Is SALT worth supporting? Yes!
Hehir, J. Bryan
IS SALT WORTH SUPPORTING? YES! Limited but substantial ...
...control which can in turn yield further reductions within the SALT process...
...The text should forestall quick conclusions number of MIRVed missiles and the number of warheads per that a given position is the Catholic position on SALT...
...First, quantitative controls: the controls proposed by SALT The limits of SALT II as an arms control measure are clear and should be clearly acknowledged...
...The SALT I Interim Agreement First, the controlling text in the discussion should be from on offensive weapons has expired...
...The procedural limits are II in terms of numbers of nuclear weapons are limited but not inconsequential...
...In the first instance, it is clear that volve the U.S...
...Unlike SALT I, which left the crucially important FATHER J. BRYAN HEHIR is Associate Secretary of the Office of Interna- problem of multiple-independently targeted-reentry-vehicles tional Justice and Peace, United States Catholic Conference in Wash- (MIRVs) unresolved, SALT II devotes considerable attention ington...
...It is necessary as an integral part of a process cally identical position: defeat of SALT II...
...It sacrifices clarity to complexity and often must blend commitINALLY, there is embedded in the Catholic debate a larger ment with compromise...
...Is there any evidence that its defeat will produce more substantial forms of disarmament...
...the arms race unreservedly, yet woven through these state2 March 1979: 109 ments is a theme which recognizes the complexity of moving discourse as the means of determining Christian obligation...
...The argument of this article is that SALT II does not of Christian witness to a decision to provide a counterweight provide grounds for the institutional church to become sectaagainst groups opposing the treaty as a give-away...
...These two charges illustrate the vulnerability of the treaty...
...The question, then, is whether the II, but it is highly doubtful that much will occur in other forums limited but substantial achievements of SALT II are compelwithout a SALT agreement...
...No attempt will be more than one Christian insight...
...The arms race is principally in the hands SALT II...
...Delivery Vehicles (SNDVs)-bombers and missiles-and it The substantive limits of SALT II are more significant...
...control of weapons systems...
...The purpose of own categories to the societal debate but consciously tries to these citations is simply to say that there is an existent rationale relate to and to inform the wider debate with insights of faith for Catholic support of measures that seek a limited form of and reason drawn from the Christian tradition...
...The shaping arms control policies to our security needs...
...The numerical limits are II without being part of the coalition still high, but the central fact is the principle of qualitative which seriously threatens to defeat it...
...But the middle is often where one can Fecclesiological question about the church's role in society...
...around the country, containing a total of some 4,000 units and But there are exceptions...
...A new dimension enters the debate about the SALT II because it is too limited what alternative forms of treaty when we examine whether Christians should support control they, propose...
...Israel, and Scandinavia, most Yet there is a handful of subsidized rental projects that are unions here have shied away from sponsoring housing develproving the conventional wisdom wrong...
...it is even more clear that it is necessary...
...These documents condemn another superpower failure on vertical proliferation...
...clear nor as dramatic as the edges of an argument can be...
...though the low- and moderate-income families at affordable rents...
...This There is a form of Christian witness against war which refuses position supports what is presently possible in pursuit of a to take the conventional categories of political and ethical larger vision of what must be made possible...
...mesh the possible and the necessary in the policy process...
...The contrary position, "the church model," brings its security at least equal to the present situation...
...Fourthly, one must ask whether there is any evidence that Third, even if we do not define the terms of the debate, we the defeat of SALT II will contribute anything to the wider can determine our own position by criteria which are specific process of disarmament...
...places like West Germany...
...from condemnations to constructive political change...
...it is difficult to any SALT II agreement would rest upon the foundation of the believe they will survive the recriminations of a SALT II strategic "balance of terror...
...The numbers are not great, but in political terms it must be lowed by the treaty and the provision that each side will be stressed that this would amount to the first reduction of offenallowed to produce and deploy one new missile during the life of the treaty...
...The principal method of control is the Commonweal: 108 establishment of a series of subceilings under the 2250 SNDVs which restrict development of various types of weapons sys- "There must be a way to continue the tems...
...The restraints in horizon- on Earth (1963) to Paul VI's Address to the U.N...
...But no arms control agreement failure...
...Between these two positions it is possible to build a case of which is presently the only politically viable method of reverssupport for SALT II as a limited but necessary measure of arms ing the arms race...
...One can on the most powerful and dangerous dimension of the argue both dimensions in reasonable fashion, but like all technological revolution in this century...
