The opiate of deterrence
Sr: It is no doubt hopeless, bearing in mind the narcotic effect which the language of defence exPcrts has on their sense of the human- and the just, to point out what Mr Ivor Richard Implies by his statpment of the two assumptions of government defence policy, and in particular the second, namely that 'such. [i.e., nuclear] Weapons would be used if a conventional attack took place.' But it may be helpful to those who are not quite hooked. What the Defence Minister is saying is that if Russian troops enter West Berlin or West Germany while the Labour gov- ernment is in power, that government will not attempt to kill or halt the Russian soldiers for very' long, just- long enough- for- the Prime Minister to decide to order the systematic, killing of (inter alia) all this civilians, including children, nursing mothers, imbeciles and the aged, in selected Russian cities.. Even Humpty-Dumpty might find it difficult to call. that defence, but Alice's dream was not, as far as we know, induced-by drugs.
Richard White Oxford and Cambridge University Club, Pall Mall, L6ndon SWI
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