Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83 (MC830919); site mcvax.UUCP
Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!mcvax!piet
From: piet@mcvax.UUCP (Piet Beertema)
Newsgroups: net.politics,net.followup
Subject: Re: Soviet Reaction to Pershings
Message-ID: <5551@mcvax.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 7-Dec-83 07:36:32 EST
Article-I.D.: mcvax.5551
Posted: Wed Dec  7 07:36:32 1983
Date-Received: Fri, 9-Dec-83 06:35:26 EST
References: <399@reed.UUCP>, <5535@mcvax.UUCP> <3401@utzoo.UUCP>
Organization: Math.Centre, Amsterdam
Lines: 45

		>>Piet Beertema asks:
		>>Besides, why is it that the NATO still doesn't want to
		>>declare it will never be the first to use nuclear arms?

	>The answer to this is very simple:  because NATO would have a very hard
	>time defending Western Europe without them.

The answer is even simpler: the NATO, which as far as nuclear arms are
concerned, is identical with the US, doesn't want to have it's hands
bound whenever they want to use them; and there's nothing to defend
with nuclear weapons here in Europe, only to destroy!

	>...is a result of Europe's unwillingness to commit 
	>adequate resources to non-nuclear defences....
	>...the Netherlands is one of the worst offenders in this regard.

True. Remember why the peace movement in Europe was first called
"Hollanditis"? Because it started right here!

	>...you should be campaigning for more money and resources for
	>your army, navy, and air force...

We ARE campaigning: to turn down military expenses; to convert military
industry into civil.

	>This sounds remarkably like what everybody (the US too, by
	>the way) was saying in the late 1930s.

The current situation has NOTHING WHATSOEVER to do with the late 30's.


I think that there's one fundamental point most Americans are missing
when they're talking about war (or as they say: defence): within recent
times America has never seen a war on it's own soil; that makes talking
about it so much easier. But Europe has. And Russia has too: it took
them 20 MILLION people to stop the Germans and thus initiate the collapse
of the Third Reich. Therefore it will be a cold day in hell before the
Russians will ever think about wasting that many lives (or even more)
by starting a European conflict.
And they know damn well that they won't gain a bit neither by invading
Western Europe nor by using their nukes against it.
-- 
	Piet Beertema
	CWI (Center for Math. & Comp. Science), Amsterdam
	...{decvax,philabs}!mcvax!piet