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From: edhall@randvax.UUCP (Ed Hall)
Newsgroups: net.politics
Subject: Re: The real issue about nuclear weapons
Message-ID: <2157@randvax.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 29-Nov-84 22:19:59 EST
Article-I.D.: randvax.2157
Posted: Thu Nov 29 22:19:59 1984
Date-Received: Sun, 2-Dec-84 05:09:12 EST
References: <29200165@uiucdcs.UUCP> <333@ut-sally.UUCP>
Organization: Rand Corp., Santa Monica
Lines: 45

> > We all agree that nuclear war is a bad thing.  Now let's talk about the
> > real issue.  
> 
> What Physicians for Social Responsibility and similar groups are trying to do
> is sorely needed -- to rub the public's nose in just how serious the threat of
> nuclear war really is.
> 
> --- Prentiss Riddle ("Aprendiz de todo, maestro de nada.")

I disagree with this: all the gruesome depictions of megadeath proffered
by PSR and others do is needlessly frighten people without showing them
any useful action to take.  Psychologists have amply documented the
adverse affects resulting from the helpless fear of nuclear war.  But a
lot of that fear comes from misunderstandings and misinformation provided
by the very people who claim to be most against nuclear war.

The natural response to fear is flight or denial; it seems a lot of
people don't realize this.  Many peace groups certainly don't.  Instead
of rationally trying to figure out how to reduce the danger of nuclear
war, they promulgate terror and offer simplistic solutions without
reasonable plans for implementing them.  Except for a lukewarm support
of the Freeze or some other of these solutions, the average person is
so scared out of her/his wits as to not want to *think* about the
problem.

Not all peace groups are of the ``scare the wits out of them and maybe
they'll *do* something'' school.  Physicians for Social Responsibility
tend to follow this line, however, and with an unbending fervor matched
only by certain anti-abortion groups and the National Rifle Association.

In short, a lot of these discussions seem to be generating a lot of
heat, but little light.  I wish there was an easy solution to the
problem of nuclear weapons, but there isn't.

		-Ed Hall
		decvax!randvax!edhall

[For those of you who question the objectivity of anyone who works for
The Rand Corporation, let me remind you that (1) I speak for myself,
and not my organization, and (2) a freeze, or an arms reduction,
probably wouldn't affect Rand much in general terms, and might even
bring Rand some contracts studying the various issues implicit in
such things.  In particular, my job would be unaffected.  And for
those of you who don't realize it yet, (3) Rand does *not* produce
nuclear weapons or other weapons systems.]