Treaty Made Nuclear War Unthinkable

Re “Bush Team Sees U.S. Withdrawal From ABM Pact,” July 12: Far from outliving its usefulness, the ABM treaty helped slow U.S.-Russian nuclear madness, end the Cold War and lay groundwork for the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, signed but not yet ratified by the U.S. and just a few other nations. Until the NPT is ratified, the ABM treaty is still critically needed. Since our administration believes faith-based agencies can best use government funds to improve social services for our nation’s needy, why not entrust them with the billions targeted for missile defense to help them take the offensive in serving our world’s needy?

The best defense against what the administration calls the “rogue nation” of North Korea is not more nuclear weaponry but the faith-based notion of overcoming evil with good by helping feed its starving children.

At the same time, we’d help rid our world of the “rogue weapons,” nuclear bombs, which don’t discriminate between civilians and military, nor between the born and the unborn.

Two visits to Peace Park in Hiroshima, in 1969 and 1993, helped set my agenda, as I wish the coming anniversary of Aug. 6 might also set the world’s agenda: No more Hiroshimas!

Rhodes Thompson

Claremont

Despite the unparalleled tension of the Cold War, the period was one of relative peace. For this we can thank the doctrine of mutually assured destruction. Nuclear war was unthinkable to all, including the biggest rogue of the time, the Soviet Union. One must wonder whether the unstated rationale behind the current effort to develop a defense against nuclear missiles is the desire to again make war thinkable. Perhaps this is why the most ardent supporters of the effort are to be found in the ranks of the military.

Conrad Squires

Burbank