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From: janw@inmet.UUCP
Newsgroups: talk.politics.misc
Subject: Re: Spies and the Media (why jail h
Message-ID: <117200130@inmet>
Date: Tue, 23-Sep-86 00:31:00 EDT
Article-I.D.: inmet.117200130
Posted: Tue Sep 23 00:31:00 1986
Date-Received: Sat, 11-Oct-86 07:23:06 EDT
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Nf-From: inmet.UUCP!janw    Sep 23 00:31:00 1986


[-- David desJardins: desj@brahms.UUCP ]
>>Compare the text-book treatment of Nazi Germany (a totalitarian
>>ex-enemy)  and  of  China (totalitarian and an ex-enemy) and even
>>the USSR - totalitarian, and the current enemy of this nation.

>   Did we declare war last night?  I must have slept through it.

Wars aren't declared anymore. Didn't you know?

>I can't help but wonder what authority Mr. Wasilewsky has to make
>such  pronouncements  on  the  foreign  relations  of  the United
>States.

The authority is threefold:

(A) The First Amendment, guaranteeing freedom of speech  (or,  as
you call it, of "pronouncements").

(B) Common sense. The US and the USSR have many gigatons  of  nu-
clear  warheads  trained  on  each other at this moment. How much
more would be *really* unfriendly? :-) The two powers  conduct  a
vigorous  arms race against each other. They are currently waging
three or four hot wars against each other by proxy. In  my  book,
this is more than enough to call them enemies.

(C) The dictionary:  e.g., The American Heritage. Enemy:
    (1) One who manifests malice or hostility towards, or opposes the
    purposes or interests of another; a foe; an opponent.  (2) A hos-
    tile power or force, as a nation, or a member or unit of  such  a
    force; (3) something destructive or injurious in its effects.

Interestingly, not just *one* meaning but *all* of them fit.
(Also note that the word "declare" is not used).

> I don't even remember voting for him.

Good. You see, David, you *can* be right on  something  when  you
really try. Keep trying.

		Jan Wasilewsky