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Show i he Salt Section A i'akr Srilnuu Sunday Morning, February 10. 1980 I'rihntH' Editorials Lot tors Iage 19 A-- 20 A-- ) 21 Common Carrier: MX Would Restore Second Strike Capability By Antonia Handler Chayos article which appeared in your Common Carrier column several weeks ago hy Hr Edwin Brown Firmage, Professor of Law. University of Itah, has been brought to my attention becausp it expresses strong opposition to the deployment of the MX missile system in the L'tahNev ada candidate site area. Dr Firmage has raised some serious and thoughtful concerns about the MX in the proposed horizontal dash basing, both from the point of view of national strategy and from that of a citizen and resident of one of the potential site areas. Because a number of the concerns and arguments which Dr. Firmage advances are founded on misunderstandings about U 8 strategy, characteristics of the proposed system, and the potential risks to residents of those sites where MX might be deployed. 1 thought it would be useful for me to respond to his article in the interests of furthering a responsible dialogue on this important national An issue. While Dr. Firmage covers a number of issues in this article, he seems to ad same four main arguments against the deployment of the MX missile in the UtahNevada candidate site are the horizontal dash configuration 1. That the deployment in the UtahNevada area would act as a magnet for the targeting of Soviet strategic weapons such that this part of the western United States would be exposed to a vastly disproportionate share of destruction in any nuclear conflict The First Strike C apability 2 That the proposed mobile MX represents a quantum jump in U.S first strike nuclear capability against Soviet hard targets which will compel the Soviets to adopt a dangerous preemptive counter-strateg3. That MX in the proposed mobile deployment mode is a technological advance similar to the achievement of the Multiple Independent Reentry Vehicle iMIRVi a decade ago which will undermine any prospect of significantly reducing strategic weapons in SALT III 4 That there are reasonable and readily available deployment alternatives for the MX missile other than horizontal dash which are suterior from an operational, arms control, and cost effectiveness point of view. Dr. Firmage's first argument that a deployment of the MX system into the UtahNevada area would expose residents of this part of the United States to a potentially higher rink of nuclear destruction in a strategic conflict than they presently face seems to reflect a misunderstanding of U.S nuclear weapons strategy and the considerable risks which all Americans already face should deterrence fail. Since the beginning of the nuclear age American strategy for nuclear weapons has been founded on the principle of second strike deterrence. The theory which underlies this strategy is that we can protect our national interests while avoiding nuclear w ar if the U S can always pose a threat to the Soviet Union of their complete destruction as a military, economic and political power even after a first strike by Soviet weapons. Deterrence is premised on the expectation that the Soviet Union will make such a calculation and behave rationally. Diversified Nuclear f orce To implement this strategy, the United States, over the past 30 years, has developed a sizeable and diversified strategic nuclear force composed of land based ICBMs, submarine-baseK'BMs. and intercontinental hombers In recent years we have seen a dramatic increase in the number of very large Soviet missiles capable of attacking and destroying ICBMs ithe current American Mmuteman system i. The strength of our deterrent posture has for decades been rooted not only in the sheer number of weapons which we possess but in the diversity and redundancy of nur systems. This assures that any Soviet first strike attack would fail to destroy enough US weapons to prevent absolute destruction of the Soviet Union in retaliation However, the increasing vulnerability of the Minuteman becausp its known fixed sites ran system now fe targeted by sufficient Soviet nuelpar weapons to assure a high probability of a high level of destruction - could lend to a dangerous destabilization in the nuclear balance and offer a significant temptation for Soviet preemption in a crisis unless the United States modernizes ICBM forep in a manner which its eliminates the vulnerability of fixed sites The purpose of the proposed MX missile in the mobile, horizontal dash