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From: mrgofor@mmm.UUCP (Michael Ross)
Newsgroups: net.politics
Subject: Re: Adverse effects of the Abolition of Nuclear Weapons...
Message-ID: <419@mmm.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 22-Jan-86 14:00:51 EST
Article-I.D.: mmm.419
Posted: Wed Jan 22 14:00:51 1986
Date-Received: Fri, 24-Jan-86 22:37:11 EST
References: <1245@pucc-i>
Reply-To: mrgofor@mmm.UUCP (Michael Ross)
Organization: 3M Company, St. Paul, Minn.
Lines: 25
Keywords: Russians, Free Lunch

In article <1245@pucc-i> afb@pucc-i (Michael Lewis) writes:
>
>    I think the following analogy is appropriate for the world situation:
>we and the Soviets are like two men with guns, except that the Soviet man is
>much bigger and stronger and could bludgeon the US man into submission if
>it weren't for the guns that each has trained on the other.
>


Seriously? I toured Moscow, Kiev and Leningrad in 1970 and have known
an exiled "intellectual" (poli-sci professor at Berkeley). I have been
paying some attention to the news for the last 20 years. Every estimation
I have ever heard is that the ONLY reason the USSR is a world power today
is because it has nukes (or, "guns", in your analogy). Without nukes,
the USSR would be laughable. If you think WE have problems with our economy,
try finding a loaf of bread in a 7-11 store in Moscow. Hah! 
	This is surely going to ignite someone's ire, but I would even
go so far as to say that the only reasons the USSR didn't lose WWII were:
1) Russian Winter  2) US Aid (lend/lease)  3) Physical expanse of territory
and 4) Hitler's arrogant incompetence.

	If the USSR didn't have nukes, I don't know WHO would be afraid
of them, but it certainly wouldn't be US.

	--MKR