Hungarian Church Press, 1968 (20. évfolyam, 2. szám)

1968-06-01 / 2. szám

HOP Vol XX Speoial Number

1968 No 2- 144

(07925)

and so it is an obstacle to the raising of the living standard and to cultural progress*

Then we must further oonsider that the armament race today tabes place in a. situation in which international, economic and political tasks cf the utmost importance call for solution* Inestimable damages are caused by the fact that, when there is an extreme need for the world-wide integration of forces in order to solve, the urgent problems of mankind, the armament race actually causes and deepens mistrust and thus obviates this integration*

* •

The armament race swallows up staggering sums cf money in an agp when all the available economic resources were urgently needed to end the great inequalities vfoich exist in the various parts ctf the -world as far as the standard of living) technological development, public health and the opportunities of education are concerned* This inequality is not -within the context of a relatively decent standard of living) but the lew est grade . in this matter is the bare subsistence level of even something below that*11^

The sacrifice which mankind today offers in erder to keep up the armament race is terribly great and, at the same time, most unreasonable*

If war as a means of settling disputes has objectively been rendered obsolete - and this is indeed the oase in the age of nuclear weapons — then what is the sense of arming?

c) ''The Balance of Pcwer"

However, in spite of the fact that the armament race has been going on for years, the ultimate catastrophe has not set in* This creates the appearance as though the state of balance establidied in the armament race, that is, the fear of retaliation, mi$rt ensure also in the future that the nuclear catastrophe will be averted. Indeed, the question has also been raised* may we disturb this balance by. taking steps toward disarmament?

Without trying to deny a definitely beneficent effect inhering in this balance, we must nonetheless declare that we cannot build up our peaceful future on this balance of terror* First, one cannot exclude the possibility that, with the advance of science and new technological processes and inventions, this balance is upset* In this case, every plan about the future of mankind based on the balance of antagonistic forces would be cancelled,114)

One may even question whether this balance could give us full guarantees at present* First, only urdué optimism would absolutely believe that common sense will in all possible cases prevent the employment of the weapons stockpiled- and held in constant readiness* Human history is full of