354 lines
14 KiB
Plaintext
354 lines
14 KiB
Plaintext
The following article is part of a library of articles from
|
||
The Beyond War/IPPNW BBS in Cambridge, MA. Comments or
|
||
suggestions should be directed to the Beyond War/IPPNW BBS
|
||
at (617) 731-1575, 300/1200, 8/N/1. or call Andy at
|
||
(617) 739-4869 (voice).
|
||
|
||
|
||
The Following fact sheet is provided by the Beyond War Project:
|
||
|
||
Trident Nuclear Submarine-
|
||
|
||
The Trident nuclear submarine ("Boomer"), the largest submarine
|
||
in the United States Navy packs more explosive power in its 24
|
||
missiles than all the gunpowder exploded in all the wars man has
|
||
fought to date. ("Christian Science Monitor", 10-14-82)
|
||
|
||
The Trident is 560 feet long; it weighs 18,750 tons. Each of the
|
||
24 nuclear missiles it carries weighs 65,000 pounds. Each nuclear
|
||
missile has 8 independently targeted warheads (nuclear bombs),
|
||
which means that one Trident nuclear submarine can hit 192
|
||
targets (8 x 24 = 192). ("Nuclear Weapons Data Book", Natural
|
||
Resources Defense Council, 1984.)
|
||
|
||
The firepower in one Trident nuclear submarine can effectively
|
||
destroy Soviet society. The United States has four Tridents:
|
||
the Ohio, the Michigan, the Florida, the Georgia. We plan to
|
||
build 15 of them. (Department of Defense, Selected Acquisition
|
||
Report, 6-30-82).
|
||
|
||
|
||
Typhoon Nuclear Submarine-
|
||
|
||
The Soviet Typhoon nuclear submarine is the largest in the Soviet
|
||
fleet. It 561 feet long and weighs 25,000 tons. Each of its 20
|
||
nuclear missiles carries 8 independently targeted warheads
|
||
(nuclear bombs). One Typhoon can hit 160 targets (8 x 20 = 160)
|
||
and can effectively destroy American society. The Soviet Union
|
||
has two Typhoon submarines and is planning to build 6 more by the
|
||
early 1990's. (Plomar, Norman. "Guide to the Soviet Navy-3rd
|
||
Edition." Annapolis, Md. Naval Institute Press, 1983). ("Soviet
|
||
Military Power, 1984." Dept. of Defense. Superintendent of
|
||
Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington D.C.
|
||
20402.)
|
||
|
||
|
||
Nuclear Winter-
|
||
|
||
The "nuclear winter" phenomenon could be triggered when only 1%
|
||
of the current nuclear weapons arsenal is detonated. When the
|
||
nuclear bombs explode near the ground they generate a fine dust;
|
||
those that explode in the air create fire and smoke. The dust
|
||
and the smoke will block out the sunlight for months;
|
||
photosynthesis will stop; temperatures on earth will drop
|
||
drastically; plants, crops, animals and people will die. During
|
||
this time the lingering radiation will be extremely high, causing
|
||
serious illness and death.
|
||
|
||
As the nuclear soot and dust settle, deadly solar ultraviolet
|
||
light will pour over the earth now unprotected by the ozone which
|
||
will have been damaged by the nuclear bombs. Ultraviolet
|
||
sunlight will be extremely dangerous to any form of life that
|
||
remains, These effects will initially begin in the Northern
|
||
Hemisphere, where it is assumed most of the bombs will be
|
||
detonated. The environmental effects will find their way to the
|
||
Southern Hemisphere as the breezes blow the dust and soot across
|
||
the equator. There is no nation on Earth that will not be
|
||
affected by a "nuclear winter".
|
||
|
||
Only one of the the superpower countries needs to launch its
|
||
nuclear weapons to trigger a "nuclear winter". (Ehrlich, Paul;
|
||
Sagan, Carl; Kennedy, Donald; Roberts, Walter Orr. "the Cold and
|
||
the Dark.: W.W. Norton & co. 1984).
