ss (04/25/83)
We have been discussing the space based ABM systems around here with various questions about their destabilizing effects, feasibility etc. I have another proposal. Suppose we put research into a system like that, except that we ENSURE that the system does NOT distinguish between "friendly" and "unfriendly" missiles. It seems to me that a lot of problems about target identification in the system would go away, and NOBODY could think of it as destabilizing. We would "really" want to reduce the possibility of nuclear war to sink money into something that zaps our own missiles though... Another thought.... If such a system is in place, our military industrial complex can then go about trying to beat the system by building a new super-duper multi- billion dollar unzappable missile ( the Russians might be building one, so we need one to keep the "balance of terror"), improving the ABM system to zap the missile ( The Russians might already have the missile, we need to fix the system), and so on in an endless circle. It ought to keep everyone happy. Sharad Singhal