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From: garey@tekig.UUCP (Garey Fouts)
Newsgroups: net.followup
Subject: Star Wars again
Message-ID: <2241@tekig.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 19-Aug-84 17:25:58 EDT
Article-I.D.: tekig.2241
Posted: Sun Aug 19 17:25:58 1984
Date-Received: Wed, 22-Aug-84 00:51:46 EDT
Organization: Tektronix, Beaverton OR
Lines: 25

From: elt@astrovax.UUCP (Ed Turner)
Newsgroups: net.followup
Subject: Re: Star Wars Defense Plan
Date: Fri, 17-Aug-84 11:00:06 PDT

>4) A missile defense system is an attractive project to (at least some 
>elements of) the military industrial complex.  It offers the opportunity
>of opening up a huge new military enterprise.  This may seem like a drawback
>to idealists who would like to see as few resources as possible "wasted"
>on military activities; realistically, however, the military industrial
>complex is such a powerful and influential economic interest that it is hard
>to imagine us giving up the development of new *offensive* weapons systems
>without some substitute activity to replace it.  A defense system could serve
>this purpose as well.


I would like to know  the economic differences to PEOPLE between a
cruise missile and,say a Boeing 727. Somehow I think the airplane has a
greater return on investment.

A 727 has a lifetime of 20-40 million hours of service. A missile has
only a few minutes of life. The 727 employ a crew of at least three, and
offers the service of transportation to passengers/cargo. What benefit
does a missile give PEOPLE.