|
||
|
||
|
||
Star Wars-
|
||
|
||
The "Star Wars" program proposes to launch satellite weapons into
|
||
space that would intercept and destroy strategic ballistic
|
||
missiles (nuclear bomb) directed against the United States before
|
||
they reach their targets in this country.
|
||
|
||
This space-based defense system would trigger a further massive
|
||
build-up of new weapons by each side which would only escalate
|
||
the present danger. (Scientific American, Oct. 1984).
|
||
|
||
Even if the "Star Wars" system worked as designed, 5% of the
|
||
incoming nuclear missiles would still get through and explode on
|
||
their targets. Detonation of only 1% of the nuclear weapons will
|
||
create the possibility of a "nuclear winter". (Institute for
|
||
Space and Security Studies, 7720 Mary Cassat Drive, Potomac, MD
|
||
20854).
|
||
|
||
The "Star Wars" program is in the research stage. $26 billion
|
||
has been allocated for research and development for a 5 year
|
||
period. (Scientific American, Oct. 1984).
|
||
|
||
Right now the technology does not exist to build such a system.
|
||
It is estimated that the "Star Wars" defense system would cost in
|
||
excess of $1 trillion. (San Francisco Chronicle, 8-10-84).
|
||
|
||
|
||
Arms Build-Up / Social Cost-
|
||
|
||
There is a social cost we pay for weapons development. There are
|
||
social programs that need support and do not receive it. In the
|
||
face of staggering military costs, we must acknowledge the
|
||
needless death of 40,000 children every day. UNICEF reported the
|
||
death of 15 million children last year. Most deaths could have
|
||
been avoided by simple methods at low cost: 5 million died from
|
||
dehydration caused by simple diarrhea. More than 3 million died
|
||
from pneumonia. Two million died from measles. A million and a
|
||
half died from whooping cough. A million died from tetnus. And
|
||
for every child who dies many more live on in hunger and ill
|
||
health. (San Francisco Chronicle, 10-26-83).
|
||
|
||
It would cost $6 billion to eliminate most infant deaths
|
||
worldwide through the use of vaccines and training of community
|
||
health workers. (San Francisco Chronicle, 10-26-83). $6 billion
|
||
is the cost of 6 Navy destroyer ships. (U.S. News and World
|
||
Report, 9-17-84).
|
||
|
||
The government of the world spent $650 billion in 1982 on
|
||
armaments. Each minute of every day the world spends $1,300,000
|
||
for military purposes. In that same time, 30 children die for
|
||
lack of food and inexpensive vaccines. (Sivard, Ruth. World
|
||
Military & Social Expenditures, 1982. World Priorities, Box
|
||
25140, Washington DC 20007).
|
||
|
||
Ten years ago, the U.N. World Conference pledged itself to
|
||
eliminate world hunger within a decade - a goal that has not been
|
||
realized. If 4% of the world's military budget were spent each
|
||
year on agricultural development, by the year 2000, world hunger
|
||
could be eliminated. (World Military and Social Expenditures,
|
||
1982).
|
||
|
||
Military assistance to the Third World by the developed countries
|
||
has far outpaced economic aid in the last 20 years - $400 billion
|
||
in military aid compared to $25 billion in economic aid. (World
|
||
Military & Social Expenditures, 1983).
|
||
|
||
For every 100,000 people in the world, there are 556 trained
|
||
soldiers and 85 trained doctors. (World Military & Social
|
||
Expenditures, 1982).
|
||
|
||
In 32 countries of the world, governments spend more for military
|
||
purposes than for education and health care combined. (World
|
||
Military & Social Expenditures, 1982).
|
||
|
||
More than 50% of all our scientists and engineers are engaged in
|
||
defense related research. (Simon Ramo, founder TRW; Science
|
||
advisor to President Reagan; in Fortune, 5-16-83).
