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Aucbvax.1748 fa.arms-d utzoo!duke!decvax!ucbvax!CAULKINS@USC-ECL Sun Jun 14 23:40:10 1981 CBS Special; American Defense Just watched the first of the 5 part CBS series on "American Defense". The one tonight (Sunday, 14 June) was on general nuclear war. I found it a reasonable if depressing presentation.

They reviewed strategic force structures, then described the effects of a 15 megaton ground burst on Omaha. There were lots of interviews with such people as Defense Secretary Weinberger, numerous generals and admirals, an Air Force missile launch control officer, Costa Tsipis, etc., etc.

I found two things disturbing (aside from the subject matter, which is damn disturbing in its own right):

1) Secretary Weinberger was asked if US policy had changed to one of launch-under-attack. He said that he couldn't discuss US military policy in public, but that all US options were under consideration by the Reagan administration.

2) The great majority of the military men pronounced 'nuclear' as 'new-key-ler' instead of the correct 'new-kle-ar'. Admittedly a somewhat elitist nit, but if they can't even pronounce it right how can they possibly deal with it intelligently ?

Tomorrow night at 10PM PDT is European Nuclear War.

Dave C -------

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