Anti-nuclear bill

Press, 14 December 1985, Page 18

Anti-nuclear bill

Sir,—Opponents of. A.N.Z.U.S. are condemned as idealists, yet they are far more realistic than A.N.Z.U.S. supporters. The use of nuclear weapons for defence or offence is genocide for all. It is doubtful if America would have entered the Second World War if it had not been attacked at Pearl Harbour. It failed miserably to avenge the murder of three American nuns in El Salvador and was reluctant to give Britain moral support with the Falklands war. Our supposed invaders are not the distant Russians, who America regards with such paranoia. Our Prime Minister is to be applauded for his great concern for peace. New Zealand, is now considered the conscience of the world. How appropriate the anti-nuclear bill will be declared law at this festive season, with the object of peace on Earth and good will to all mankind. — Yours, etc., STAN HEMSLEY. December 12, 1985.

Sir,—Anent the anti-nuclear legislation: would some public-spirited ornithologist please explain the paradox of kiwis living ,in cloudcuckoo land? And perhaps also confirm that an ostrich with its head-in-sand habits is not a kiwi that has had its (legs) pulled. — Yours, etc., W. R. ALLARDYCE. December 13; 1985.

Sir,—While human nature remains as diverse and unreliable as it is, neither China nor Russia, America or Russia, France or Germany, Britain or whoever will ever relinquish nuclear weapons, and I do not blame them. In the last world war, the huge arsenals of poison gas were never used for fear of retaliation. In later small wars where retaliation was unlikely, gas was used. I see a nuclear stalemate between nuclear nations only. We others must run whatever risk we choose. Realistically, deference to New Zealand’s rhetorical stance would be no guarantee of nuclear insulation in a desperate global encounter. On the other hand, by the same hard cold facts, nothing is surer than that New Zealand’s arrogance and petulance will make us a prime and painful casualty in this intensive, hardening trade war among the grossly over-producing countries of the Western world.—Yours, etc., K. B. CLAUSEN. December 11, 1985.