Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site sdcrdcf.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxj!ihnp4!zehntel!tektronix!hplabs!sdcrdcf!alan From: alan@sdcrdcf.UUCP (Alan Algustyniak) Newsgroups: net.politics Subject: Re: Wisdom of European Heads of State Message-ID: <1499@sdcrdcf.UUCP> Date: Mon, 26-Nov-84 16:34:56 EST Article-I.D.: sdcrdcf.1499 Posted: Mon Nov 26 16:34:56 1984 Date-Received: Thu, 29-Nov-84 03:46:26 EST References: <6166@mcvax.UUCP> <3171@ucbvax.ARPA> <47@uwvax.UUCP> <106@talcott.UUCP> <679@erix.UUCP> <2797@ucbcad.UUCP> <358@whuxl.UUCP> Reply-To: alan@sdcrdcf.UUCP (Alan Algustyniak) Organization: System Development Corp. R+D, Santa Monica Lines: 29 Summary: >> If the weapons are in Western Europe, it is because the elected heads of >> state of these countries saw fit to have them put there. >> Wayne > >It is the past "wisdom" of such leaders that led to World Wars I and II. >tim sevener whuxl!orb Tim, i'm surprised at you for making such an obviously untrue stmt. You are usually very clever at distorting the facts. Perhaps you just weren't thinking when you let this slip thru. First of all, both Wayne and you are making a mistake by putting the responsibility for the "weapons in Western Europe" on the leaders. As Wayne stated, they're elected. It is the wisdom (insert your own quote marks as you see fit) of the *people*. In last year's elections, the anti-defense groups made the election a mandate on the Pershing missle issue. The people elected leaders who would act to install them. The circumstances leading to WWI had nothing to do with a build-up of weapons, and little to do with "wisdom" of the leaders. WWI started very sloppily. I refer you to "The Guns of August" by Margaret Tuchman. WWII started because the leaders of the past did *not* have the wisdom to keep their country prepared to defend itself, both in terms of modern and plentiful weaponry, and in terms of morale. The type of thinking Wayne refers to, if applied to 1937 Europe, would have *prevented* WWII. It was the *opposite* thinking that led to WWII. sdcrdcf!alan