THE WASTE LAND
CONTEMPORARY NONSENSE
An Air Force major has been suspended after allowing three men
described as having dangerous psychiatric problems to guard a secret
nuclear weapons base in a San Francisco suburb.
Major Tidwell said he
had
kept the three men on duty because
without them "people from the Haight-Ashbury" would
try
to get the
weapons.
(New York: Times,
August 17, 1969.) Contributed by Gene Chavkin,
Queens, New York.
Edward
J.
Cook, a Washington developer has told a zoning hear–
ing here that the super-secret National Security Agency at Ft. Meade
employs about
2000
persons.
Cook then was asked whether he got the figure from NSA officials.
"Oh,
no," he replied.
"I
tried there first, but they wouldn't disclose
it,
so
I
called the Russian Embassy, and they told me."
(Washington Post,
June 12, 1969.) Contributed by Ashley Bullitt,
Washington,
D.
C.
"If
the starfish population explosion continues unchecked, the result
could be a disaster unparalleled in the history of mankind."
- Dr. Richard Chesher, marine scientist in charge of antistarfish zap
squad.
(New York Times,
July 21, 1969.) Contributed by D. Justice, Ridge–
wood, New Jersey.
Projecting a more austere future defense posture, the Presidential
decisions would:
1f
Shift the emphasis of America's military capabilities to fight only
one major war and one brush-fire war at a time, instead of following the
two major and one minor war doctrine that has underlain defense
planning for the last decade.
(New York Times,
October
19, 1969.)
Contributed by Barbara Fried–
berg, New York, New York.
Editor's Note:
We'd lik.e to remind our readers that they are invited to
send in examples of nonsense. A free subscription to
PR
will be awarded
for ea.ch contribution used. In case of a tie, single copies will be sent
to the late comers.
