The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1962-11-30


istrative level there may be debat
and controversy. But on the large
public issues of the day, the voice
of employees are largely mute. TIL
commercialism of television and radi
has made like change. Sponsors d,
not want their products identified
with controversial programs nor witt
controversial commentators. Their,
has been such a deadening effect o.
radio and TV on the American mind
that we may have reached a poin
where men and women who will spon
sor unorthodox points of view mus
be subsidized by foundations.
The dialogue that has characterized
the free society has not disappeared
from the American scene, though il
has declined.
We are passing through momentous
times where no debate takes place
even on crucial issues. Laos is certain
ly more dangerous to all of us than
the Missouri Compromise was to oul
ancestors. Yet while the Missouri
Compromise was thoroughly discussed
in and out of Congress and up and
down the nation, no debate on Laos
has been held.
Why has silence overtaken us?
Why has the pattern of no discus
sion reached into atomic testing,
disarmament, Berlin, and other is
sues that involve the problems of
survival or extinction? Is foreign
policy-the key to life and death
for all forms of life in this nuclear
age-beyond the bounds of debate?
If so, how can we, the people, ever
free ourselves from military domi-
nation and assert our sovereign
civilian prerogative over all affairs
of state-over war as well as over
peace?
A survey of newspapers from coast
;o-coast shows the low estate of dia-
ogue on domestic as well as foreign
ssues. Money-makers have taken over
he press. They want readers and adj
yertisers; and so they cater to the
ow common denomination in the popu-
ace. To that fact must be added the
'urther one that the owners are large
Y conservative. The result is a press
which with few exceptions gives no
rue account of forces at work in the |
world. Those who live in the average |
American town have no chance of |
letting an accurate measure of the |
world problem. Ignorance alone is
ragedy enough. Further tragedy lies
n the fact that the people of the
United States-the ones who could,
{ awakened, take up the challenge of
he Cold War and win it-are largely
Fears of communism are
ubtly transformed into fears of the
northodox.
| MODERN CRUSADE
S NECESSARY
The affluent society is also respon-
ible. Those who live in ease are not
ne ones to go in search of the Holy
rail. Yet more recruits are needed
,day for our modern crusade than
YER before. Enterprise that is wholly
: largely dependent on government
is not ''free" in the historic
,nse of the word. Competition that
eveloped resourcefulness and inge-
lity, competition that released ener-
es from thousands of little springs
lie country over has disappeared
ON large areas of our society. There
competition for government con-
acts. But spoon-fed business does
It have the daring and ingenuity a
free enterprise.
The growth of bigness has had Grip t
ing effects. A nation of independent a
siness men has become a nation of o
erks. Those who owned and ran the n
mber mill had community func- a
m to perform, as we'll as business L
notion. They were alive to commu- n
" needs and they contributed to p
2 solution of community problems. t;
hen that lumber company was swal- v
we'd up by a giant, control over it W
S transferred to an office in sky p
aper in New York City. The town
It was dependent on the lumber
Il became only a statistic, not
lgregation of people. In the totality
the corporate empire it might be {
ter to close the mill. People will
'ade and protest; but the men in