Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 8/7/84; site ucbvax.ARPA Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxj!ihnp4!ucbvax!medin From: medin@ucbvax.ARPA (Milo Medin) Newsgroups: net.politics Subject: Re: Re: Strategic Arms (reply to Tim Sevener) and Apologia Message-ID: <2118@ucbvax.ARPA> Date: Sat, 22-Sep-84 17:33:43 EDT Article-I.D.: ucbvax.2118 Posted: Sat Sep 22 17:33:43 1984 Date-Received: Wed, 26-Sep-84 13:17:14 EDT References: <204@tekigm.UUCP>, <1822@ucbvax.ARPA> <493@tty3b.UUCP> Organization: University of California at Berkeley Lines: 45 "...We could have stopped mirv's then, with a treaty..." Oh come on now, just because we didnt choose to pursue that course doesnt mean it would have worked. Even if the Soviet's would have signed a treaty banning mirv's, I'd like to point out one very important point: How do you verify that a missile isnt mirv'ed? This was apparently an important consideration to the administration in making its decision to go wih mirv'ing. Some people can talk in vague generalities that you can use satillites or some such box to tell us this. Dream on. A good treaty (if one exists) must be verifiable. If its not, what good is it? Its just like that genocide agreement the US has signed. Big deal. There are many countries that have signed it that have committed acts that would be considered genocide under the treaty. So what has happened to them? You want us to nuke them or something? That's why that treaty, while looking good on the surface, was worthless. Big deal. How can you enforce a treaty anyways? Especially one with the Soviets? Do you go to war over some violation of SALT like crypting your missile telemetry? You say, well the treaty covers violations... Yeah, you go to the SCC and say, 'Hey, you guys have broken article 6 subpart c item r of X treaty.' The Russians say, so what? SO then you go to the press and say, 'Hey! the Russians have violated article 6 subpart c item r of treaty X!' And nobody cares. You might go to the UN with it, and then they'll say, you still have enough, go away. So then what do you do? You eat the violation is what you do. Ok, then you say, well if they do it, we can do it too! And you tell the Air Force to go crypt your data. The Soviets scream bloody murder, the press jumps on your case, the Congress kills funds for the missile, and you get a rep. as a warmonger as well as getting all the 3rd world countries calling you a welcher and how you dont believe in arms control. You really think I am exaggerating? This is why I dont favor any sort of treaty with the russians being counted on to do diddly squat. Everybody talks about negotiations and some talk about verification. But nalmost nobody talks about compliance. How do you make the Russians live up to their word? The bottom line is you cant, and it all boils down to trust in the basic honor of the country. That isnt what I want to base my family's security on... Milo Medin ...!ucbvax!medin medin@ucbarpa