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Show THE VOICE OF BUSINESS 1 With things .so bead, why do B tfeel good? By Richard L. Lesher, President Chamber of Commerce of the United States Old habits die hard, but America seems to be changing lately in ways many people would have never dreamed possible. For example, some of the most ferocious radicals during the 60's have now become ardent advocates ad-vocates of private enterprise, and even successful entrepreneurs in their own right. Business schools, once the object of derision on college campuses, are enjoying a tremendous surge in applications. ap-plications. In sports, the Philadelphia Phillies threw out the script when first they refused to lose the National League pennant, and then they proceeded to win the World Series. And now, to what must be the heavenly delight of old Ben Franklin, the other Philadelphia teams in football, basketball and hockey are all intimidating their opponents and leading their divisions as well. If this keeps up much longer, what was once considered that sleepy City of Brotherly Love will have given way to a tough new town of bruisers, bullies, bluster and brawn. In politics, Ronald Reagan not only upset and unseated an incumbent opponent, but the Republican party stunned the pollsters by capturing control of the Senate for the first time in 28 years. But perhaps the experts received their greatest shock when they recently discovered the tiny snail darter fish swimming some 80 miles from the site of the Tellico dam in Tennessee. No doubt your wondering, what's so surprising sur-prising about that? Well, in case you've forgotten, environmentalists stub- bornly delayed construction of the more than $100 million dam, swearing it would surely destroy the snail darters' dar-ters' only breeding grounds. In fact, it took a special act of Congress in 1979 to exempt the dam from the law that protects the little creatures. So now, hallejulah, everything seems to have turned out fine, since we're ending up with the best of both worlds. You know, when historians look back on this period, it is actually possible they will view Congress' 1979 snail darter decision as one of the momentous momen-tous turning points in American history. For just consider its significance: Here, finally, was the United States government going on record to acknowledge that the future needs of the American people deserve a higher priority than the welfare of a one inch fish. Now that's progress! . l 1 1 What s more, once we passeo. mis milestone, the possibilities for new economic progress and thus, human progress seemed both breathtaking and endless. Who knows, the day may even have arrived when billions of dollars worth of vitally needed energy facilities can no longer be blocked by the furbish lousewort a useless weed or the black -footer ferret or the kangaroo rat. Many people, of course, remain skeptical, of not downright cynical, that the country as a whole has changed at all. And after the countless disappointments disap-pointments of recent years, these feelings are certainly understandable. But permit me, for one, to strike an optimistic note, for I sense a maturity, determination and wisdom in America today that were much less apparent in years past. Ask yourselves, is not , found emphasis on reQi " physical fitness, restoring portance of work, famif mun.ty and of renewing God, the sign of a people J finally grown up to seek the themselves and in each others you think it purely a coincident this concern to do what is rieh, own lives has not been accompli the most, sweeping upheavel political system in the last 50 .! one that augurs a fundamental 1 in the direction of our governrnei. ultimately, we must hope in C of our nation? ' '" i' I believe major forces are J change America, and in X beneficial way. And let me .Vi final optimistic note, i spokesman for the new Admit,;,,.5 but 1 really like what I hear ahd determination to follow throuT; promises to cut government stw reduce tax rates, clear away regulatory jungle, and make the tfJ States number one in the world by building up our exports'" restoring credibility to our h policy and national defense r Admittedly, all of this will nj, easy, and it is going to take tim(! cannot eliminate more than a decfi sins with just one year of penance.. just as we built the Panama C3! after others tried and failed, an?1 our astronauts to the moon, and;i brought them safely home, so toi'1 we save our economy and our co by rebuilding America in the 80 s :' the best news of all it, we have begun. We are finally on ourwal' |