Address to the Civilian-Military Industrialists of America May 23, 1984
Given the reports that a Panamanian ship has been sunk in the Persian Gulf, we must restate that the United States will come to the aid of any gulf nation which requests us to do so. Of course, if we move in, it could ignite World War III. On the other hand, if we stay out, we might have to leave the car in the garage Some events bear repeating but not analysis. for a week, which would cause us to take public transportation together with other people—other kinds of people. People from other countries and other neighborhoods. Worse still, our industries wouldn’t have enough oil, and then we’d be caught with our plants down and couldn’t manufacture the cars we couldn’t take out of the garage.
Attacks on ships are a dangerous escalation and we may have to go in to help de-escalate. I urge you to recall that the U.S. was forced to enter World War II when a foreign power attacked us. But I would counsel you against dwelling unnecessarily on the events which propelled us into other conflicts, such as the Gulf of Tonkin in Viet Nam, since some events bear repeating but not analysis.
It is now projected that the Soviets could attack Pakistan, with India attacking Kashmir in a pincer move that would cut Pakistan in two. The Soviets would then warm themselves in the Gulf while waiting for Khomeini to die before attacking Iran, which at that time would again be part of the Free World. So is Pakistan, believe me or not. (As evidence I can cite the student riots there to protest the democratic military government of General Zia, which has banned student unions and detained demonstrators. A nation which allows equal rights to riot as well as to ban and detain is a pluralist society worthy of our democratic military support.)
Speculation based on intuitive feelings of State Department psychics suggests that the Soviets might make aggressive moves in order to hurt President Ron’s re-election chances. But the President has made it clear that he is prepared to defend his national interests. If the Soviets may plan to intervene in our democratic elections, we may be forced, with a heavy heart, to launch pre-emptive retaliatory strikes of a collective defensive nature to rescue Our World from what we are intuiting they may be contemplating, but only if we are asked in by a nation in distress.
But now to the crucial point: Will there be some ev
oil shortages? Possibly no. Will there be gas price rises? Possibly yes. But it’s a small price rise to pay for keeping our world Our World. Which we will do at any cost—and when there’s a cost, we do pass it on.
Soviet thug-in-chief Konstantin Chernenko has called for a ban on all weapons in space. President Ron responded by explaining to the children, that is, the nation, that this is impractical because we cannot verify Soviet compliance. It will become possible to sign treaties only when we have eliminated the obstacles to verification—that is, the buildings, cities and other installations they use to hide their illegal missiles in. As if to verify their own deceptive nature, the Soviets are now attempting to disguise their upcoming war games by code-naming them “Summer ’84” even though they begin in May.
In other revolting developments, the voters of the Philippines are attacking the free and democratic elections there because they didn’t get their way. The government has not asked the United States to intervene, and so we will continue to refrain from any involvement there as we have since we took over in the glorious year of 1898. President Marcos has shown himself a truly moderate leader by urging the army to use discretion in firing into the crowds.