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From: ashby@uiucdcsp.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.politics
Subject: Re: results of poll of world news servic
Message-ID: <13700005@uiucdcsp.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 15-Feb-85 17:38:00 EST
Article-I.D.: uiucdcsp.13700005
Posted: Fri Feb 15 17:38:00 1985
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Nf-From: uiucdcsp!ashby    Feb 15 16:38:00 1985


Daniel Schneider asks:

>	What would be the reaction (and the re-reaction ad infinitum)
>	if the United States adopted a "no-nuke" policy, meaning
>	stopped spending the dollars on current developement and
>	deployment, slowly shrink (to zero) the active weapons, and
>	(gulp!) introduce diplomacy as a tool in negotiatons?  Its
>	only hypothetical, so lets not argue over whether it should
>	or shouldn't be done;  its the reactions which I'm intersted
>	in.


Well, I am confident of the reaction in the Kremlin: smiles a 
mile wide.  You can't be serious, can you?  If the USA ever
adopted such a unilateral no-nuke policy, my reaction would 
be 1) utter dismay, 2) overwhelming fear.  I would be dismayed
that our national leadership could ever become so shortsighted
and stupid.  But then I would be terrified -- terrified at the
thought of an unchecked Soviet Union.  Don't you realize that
our possession of nuclear weapons (both strategic and tactical)
is probably the only thing preventing the USSR from sweeping
across Western Europe?  Similarly, *our* possession of nukes
is one of the reasons the Soviets didn't "drop one" on the
Chinese during their 1969 border hostilities.

As for diplomacy, your question implies that we are not pursuing
negotiations with the Soviets.  We are!  However, anyone knows
that you don't bargain from weakness; you bargain from a position
of strength.  Do you think the Soviets are going to willingly
give up *material* advantages for assurances of American goodwill?
Not a chance -- and neither would (or should) we!  

But enough for now.  You asked for reactions, and mine is simple:
dismay and fear.  I pray that we never follow the course you 
prescribe, for it may be our last jouney as a nation.