[comp.society] Computer Weapons makers

thom@dewey.soe.Berkeley.EDU (Thom Gillespie) (02/14/91)

Just after the war began a query was posted on this discussion group
about people who design the computer weapons.  I forget the exact
wording, but it seemed to be wondering how they viewed their role in the
war and the death that occurred from the use of their weapons -- if I
misinterpreted the original posting correct me.  I posted my opinions on
the role of the weapon makers and the destruction and very little
appeared in soc.computers -- but a lot did appear in my mailbox.  Some
of it was incoherent, but much of it was reasonable -- not something I'd
agree with, but reasonable.

Obviously there are a lot of weapon makers in this world.  Obviously
they believe in what they are doing.  I think I represent a group of
people who would like to understand how they are able to act on that
belief.  So I'd like to suggest that responses to postings should be
directed back to the net rather than to an individual's mail box -- it
makes the discussion richer for all.  Computers in the society and
computers in war are part of modern life, they have affected all of us,
some more than others.  

We need to figure out what is going on -- together!

Thom Gillespie