Peace efforts

Press, 22 October 1986, Page 20

Peace efforts

Sir,—The efforts, over several letters,, by Ray Spring to discredit the peace movement, have forcibly demonstrated the egregious folly of formulating policies on peace in the nuclear-arms age with the mentality of the RomeCarthage era. — Yours, etc.,

M. CREEL. October 20, 1986.

Sir,—lmplying that willingness to fight did not save them, M. Creel asks: “Whatever happened to the Romans and their empire?” The answer is that the political Roman Empire lasted for more than 700 years and was then replaced by a religious empire led from Rome whose head is shortly to visit New Zealand. The Russian empire which M. Creel supports shares the brutality and ruthlessness of the early Romans but probably will not last as long. J. Gallagher sees “reducing international tensions and reversing the arms race” as “the only realistic pathways out of today’s cul-de-sac.” One reason I support nuclear disarmament is that nuclear weapons provide peaceniks with a stjpng argument for advocating

non-defence of vital interests and values. But I believe that collective action against aggression, making attempted military takeovers of countries like Afghanistan unprofitable and unsuccessful, would also lead towards an ultimately peaceful world.— Yours, etc.,

MARK D. SADLER. October 20, 1986.