UN General Assembly
1976

175. Among the substantive issues, the most pressing problems, and the least encouraging results, are in the field of disarmament. Few will deny that our past approaches on this question call for reassessment. The shocking totals of wasted resources and destructive potential have been repeated so often that our senses are numbed. A dangerous fatalism seems to be creeping in. Technological advances out pace the static negotiating process; the strategist overwhelmed the negotiator; fear prevails over reason. The finest rhetoric cannot obscure the grim realities. The super-Powers seem to be mesmerized, unable to move away from the brink of the precipice. We find ourselves much worse off than we were when disarmament became a priority item. It is enough to mention that the conditions under which these admittedly complex negotiations are being held are such as to be considered unsatisfactory by two of the existing nuclear-weapon States. There appears to be no positive future in our present endeavors unless we broaden our approach and come to grips with the heart of the matter, rather than discuss numbers and the mega-tonnage of missiles. This might well be our last chance before a flash-point is reached.