Peace

Press, 12 January 1987, Page 16

Peace

Sir,—Yet again, Mr Loudon (January, 7) advocates what he has proved unable to debate in these columns despite 14 challenges since March 13, 1984. With his country riveted into the nuclear line-up in A.N.Z.U.S., he wants inflamed relations and no dialogue between nuclear superpowers. This is despite superpower missiles poised six minutes from their targets, and (false) nuclear-attack warnings registering on both sides’ electronic equipment by the week. His inflexibility illustrates perfectly Einstein’s observation that with the bomb everything changed save humanity’s mode of thinking. Fortunately, most New Zealanders are more perceptive than Mr Loudon has been to date. They now need a foreign policy compatible with . their nuclear-free position and its development. Neither A.N.Z.U.S. membership nor military dependence on Australia, America’s nuclear-accessory, will enable them to go very far in this, as has been clarified by the American Secretary of State, Mr Shultz, and the Australian Foreign Minister, Mr Hayden.— Yours, etc., J. GALLAGHER. January 8, 1987.

Sir,—What a hateful letter from your correspondent, T. R. Loudon, on January 7. I do not claim to be a communist, nor do I approve of any of the horrifying things that some Russians are reported to have done; but I do claim to be a Christian and have a Christian outlook on my fellow man. People from many nations are responsible for hideous crimes against mankind. I feel that to single out one nation for it and try to muster up hatred is Wrong and will do nothing toward the peace that he seeks. —Yours, etc., CHRIS KITSON. January 8, 1987.

Sir, — We are indebted to T. R. Loudon for a revealing insight into his political ideals and values in his letter of January 7. His outlandish perception of a “brave South Africa fighting for civilisation against Soviet and black African fascism,” where “fascism” is used as a barren term of abuse with no appreciation of its true meaning, is as A ■

outrageously ludicrous as Hitler’s Nazi Germany cast in the same role. South Africa is the prime, horrific living example of fascism in our time, even to being the leading practising exponent of Hitler’s theory of superior and inferior races. Pathological antiSovietism is another distinguishing feature of fascism which South Africa shares with Nazi Germany. — Yours, etc.,

M. CREEL. January 8, 1987.