|
||
|
||
It was once believed that military spending had positive effects
|
||
on the economy but there is growing evidence that its influence
|
||
is negative. Military spending does not provide as many jobs for
|
||
the dollar as compared to the needed areas of our economy. A
|
||
study done by the Bureau of Labor Statistics discovered that the
|
||
expenditure of $1 billion would create the following number of
|
||
jobs in the given sectors of the economy:
|
||
|
||
Military Weapons Production 75,700 jobs
|
||
Mass Transit 92,000 jobs
|
||
Construction 100,000 jobs
|
||
Health 138,000 jobs
|
||
Education 187,300 jobs
|
||
|
||
(Bureau of Labor Statistics Study. "Structure of the U.S.
|
||
Economy in 1980 and 1985").
|
||
|
||
In the 35 years proceeding 1982, the United States spent $2.3
|
||
trillion for military purposes. THe current proposal for the
|
||
Dept. of Defense budget is $2.6 trillion for the next 8 years.
|
||
(Defense Monitor published by the Center for Defense
|
||
Information). If we spent $2 million a day every day since the
|
||
year 1 A.D. we would still not have spent $2 trillion.
|
||
|
||
|
||
Warning Time-
|
||
|
||
THe nuclear powers of the world are like two scorpions in a
|
||
bottle-operating under a strategy known as "mutually assured
|
||
destruction" MAD. The destruction of one country will mean, in
|
||
the end, the destruction of both the attacked and the attacker.
|
||
To lessen such a blow we began to think about "counterforce" an
|
||
attack made against the weapons of our adversary to hopefully cut
|
||
down on the destructive power of the attack. This attitude
|
||
inevitably lead to the discussion of "first strike". the idea
|
||
that we must use our weapons first to assure that they are
|
||
launched before destroyed in their launchers by our adversary.
|
||
|
||
We, therefore, find ourselves sitting on a razor's edge. If our
|
||
computers detect a launch by an adversary (accurately or
|
||
inaccurately - see False Alarms) we have only 25 minutes (the
|
||
launch and impact time) in the case of land launched missiles -
|
||
Titan II, Pershing II, MX, Minuteman I & II - and only 7 to 10
|
||
minutes (the launch and impact time) in the case of submarine
|
||
launched missiles - Poseidon, Trident I & II - to decide if we
|
||
will launch our missiles or not. If we hesitate longer our
|
||
missiles will be destroyed by the incoming missiles of our
|
||
adversary. This strategy is often known as the "use them or lose
|
||
them" strategy.
|
||
|
||
Nuclear War in the 1980's? Christopher Chant & Ian Hogg, 1983.
|
||
The Nuclear Almanac-Confronting the Atom in War and Peace.
|
||
Compiled and edited by faculty members at M.I.T., 1984.
|
||
|
||
|
||
False Alarms-
|
||
|
||
The North American Defense Command reported 151 computer false
|
||
alarms in an 18 month period. One had American forces on alert
|
||
for a full 6 minutes before the error was discovered. (New York
|
||
Times 11-23-82).
|
||
|
||
In 1979 and the first half of 1980 there were 3,703 "routine
|
||
missile display conferences", low-level false alerts. Those
|
||
listed below were sufficiently serious to come within minutes of
|
||
launching a nuclear war:
|
||
|
||
October 3, 1979 - A radar designed to detect submarine-
|
||
launched ballistic missiles picked up a low-orbit rocket body
|
||
that was close to decay and generated a false launch and
|
||
impact report.
|
||
|
||
November 9, 1979 - The central NORAD computer system
|
||
indicated a mass attack by incoming missiles as a result of
|
||
an "inadvertent introduction of simulated data" into the
|
||
computer.
|
||
|
||
March 15, 1980 - A false warning of major nuclear attack was
|
||
generated by one of four Soviet submarine launched ballistic
|
||
missiles being tested during troop training exercises in the
|
||
Kuril Islands of North Japan.
|
||
|
||
June 3, 1980 - A false warning of a major nuclear attack
|
||
was generated by a "bad chip in a communications processor
|
||
computer."
|
||
|
||
June 6, 1980 - The same warning was repeated when the June 3
|
||
incident was simulated during investigation of the computer
|
||
problem.
