U.S. civil defence

Press, 21 August 1984, Page 20

U.S. civil defence

Sir,—l read with astonishment the article on United States civil defence policies (August 18). I am amazed that people continue believing the United States Government, that maintains that nukes are here to protect people. Thousands are cajoled into silent acceptance assuming that, should nuclear war eventuate, Governments will ensure their safety. What a shock if the dreaded day arrives. While we may go about blindfolded until the. holocaust, we will be faced with the truth on our final day. Provisions for sheltering from nuclear fall-out are so outdated that people may as well stand outside with umbrellas. Food would be mouldy and evacuation procedures bumper-to-bumper pandemonium. The final outrage would be the realisation that the United States Government had allowed only 75c a person from its annual defence budget for citizen protection, while it had blithely poured billions into building and deploying missiles. Is this democracy?— Yours, etc., ROSE MACMILLAN. August 19, 1984.

Sir,—Your recent article about United States civil defence was a timely warning. Death and destruction in a nuclear attack would be on a vast scale, as would the logistics of moving people from attacked areas. Nuclear defence would be futile on a planet made uninhabitable by a nuclear winter and pollution by radioactivity. It is a pity the news has not reached the Pentagon yet, where they are already planning nuclear world war IV.—Yours, etc., MICHAEL WALSH. August 20, 1984.