up supporting Khomeini against the oil workers in the name of being against the Russians.

Oh dear - another Handbook letter

I, too agree with last weeks correspondents, bewailing the standard of the course critique in the Handbook. In many cases the criticisms seemed excessively subjective and very negative in attitude. Consequently most were completely useless and a waste of paper.

Could I make some suggestions to improve this lamentable state of affairs? UCSA's 1978 Handbook course critique was an attempt at an objective approach and it could be worthwhile for the 1980 editors to examine it for ideas.

Critiques were given for all Stage I and II papers. Pass rates were included, workload, amount of internal assessment and the opinion of those who attended the courses. The latter was obtained by administering a questionaire to a set percentage of those enrolled, on a random basis at the beginning of the lecture. It included questions on what they thought of the course, workload and, if the student had the year over again would he / she have still enrolled in that course.

The critiques were previewed by the Head of each. Department, whose reply was also published The result was information with which the student could use in deciding his / her course. Trusting that this is of some use.

Another smart-arse

I was going to write a letter, but I couldn't be bothered.

A Little Problem

I am therefore I think. Or so I thought. I think I thought I am, but then I was told I wasn't. So I thought I am, I think, but I'm not. I think I am therefore I thought, I think, I was when I think I am, but again I was told I wasn't. They thought I think therefore I am, or so they thought, but I think not. Am I?

A Christian's Comment

I refer to the letter "Christian Saviours" by T. S. Koh in the March 5 issue of Salient. He observes that members of some christian organisations have been approaching newly arrived overseas students and helping them with the aim of converting them and thus selfishly promoting their own cause.

It may be true that some have been insensitive in their ways. On the other hand, there are also a considerable number of christian students who are genuine in their assistance of new students without trying to convert them. I for one, have been helped by such students when I first arrived to start my course, some years ago. At no stage were there any attempts to convert me. They helped me because I needed help. This needs to be acknowledged in order to redress the picture. I'm sure that many christian students and those who have been helped can testify to similar experiences.

As to his point of being "fanatics" and explanations being illogical and without concrete base (among other things), this is one individual's opinion and response - it doesn't mean that it must be true. No matter what is said about it, the Christian truth needs no crutches; if it limps then it's a lie.

Therefore, a student should not be put off by any second-hand opinion of christian students. Do mix around and find things out for yourself. After all, they are humans too and value your friendship.

Catering Under Fire

I cannot understand why you tolerate the method of food disposal in the dining room. In essence it differs little from a take-away food bar. The caterers are only interested in the ease with which they can obtain a profit. It is for their convenience that coffee is sold in disposable paper cups with wobbly handles, not ours. The unhygenic mess you are putting up with is a direct result of the system and can be avoided by changing it. I urge the use of plates, knives, forks, cups, saucers and yea, even the humble teaspoon. Regretfully, this will cause the-extinction of that fascinating primeval figure, burdened down with the colossal weight' of unending rubbish.

Well it's better than wombats

I would like to object in the strongest possible terms to a letter in the last issue of your paper with regards to a vile, blaspheming individual, one of J. C. Grope, (is that his real name or is he/ she merely poking fun at our glorious saviour?).

Not only does he state "has the Almightly abandoned us?" a flagrant disregard of all our Lord has done for us, but he goes on to say "imagine the humiliating blow to God's ego". The sheer affront ary of such a statement almost leaves me speechless As logic shows, since God is perfect he must worship the one true God ie. himself and thus his ego is invunerable, such elementary, theology it would appear is beyond Mr / Mrs / Ms Grope.

As for sheep in heaven this is of course absurd as the formost proponents of ovine aviation don't as yet fly as plummet.

Hedgehogs on the other hand are animals far closer to the devine purpose and consequently are more worthy creatures of discussion. They are such sweet lovable cuddly little creatures, their sharp quivering spines raised in anticipation glistening with sweat as they bounce up and down with lust, their pulsating little bodies throbbing with desire, their.....Sorry, ahem where was I? Oh yes depravity, it must stop! and I will not cease in my unswerving efforts to return the wonderous and Holy Hedgehop to their right full place in the world today.

A Woman's Place is not at SASRAC

Next time I'm at SASRAC I shall propose a toast to the longevity of Leonie Morris's paranoial Her condition enables her to engage in non-intellectual whinging while conveniently avoiding the task of interpreting the facts she herself presents. The drop off in female student numbers between first year enrollment and graduation is entirely due to their inferior mentality and inability to stick by their original intentions. They speak little at SRC because in general they can't think of anything to say. Although they are present in droves at the start of SASRAC their inability to hold liquor drives them away or puts them under the table (no doubt Ms. Morris made her observations after 5 o' clock).

Another example of the social inferiority of women is that of Ms Morris herself who has the impoliteness to refer to Kathy Drysdale as Drysdale and not Miss/ Mrs / Ms Drysdale. Her attitude typifies those of so many people who invent problems for themselves to cover up for their inability to actually achieve anything.

A Question of Vocabulary

What does "debunked" mean?

A Different Anti-Handbook Letter