basing mode is to redress this basic vulnerability in our posture and restor a high confidence second strike capability. Remove Fundamental Vulnerability Dr Firmage seems to believe that the purpose of considering basing locations in Utah and Nevada is to divert a Soviet strategic attack from more populous parts of the United States Should the decision be made to deply Dr Firmage MX in this area, therefore. believes the risk to local residents would The purjavse of this increase dramatically deployment, however, irrespective of the siting location selected, is to remove a fundamental vulnerability m our current posture which is politically destabilizing in peac etime and could expose us to serious risks of military preemp turn in a crisis With MX. the Soviet Union will once again confront a II S strategic force capable of massive second strike destruction of the Soviet Union It is this continuing prospect which has averted nuclear alastrophe in the feasible past 3(1 years and offers the1 onl strategy for avoiding it in the future Should deterrence fail, all parts of the I nitial Stales would ho exposed to unparalleled levels of destruction Dr. Firmage's lielief that the UtahNevada area is of such low military importance that it would be a sanctuary in any nuclear conflict is mistaken The Soviet Union will almost certainly target ail significant military, industrial and population centers in the United States Within the UtahNevada area are located strategic missile production facilities, two important tactical Air Force bases, a major Air Force logistics facility, and a U S nuclear weakens testing area Should deterrence fail, all of these locations would be prime targets for Sov iot weuions and exlensiv e collateral damage to the two states could not be avoided In sum, the only acceptable strategy for the United Stales is to continue to dotei conflict by maintaining a high confidence second strike capability If deterrence fails the entire country', including I tab and Nevada face massive destruction in : d land-base- -- land-hase- i) Dr Firmage's second major concern that the proposed deployment of MX represents such a significant increase in U S ability to attack Soviet hard targets that they will be forced to respond with a dramatic increase in their own capabilities, also seems to reflect some misunderstanding of both U.S. and Soviet capabilities. The important point with respect to the current nuclear balance which Dr Firmage has not addressed is the dramatic i Editors' note: Tins article, coupled with one opposing the MX plans which appeared Dec. 2. 1979, means that both sides of the issue have been aired in Common Carrier and the board of editors does not plan to have published other articles on the topic in the immediate future. (Also, because of the great importance of the MX topic, the pro and con articles were allowed to run longer than the normal length of Common Carrier the board will articles. Henceforth, resume its policy of approving, for publication articles which are four pages or less of double-spaced- , typewritten copy. ) increase within the past several years in very large accurate Soviet missiles As most people are aware, these Soviet missiles (SS-Hand ) created significant negotiating dn'ficul ties in the final phases of SALT 11 A strategy for accommodating them within that context was developed which explicitly permitted the United States to develop some number of MX missiles as a means of redressing this imahlance in hard target capability. However, were MX to be placed m silos like Minuteman, as contrasted with the currently proposed mobile hasing, these missiles would be exposed to much the same vulnerability the Minuteman system now confronts and since their payloads are significantly greater, they would he an even more tempting preemptive target, thus adding further to the instability of our land based ICBM posture. Dr. Firmage fears that these larger missiles will represent a significant threat to the Soviet d missile force and that in fear of a U S first strike, the Soviets might in a crisis be tempted to preempt The U.S. decision to spend billions of dollars to develop the multiple as the shelter horizontal dash basing system .Soviets know full well makes sense only if our intention is to strke second, not first. As a consequence, the mobile MX sy stem does not s significant increase in threat to the would compel them to develop now countermeasures. Should they choose, however, to put some portion of their 'Uncnl silo based force inlo a mobile config unction which is