Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site tty3b.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!mgnetp!ltuxa!tty3b!mjk From: mjk@tty3b.UUCP (Mike Kelly) Newsgroups: net.politics,net.followup Subject: Re: Star Wars Defense Message-ID: <480@tty3b.UUCP> Date: Tue, 4-Sep-84 16:11:52 EDT Article-I.D.: tty3b.480 Posted: Tue Sep 4 16:11:52 1984 Date-Received: Thu, 6-Sep-84 03:31:48 EDT References: <288@ncoast.UUCP> Organization: Teletype Corp., Skokie, Ill Lines: 40 From: bsa@ncoast.UUCP (The WITNESS) > Remember Eisenhower? He worked it out with the Sovs so we would >mutually stop testing nuclear weapons... so the Russians went ahead and >tested new bombs when it pleased them to do so. I expect the same if we >ban space weapons... and then we'll be caught with our satellites down when >the Sovs launch their nuclear weapons, wipe out our launched weapons via >satellite and knock out any that did NOT get launched with their own bombs, >and take us over. THIS is sanity? You're a little confused. The Partial Test Ban Treaty was signed on August 5, 1963, and negotiated under Kennedy's administration. The treaty did not ban all testing, although that was the next planned step, yet to be achieved. Here's a comparison of testing following signing of the Partial Test Ban Treaty (source: "World View 1984", Pantheon, New York): Year US USSR UK France 1964 28 6 1 3 1965 29 9 1 4 1966 40 15 - 6 The Soviets did more testing during the 70's, but it is completely untrue that "the Russians went ahead and tested new bombs when it pleased them to do so" if by this you mean regardless of treaty limitations. I don't know where the idea that the Soviets just violate treaties with abandon came from, but it certainly isn't backed by any reasonable data. The yellow rain controversy (mentioned in another article) should be treated seriously. It is not, however, a clear treaty violation (there are U.S. experts who still dispute the findings of the Reagan Administration), and if it is, there are ways to deal with that. I think it is absurd to think that the Soviets and the U.S. can long exist together on this Earth without treaties limiting their activities. If the point is, you can't trust the Soviets, fine. Trust has very little to do with treaties, though. Mike Kelly Mike Kelly