Nuclear Arms

I am amazed at the inflexibility of the Administration in refusing to take maximum advantage of the changing situation with regard to the Soviet Union.

We could be saving literally trillions of dollars, balancing the budget, reducing debt, embarking on the provision of low-income housing, undertaking national health insurance plans, cleaning up the environment, building new transport systems and sidewalks, burying the “wirescapes” on our highways, engaging in huge rehabilitation and technical training enterprises, teacher-improvement programs etc.--the list is endless. If only we would wake up to the opportunity that now presents itself.

Mikhail Gorbachev has declared:

- No one could win a nuclear war today. He is right. So why build more missiles?

- The Soviet Union can no longer sustain hegemony, world revolution, or even a massive domestic police force or army. (Neither can any nation). Gorbachev is ruthlessly cutting back on costly aggressive arms projects.

- We have enough power already to destroy the world 20 times over. Why on earth do we need any more? It is total insanity to spend one more dollar on nuclear arms. (Perhaps it could be argued that we need to deploy a few to less detectable or mobile positions for insurance purposes, but spending billions on new ones?)

We need to seize this golden opportunity to further peace and to consider the welfare of the whole human race.

WILLIAM BATES

Pacific Palisades