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From: nowlin@ihu1e.UUCP (Jerry Nowlin)
Newsgroups: net.followup,net.politics
Subject: Re: Star Wars Defense...
Message-ID: <302@ihu1e.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 23-Aug-84 13:59:59 EDT
Article-I.D.: ihu1e.302
Posted: Thu Aug 23 13:59:59 1984
Date-Received: Fri, 24-Aug-84 04:48:17 EDT
Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Naperville, IL
Lines: 36

.

If proscription of nuclear weapons were the  *only*  reasonable  defense  we'd
already  be cinders.  At least I credit the balance of power with postponing a
nuclear war up to now.  But I wonder how much more the scales can take  before
they break?

I've never heard anyone seriously denounce  unilateral  disarmament  and  give
some real reasons why it won't work.  What would happen if the US shot all its
nuclear weapons out into space or dropped them into  a  live  volcano  or  did
something  to  make  them  inaccessible  to  us or anyone else?  We could even
invite the Soviets to watch.  Then what would  they  do?   I  seriously  doubt
they'd rub their hands together in glee and start pushing their buttons.  They
don't want to conquer a waste land.  Meanwhile we could use most of the  money
we'd  save  on  peaceful  programs  (like space exploration, medical research,
etc.) and still have enough for a strong conventional defense.

I worked with some Russians while visiting IIASA in Austria  some  years  back
and  the impression I got was NOT that they were a bunch of war mongers.  They
were just as scared of war as I was and just as worried about nuclear weapons.
It  seems  natural for both governments to want to compete.  Why can't they be
interested in being the best in alternative energy  sources  or  biotechnology
instead of military might?

I really don't see why the US can't be big enough  to  end  this  showdown  by
saying  nuclear war is bad and we're not going to fight one.  Let *them* set a
foot on US soil and I'll get out the old squirrel gun and help  kick  em  off.
I don't think it would come to that.  I'd have to think twice about going over
to Germany or France to fight but it would sure beat using cruise missiles.

If the whole world agreed with me I'd be awful bored, so if you want to  flame
that's  fine.  I'd rather have some informative answers though.  You'll notice
several sentences ended with question marks.

Jerry Nowlin
ihnp4!ihu1e!nowlin