sam@rocksvax.UUCP (Sam Houston) (11/17/83)
There is much, much more to the (nuclear) arms race than the lack of public desire to support a large "conventional" army; given the situation as it exists, this doesn't even seem to be a feasible alternative. Maybe I'm warped, but If we were to be spared a large-scale thermonuclear war (clearly impossible in the next hundred or so years) it would involve the following (also impossible) changes: * A major alteration in the views of nearly everyone on the basic concept of "national sovereignty" and all that this entrenched concept involves in terms of the absolute rights of nations to do what they damn well please to defend their interests. * Some sort of redefinition at the gut level of that most holy concept/feeling of national patriotism. * Elimination of the free world vs. communism view; as corollary to excise the "better dead than red" (and the inverse) viewpoints from our mentalities. I personally have no hope that such major changes will take place. All the Jonathan Schells and Carl Sagans do is depress me more. It's going to be a cold day in hades before there are many world citizens sitting around the fire, and scare tactics won't work. The most rational response, for me, is to replace such long-term nihilism with short-term hedonism. Living well is the *only* revenge!! ---its a gloomy day in Rochester, but now I feel much better----- sam