|
||
|
||
The Nuclear Almanac - Confronting the Atom in War and Peace.
|
||
Compiled and edited by faculty members at M.I.T., 1984.
|
||
|
||
|
||
Proliferation-
|
||
|
||
India, Israel, South Africa, Libya, Pakistan, Iraq, Argentina and
|
||
Brazil are listed as "emerging nuclear powers" in a recent study
|
||
done by the Carnegie Endowment for Peace. Because key data with
|
||
regard to the functioning of a nuclear weapon is now determined
|
||
by computer analysis, any of the emerging nuclear powers could
|
||
possess a bomb without having to test it. San Jose Mercury 10-
|
||
31-84.
|
||
|
||
|
||
Faulty Equipment-
|
||
|
||
Microchips used in the United States weapons arsenal are under
|
||
suspect because of possible insufficient testing by their
|
||
manufacturers. One modern jet fighter can carry as many as
|
||
10,000 microchips. Peninsula Times Tribune 12-26-83.
|
||
|
||
|
||
Other Indicators of Urgency-
|
||
|
||
The respected Bulletin of Atomic Scientists moved its "Doomsday
|
||
Clock" to 3 minutes before midnight at the beginning of 1984.
|
||
This clock has been used as an indicator for the last 37 years;
|
||
measuring how close the world is ti a global nuclear
|
||
confrontation. Only once before in those 37 years has that
|
||
publication seen fit to place the warning hand any closer to
|
||
midnight than in stands today. That was done in 1953 in response
|
||
to the advent of the Hydrogen bomb. Bulletin of Atomic
|
||
Scientists, January 1984.
|
||
|
||
More than 100,000 American Military personnel have some form of
|
||
access to or responsibility for nuclear weapons. A House
|
||
subcommittee reported that in 1977 - a typical year - 1,219 of
|
||
them had to be removed from such duty because of mental
|
||
disorders, 256 for alcohol abuse and 1,365 for drug abuse. New
|
||
York Times 11-23-82.
|
||
Reading List
|
||
|
||
Beyond War: A New Way of Thinking. Beyond War Project, Palo Alto, 1984
|
||
|
||
This workbook published by the staff of Beyond War can be
|
||
ordered from the Distribution Dept., 222 High St., Palo Alto 94301
|
||
|
||
Bulletin of Atomic Scientists. 5801 South Kenwood Ave., Chicago,
|
||
IL 60637
|
||
|
||
Every issue of this magazine has pertinent articles on the
|
||
latest developments in nuclear weapons and the efforts to
|
||
control them.
|
||
|
||
The Cold and the Dark. Paul Ehrlich, Carl Sagan, Donald Kennedy,
|
||
Walter Orr Roberts. W.W. Norton & Co., 1984.
|
||
|
||
Written by some of the major scientists involved in the
|
||
research, this book contains the latest detailed description
|
||
of "nuclear winter".
|
||
|
||
The Fate of the Earth. Jonathan Schell. Avon, New York, 1982.
|
||
|
||
A beautifully written and comprehensive book on the effects of
|
||
nuclear war on our planet, and the necessity to save the earth
|
||
for future generations.
|
||
|
||
People's Guide to National Defense. Shelia Tobias, Peter
|
||
Goudinoff, Stephan Leader. William & March, New York, 1982.
|
||
|
||
What kind of guns are they buying for your butter? A
|
||
beginners' guide to defense, weaponry and military spending.
|
||
|
||
The Trimtab Factor. Harold Willens. William Morrow Co., Inc.,
|
||
New York, 1984.
|
||
|
||
The business community is asked to get involved in the effort
|
||
to prevent nuclear war, and especially the effort to improve
|
||
U.S.-Soviet relations. This book makes clear the imperative
|
||
for an end to the nuclear arms race.
|
||
|
||
What About the Russians - And Nuclear War? Ground Zero. Pocket
|
||
Books, 1982.
|
||
|
||
A survey of essential background information on the Soviet
|
||
Union and U.S.-Soviet relationships.
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|