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Show HILL TOP TIMES Friday, Novmbw 2, 1984 editorials 7 most if rules? OnlyMajority vote - By Col.-- Minier Wilson Jr. U.S. Army (Retired) "It's at the polling place where you hear the thunder of the common man." Anonymous. Many of us would subscribe to the belief that "the majority rules" that our beloved nation is governed by majority rule. If you believe that, think again. It is a fact that: Candidates for the office rarely receive a majority of the total eligible vote. In many elections, a majority of the eligible voters never make it to the polls. No American president this century has been elected with a majority of the total eligible vote. In the 1980 election, President Reagan won a landslide victory, but only 27 percent of the eligible voters cast their ballots for him. America is not governed by the majority. It is governed by the majority of those who vote. And, in the recent national elections, nearly half of the eligible voters didn't cast ballots. Many citizens don't bother to register and vote because they don't think their votes count. They believe a single vote won't make a difference. The problem with this reasoning is that those single votes do add up to hundreds and thousands. To see the difference even a small number of votes can make, look at the 1976 presidential election. A shift of fewer than 9,000 votes -- 3,700 in Hawaii and 5,200 in Ohio would have given the election to Gerald Ford. ,. Elections are always important. The tone and nature of the nation's political life for years to come will be set by the outcome. That there is a clear choice between the top presidential candidates makes it all the more imperative that as many Americans as possible go to the polls in 1984 to express their opinions about the direction America is to take. Somehow, we must identify the candidates who will serve not only our own personal interests but those of the community and nation. That isn't always easy, even when the voting record reveals a candidate's position on the issues. It may be even more difficult in the case of the first-tim- e hopefuls. But we can't let the difficult dissuade us from a task which is essential to our democratic process. . America didn't become strong and free because her people turned their backs on the problems of yesterday. She can become weak and begin the process of losing her freedom if, because of our failure to vote, launch-under-attac- k; wide-rangin- g pro- Launch-under-attac- launch-detecti- velopment. Using this approach, Moscow seeks new gains in relative capability despite the drive of Western governments to redress the imbalance that has developed over the past decade. , Because of the open nature of U.S. society the Soviets have been able to take advantage of U.S. research and development to accelerate their already considerable technological effort. Information and hardware already obtained have saved the Soviets billions of dollars and resulted in their reaching some military capabilities years ahead of what they could have achieved if they were dependent on their own resources. (LOGNEWS) two-prong- . ed " anti-nucle- ar Inventory 500 Inventory ' r500 1 on ir 450- - 450 400- - ll. S. and Soviet Intercontinental us 400 350- - 350 300- - 300 250--"- 250 200- - 200 USSR (excluding aircraft assigned to Naval Aviation) 150- - ' 100- - 60- - 150 MOO . SO off-ro- ad . 0 1979 1980 1981 Published by MorMedia Sales, 11 52 West River-dalRoad, Ogden, Utah 84405, phone Deadlines: Editorial, 4 p.m. Monday before publication date; announcements for "Around the Hill," 1 0 a.m. Monday before publication date; Classified ads, 4 p.m. Wednesday before publication date. Articles may be turned in at Room 11 8, Bldg. 1102, 5. 1982 Year . e times " sis on survivability along with war reserves, protection for people and equipment and the capacity to reload launchers. For their ICBM and air defense forces , the Soviets have stocked extra missiles, propellant and warheads throughout the USSR. Some ICBM 'silo launchers could be reload-- , ed, and provision has been made for the decontamination of those launchers. Even with these ambitious development and deployment programs, the Soviets are continuing to modernize all aspects of their strategic forces. The Soviet leadership has also been directing a campaign to support and amplify movements in the ongoing in order to influence, delay or West, frustrate Western nuclear program de on 394-965- 71 " wishes. ... All votes count. Your vote is important even in a losing cause. Analysis of the votes on both sides helps to determine policies and legislative goals into the future. Your vote is a precious heritage which has value (AFNS) only when it is exercised. Develop intercontinental forces, create world political disarray o grams intended to enable nuclear forces to operate under each of these circumstances. Moreover, the Soviets appear to believe.that nuclear war might last for weeks or even months and have built this into their force development. In a preemptive strike, the essentials would be effective coordination of the strike and sound intelligence of Western intentions . Soviet nuclear forces routinely practice command and control under various conditions. During wartime, the main mission of Soviet intelligence would be to determine the West's courses of action. k circumstances should place the greatest stress on attack warning systems and launch coordination. To meet this demand, the Soviets have established a satellite-base- d ICBM system, built an radar missile launch detection system to back up the satellites and have large phased-arra- y radars ringing the USSR. Follow-o- n strikes would stress the survivability of the command, control and communications systems as well as the weapons themselves. The Soviets have invested heavily in providing this and SS-1- 9 survivability. The S$-1- 7 ICBMs are housed in the world's hardest silos. Silo deployment has been adopted for ABMs as well. Mobile ICBMs are under development, and a mobile strategic surface-to-amissile is being tested. The launch control facilities for offensive missiles are housed in very hard silos or on vehicles. Bombers have alert procedures and dispersal airfields... The belief that war might be protracted has led to the USSR's empha over-the-horiz- Unless we seize the opportunity -i- ndeed the obligation to participate in the selection of the leaders who will guide America throughout the next years, we can take little solace in criticizing those who won when they take a course contrary to our do-nothi- ng The Soviets have Soviet leaders, since Khrushchev's time, have followed a consistent policy for the development of their intercontinental forces. Their main objective has been to capitalize, in peacetime, on the power of nuclear forces to cause paralysis in Western weapons programs and create political disarray in the free societies. In wartime, they would regard the threat or actual use of those forces as the key to the successful prosecution of the conflict. In a global conflict, Soviet strategic policy would seek the destruction of Western nuclear forces on the ground and in flight to their targets, the capability to ensure national survival should nuclear weapons reach the Soviet homeland, and the ability to support and sustain combined arms combat in several theaters of military operations. From these policy directives come several overarching strategic wartime missions: Protect the Soviet State, Support the land war in Eurasia, and Eliminate the U.S. capability to conduct or support warfare at home and beyond its own shores. Soviet nuclear forces are designed to fulfill their missions under the best and worst of circumstances. In the context of a nuclear war, the Soviets believe the most favorable circumstance would be a preemptive strike; the least favorable would be a follow-o- n strike after nuclear weapons hit the USSR. Between would be that is, executing offensive operations after weapons aimed at the USSR had been launched. ical choices? we slide from complacency into apathy, and from apacitizens. thy into the resignation of Soviet pol WLy Editor's note: This is one of a series on Soviet military power. It was taken from "Soviet Military Power, 1984," produced by the Department of Defense. There will be those among us who will awaken on Nov. 7 to discover that our favorite candidate didn't win. How many of us will be able, honestly, to say we did everything in our power to support our polit- 1 US data include B 62 , BEAR, BISON between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. The Hill Top Times receives Air Force News Service (AFNS), AF Logistics Command News Service (LOGNEWS), Tactical Air Command News Service (TACNS), and American Forces Press Service (AFPS). Unless otherwise stated, all photos published are official U.S. Air Force photos. and FB-11- 1983 1984 ; Soviet data Include BACKFIRE. 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