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Path: utzoo!utcsrgv!vassos
From: vassos@utcsrgv.UUCP (Vassos Hadzilacos)
Newsgroups: net.politics
Subject: (Re:)* Reagan's re-election
Message-ID: <491@utcsrgv.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 20-Nov-84 19:32:33 EST
Article-I.D.: utcsrgv.491
Posted: Tue Nov 20 19:32:33 1984
Date-Received: Tue, 20-Nov-84 19:42:15 EST
Organization: CSRI, University of Toronto
Lines: 28

> What is it that makes you so unconcerned with an SS-20 anyway?  The fact
> that there are over 300 of them?  The fact that they are triple-MIRV'ed?
> The fact that they can hit almost anything in Europe?

OK, since you ask: What makes me relatively unconcerned with an SS-20
is that the Soviet Union, unlike the United States, has a stated
policy of no first use of nuclear weapons. In addition, it has a
policy of no n-th use (n>0) of nuclear weapons against countries
that do not have such weapons stored in their territory. (*)

These facts, in my small mind anyway, are enough to distinguish
Pershings, Cruise, Minutemen etc., operating under the principle
of "first use, if necessary", from the SS-16, SS-20's and so on,
operating under the principle of "no first use". It makes a big
difference, you know?

_______________________
(*) To make this point a bit clearer: My country (Greece) has no
nuclear weapons of its own but several such weapons, U.S. ownwed
and controlled, are stored there. My hometown could be blown to
smithereens, just because the air base next to it has such weapons
stored in it. Even though an SS-20 may be pointed at it, it risks
nuclear annihilation due to the existence of U.S. nuclear weapons
near it and for no other reason. People there are quite conscious of
where the blame lies. Why does the Greek gov't allow this? The U.S.
has its ways of applying the necessary pressure: e.g. Greece was
rewarded with a brutal CIA-sponsored dictatorship, until not too
long ago.