Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: Notesfiles; site ea.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxl!ihnp4!inuxc!pur-ee!uiucdcs!ea!mwm From: mwm@ea.UUCP Newsgroups: net.followup Subject: Re: Re: Star Wars Defense Plan - (nf) Message-ID: <3400023@ea.UUCP> Date: Sat, 18-Aug-84 21:08:00 EDT Article-I.D.: ea.3400023 Posted: Sat Aug 18 21:08:00 1984 Date-Received: Tue, 21-Aug-84 07:15:52 EDT References: <1292@ihuxl.UUCP> Lines: 26 Nf-ID: #R:ihuxl:-129200:ea:3400023:000:1269 Nf-From: ea!mwm Aug 18 20:08:00 1984 #R:ihuxl:-129200:ea:3400023:000:1269 ea!mwm Aug 18 20:08:00 1984 I just had a thought (surprise!). If a space-based ABM system will work, what about the US & USSR funding the R&D&D of such a system, then turning it over to a neutral, non-nuke country (I nominate the Swiss)? This would seem to eliminate the possible problem of the Soviets (or the US) attacking just before their ICBMs were made useless, and (unlike mutual disarmament) would be equally effective against other countries joining the ICBM/nuke club. Of course, it won't effect other delivery systems, but it's a start. Comments before I rush off and write my congress-critters? Other commentary: Blaming the whole thing on greed is as silly as any other fanatical stand. Some of the people who've been advocating space-based ABM systems since *before* the star wars speech won't make a dime on either the research or the possible deployment. ("Before", I hear you ask? Surely you don't think RR was bright enough to come up with the idea himself, do you? :-) As for the systems themselves, I don't know if they will work. I don't think anybody, no matter how imminent or eminent, does. I do think that a defense would be better than MAD, so the research is worth funding. After the research is over, we can argue about whether the thing is worth deploying.