DOES DEMOCRACY NEED PR BOOST?

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00806R000200920014-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 16, 2010
• Sequence Number: 14
• Publication Date: February 9, 1983
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/06/16: CIA-RDP90-00806R000200920014-3
SAN ANGELO STANDARD TIMES (TX)
9 FEBRUARY 1983
.does democracy
.need Ply boost?
:Later this month, details of President
Reagan's. proposed program to promote
democracy around the world will be presented to
Congress.
The president envisions a program.. that. will j
support free labor movements, exchange of n_",
formation,-visitor exchanges, regional meetings'
and conferences and support for groups that pro-
r
mote good relations between the-United States,=-
The program would reflect.a commitment by the United States to y
engage more vigorously in a
peaceful "competition of ideas and values" with-,,j
the SovietlJnion, President Reagan said whenbe;-
unveiled the idea during a speech to the British.
Par I i am ent I a st June.-,
YK ~
For' he most part, it would-be direc`tedat na
Lions in Latin America, -Africa -and-,Asia. The
cost: $65 million.
-So far, the main concern among many has
been whether the CIA would be involved in the
program, and Unde esr cretary of State Lawrence
Eagleburger called a news conference earlier
this week to dispel that impression.
Frankly, we are underwhelmed by the whole
idea, regardless of which groups would or would
not be involved.
STAT
Considering the economic climate in this coun-
try, we-question the wisdom of spending so much
money on worldwide public relations. Congress-
is presently considering the president's proposed
1983-84 budget. The question is not whether there
will be a deficit in the budget, but rather bow
many billions of dollars the government will
spend over and above the amountit receives.
..."Can we afford, then, to spend $65 million to tell
the world what a fine system of government we
.have?
=And," beyond that, we are concerned wittthe
general notion that it - might be necessary,..to
spend money promoting democracy: Over-'the
years, this. country has. sought to spread the
message by example. :People could .know
democracy was the best form of government
simply by looking at the United States=and-com-
paring it with other countries with other types of
governments,
'That'mayseem oversimplified in today's.com-
plea world, since the 'Soviet-Union is not shy
about telling the world of the virtues of its brand
of communism. But it seems even more illogical
to think we can spread democracy with a public
relations campaign - propaganda might be a`
better word - no matter how much money wf
decide to spend.
The best way to promote democracy is to make
the United States as great a nation as it can be.-;
Showing, we think, is better than telling:
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/06/16: CIA-RDP90-00806R000200920014-3