Wednesday, december3, 1980
daily nebraskan
page 5
Disarmament is the nuclear answer
In regard to Mark Rupert's article of Nov. 17
ing the need to ratify SALT II, readers should consider
two preliminary remarks. As a columnist, Mr. Rupert's
opinion commands greater authority in the minds of most
than my opinion does, belonging to a freshman student.
Status gives him a fair psychological headstart. Secondly,
Mr. Rupert cries for a radical alternative to present policy
through ratification of SALT. His proposal, however, is
squarely in the mainstrem of American thought. SALT II
is not a departure from other weapons limitation agree
ments negotiated by the U.S. government over the past 40
years. The desire to intensify our weapons build-up is also
mainstream American. The dichotomy between the two
policies merely exhibits a degree of flexibility in American
ideology. My point is that the range of options in Ameri
can thought are all based on the idea that security can
only be insured with lots of weapons. A realty radical pro
posal such as total disarmament of the U.S. arsenal is
never entertained. But back to the argument . . .
v H
opinion
Mr. Rupert cites two indices of nuclear instability: the
need for weapons parity (presumably guaranteed by
SALT II) and the fear that both superpowers' second
strike retalitory forces are vulnerable to first-strike nuclear
attack, thus destroying the concept of mutual assured
destruction. Unfortunately, if stability were ensured by
the strength of second-strike nuclear forces, Mr. Rupert
would need not fear. Both sides have expanded their
arsenals well beyond the "hardened concrete silos of U.S.
and Soviet land based missiles". Nearly two-thirds of the
9,500 American nuclear warheads are at sea posing as
submarine launched ballistic missiles or in the skies as air
launched missiles. The U.S.S.R., while not quite so well
outfitted, has similar variety including mobile land-based
silos. Hither nation could retaliate with cobra venom if
attacked, yet the arms race is intensifying and along with
it, Rupert correctly notes, nuclear instabilities. Why did a
Canadian military journal find that only 10 of the last
1,600 arms races since 600 B.C. did not end in war? Why
did the present weapons competition lead the Canadian
Peace Research Institute computer mode! to conclude in
1979 that wor'd war is likely between 1985 and 1990?
Rupert answers: " 'Arms race instability' will result
when each side attempts to regain a secure deterrent by
improving its strategic forces in quantity and quality.
Both will acquire more, and deadlier weapons, but neither
will feel safe in the face of its competitor's build-up. As
missiles become ever more numerous, the warheads more
precise, this perception of insecurity will become acute on
both sides. During periods of high international tension,
the efficacy of deterrence will come increasingly into
question."
SALT II would not result in weapons parity. Before
the ink had dried, 'allowable' weapon systems would be
made deadlier, more powerful, more threatening to the
foe. Neither government would know what Improvements
the other was making.Technology outpaces international
treaties, exacerbating tension and uncertainty. When
multiple-warheaded missiles and other jumps in weapon
'sophistication' came along, SALT I was scrapped in favor
of SALT II. Surely SALT II would become SALT III and
and IV of tomorrow.
Eliminating nuclear uncertainties is the solution, but
SALT II cannot pull the trick. Why? Because neither
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superpower wants to abide by any treaty of equality.
Each body seeks to increase its power and influence over
the rest of the world.
As long as both superpowers possess nuclear weapons,
tensions will worsen. The way to stop this insanity is
through disarmament, total disarmament by the United
States. If we disarmed everything, we could throw un
certainities out the window. Russia would have no reason
to fear an American attack. What Russian leader would
push the button when there was no perceived threat, no
hidden star-spangled Death Star ready to blow-up entire
nations with laser torpedos? A person holding a shotgun
has no logical reason to shoot an unarmed bystander,
unless he or she is being physically threatened. Russian
officials are neither stupid, nor crazy. Take away the
instabilities by completely stopping the arms race and you
have a chance at survival . . . and maybe peace.
Now turn the picture slightly. America has the most in
fluential economy in the world. More nations depend on
the function of our economic machine than at any point
in history. If our economy were physically destroyed by
nuclear holocaust, the world economy would collapse like
a string of dominoes. The Soviets are heavily indebted to
the global economic network. Not only is their foreign
trade fairly extensive with the U.S., but with other
European countries as well. If Americans were unarmed,
what would 'the enemy' gain by bringing chaos to the
Russian market?
If we cannot slow the race, we must stop it. How much
liberty do we possess? How much freedom of choice?
From birth we've been taught we must have nuclear
weapons because we must. I'm still waiting for them to
tell me why.
Kirk Cameron
Freshman-PsychologyMath
"The law of Moses says, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth
for a tooth.' But I say: Don't resist violence. If you are
slapped on one cheek, turn the other too."
Jesus Christ
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