The bulk of expense in the nuclear arms race is the delivery system. Missiles, submarines, and long-range aircraft cost more than the bombs they are designed to deliver. I propose an international pact be negotiated and sealed forthwith, stipulating that in case of nuclear war each of the signatories detonate its own complete stock of nuclear weapons among its own population. This proposal has several advantages over the current situation:
1. Direct and immediate savings of unnecessary expenditures on delivery systems. This amounts to billions of dollars each year which could be put to rational use.
2. More complete and rapid annihilation of populations, eliminating the usually long and excruciating civilian deaths associated with nuclear holocaust, and minimizing the anxieties of military personnel concerned with questions of direct hit and adequate saturation, etc.
3. Choice of weapon: this would allow the U.S. Government to use neutron bombs to destroy us while maintaining intact our great buildings, cities, highways, and national monuments.
4. Death with Honor. Who would not stand tall that final hour as we honored our commitments to our fellow nations and our nuclear future?
Jobs would be lost, but new and meaningful employment would be created in the manufacture of new and more bombs, and detonation site-franchises. Although at first it might seem that we would be giving up the option to aggressively destroy our enemies, thoughtful consideration will lead to the comfortable conclusion that they could be destroyed at our leader’s whim, and that if they try to destroy us they will fry in their own fat.
Our world is at a great turning point. I pray for our future.
Thank you for your kindness and your words on the card. I shall hopefully attempt to send some contribution soon. I can get that if I hustle, and it is needed there. I really like THE SUN, your poetry is deep while mine is simple — but is there a difference in how we speak about existence?
Things here are very bad, an Attica is in the making. We are under a massive reactionary attack after a guard was killed last month. I face a major political trial for a rebellion here in May. They want to kill me just because I spoke for Human Rights and Justice. I did so non-violently for all intents and purposes and they punish me in all manner of ways and means, and seek to destroy me utterly if possible, at least mentally and spiritually. What a world we live in, my friend, what a world. Is there really a God? If so I have the right to know why I exist, and why that existence is made so painful and hard. I cannot even force myself to believe that we are born, go through all that we do and then just die. To what purpose, for what reason? At the same time existence enrages me I am hurt on all levels of my being from it. The hurt is soul deep, and even sleep does not ease the throbbing in my heart. Yet at the same time existence is so amazing, so beautiful, and I long to live. . . .
I have a desire to read Haiku Poetry. Can you assist me with any books of such poetry if it is no drain upon you?
Courage, you say? In truth I am a coward, my friend. I am afraid to give up and that keeps me struggling.
Thank God for THE SUN. For me, and I’m sure for a number of other poets and writers and artists and thinkers who for one reason or another (and I don’t think it has anything to do with the quality of the work) are blocked out of the so called BIG magazines (which are actually quite small and limited in their audience and appeal) THE SUN has provided something essential: encouragement and an assuredness that what we are writing will be read. I think about all the days and nights I gave to typing, retyping, reading, writing so that I could please some pompous editor of one of the over-angst’d university reviews (dance naked boys and girls). I think about that and I want to cry. The futility of it. They aren’t ready for me; and I’ll never be ready for them. . . .
Just thanks people. And don’t give up. The more I read THE SUN, and I’m getting to where I read it often, and the more I actually understand what you’re doing (at least it looks to me like you’re helping . . . holding out clumps of knowledge and perception . . . for whoever will take it) the more I realize that you are probably one of the most vital magazines in the world. The big mags puff and dally. You ain’t got time for such.