Re: Use of nuc. weapons in Iraq

[maury <maury@WEBTEXAS.COM>]

Hi Peter, I appreciate your point that points of view are greatly influenced by one's

frame of reference. Other peoples are supposedly greatly influenced by having experienced

the horrors of war (including nuclear in one case) within their own boundaries. However, I

have failed to express clearly the fact (my belief) that all of the referenced discussions

simply have no operational significance. Nations may threaten to use certain weapons in

certain situations. They may attempt to influence an adversary by threatening certain

weapon usage. But no nation attempts to influence constructively the behavior of an

adversary by promising in advance to forego the use of any particular weapon.



Almost without exception, I believe that the so-called journalists who raise such

questions are simply seeking (hot) air time to influence poorly informed peers and

listeners with their supposed erudition and "deep" thinking. Such broad questions about

plans and weapons have no significance because the answers, if any, are obvious and well

known to all adults.



I mean no attempt to trivialize the effects of war or its consequences for any involved

people. Europeans have no monopoly on not wanting to start a war. I prefer to believe that

most individuals do not want to start a fight. Thresholds differ, but given sufficient

provocation, most will fight on scales ranging from pushing and shoving all the way to

nuclear exchanges. So far, I see only evidence that we seem to be constructed this way

with no fundamental changes since we "emerged from the caves". This is neither good nor

bad -- it just is. And we continue to do the best we can.

Sincerely,

Maury

=========================

Peter Bossew wrote:



> Maury,

>

> probably you are right. Theoretically. Seen from 15,000 km away.

> The story looks different for those who have to bear the consequences.

>

> >The quickest way to end a war is to lose it.

>

> True, but believe it or not, most Europeans don't even want to start it.

>

> cheers, Peter

>

> >

> >All of this discussion seems so unnecessarily nit-picky!. No nation in

> >its right mind agrees blindly to forswear the use of any weapon in its

> >possession. That kind of advance commitment promotes the goals of

> -----------------------  snipped  ---------------------------

> --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Peter Bossew

> Institute of Physics and Biophysics, University of Salzburg, Austria

>

> home: Georg Sigl-Gasse 13/11, A-1090 Vienna, Austria

> ph. +43-1-3177627, e-mail: p.bossew@magnet.at

>

> ===========================



************************************************************************

You are currently subscribed to the Radsafe mailing list. To unsubscribe,

send an e-mail to Majordomo@list.vanderbilt.edu  Put the text "unsubscribe

radsafe" (no quote marks) in the body of the e-mail, with no subject line.

You can view the Radsafe archives at http://www.vanderbilt.edu/radsafe/