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From: mike@erix.UUCP (Mike Williams)
Newsgroups: net.politics
Subject: Re: (Re:)* Reagan's re-election
Message-ID: <691@erix.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 28-Nov-84 14:49:14 EST
Article-I.D.: erix.691
Posted: Wed Nov 28 14:49:14 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 1-Dec-84 20:33:08 EST
References: <491@utcsrgv.UUCP>
Reply-To: mike@erix.UUCP (Mike Williams)
Organization: L M Ericsson, Stockholm, Sweden
Lines: 32

In article <491@utcsrgv.UUCP> vassos@utcsrgv.UUCP (Vassos Hadzilacos) writes:
>
>OK, since you ask: What makes me relatively unconcerned with an SS-20
>is that the Soviet Union, unlike the United States, has a stated
>policy of no first use of nuclear weapons. In addition, it has a
>policy of no n-th use (n>0) of nuclear weapons against countries
>that do not have such weapons stored in their territory. (*)
>
Yes, but I don't trust the Soviet Union. What makes me not too worried about
about the SS-20's is that they can't shoot them off to European targets 
without doing considerable damage to themselves - most countries are just
too near the Iron Curtain. So a limited nuclear war in Europe is not that
probable if we don't have nuclear missiles ourselves.

In a total nuclear war they would be interested in wiping out
as many potential "counter missiles" as possible so they probably would
not bother about those countries which did not have bombs themselves.

Ok I said "probably", I know I'me clutching at straws, but I rather prefer
these straws to the alternative.

I know that many people think that without the nuclear threat the Russian's 
would walk into Western Europe. I wouldn't expect American help 
to stop them either. I don't think the Russian either want to
walk into Western Europe or would be prepared for the costly war it would be.
They have enough problems of their own without creating more. Walking into
Western Europe would be 100 times more difficult than walking into Afganistan.

In the present situation the best we in Europe can to is to take some 
calculated risks and hope for the best.

Mike Williams