verifiable under U T this would add further to the stability of the a represent So w. Union which heavy-payloa- Air Force Under Secretary it'w Religion in School Swinging Back Through Courts By Dr. Max Rafferty It all started with religion, you know I mean America's public school system It grew out of the old F'uritan "dame sihools" and the c hurch-operate- d Air Rasing Too Costly Air basing of MX was considered by the Air Fore e but found to be two to three times more costly than a land based system and considerably more vulnerable to preemptive attack Shadow sytems rould not be available until the 19"Os and involve major tec hnological uncertainties Upgrades to the Minuteman III system to improve warhead yield and accuracy are being implemented, however, these measures do nothing to reduce the fundamental vulnerability of that system As a "academies." Then, for century and more, the two were totally divorced The very name of God was outlawed in a school public rooms rriage Now a class- sea-base- d rema- strangely seems to be enough occurring Herewith, two examples In 1 Work of Literature By Bob Walton Are you wondering where you will live in your retirement years? Assuming a household is headed by the husband. does the wife know the details of the couple's assets m the event she becomes a widow? Both are questions faced by millions of Two very Americans different books have come my way that could help answer those questions and make the final years happier. One is the Rand McNally "Guide to Retirement Living" i$3 95i; the other is A Handhook for the Spouse D. Mariana, 13 95i by Terence Alone" president of Practical Press (order from PO Box 3280, Waterbury. Conn 167051. The Rand Mi Nally book lists more than l.fkni retirement facilities in all 50 states, hut there's more to il than that It is all but impossible to offer a complete list of facilities because of the constant opening of nnw accommodations due la the burgeoning growth of .America's aging population We are living longer Advice Whal is particularly noteworthy about this Ixmk is the excellent advice it gives To begin planning you must know your lin.mcial worth Then you must decide if you prefer a ret. cement resilience, where three meals a day are served, at owning yniir own house Actually, retirement homes cover a wide range of types indiv idual houses tn a ti a I develops! far older persons apartment houses, including condominiums and retirement homes offering life rare and usuailv food service; mobile home parks ntenng to older couples, and nursing or convalescent homes Regardless of what kind of retirement living you eventually select, you must investi gate your choiie thoroughly Life CHre facilities are today growing in number and popularity F.ven so, one should fullv acquaint himself with how such a facility oMTHte.s Some have health plans that supple merit Medicare, hut it's up to you to find out haw each operates and whether extra costs are co-op- iiiv alv ed Other Sections of Book her sections of the book discuss such topic s as important tilings to look for in t housing a retirement home; the waiting period involved prcic edurcs tn follow on entering a home c liing vour old home those first fpw weeks in the new home, and most mumrtant of all Slow it . I.ir Do You E fer Have Thoughts Of Retirement Living Space? ( Chattanooga. Federal District Judge F rank Wilson has okayed a public si hooi Bible study program, believe it i rnot. The rase cam" before him as such rases have come before other judges in other years laxal atheists, tireless in their efforts to wipe all knowledge of religion from the minds of the next generation, bring suit against Ihp school board for daring to permit any classroom discussion of the greatest bcxik ever written The judge agrees that such discussion violates the constitutional prohibition against the "establishment of religion" by the govern ment. and the Bible goes nut the window Tenn Time to to handle your money now that your are retired and don't have as much One interesting chapler considers retirement foreign country. The Imok points out that Mexico and some countries in Central America and Spain offer a lower cost of living and have popular with American retirees. But don't make that decision sight unseen Before listing facilities (more than lbn pages worth i. the book offers a checklist everyone should usp when visiting a retirement facility tn a Bui not this time Judge Wilson said that as long as ihe main objective of the program was to help students gain a wider appreciation of the Bible as a great