...The full complexity of the SALT II debate can J. BRYAN HEHIR be understood, however, only when it is recognized that an entirely different range of criticisms against SALT II is based P AX CHRISTI-USA and The Committee on the Present on the tendency, in Paul Nitze's words, "to subordinate secuDanger are both opposing the ratification of SALT II...
...The case has two dimensions: a general political- Those opposing SALT II should reasonably be expected to moral argument for SALT II...
...After thirty years' experience, that all twenty are operated and sponsored by trade and labor few in this country are convinced any longer that it is unions...
...This litany of the limits of SALT II mind-set that the technological dynamic is beyond political concentrates on the arguments of those who find it, in Bishop Gumbleton's words during a talk to Pax Christi's annual meet- control...
...impetus by Pax Christi, is surely to be welcomed...
...The key question is: what will defeat of control, deserving the support of all those, including Chris- SALT II do to ameliorate its limits...
...Critics of From deterrence theory to debate about SALT II,, psychology the treaty who charge that it achieves too little can legitimately indicate that it sanctions increased deployment of nuclear js woven through the fabric of the debate...
...Some comments, the future devoid of SALT II controls...
...If one can judge by statements of the last quences...
...rity policies to hopes for advancing arms control rather than Pax Christi asserts that the treaty achieves too little...
...Examples of substantive limits include the continuing development of weapons accuracy al- Soviets-understandably, given the nature of the proposal...
...50,000 units of housing-mostly highrise buildings in and Commonweal: 110...
...superpower arms limitation...
...The new limit of 2250 SNDVs, down from 2400, is higher actual reductions required by the treaty are marginal and the than the present U.S...
...Two groups, with antithetical objectives, have formed a tacti- T IS CLEAR that SALT II is limited...
...JAMES F. FUERST is Director of Urban Studies at Loyola University in This organization, created in the 1920s, has so far built some Chicago...
...The limits on MIRVed weapons remain at 1320...
...It seems there must be a "in the middle" of the SALT II debate...
...Is it necessary to oppose The refusal to take a sectarian stance will leave the church SALT II in order to specify its limits...
...Most notable are the joint union subsidized under Section 236 of the federal housing law, are cooperative ventures of the International Ladies Garment astonishingly successful in almost every way, refuting nearly Workers Union and the Amalgamated Clothing Workers Union, through the United Housing Foundation in New York...
...and a specific dcclesial discus- answer this question...
...Limited but substantial achievements disarmament...
...The warheads, the proposed ceilings are most often higher than political-psychological significance of such a reduction should not be lightly discarded either as a deception or a give-away...
...to qualitative controls...
...The ceiling of 2400 SNDVs The Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World: will no longer hold, and careful estimates predict 3000 SNDVs "it happens rather frequently, and legitimately so, that with by the mid-1980s...
...in pursuit of escalation...
...SALt II holds out the possibility of systemic con- public policy debate, but they seldom can define the terms of trol of the development and procurement process...
...present levels of development for either superpower...
...possible to provide decent, economically viable homes for Admittedly, these projects are only a handful...
...Each system has its supporters within Defense and/or exchange...
...Third, there stands the ominous threat of what can be expected if SALT II controls are not imposed...
...In terms of the numerical limits on missiles and sive weapons in the history of the nuclear arms race...
...It should be suffiimportant in political ethics, but never solely decisive...
...Special tal proliferation are already fragile...
...Intention is rian in an ecclesiological or ethical sense...
...On the U.S...
...too little...
...The Nonproliferation Treaty and its subsequent regime is conceivable today which does not rest upon the deterrence of constraints on nonnuclear states has been predicated from its relationship...
...they must be disarmament forums enhances the feeling among other states interpreted in terms of their impact on a wider political conthat the nuclear condominium, which could drastically impact text...
...It is possiwhich states will agree...
...Or so examples of success in union-backed housing are plentiful in the conventional wisdom goes...
...The arms race is generated by a quasi-independent technological dynamic...
...That debate will be argued in terms of whether SALT II, each weapons system becomes the subject of a SALT II "gives away too much," not by whether "it achieves "great debate" similar to the B-1 decision...
...they will be eroded by Session on Disarmament (1978...
...Politically, the failure of SALT II will inevitably be SALT debate, the technical data are sufficiently complex and seen in the short term as a signal that the impetus for super- moral analysis sufficiently controverted that there is room for power arms control is dormant or dead...
