As my colleagues contemplate what the nature and level of U.S. assistance to Nicaragua should be. I urge the Members of this body to consider these four proposals. as well as think about the consequences of inaction. The authors caution us thatIf we do not act. adequately and in time. there will be a Vietnamstyle flow of hundreds of thousands of refugees that will almost certainly end up costing us much more than a direct aid program wouldthis apart from the vast indirect costs of such a failure. But. with an effective U.S. response. there is. in the words of one foreign businessman who has long lived in Nicaragua. "not just a long shot but an excellent chance. that a moderate. democratic solution will last." Such U.S. flexibility in adapting to and supporting this moderate alternative would. moreover. do much to pave the way for similar outcomes in such presently chaotic Central American societies as El Salvador and Guatemala. and beyond. Mr.
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refugees