Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site rtech.ARPA Path: utzoo!utcs!lsuc!pesnta!hplabs!amdahl!rtech!jeff From: jeff@rtech.ARPA (Jeff Lichtman) Newsgroups: net.politics Subject: Re: Re: Re: World War III Message-ID: <146@rtech.ARPA> Date: Wed, 13-Feb-85 03:01:03 EST Article-I.D.: rtech.146 Posted: Wed Feb 13 03:01:03 1985 Date-Received: Thu, 14-Feb-85 19:00:34 EST References: <3329@alice.UUCP> <262@talcott.UUCP> <471@whuxl.UUCP> <273@talcott.UUCP> Organization: Relational Technology, Berkeley CA Lines: 34 > > > *Whether or not* nukes are a good idea in the modern world (on the face of > > > it, they are not), those reasons for not having them are severely lacking. > > > Would you, for example, hold this philosophy about weapons in general if > > > you were a Pole in 1939? In fact, the Britons and the French had precisely > > > this philosophy in 1939, which is why they didn't help the Poles much in > > > that year. > > > Greg Kuperberg > > > harvard!talcott!gjk > > > > Yes, I'm sure the Poles would have been glad to have a nuclear war > > in Europe......... > > Oh, you're completely right. The Poles, French, and British should have > thrown all of their arms into the ocean, and surely the Germans would have > been quick to follow! > --- > Greg Kuperberg > harvard!talcott!gjk AAARGH! This is EXTREMELY illogical. The question is not one of complete unilateral disarmament, including conventional weapons . You should know, Greg, since the original posting is yours. The question is whether there are reasons for not having nuclear weapons (see your own posting above, Greg). There are some very good reasons, including the prospect of nuclear winter. If a nuclear war would really cause another ice age, then "winning" a nuclear war would destroy the "winner". This should provide a strong incentive for all nuclear powers to negotiate for the omnilateral elimination of nuclear weapons, or at least the reduction of nuclear forces to levels where a nuclear winter couldn't happen. This isn't just smoke; according to Thomas Power's November article in The Atlantic, both the U.S. and Soviet military are researching whether the theory is true, and if so, what should be done about it. -- Jeff Lichtman at rtech (Relational Technology, Inc.) aka Swazoo Koolak