Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site hp-pcd.UUCP
Path: utzoo!linus!security!genrad!grkermit!masscomp!clyde!floyd!harpo!seismo!hao!hplabs!hp-pcd!courtney
From: courtney@hp-pcd.UUCP (Courtney Loomis)
Newsgroups: net.politics
Subject: Re: Unilateral disarmament? - (nf)
Message-ID: <2909@hp-pcd.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 15-Dec-83 03:29:49 EST
Article-I.D.: hp-pcd.2909
Posted: Thu Dec 15 03:29:49 1983
Date-Received: Sat, 17-Dec-83 01:21:31 EST
Sender: netnews@hp-pcd.UUCP
Organization: Hewlett-Packard, Corvallis OR
Lines: 21

#R:hp-kirk:12800007:hp-pcd:17400038:000:830
hp-pcd!courtney    Dec 14 15:03:00 1983

Dave's question reminds me of a gnawing fear that I frequently feel in the
times of US Euromissiles...  A fear that Ronald Reagan thinks that he might
be able to eviscerate the Soviet Union from the face of the Earth (hence the
build-up of a first-strike missile arsenal in Western Europe).  And even if
Bonzo doesn't think that he can succeed in such an action, once these missiles
are in place, every president who follows him will have this question placed
in from of her/him.

The "deterence" argument is a farce... Imagine two enemies sitting in a small
room, each with a box of grenades that would destroy everyone in the room.
There is no reason for either of them to build better or more grenades... that
is unless one of those enemies thinks that they might be able to use them
(an absurd hypothesis).


Courtney Loomis