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From: orb@whuts.UUCP (SEVENER)
Newsgroups: net.politics
Subject: Re: Russian quotes: John Birch Society??
Message-ID: <453@whuts.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 20-Dec-85 09:01:52 EST
Article-I.D.: whuts.453
Posted: Fri Dec 20 09:01:52 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 22-Dec-85 02:54:40 EST
References: <157@vu-vlsi.UUCP> <432@whuts.UUCP> <552@harvard.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories
Lines: 41

> As for Krushchev, the Soviet Union
> has threatened the West with nuclear annihilation on many occasions.  

First, I would like you to present *specific* instances in which
the Soviet Union has threatened the first use of nuclear weapons.
I believe there are probably such occasions: according to
"Arsenal of Democracy" the US has threatened the use of nuclear
weapons on numerous occasions in veiled diplomatic terms.
I would imagine the Soviets have done the same.  
 
Second, obviously both sides are threatening the world with nuclear
annihilation at *this very moment*.  Otherwise there would be no
point to each side adding 5 new warheads to their nuclear arsenals
every day.  On the other hand there are some concrete steps which
can be taken to diminish this threat.  It is surprising, and embarassing
to the US, that the Soviet Union is currently taking the lead in several
areas of arms control by unilaterally stopping all their nuclear
testing and also all antisatellite weapons tests.  Twenty years ago
it was the US which took the lead when John F. Kennedy stopped
US atmospheric nuclear tests in hopes the Soviets would respond and
stop all atmospheric tests by both sides.  Of course, as you are well
aware Kennedy's unilateral moratorium on atmospheric testing led
to the Limited Test Ban Treaty which has never been violated by either
side.
The Soviets have just offered to renew their current six-month ban
on nuclear testing.  Reagan has refused yet again. In the past Reagan
said such a ban couldn't be verified: in the first place this is
no objection since the ban would be very well verified after
completing and formally ratifying the Comprehensive Test Ban treaty.
Besides this the Soviets just offered to allow US inspections and
monitoring to verify a bilateral test ban until such a treaty is
formally ratified.  Still Reagan refuses to stop nuclear testing.
Why?
There is only one reason: to continue building new and more dangerous
nuclear weapons and to continue research into the nuclear-powered
X-ray laser for Start Wars.
I think any reasonable person must agree that stubbornly continuing
to test *new* nuclear weapons when the other side has *stopped*
*unilaterally* is utter insanity.
But the Reagan administration is not sane.
    tim sevener  whuxn!orb