From: utzoo!decvax!ucbvax!C70:arms-d Newsgroups: fa.arms-d Title: Article-I.D.: ucb.1572 Posted: Wed Jul 21 23:52:44 1982 Received: Sun Jul 25 10:37:27 1982 >From HGA@MIT-MC Wed Jul 21 23:44:20 1982 Arms-Discussion Digest Volume 0 : Issue 145 Today's Topics: Responses to end of world scenario New voice submitting flame to arms-d ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wednesday, 21 July 1982 09:09-EDT From: Jon WebbSubject: Responses to end of world scenario No, it really is true that India produces almost enough food to feed its people. There are real distribution problems, so that people still starve in India, but there is enough food there. Jon ------------------------------ Date: 21 Jul 1982 13:20:05-CDT From: pal at uwisc Subject: New voice submitting flame to arms-d This is my first contribution to arms-d, and is not too well thought out, being in rather inflamed response to the biggest load of **** I have ever seen on the net. Please bear with me. [from els][In reply to sesh.murthy@cmu] Wishful thinking! All the potential wars that I mentioned are rooted in ancient racial hatred, etc. These groups will try to exterminate each other with stone knives if necessary! However, you are partly correct, some wars may calm down without the USSR constantly provoking anarchy. I do not recall exactly which wars els mentioned, but I dont think races can exterminate each other with stone knives. As to the USSR continually provoking anarchy and the US coming to the rescue of the downtrodden on a white horse, forget it. That may be what you are told in Sunday school (along with how India is a country somewhere in the Caribbean where people all ride elephants), but it unfortunately is not *quite* true. The USA is probably just as deeply involved in fomenting insurrection as the USSR is, its just not quite as good at it as the USSR. (Did the CIA actually try to get Castro with an exploding cigar, or is that another popular but untrue myth?). The USA is the world's largest supplier of arms, and the west as a whole (adding in Britain and France) far outsell the USSR. (Of course these weapons are purely for *defensive* purposes. Defenders need at least 100 times as many weapons as attackers (For the benefit of els, i had better point out that this last comment was sarcastic). [From els][in reply to sesh.murthy] You seem to be the only one on our planet who has access to such a fact. Maybe you should inform the starving multitudes in India, especially the crews who go through Calcutta at dawn to collect the tens of thousands who have died during the night of starvation. If the rest of the world has the capability to produce their needed food, why does the American (& Canadian) farmer still have a job? As for antibiotics, how many governments do you think will have the manpower, or the inclination to distribute such medicine? In most nations,_ medicine is strictly for the rich and powerful. Not even mentioning all the occasions when antibiotics are either ineffective or downright useless. Sesh is *NOT* the only person with access to this fact (for such it is). els has obviously either never been outside his house, is totally simple-minded or has been sniffing glue for too long. I do not like to make such strong ad hominem (?doubtful hominem) remarks, but the sheer lunacy and arrogancy of els's message leaves no choice. I (and, I think, Sesh) have both lived in India. I have visited Calcutta, I have relatives living there, and I have neither seen nor heard of *anything* even *remotely* resembling the scenes els has dreamed up. Sure there are street people, and I do not claim that India is as affluent as the USA, but there are even street people here in Madison, WI, an All-American town in the Midwest. I would venture that there are many more derelicts in larger cities like New York or Detroit. This following opinion is not so solidly rooted in personal experience, but it is a distinct impression gathered since coming to the USA (~2 years ago). The US farmer *does not* have a job. He is paid by the government to *not* produce. This ridiculous situation is brought about by the amount of political influence (read- money) that farmers have. I think that this is a disgraceful situation, *deliberately depriving people of arable land. If you dont want to grow food, let people who want (and need to) do so. (This should really go to poli-sci, but the initial message was in arms-d). Anil Allan Pal pal@uwisc ------------------------------ End of Arms-D Digest ********************