BUTLER@MIT-DMS@sri-unix.UUCP (07/28/83)
As far as Lauren Weinstein is concerned, saying that "the only way
to win this game [nuclear war] is not to play" is about as useful as
saying "the only way to stay healthy is not to get sick."
Very good. You have just stated, in a roundabout way, that we may
all be vaporized next morning because of events beyond human control.
A human being is only in control of a few of the variables that
govern his health, such as diet, exercise, and some common sense
decisions, like not visiting Botswana while the Black Plague is
visiting Botswana. I believe that human beings are in complete control
of the Instrumentality of Nuclear War.
Humans make the judgements and activate the missiles, and will continue
to do so for some time. We will not be annihilated in the morning
because of the flu; we MIGHT be gone because "we" decided to "play."
---RLB
P.S. this is a short flame- wait until someone REALLY gets me going.
P.P.S. the next time you vote in an election - any election - think
about the word "we"; when "we" go to war again, as Jerry
Pournelle and some others (myself included- my $0.02) believe
inevitable ( or at least highly probable ), "we" will do so
because our elected leaders say so.