Subject:
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Re: Why the founding fathers limited government scope (was Re: Rolling Blackouts
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.off-topic.debate
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Date:
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Fri, 11 May 2001 15:13:20 GMT
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Viewed:
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701 times
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In lugnet.off-topic.debate, Daniel Jassim writes:
> In lugnet.off-topic.debate, Bruce Schlickbernd writes:
>
> > The logistics of a conventional invasion of the U.S. are quite beyond
> > virtually any nation. Paranoia scenarios like "Red Dawn" always amuse me.
>
> Hah! Classic 80's Cold War paranoia, with Patrick Swayze to boot! The sad
> thing is that paranoia helps sell weapons. I have no doubt that our country
> makes enemies when none are there just to validate military spending. I
> looked back at one LUGNETer's post talking about a space-based weapons
> platform to protect America from Iraqi Scuds. Reality or paranoia?
Neither, because that's not what the post said. At least not any that I saw,
anyway. Feel free to provide the link back to the post to correct me.
To reopen. It is my firm belief that a space based weapons platform *can*
stop long and even intermediate range ballistic (and active) missiles from
reaching their intended targets. It can't be built today, as not
*everything* needed is in place and validated as an integrated system.
However I am convinced an active system could be built for a lot less than
the cost of an equivalent ground based system.
Such a system *could* stop "Iraqi Scuds" from reaching their intended
targets. Since Scuds are short range missiles, obviously their intended
targets do not include the continental US unless they are based a lot closer
to the US than Iraq.
To the question of whether we SHOULD build a system, one has to first answer
the question of "what does that have to do with America?" which is
essentially the question that Scott posed. Unlike most of Scott's questions,
it's actually a valid one. (although it was posed in his own inimitably
annoying fashion)
There are several possible answers:
- because we feel an obligation to keep the world safe from missiles.
This is not a satisfactory answer to me, whether it is correct or not. I am
not in the "we should be the world's policeman because we can" school.
- because we will keep ourselves safe by protecting certain countries (like
Taiwan for example)
This is also not a satisfactory answer to me, whether it is correct or not.
I'm not convinced it is correct, anyway. Taiwan and Germany and etc. should
pay the cost for their defense.
- because we could make some cash by charging 1 B USD per intercept (cash in
advance, please :-) ) to clients.
This answer I like. Do good and get paid. Still, it's rather flippant and
not likely to be politically viable at this point in time.
- because it will cause a space based manufacturing infrastructure to come
into existance
Note that the most effective system needs massive redundancy, that is lots
and lots of orbiting equipment or lots and lots of ground based
interceptors. A cost effective space based system needs a space based
manufacturing infrastructure (native lunar materials made into solar cells
and structural parts, only the control electronics come from earth at great
launch cost) to BE cost effective.
Hence I favor trying to build such a system for the side effect of getting a
manufacturing infrastructure *more* than for the primary reason of keeping
the world safe.
Note that this is my opinion and I could care less (but only a TINY bit
less, since I do care just a teeny bit) if you (the general you, that is,
the entire audience) agree or not.
Hope that helps correct Dan's particular misstatement as well as tying up a
few loose ends on the debate, there were some unanswered assertions made by
some.
++Lar
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