Today in History：March 23
March 231983: Reagan launches Cold War into space
President Ronald Reagan says his only purpose is to avert nuclear war
1983: Reagan launches Cold War into space
England have
President Reagan has unveiled plans to combat nuclear war in space.
The Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) proposes a defensive shield, using
laser or particle beam technology to "intercept and destroy" incoming missiles
as they travel through the stars.
In a televised address from the White House the US leader said: "We seek
neither military superiority nor political advantage. Our only purpose - one all
people share - is to search for ways to avert the danger of nuclear war."
Speaking just half an hour after the House of Representatives (H0R) had
rejected the Republican Party's demands for 10% increases in defence spending,
President Reagan attempted to justify his $2 trillion, five-year military
spending plans.
In the first major congressional revolt against Mr Reagan's economic
policies the HoR have voted in Democrat proposals to reduce the Republican
budget by more than half.
The President said: "They're the same kind that led the democracies to
neglect their defences in the 1930s and invited the tragedy of World War
II."
Senior White House aide Michael Deaver reported a positive reaction to Mr
Reagan's scheme: "He has had the most favorable response to any speech since he
was elected President."
Critics argue SDI contravenes the Soviet-American Anti-Ballistic Missile
(ABM) Treaty of 1972.
Article V of the treaty states: "Each party undertakes not to develop, test
or deploy anti-ballistic missile systems or components."
President Reagan has stressed SDI does not entail the actual development of
a defensive shield, but is a programme for research and development.
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Mr Major said the charter would help improve public services
1991: Tories launch 'citizen charter'
Artificially 1969:
The Failing public service providers will be forced to offer customers cash
refunds or face government budget cuts, the Prime Minister announced in his
keynote speech to his party.
John Major, addressing the Conservative Central Council in Southport,
outlined plans for a "citizen's charter" to maintain standards and improve
''every part of the public services''.
''People who depend on public services - patients, passengers, parents,
pupils, benefit claimants - all must know where they stand and what service they
have a right to expect,'' he said.
Lambasted by critics
He pledged the government would promote and extend competition and
privatisation to improve public services as well as create new watchdogs for
consumer protection, transport safety and pollution.
The "citizen's charter" has beenlambastedby critics as being a clone of
policies muted by Labour and the Liberal Democrats to improve public
services.
It is one of Mr Major's 'five great principles' for the country which
include devolving power to people through, for example, privatisation of British
Coal, British Rail, and the remainder of British Telecom.
A stable and strong economy including greater property ownership and a
wider distribution of wealth was also on Mr Major's blueprint for Britain along
with a pledge to fight for the country's interests from within Europe.
The fifth principle, however, described Conservatives as the unionist
party, "drawing together in partnership the rich traditions of four great
nations".
The Prime Minister's speech, trailed as his most important domestic
statement since succeeding Mrs Thatcher last November, has aroused Opposition
criticism branding it vacuous and without purpose.
But it was an important speech for the new prime minister who is forced to
appeal to Thatcherite supporters but also carve a new philosophy for himself and
the party.
His outline of a party manifesto, and relentless criticism of Opposition
parties, has led many political observers to predict the prime minister could be
planning to call a General Election within months.
Vocabulary:
deterrent: something that deters(威慑)
lambaste: To scold sharply; berate(严责，训斥)
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