Peace grants

Press, 20 December 1988, Page 12

Peace grants

Sir,—Joan Wilkinson and Trevor Loudon are needlessly concerned about some non-exis-tent, and most unlikely, threat to bur national security. They cannot get over P.A.C.D.A.C. distributing some of France’s compensation (to peace groups) or the Government’s responsibility to work for peace. New Zealand’s delegation was almost universally honoured at the United Nations special session on disarmament this year. The expense of modern armies and armaments damages most nations’ economies, increasing their indebtedness; arms producers grow richer; mindless people lyricise death, destruction, war and its weapons. The peace movement is not "negative, subversive” or "unpatriotic” but positive, open, thoughtful, patriotic and internationalist. Let Mr Loudon name the peace groups receiving public (tax) funding and give the dates in Hansard where they are named. — Yours, etc., SUSAN TAYLOR. December 13, 1988.

Sir,—A historian, A. J. P. Taylor, wrote: “The cause of war is preparation for war.” The global arms trade is no different to drug trafficking. The sort of defence spending which T. R. Loudon supports is a luxury which no nation can afford, and subversive to humanity itself. It is a direct cause of the mass poverty and low living standards in most countries, leaving governments with tiny budgets for social spending. It is neither necessary, positive nor patriotic. New Zealanders should heed the way in which many governments have their hands tied so that they cannot reduce defence spending. We should not join those countries whose policies are simply extensions of paranoid super-Power ideologies. If Mr Loudon ever had to live in a conflict zone, he might come to realise that military spending does not ensure national or international security. It ensures tension and hostility instead. — Yours, etc., CHOUDRY ABDUL AZIZ. December 15, 1988.

Sir, —In response to Joan Wilkinson and Trevor Loudon, I will not continue the debate over French taxpayers’ money being used for New Zealand peace work. We all agree on the basic facts. But I will answer their questions about other funding. One established peace group that has received no Rainbow Warrior grants, nor any other - ———-

support from outside the peace movement at any time, is Citizens for the Demilitarisation of Harewood. — Yours, etc., ROBERT L. LEONARD. December 14, 1988.