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      PANTHER
      PRINTS
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Protesting
      a
      Nuclear
      Dawn
     
    
   
   
    
     
      by
      Marko
      Peric
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Jacques
      Chirac
      is
      probably
      not
      the
     
     
      embodiment
      of
      all
      evil,
      despite
      what
     
     
      some
      environmental
      protesters
      might
     
     
      claim.
      The
      media
      and
      environmental
     
     
      groups
      have
      vilified
      France’s
      recent
     
     
      actions
      in
      the
      South
      Pacific
      to
      the
      point
     
     
      where
      it
      is
      hard
      to
      know
      who
      to
      believe.
     
     
      True,
      French
      nuclear
      testing
      is
      not
      a
     
     
      particularly
      good
      thing,
      but
      perhaps
      the
     
     
      issue
      has
      been
      exaggerated.
      It
      is
      hard
      to
     
     
      envision
      France
      as
      a
      nuclear
      aggressor.
     
     
      After
      all,
      this
      is
      the
      country
      which
     
     
      Canada,
      the
      United
      States,
      Britain,
      and
     
     
      other
      allied
      nations
      rescued
      from
     
     
      German
      invaders
      earlier
      in
      this
      century
     
     
      --
      twice.
     
    

    
     
      Regardless
      of
      international
     
     
      protest,
      the
      French
      have
      pressed
      ahead
     
     
      with
      their
      tests.
      Several
      have
      already
     
     
      been
      conducted,
      and
      more
      are
      planned
     
     
      between
      now
      and
      the
      spring
      of
      1996.
      It
     
     
      should
      be
      pointed
      out
      that
      these
      are
     
     
      small
      tests
      --
      nothing
      like
      the
      multi-
     
     
      megaton
      devices
      detonated
      by
      the
      US
      in
     
     
      the
      South
      Pacific
      decades
      ago.
      This
     
     
      slate
      of
      tests
      is
      not
      likely
      to
      fill
      the
     
     
      upper
      atmosphere
      with
      nuclear
      fallout
     
     
      and
      bring
      death
      and
      destruction
      to
      the
     
     
      region,
      although
      some
      pollution
      is
     
     
      probable.
     
    

    
     
      Even
      though
      the
      French
      have
     
     
      made
      it
      clear
      that
      they
      will
      not
      budge,
     
     
      Greenpeace
      and
      other
      environmental
     
     
      groups
      are
      sticking
      to
      their
      goals
      of
     
     
      stopping
      the
      nuclear
      tests.
      This
      persist-
     
     
      ence
      has
      to
      be
      admired,
      but
      obviously
     
     
      some
      of
      these
      groups
      are
      doing
      it
      for
     
     
      television
      exposure.
      While
      the
      board-
     
     
      ing
      of
      Greenpeace
      vessels
      by
      French
     
    
   
   
    
     
      troops
      can
      not
      be
      condoned,
      the
      envi-
     
     
      ronmentalists
      knew
      what
      they
      were
     
     
      getting
      into.
      Greenpeace
      would
      never
     
     
      cause
      a
      nasty
      scene
      to
      create
      a
      media
     
     
      blitz,
      would
      they?
     
    

    
     
      Both
      sides
      in
      this
      issue
      have
     
     
      faulty
      positions.
      The
      French
      are
      doing
     
     
      something
      that
      offends
      most
      of
      the
     
     
      civilized
      world,
      and
      when
      everybody
     
     
      disagrees
      with
      your
      actions,
      it
      is
      usually
     
     
      a
      good
      idea
      to
      reevaluate
      your
      position.
     
     
      The
      tests
      so
      far
      have
      been
      successful,
     
     
      but
      the
      French
      are
      planning
      to
      blow
      up
     
     
      even
      more
      bombs.
      Why
      bother?
     
     
      Clearly
      the
      things
      work.
      What
      will
     
     
      detonating
      another
      half
      dozen
      prove
      --
     
     
      putting
      together
      unstable
      masses
      of
     
     
      certain
      elements
      causes
      big
      explosions,
     
     
      no
      matter
      how
      many
      times
      we
      try.
     