work of literature, it could continue in the Chattanooga schools. This means the prayers, the psalms, the Sermon on ihe Mount, the parables. Revelations the whole mighty structure Shock waves are still spreading through the establishment and hopefully through hell itself They're being emphasized by a significant, if somewhtat less important happening in Rbvonington. HI as here ,ct consequence, the MX horizontal dash svstem. while complex, is the best of the available alternaiiv os for restoring si ategir equilibrium lr. the 3Ki is hope in Ihe foregoing discussion I have he lped to clarify some of the has issues which Dr Firmage has raised in hxs article The Air Force is making every effort to acquaint the citizens fo Utah and Nevada snd other potential deployment stes with the basic issues involved Our in this momentous national decision dialogue with the leaders and thp citizens of Utah have been both positive and stimulating We believe the citizens of Utah and Nevada share with the rest of the nation a deep concern for maintaining a strong strategic deterrent We also recognize that a project of this magnitude quite naturally raises important local and regional issues We are making every effort to consult with the leaders and citizens of Ihe potentially affected areas so as to devise approaches to this vital national undertaking which are compatible with local concerns and values After all. the Atr Force's mission in strategic defense, as in all other areas, is to protect cm i way of life 1 1 Ed'for The handbook begins with an exhaustive list of things to be included in it hy the reader There are pages covering wills, intestacy and the contents of safety deposit boxes, deed, mortgages and insurance policies for the home, information on the home s heating svxtem. fuses, circuit breakers and smoke detectors, fire and burglar alarms and appliances The investment section has pages for hank accounts, securities, mutual funds, business holdings such as real estate, and ind victual retirement accounts For the surviving spnue. an important page is erne devoted to name and addresses of advisers and records of past income taxes a complete family In short, the book i history in 32 pages and could le the mns valuable personal asset in any household Its pages consist of cards 5 hy S inches and if more space is needed, the reader can purchase similar size blank cards at ms! stationery stores YOU SHOULD KNOW: from Social Security "h i h is hard to get hy on Since my husband left me in 1372 he has never contributed to inv support I live with my mother and I am 87 D S How can apply for additional support' Rochester. Minn A If you know your husband's Social Security number, you can ask Social becuritv whether he has retired, and. if so, you can fib on him Meanwhile. suggest you ask .Social Security to check on whether you arc eligible for Supplemental So, w it.' Income iSSIbelieve you are If you hav e question you w on Id like t hav e cIiscussch!, wide Ibib Walton, in care of tin Q 1 receive $178 1 For a personal reply, please newspuper enclose a stamvcd. sell addressed envelope Questions of general ll eiest will be answered 11 the loom s note Today's Common ner article was written Cor- Antonai Air Force under . hy Handier Chayes, US secretary. Washington, D Coro meats erpressci in Common Corner do not necessarily refect those of The Sait Lake Tnbunr or the Common Coiner board of lay editors Articles selected lor this department are dcleimtttcd hy the lay hoard, which icoi ks iiidrprniU ntly of 7YiMc eprrto no! anil crlitanarJ po'icms Thr board, represent. up a cross section at the com tnunity. includes Richard Sen one, field tepccscnnUrc, AFl. (7 ami thr pnvalc ri'i.' en boor, ehairinar Cordon Blair in piny si ' genlngi t, vu r chairman; Vue F ha.'Oi ejecutue program over forth hcH-om- Can Be Valuable to Anyone The "Handbook" was undoubtedly designed as a guide for the widow or widower living alone, but in my opinion, the honk, if proper h updated by the reader, could be a valuahle asset for any couple, regardless of ago. as an inventory of assets and possession 1 c Raffurlv A - 1 land-hase- HOSTAGE strategic balance Restore Stability tn Balance Dr Firmage's third argument thT the AT X system represents a significant thro it to the possibilities of strategic arm reduction in SALT III seems to be premised on a mistaken analogs til the development of Multiple Independent Reentry Vehicles (MIRVs' a decade have made clear in the tiojHago As preceding discussion, the MX system is designed to restore stability to the