The awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to Costa Rican President Oscar Arias evokes the ultimate nightmare the Reagan regime dreads—the break-out of peace in Central America.

The argument against the peace plan is that it can not succeed. Yet, if it’s doomed to fail, why not let it do so on its own demerits? Maybe the fear is that it might succeed.

The advent of peace means a united Central America and lack of ready factions to pit against each other. Unity is a threat to a history of U.S. invasion and intervention in the region. What’s worse in the eyes of the Reagan regime’s view is that the region would no longer be a back yard where the dogs of war are released to relieve themselves.

Peace robs the Reagan regime (of) the chance to rally a sometimes politically naive and apathetic populous around the flag, by shrilly pointing to the imaginary communist incursion. It doesn’t matter that the U.S. can pulverize the world (Sandinistas included). That is not such a threat as a half-starved Nicaraguan commie. As the reasoning goes, these commies will overrun Hondouras, Guatemala and Mexico, and then, joining the jobless Mexicans, slip into the U.S. No one has yet said how they will take over the U.S. Maybe they will take over PTL first to air their propaganda.

The above point underscores the utter cultural and racial disdain the U.S. has had for developing countries. Never mind that there are five countries involved in the peace plan. They can not recognize the communist threat. It has to take the almighty, all-knowing Uncle Sam to spot it. In plain English, they are dumb.

Yet, when you think of it, this country sacrificed decades of diplomatic relationship with Taiwan to establish one with the same maligned commies in China. So when is communism a threat? Or maybe it’s a case of our commies are better than theirs?

Finally, to understand the knee-jerk reaction to the threat of peace in Cental America, one has to understand overall Reagan foreign policy or lack thereof. Remember when the marines got killed in Lebanon by an Iranian supported Shiite? To show strength, the commies in Grenada had to pay.

With the challenge in the Mid-East and cry for show of strength from the conservatives, it’s only appropriately illogical for Reagan to ask for more contra aid when there is a chance for peace. Why my fellow liberals show surprise baffles me.

Milton Ochieng

graduate school

secondary education