A WEEKLY COMMENTARY
Year Twenty-Nine ... Number Nineteen ... May 14, 1982
THE GROUND ZERO RIP-OFF
Whatever may be the outcome of the Battle of the Budget and the struggle for a return to economic santiy, one thing is sure: the Communists have won a clear and resouding victory in one phase of the Propaganda War. There has been a constant and intensive drive to disarm the United States, unilaterally if necessary. The alleged goal is universal peace and the supposed means of attaining this objective involves the scrapping of all nuclear weapons and the shutting down of all nuclear power plants. Such plants, the anti-nukes affirm, are a hazard to life (except when they are located in the Soviet Union or its satellites). They also are looked upon as potential producers of fissionable materials needed to manufacture nuclear weapons. In observance of this propaganda victory the Communist Daily World of April 20, 1982, carried the largest possible headline on its front page declaring that "Peace Protests Sweep Nation" and announcing the news that there is to be a "giant action set for June 12." The bottom half of the front page was occupied by a picture of Cesar Chavez, Bella Abzug and Harry Bellafonte, huddling together and making plans on behalf of the Communist Party for the carrying out of the "giant action" which is to coincide with the opening of the UN's Second Special Session on Disarmament. Inside this Communist West Coast tabloid was the lead story written by Tim Wheeler. It began: "With simulated detonations of mock nuclear bombs at 'Ground Zero' in towns and cities across the nation, a week of rallies, marches, teach-ins and vigils against nuclear war began ... The activities reached millions in towns and cities never before involved in antinuclear activities..."
Lending support to the mass movement which involves the Nations of Western Europe as well as the United States, was a "religious" activity in Moscow. The KGB-controlled Russian Orthodox Church sponsored a four-day World Conference of Religious Workers for Saving the Sacred Gift of Life from Nuclear Catastrophe. Some 25 U.S. church leaders attended the Communist-led conference, the most prominent of them being Billy Graham. Graham had been traveling between colleges and universities preaching to students against nuclear buildup and defense strategy on the part of the U.S. He interrupted his schedule to go to Moscow. Even Vice President George Bush advised Graham not to attend the Communist conference. But the 63-year-old evangelist disregarded all advice, decided to spend a whole week in Moscow, preaching and "communing" with Communist leaders. He conferred for three hours with George Arbatov, the Kremlin's top North American affairs specialist. The Los Angeles Times noted that "Graham, who once called communists Satan worshippers, pointed to Arbatov and said, 'I have met a very wonderful official here.' Arbatov said, 'Dialogue between atheists and believers -- this is what we need."
It was understood from the beginning that this was to be a religious conference, but that Communist officials -- atheists, not believers -- would also attend the sessions. Among U.S. church leaders attending the conference were the chief executives of several denominations, including William P. Thompson of the United Presbyterian Church, the Rev. Avery Post of the United Church of Christ, and Bishop David Press of the American Lutheran Church. As an appointed leader of the U.S. delegation, Graham read a prepared statement which began: "I was born, reared and educated in America, and I am a loyal citizen of America. But I also consider myself a member of the world community with responsibilities not only to one nation but to the whole human race. As a Christian and a follower of Jesus Christ, I believe the threat of nuclear war is not only a political but a moral and spiritual issue. It is an issue which is concerning me more and more."
A well documented answer to this disarmament and anti-nuke crusade was answered by G. Russell Evans, a retired Captain of the U.S. Coast Guard. We are not acquainted with the writings of Capt. Evans, but we came across his column which was published in the excellently edited Mountain Lakes Shopper, a weekly published by Ogden and Florence Brouwer of Answers, NC 28901. Because Capt. Evans names names and supplies documentation, we are taking the liberty of republishing his article, as follows.
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The multinational movements in both Europe and America against nuclear weapons are aimed at converting us to pacifism, but none of the reformers seem to care about the vital question: What is your solution to the danger of communist enslavement? The essays and monographs of religious activists and other writers and the pronouncements and warnings of the major church spokesmen are really promoting Bertrand Russell's old slogan, "Better Red than dead." These crusaders vividly describe cataclysmic annihilation by nuclear holocaust, along with raging fire storms, vast gamma radiation and medical problems too extensive to imagine. Tragically true, Professor Walter Wink of Auburn Theological Seminary, writing in The Christian Century, calls the government paranoid and the people paralyzed, as "we quietly make ready to die together." (March 3, 1982, p. 234). His solution is (1) a nuclear freeze by mutual treaty with the USSR, (2) peace coalitions in America's churches, praying, demonstrating in the streets, and refusing to pay "war taxes," and (3) faith - "exercise the bit (of faith) we do have."
