U.S.-Soviet Nuclear Accord

In his article, Will declares, regarding the INF treaty: “An agreement is good only if it enhances the stability of deterrence. . . .”

There is nothing stable about a policy of deterrence, whether it involves nuclear or conventional weapons. Indeed, its very instability has been a major factor in the enormously expensive arms race we have witnessed in recent years, which has almost bankrupted us.

Will concludes his article by quoting Jeanne Kirkpatrick: “They (the Russians) are playing to win and we want to get out of the game.” Such a statement underestimates the basic intelligence of Soviet leadership. The Soviets know full well that wars are no longer “winnable.” They also know that in our time a conventional war could easily escalate to a nuclear confrontation. Former Russian leader Nikita Khrushchev put the matter in perspective when he said that in a nuclear exchange, the ashes of communism and the ashes of capitalism would be indistinguishable.

VANCE GEIER

Los Angeles