Re (etc): BTL Takes the Lead

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2 total messages Started by marty Tue, 22 Nov 1983 19:10

Author: marty
Date: Tue, 22 Nov 1983 19:10

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    The discussion of nuclear disarmament seems to have missed
the possibility that it might really be the US that is stalling
the negotiations.  After all, the USSR has a larger army than the
US.  Therefore we can't meet and beat them on the field.  Instead
(soon after WW-II, when no one else had nuclear weapons), the US
adopted the doctrine of "massive retaliation" (the threat that
aggression by any means would be met with everything we had,
meaning a nuclear strike).  When the USSR made a showcase pledge
of "no first use" of nuclear weapons, the US did not follow suit,
because that would have contradicted "massive retaliation."  In
fact, if all nuclear arms were multilateraly destroyed, we would
be helpless against the military might of the USSR.  That's why
the US does not seriously negotiate for nuclear disarmament, and
won't until and unless we build an effective army.

					M. B. Brilliant
					Bell Labs, Holmdel

Re: Re (etc): BTL Takes the Lead

Author: N.ANDREWS
Date: Wed, 23 Nov 1983 15:38

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Brilliant says: "In fact, if all nuclear arms were multilateraly destroyed,
                 we would be helpless against the military might of the USSR."

I strongly suspect that this view is grossly in error.  There has been a
lot of recently published evidence that the Soviets are not so mighty
after all.  They don't seem to be doing any better in Afghanistan than we
did in Vietnam.  Their armed forces are riddled with corruption and decay.
The average soldier is quite cynical.  Heroism is not to be expected.

The american citizens can be expected to be even more intractable an enemy
than Afghanis or Vietnamese.  The logistics of Soviet INVASION of the US
are such that the event is extremely unlikely without the support of nuclear
weaponry.

Brilliants claims of Soviet invincibility and American helplessness are
incredible.

--Norm Andrews, AT+T IS, Holmdel, N.J. ariel!norm

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