In the same issue, a full page ad features the Harvard Divinity School, led by Harvey Cox, with this 210 faculty members and students -- all calling for the abolition of nuclear arms which they declare to be "contrary to the will of God." Excellent. But what about the Soviets? And their record for abolishing armaments? Cox's record is impressive: career pacifist agitator, counselor for draft dodgers, and advocate for Christian Communism -- the latter, a genuine "non sequiter." Cox, the man who told Communist bigwig Herbert Aptheker that Communists are more virtuous than Christians, now asks Americans to lay down their arms.
Not to worry, however, for America's mainline churches will not be upstaged by Harvey Cox: Listen to the American Baptist Church, the Episcopal House of Bishops, the disciples of Christ, the United Presbyterian moderator, the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, and others in their pleas for disarming America. Indeed, hear United Methodist Bishops John B. Warman and LeRoy Matthiesen, Roman Catholic Archbishops John R. Roach and John Quin, Sweden's former prime minister Olof Palme, Japan's Professor Mitsuo Okamoto, and dozens of others give their formulas for universal peace, including: quit paying "war taxes," walk off jobs involving armaments, and "voice a loud NO to .. nuclear weapons." But what about the Soviets?
Of course, the World and National Councils of Churches, flushed with generous American church support, are in the vanguard of the anti-nuke parade. Also flushed with American support (foreign aid and U.S. Army troops) are our European allies, some of whom, unfortunately, are aiding in the anti-nuke procession too, and showing little interest in defending themselves. Among these are the governments of Rome, Bonn, Paris, Amsterdam and Vienna. French writer Ray Aron reports that Europe is "decadent" and "condemning itself to death when it loses interest in the future" (Virginian-Pilot, Jan 1, 1982, p. A10). Alan Geyer, United Methodist and editorialist, decries the "repeated putdown of European dupes of Soviet propaganda" and rejoices that the United Nations Second Special Session on Disarmament (June 7-July 3) will "open American minds to the views of representative non-Americans." Very clever. This "opening of minds" will be supervised by a Communist (the Under-Secretary for Political and Security Affairs), a post guaranteed to the Communists by Alger Hiss since 1945 (In the Cause of Peace, by Trygve Lie, p. 45). Need we ask: What about the Soviets?
At this point, we need the logic of Pierre S. DuPont who told the French General Assembly in 1790: "Gentlemen, it is necessary to be gracious as to intentions .. but we do not have to be gracious at all to inconsistent logic and absurd reasoning. Bad logicians have committed more involuntary crimes than bad men have done intentionally." We have been exposed to "bad logicians."
Moreover, we need no grace to understand the awesome military advantages of the Soviets and their intentions to dominate the world. The former Air Force Intelligence chief, Maj. Gen. George Keegan sets Russian superiority at 2-to-1 overall, and most analysts agree. President Reagan was laboring mightily to gain parity for America before negotiating another SALT Treaty, knowing full well that power is the only thing Communists respect. Does anyone doubt, for example, that a nuclear freeze today means second place for America?
The current hysteria for pacificism neglects the responsibility of free men to preserve liberty. The churches know what they want, but do they know the price? Indeed, they offer no Scriptural justification that nuclear weapons are "contrary to the will of God" or that man will destroy the earth. There are none because these are God's prerogatives. [But] the Bible has much to say about national defense ... (End of article by G. Russell Evans, Captain USCG Ret).
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Under the heading "Communist Disarmament Lobby in High Gear," Straight Talk of May 13, 1980 presents further information concerning this disarmament movement which is sweeping the world. Again we quote:
"The Communist anti-nuke, disarmament lobby is having a field day. Everywhere you turn you hear about the 'Ground-Zero' group and their assorted hangers-on. Our media is playing it to the hilt with the 'news' shows interviewing Senator after Representative after 'Expert' proclaiming that two-thirds of the American people want a nuclear freeze. This is pure hogwash. Loaded questions and doctored reports can indicate anything the questioners want them to indicate.