U S 'Soviet balance hv insuring survivability for our land based ICBM forc e against a much larger Soviet thre.it To the extent that thr deployment helps illustrate the futilitv of attempts to achieve strategic superiority through ever larger numbers of missiles, we will hope that it wtl make a positive contribution to efforts to negotiate actual reductions in numbers of missiles m SALT III The dramatic developments of the last few weeks, howev er, have cast a serum loud over tlte prosicts for such negotiations It seems clear that the Soviet decision to invade Afghanistan was taken in full knowledge that such blatant aggression would undermine the SALT process While the United States continues tn heliove that the SALT II Treaty ison its own merits worthwhile for the United States, the President's decision to postpone further Senate consideration of the treaty is a dear reflection that such bilateral undertakings are feasible only when relatively high levels of confidence in the mutal restraint of both sides can be sustained Finally, Dr Firmage suggests in his article that a number of other alternatives for the deployment of the MX missle are available which would he politically and militarily accept able and more cost effective. It should he understood that in proceeding with a proposed deployment for MX as complicated as the horizontal dash system, the Air Force has seriously onsidered every other potential aPcrnative Each of the alternatives to which Dr. Firmage refers in his article has been considered by the Air Force in detail. 2 Two high school students balked at enrolling in gym classes. It seems thev are members of the United Pentecostal Church, and Iheir religious beliefs would be violated bv fort mg them to see members of the opposite rx in immodest attire " The "opposite e" ges ino the ai t hy the new emphasis on unisex gym classes brought about by Women's Lib in its burning eyd campaign to abolish ai! riitterences between males and females -- Strikes F)own Illinois Law Anyhow. Judge J Waldo Ackerman told the t hool authorities not to "suspend, px(hI deny graduation credit to. or take u'her disi q hnarv ai tmns" against Debbie Moody or Tha i Mrs the Pentecostal plaintiffs m question In so doing, he struck down an Illinois law which bail previously required ail students to take physical education and which had spcc.fe a!':-forbidden excuses from gym i lasso on I ( inirl'i Japanese At icnMn C'"ir ler;nr. Von Fororen. retired school em her and l.mda nrury, I'nirersdy tm. trio tor Artie'es need rot b professionally but xfono'd pertain to the rrepaii'd ei( i .((( p(i(('(( o or ii't'ie, well heii'Q d Vra Articles should the he timely, hate unity purpose, a .;'nil the ou pnomae d: ah guc and be Jo Ih sic up d he na rrd h, C.onmoi Mater, d C it Ro i i ne (', or Ii " ' Lake ' M8 one ,'i Si. of , I ih t hb'eiy ' religious ground. I ( This decision puts not only Bloomington hut all nthci high sc h mi s receiving federal moiu in a bind that makes the famed Gordian Knot iivok like a kiiidei gal tclie i s hair rthlvon bv comparion Title l of the Education Amend meet of 1072. you see. bans any segreg Bed phvica! education i lassos on the base, of cx except when contact sjmrts arc pi, nod No.v. like Ackeim-i- his Tonm t j I Numt N njJcf? r h(' vi";r !!( v"u in r:.1 to bo iiii. c a 'i U !i i ' i..li ' r o Cl ! ":"nnii o I c tile pni i o' lien the finite " on know igh m ill .c I, ;or aluminum w 'Ino. un'!,(' ,uu ' g edoing ban ( '(.( ,c.mn., 1 - it ;'tn! Inrth the pendulum swing, and ingic reason, and common sense The simlml of lustiee in this country shou'cln't he the ei'od l.niv w Itii (lie si aies It ought to be a Bai wi'h T.-.- c . a Same Courts Change Views interesting, though that the ssme not so long ago courts which were purging rooting up and cxlcrmtnut mg thai old tutu r' hgioti from the schools arc now starting to reintroduce it And with a vengeance, too a. our two s.unple court t asos tudav indicate n ' I e federal nidge If his ruling the off. i ! will be profound Im no lawyer but it doc seem to me that Title ! w di and that wtl1 be simple splendid go pb.t-tbully, niftv and pc;n hv kien as far as I m con erned Girls have about as much busine in tvoy.s' gv m classes as I lure on the ,rsi: Daisy ( ham colleague ; ( k M v Vo Vo ! lb it m oiiri he didii t dobato in low j bee ut be vea- concerned about .utv unity ' i'.ittv niiv tun. a cup ( cot iii.i ,.ii So rnt vc n al.v icstHUf..- t a. tow I 1! t i TI a ,.n u,,e. boo; o . i u. t rn i on ,c lav ' in 'in b.kppi.v paling over fa a out g i .e;.u, i.u |