THINKING ABOUT EFFECTIVENESS
["Microcosmic" example:]
[1]When Adolfo Calero came to speak here, I handed out over 200
leaflets with a quotation by Americas Watch about the contras, and a
quotation of the state Department's definition of terrorism, which
included any violence against noncombatants, never mind *routine*
torture and murder of civilians. Meanwhile, outside, protestors were
screaming "CIA you can't hide -we charge you with genocide!" and
"Boycott South Africa, not Nicaragua!"; (this was after Feb. 25) When
Calero said "these people [who oppose the contras] are those who
support the Communist rebels in El Salvador," many protestors in the
audience, instead of pointing out it was peasants fed up with
oppression, poverty, and death-squads that he was calling
"Communists", simply cheered at "Communist rebels"
[In the "real world":]
[2]March on Washington: With all the time and money, resources and
	[...]
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Comparing the Dartmouth Review with Stet (at Dartmouth), or Grey City
Journal with the Forth Estate (U of C), it seems that too often
progressive publications are understaffed or underfinanced, and while
the right spreads disinformation, progressive publications don't spend
enough time/space *informing* their readers -which should be their
*primary* goal; I advocate "More information; less poetry" for this
task of educating and informing -it's probably also needed to be taken
seriously by more students; too often, the choice they face is between
a slick, well-organized Right-wing publication with many "articles"
(disinformation, various illogics, attempts to cater to prejudices,
etc), or a "screaming liberals", "Down with U.S.  Imperialism!!!" type
of presentation of "our" paper -things which (justly) turn off most
students, and which are difficult to take seriously.  As in the case
of Calero's visit (see Appx. 1), screaming "Bloody Murder!" without
*first and foremost* educating people, is not just useless, but
counterproductive. "What commies! we(US) must be doing something
right"
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A final comment about the stress on information: it is necessary that
we both recognize that there is a difference, a conflict, between the
goals of education (for the "unconverted") and information (for all),
on the one hand, and "interesting" and sound-hopeful,
condemn-establishment commentary, on the other hand. This critique
applies equally to The Nation and other (good) left-wing publications.
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[1] Link campus progressive publications using computers.
[a]Primary benefits through email: Exchange information, articles:

A fringe benefit to the above is the ability to run a story (e.g. our
El Salvador project) simultaneously across the country. Such projects
themselves could also substantially benefit (see Phase II)
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[c]Campus editors' and activists'electronic meetings: discuss issues;
plan "X-Week" "Y-Day" etc, coordinating  nation-wide campus actions.

[d]"Specialization": Students from across the country would focus on a
specific area of interest to better cover what's going on. From
experience, just covering El Salvador, never mind C.A., entails a huge
amount of information gathering in the mainstream and alternative news
sources, as well as human rights groups and first-hand accounts, U.N.
info.,etc; a group of people working on each topic could cover it
thoroughly. And while less of each campuses' paper would be written
locally, the staff of each paper would be writing for other newspapers
regarding various topics. There is really too much out there for an
editor plus hardcore staff to cover effectively.
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