"The campaign to unilaterally disarm America is reaching its zenith. It began with Sputnik and seems destined to end with their elusive one-world government -- controlled of course by the multinational corporations and the international bankers. The goal is one-world monopoly, the machinery is one-world government and the tactics are the disarming of the western world.
"The 'nuclear hoax' has brought the conspirators very close to their goal and that, with world-wide disorder brought on by a manufactured depression and then hyperinflation, is calculated to push us over the edge. Out of the land will come a great cry to 'do something!' and when that happens the ripe fruit will fall into patient communist hands. If Reagan fails in his apparent effort to rebuild our defenses then it is all over but the bleeding and the American Republic will be purged from the history books. George Orwell's 1984 will be the reality and the world will slide back into the dark ages, probably never to shine again until after Armageddon.
"The time has come for drastic action on the part of the American people. Like the 'letters of correspondence' of Revolutionary days, the hard money newsletter industry is trying to warn the people but we are seemingly being ignored. But, if the fabled 'Man on a White Horse' appears, riding in from nowhere, what will be the outcome? Will he save the day or will he, once he gains power, turn on his followers and impose his own brand of dictatorship?
"But if we are faced with certain conquest by the Communist Monster and if the man arises, we'll have no apparent choice but to follow him and hope for the best."
At his prime time press conference on May 13th President Reagan read from a prepared statement, said he is convinced "America's highest mission is to stand as a leader among free nations in the cause of peace. That's why, hand in hand with our efforts to restore a credible national defense, my administration has been working for a reduction in conventional and nuclear forces that can help free the world from the threat of destruction." So, a conference aimed at reducing the number of nuclear weapons is convened in Geneva. Another conference aimed at reducing the number of conventional weapons is going on in Vienna. But the stumbling block is inspection, finding a way to be sure that the Soviets are keeping their end of whatever bargain is struck. So, said the President, "It will not be a short or easy work. But I believe the Soviet people and their leaders understand the importance of preventing war." We can be reasonably sure that the Soviet people understand the importance of preventing war. But we can't be sure about their leaders, and the people have no say in the matter. "Theirs not to reason why." Of course, in the final analysis people don't make wars; they just fight them, and perhaps die in them. Nor do governments, as such, make wars. There is what the late Carroll Quigley called "The Select Group." This is the group that makes wars. Its members have no real sense of patriotism, no thoughts of the importance of national sovereignty, or of the defense of a homeland or a people. Again: people don't profit from wars. Governments don't profit from wars. But there is a group that always intends to profit from wars. A current example: A war is being fought over the Falklands. The people understand one set of reasons, are willing even to die for those reasons. But beyond the people is the knowledge that a drilling team brought in one oil well in the area. There are expectations that this is an oil-rich area newly discovered and there is this "Select Group" which intends to control the world's resources. The Argentine Government hoped to develop those resources and enrich Argentina, or at least its leaders. But "The Group" has no thought of allowing any national government to control any potential natural resource of this nature. Make no mistake about it: the war will be settled on "The Group's" terms.
There is a formula: to gain control of the world's resources the United States is to supply the financing, the USSR is to supply the policing. As for the threat of any nuclear war, it should be remembered that the goal is control, not destruction of resources. However, if our elected leaders are impotent or deceived or traitorous, and if war should come, even a nuclear war, by accident or intent, the words of Dr. Petr Beckman of the University of Colorado make sense:
"The morality of war does not depend on the weapons with which it is fought. You have exactly one life to risk in the defense of everything that makes it worth living, and it matters little whether you lose it to a spear, a bullet, or nuclear radiation. Your forefathers risked, and often gave, that one life for your life, liberty and pursuit of happiness. You have no right to squander that heritage, to invite war by weakness, and to leave your children to the demeaning cancer of serfdom."
Bear in mind, this is still just a propaganda war, probably incited by the need to divert attention from the economic mess "The Group" has created. There is one way out: Elimination of the privately-controlled money monopolies, especially the Federal Reserve, and a return to real un-debt money. If there is no profit for "The Group", there should be no war.
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