...The intent of opposing SALT II because it is too fifteen years, the teaching church has not moved to that postlimited may range from a determination to offer a distinct form ure...
...There is a broader agenda than SALT to our religious vision...
...MENTION "subsidized housing" these days, and even What is even more astonishing, in some ways, is the fact diehard liberals groan...
...tians, who are committed to abolishing the nuclear threat to human life...
...and USSR as central actors...
...The T HE POLITICAL-MORAL case for SALT II is cast in terms of primary significance of the SALT process, as part of a wider these arguments: the key moral value is control...
...In the second place, for guidance one can inception on paragraph VI which pledges the superpowers to a examine recent statements of the teaching church from Peace meaningful process of arms control...
...I& UNIONS & SUBSIDIZED HOUSING "511 a L71 I . A hidden success story J. S. FUERST every criticism that can be leveled at subsidized projects...
...political and moral arguments it is an appeal to reason, not an It is necessary to ask those who would withhold support of infallible case...
...Since no qualitative controls will exist, equal sincerity someof the faithful will disagree with others on MIRV production will be unconstrained both in terms of the a given matter...
...tribute to the failure of SALT II...
...Christians have an opportunity to participate in Congress...
...It is weapons systems will become actual contenders: the B-1, important for the participants, but it would be a delusion to Trident II, along with MX will be on the legislative assembly think the public debate about SALT will be cast in terms of this line...
...we are left, for the foreseeable future, with limits to not fit nicely into conventional political discourse...
...The does require destruction of some SNDVs by the Soviet Union...
...Those supporting SALT II must demonsion of the church and SALT II...
...development, but deeper cuts proposed dynamic of development in key areas of weapons technology early in the Carter administration were rejected by the is not stringently constrained...
...The Comprehensive Test Ban ling for the Christian conscience...
...This be viewed as a process, with a history and a future...
...the case rests on a convergence of arguments...
...Arms isolation of the SALT process from other arms control or control agreements are not an end in themselves...
...strate its merits...
...Without the debate...
...SALT II does set new lower limits on Strategic Nuclear them, is totally beyond their influence...
...At the same side, past experience illustrates that all candidates for new time it is necessary to keep the Catholic debate in focus...
...therefore, are in order about Christians, the church and SALT If SALT II fails there will be no existing framework for II...
...Sorting out the answer reTreaty and the Mutual Balanced Force Reductions both in- quires further distinctions...
...SALT II falls in that category, and ble, therefore, that a reasonable political-moral argument is at should be evaluated in light of the projections now made about best interesting to them but not compelling...
...Twenty projects opments...
...In the missile...
...The dimensions and dangers of the nuclear age have moved Fourth, in determining what position Catholics should take an increasing number of Christians to a sectarian position, in the face of SALT II, it is helpful to use the traditional ethically and ecclesiologically, as the only viable ground on categories of an ethic of intention and an ethic of conse- which to stand...
...The impact of negotiating the first reduction in three decades breaks the weapons for both sides...
...the politidisarmament picture, is the chance to impose political control cal method is negotiated limitation among states...
...In the face of critiway to continue the examination of the inadequacies of SALT cisms that the treaty is "too little" or "too much" the middle II without being part of the coalition which seriously threatens position asserts that SALT II is not enough, but it is imperative to defeat it not in the name of disarmament, but in pursuit of as a step in a process...
...To evaluate them fairly requires that SALT rooted inthe way these bilateral superpower negotiations are insulated from other actors in the international system...
...Christians bring perspectives to the debate which do of states...
...This This position defined as "sectarian" (in an analytical not a theme speaks of reversing the arms race in terms of "progres- pejorative sense) finds a useful form of witness in rejecting sive disarmament," with stockpiles being reduced "equally standard categories as a means of stating the war and peace and simultaneously," in a controlled process which yields issues...
...The ciently pluralist to shelter sectarian options in the community consequences must be coldly confronted: do we want to con- without itself adopting a sectarian view...
...As usual the middle position is neither as escalation...
...Committee believes that the treaty is giving away too much...
...but within this category the accurate and powerful land-based examination of the inadequacies of SALT MIRVed missiles are limited to 820...
...made here to predict what will happen on the Soviet side after Second, the debate within the Catholic community, given the centerpiece of its foreign policy has collapsed...
...ing in December, "a cruel hoax" rather than a step toward real Second, the terms of SALT II are not only about quantitative controls...
Vol. 106 • March 1979 • No. 4
