From: pmetzger@snark.shearson.com (Perry E. Metzger)
Subject: Re: NH Primary & LP
Reply-To: pmetzger@shearson.com
Organization: Lehman Brothers
	<PMETZGER.92Apr3111622@snark.shearson.com>
	<1992Apr7.211632.11030@dartvax.dartmouth.edu>
Distribution: usa
Date: Wed, 8 Apr 1992 16:09:23 GMT

In article <1992Apr7.211632.11030@dartvax.dartmouth.edu> kyrie@coos.dartmouth.edu (Thomas S. Marlowe) writes:

   And what happens when the Libertarian Party comes to Dartmouth
   College (NH) and Marrou tells some very excited Libertarians (and
   some people who were just interested in learning more) that it
   would be a good idea if we encouraged nuclear proliferation so that
   if every country had a nuclear weapon, we would be a lot safer (the
   argument being that it would create a true stalemate if Libya,
   Iran, Iraq, etc.  had nuclear weapons and the other argument being
   that it is not fair for only the superpowers to have NUKES.)

I've never heard any libertarian espousing such things. Are you sure
you are quoting him accurately?

So far as I can tell, by a careful search of the party's platform
contains no such section.

What I am about to post is from an old (1990) platform; exact wording
in the current platform may differ slightly.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

"We recognize that the one significant existing risk of foreign
aggression against Americans is the huge Soviet arsenal of nuclear
weapons.  The potential use of Soviet, and U.S. nuclear weapons is
the greatest threat to all the peoples of the world, not only
Americans.  Thus, the objective should be to reduce the risk that a
nuclear war might begin and its scope if it does.

We reject the policy of massive nuclear retaliation known as Mutual
Assured Destruction (MAD), a policy which ostensibly deters an attack
by threatening to kill hundreds of millions of innocent people in the
attacker's country and utterly destroy its society.  MAD is immoral on
its face and impractical because neither the U.S. nor the Soviet
government continues to believe in its credibility.  Furthermore, MAD
provides no defense against irrational or accidental nuclear attack.

We call on both the U.S. and Soviet governments to continue
negotiations toward mutual reduction of nuclear armaments, to the end
that all such weapons will ultimately be eliminated, under such
conditions of verification as to ensure mutual security.  During arms
reduction negotiations, and to enhance their progress, the U.S. should
begin the retirement of some of its nuclear weapons as proof of its
commitment.  Because the U.S. has many more thousands of nuclear
weapons than are currently required, beginning the process of arms
reduction would not jeopardize American security.  U.S. weapons of
indiscriminate mass destruction should be replaced with smaller
weapons aimed solely at military targets and not designed or targeted
to kill millions of civilians."

----------------------------------------------------------------------

This might not have any relevance to the current world situation, but
I don't think you will find many libertarians arguing that nuclear
proliferation to nations like Iraq and the like is a good thing.

--
Perry Metzger		pmetzger@shearson.com
--
"That government is best which governs least."
		-- Thomas Jefferson, former US President and early libertarian.
Restore the American Dream: Andre Marrou for President! Vote Libertarian!
Libertarian Party info: Phone 1-800-682-1776, E-Mail 345-5647@mcimail.com