    

    
     
      That
      is
      more
      than
      a
      little
      silly,
      not
      to
     
     
      mention
      wasteful,
      dangerous,
      and
      in
     
     
      these
      days
      of
      financial
      constraint,
      rather
     
     
      expensive.
     
    

    
     
      On
      the
      other
      hand,
      the
      French
     
     
      have
      signed
      a
      treaty
      stating
      that
      once
     
     
      the
      current
      slate
      of
      tests
      is
      over,
      they
     
     
      will
      conduct
      no
      more
      tests
      in
      the
      South
     
     
      Pacific.
      Probably
      they
      will
      not
      do
     
     
      nuclear
      testing
      anywhere,
      since
      the
     
     
      French
      people
      would
      hardly
      tolerate
     
     
      atomic
      explosions
      in
      the
      outskirts
      of
     
     
      Paris.
      Also,
      the
      French
      possessions
      in
     
     
      the
      Caribbean
      are
      too
      close
      to
      the
      USA,
     
     
      which
      has
      always
      considered
      that
     
     
      region
      to
      be
      its
      own
      personal
      backyard.
     
    

    
     
      So
      the
      end
      of
      French
      nuclear
     
     
      testing
      is
      not
      far
      off,
      but
      the
      protests
     
     
      continue.
      The
      environmentalists
      are
     
     
      putting
      a
      tremendous
      amount
      of
      energy
     
    
   
   
    
     
      into
      beating
      a
      nearly
      dead
      horse.
     
    

    
     
      Would
      it
      not
      be
      more
      productive
      to
     
     
      protest
      about
      the
      nuclear
      programs
      in
     
     
      countries
      such
      as
      China
      and
      North
     
     
      Korea?
      Here
      are
      two
      nations
      that
      have
      -
     
     
      -
      or
      are
      developing
      --
      nuclear
      weapons,
     
     
      have
      recent
      histories
      of
      territorial
     
     
      aggression,
      and
      have
      human
      rights
     
     
      records
      that
      would
      make
      Saddam
     
     
      Hussein
      proud.
      Greenpeace
      and
      Co.
     
     
      should
      be
      much
      more
      concerned
      with
     
     
      these
      and
      other
      totalitarian
      regimes
      with
     
     
      atomic
      capabilities.
      If
      someone
      put
     
     
      together
      a
      list
      of
      nations
      likely
      to
      start
     
     
      World
      War
      III,
      would
      China
      or
      France
     
     
      be
      closer
      to
      the
      top?
     
    

    
     
      Of
      course,
      most
      environmental-
     
     
      ists
      know
      better
      than
      to
      protest
      in
     
     
      Beijing
      or
      P’yongyang
      --
      the
      local
     
     
      authorities
      have
      a
      nasty
      way
      of
      shooting
     
     
      dissenters.
     
    

    
     
      Although
      nuclear
      testing
      in
     
     
      general
      is
      deplorable,
      all
      the
      protests
     
     
      may
      actually
      have
      a
      negative
      effect.
     
     
      France
      told
      the
      world
      when
      and
      where
     
     
      it
      would
      conduct
      tests.
      What
      did
     
     
      Chirac
      get
      for
      his
      honesty?
      Nothing
      but
     
     
      protest
      and
      opposition
      all
      the
      way.
     
    

    
     
      With
      protest
      for
      any
      reason
      becoming
     
     
      increasingly
      fashionable,
      intense
      out-
     
     
      rage
      in
      response
      to
      new
      testing
      is
      very
     
     
      likely.
      After
      seeing
      this
      precedent,
      it
      is
     
     
      unlikely
      that
      any
      country
      is
      going
      to
      be
     
     
      eager
      to
      tell
      the
      world
      about
      its
      atomic
     
     
      program.
      Nuclear
      testing
      will
      continue,
     
     
      but
      secretly,
      far
      from
      international
     
     
      supervision.
      This
      is
      a
      much
      deadlier
     
     
      threat
      than
      any
      small
      French
      test
      in
      the
     
     
      South
      Pacific
      would
      ever
      pose.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      November
      pe