A President Who Keeps His Promises

Will President Reagan keep his promises? It depends on which ones you have in mind.

Six days after the election an enthusiastic supporter of the victors, David Rockefeller, went to Argentina and exuberantly announced that at least one promise would be kept—talk and action on human rights would be toned down. Right-wing dictatorships, especially in Central and South America, were promised our support. Shortly thereafter, the new secretary of state and then the president himself at his first press conference outlined the new priorities—human rights out, anti-terrorism in.

Soon it appeared, however, that some types of terrorism would still be in. Following Rockefeller’s assurances to Argentina and the Latin-American ...