A.N.Z.U.S. views

Press, 20 December 1986, Page 20

A.N.Z.U.S. views

Sir,—Of the alternatives to A.N.Z.U.S. that Colin Burrows commends (December 16), “positive neutrality” looks the most fruitful. It means making a specialty of resolving or forestalling differences between nations, an activity best entrusted to neutrals. Such services are simply essential to see

humanity beyond the nuclear age, surely a top priority for New Zealanders. We could thereby help improve the security of traditional friends, others, and ourselves. Providing services that benefit all would, in turn, give all a stake in our neutral, independent existence, adding further to our own security. Most would still probably want such “positive” (peace-promoting) neutrality also to be an “armed” neutrality. The New Zealand Party advocates a positive neutrality that is lightly armed, while the Democrats favour a more comprehensively aimed variety. Pacific nations and others need New Zealand "positively neutral” more than they need A.N.Z.U.S., even after the Reagan Administration goes. —

Yours, etc., J. GALLAGHER. December 17, 1986.

Sir,—Colin Burrows (December 16) hopes that, post-Reagan, America will view our nuclearfree status more positively. I doubt that. All U.S. governments are largely controlled by the world view and advice of specialinterest councils. In turn, these are controlled by an elite of old and new money, corporations, their lawyers, bankers and, shamefully, academics. They are hawks and the majority are implicated in the arms business. No president strays far from their wishes. The basic difference between Republican and Democrat is whether their money was made long ago from land and internal business (banking, transport, etc.) or recently from multi-national businesses or positions serving the ruling class. By massive donations from their tax-exempt incomes they control political party candidate selection and the media, where they promote wealth, violence and sex — just like old-style Kiwi gangs. In fact, Democratic governments are more war and armamentprone. — Yours, etc.,

SUSAN TAYLOR. December 17, 1986.