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From: alle@ihuxb.UUCP (Allen England)
Newsgroups: net.followup
Subject: Re: Star Wars Defense Plan
Message-ID: <814@ihuxb.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 18-Aug-84 13:38:38 EDT
Article-I.D.: ihuxb.814
Posted: Sat Aug 18 13:38:38 1984
Date-Received: Sun, 19-Aug-84 03:44:16 EDT
References: <966@ulysses.UUCP> <1255@vax2.fluke.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Naperville, IL
Lines: 36


 > Lets say the Star Wars defense plan is 95% effective (as effective a defense
 > as you could construct, certainly).  Now lets say the Russians have 10,000
 > nuclear warheads, a relatively good estimate for their strength by the time
 > we could implement Star Wars).  0.05 * 10,000 = 500.

Suppose the Soviets go for a pre-emptive strike against military targets and
only launch 1000 bombs.  50 get through which is not enough to cripple our
retaliatory capability.

 > 500 bombs.  According to the newest theories, 100 bombs is enouch to cause a
 > global climatic catastrophe.  The bombs throw dust into the stratosphere
 > which blocks incident sunlight.  Imagine a year of twilight and average
 > temperatures of 20 F.  No crops.  Such a disaster is likely even if the Star
 > Wars Defense is 99% effective.  99%.  Not to mention the bombs we drop.

First, these are only theories and no one knows if they are correct.  Second,
I believe the number of bombs in the estimate done by Sagan (a worst case
estimate mind you) was placed at around 1000 - 2000 for triggering the nuclear
winter.  Not only that, the bombs have to hit cities.  It isn't dust which
is thrown into the air which is the major problem, but the soot from burning
cities.

 > There is exactly one defense against nuclear war; proscription of nuclear
 > weapons.  Until then, there is no safety in any defense plan.
 > Kurt Guntheroth
 > John Fluke Mfg. Co., Inc.
 > {uw-beaver,decvax!microsof,ucbvax!lbl-csam,allegra,ssc-vax}!fluke!kurt

This is the kind of defeatist attitude which prevents progress in all
areas.  Make the flat statement that something can't be done without researching
the topic to find out whether it can or not.  Come on!  Let's do some
research into the topic and find out the feasibility.

--> Allen <--
ihnp4!ihuxb!alle