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From: weemba@brahms.BERKELEY.EDU (Matthew P. Wiener)
Newsgroups: net.politics
Subject: Re: Adverse effects of the Abolition of
Message-ID: <11620@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU>
Date: Thu, 30-Jan-86 07:49:35 EST
Article-I.D.: ucbvax.11620
Posted: Thu Jan 30 07:49:35 1986
Date-Received: Thu, 6-Feb-86 10:52:11 EST
References: <7800911@inmet.UUCP>
Sender: usenet@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Reply-To: weemba@brahms.UUCP (Matthew P. Wiener)
Organization: University of California, Berkeley
Lines: 33
Summary: Why does USSR fear SDI?

>That proposal is phony as a  4-dollar  bill.  Give  up  SDI  now,
>denuke  by year 2000 ! IF they meant what they say about abolish-
>ing nuclear weapons, why would they object to SDI so  much?   SDI
>is  only important (if at all) in the *presence* of strategic nu-
>clear weapons. If Gorbachev meant one half of  his  proposal,  he
>could drop the other half.

Why would they object?  I'll tell you why.  The number one personality
problem Russians have is paranoia!  (I'm not joking.)  If a satellite
can shoot down a missile in flight, how much easier it would be to blow
it up in the silo.  And why aim at the silos?  Cities are bigger targets.
And don't say, but the technology can't do that, because .... etc.  Just
because your president has said that SDI is only defensive doesn't mean
it won't develop offensive uses ten years from now.  Nobody REALLY knows
what SDI could lead to--certainly not the Russians!  If they believe that
SDI will lead to new US offensive capabilities, if they believe that we
could destroy their country in milliseconds (radio signal up, laser beam
down), and if they believe the new American patriotism will continue to
grow more militaristic (eg, SDI's very existence!), then I think they
have reasons to fear SDI, having nothing to do with nuclear weapons.
And then throw in their native paranoia, and yes, their objection seems
quite natural.

Notice that it does not matter whether the above SDI scenario is plausible
or possible!  If they THINK it could occur, they will of course object.

Gorbachev's denuke proposal may or may not be phony, but I don't see how
anyone can decide one way or the other from their SDI fears.

---------I find Americans' ignorance of the Soviet Union horrifying.---------
---(This includes everyone from > above to the great Star Warrior himself.)--

ucbvax!brahms!weemba	Matthew P Wiener/UCB Math Dept/Berkeley CA 94720