KFL%MX.LCS.MIT.EDU@MC.LCS.MIT.EDU (11/11/86)
[ Sorry, but telling an under-30, "You're not doing anything
important, go join the army" won't work.
I don't intend to "tell" anyone to do anything. I was simply
replying to your assertion that everyone is too busy to help defend
the country unless coerced.
No wrong time to rearm, huh? ... Build a lot of the wrong
thing (or the right thing that gets old) and that's all it is -
the wrong thing. You can paint 'Peace saving weapon' on it all
you want, but if it doesn't work against what the other fellow
has, then its no good. ...
Of course. Nobody has advocated building useless or obsolete
weapons. (Not to be confused with weapons that BECOME obsolete -
hopefully that is what will happen with EVERY weapon - it will rust or
be rendered useless before (instead of) being used.)
...Keith
[ So who's going to defend your country? Everyone's making money
(including those deadbeat kids who haven't turned 30 yet), and you
won't force anyone to serve. I suppose you could hire mercenaries
from Isreal...
How do you square your 'of course' with:
"Wrong. Since the most important purpose of defense is deterrence,
a weapon that never needs to be used is the most successful weapon of
all. There is no wrong time to re-arm."
... from your article of 30 August? - CWM]
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