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From: jim@cs.strath.ac.uk (Jim Reid)
Newsgroups: net.followup
Subject: Re: Socialists
Message-ID: <269@stracs.cs.strath.ac.uk>
Date: Sat, 20-Sep-86 11:06:51 EDT
Article-I.D.: stracs.269
Posted: Sat Sep 20 11:06:51 1986
Date-Received: Mon, 29-Sep-86 04:39:03 EDT
References: <225@mdivax1.UUCP> <334@ubc-cs.UUCP> <2368@hcrvx2.UUCP> <214@miduet.gec-mi-at.co.uk> <2388@hcrvx2.UUCP>
Reply-To: jim@cs.strath.ac.uk (Jim Reid)
Organization: Department of Computer Science at Strathclyde University, UK.
Lines: 33

In article <2388@hcrvx2.UUCP> jimr@hcrvx2.UUCP (Jim Robinson) writes:
>I seem to remember reading somewhere that the Labour party said it would
>indeed toss Britain's nukes if it formed a government (probably the same 
>place I read that it would decrease unemployment by massively expanding 
>government services), however, I do not know whether they advocate such 
>action for all western countries. If so, I would have to conclude that they
>are an extremely naive lot since there would be no means of
>defending the west against nuclear blackmail.

In comparison with the arsenals of the US and USSR, Britain's nuclear
weapons are insignificant (unless we end up with Trident). British
unilateral disarmament would have little or no impact on the balance of
terror. The Labour Party is for that and there is support in some sections
for the removal of US nuclear bases from our country. What the Labour Party
is really saying is "Britain doesn't count as a superpower - we'll disarm
unileterally and let the US and USSR get on with multilateral disarmament".

>PS Would a Labour government reopen the uneconomical coal mines?

I think not. The Labour party plan to reduce unemployment by increasing
government spending in key areas like the health service and education.
Most effort is planned for a programme of public works - building new
roads, schools, hospitals and so on. "Uneconomic" coal mines are unlikely
to stay open unless the cost of subsidising them is less than the lost
economic output if they were to close.

		Jim

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