arms-d@ucbvax.ARPA (09/24/84)
From: Moderator <ARMS-D@MIT-MC.ARPA> Arms-Discussion Digest Volume 2 : Issue 59 Today's Topics: Scientific American star wars article Who wanted WWI ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 16 Sep 1984 0758-PDT From: CAULKINS@USC-ECL.ARPA Subject: "Scientific American" star wars article To: arms-d@MIT-MC The October 1984 issue of Scientific American has an article titled "Space-Based Ballistic-Missile Defense" by Bethe, Garwin, Gottfried and Kendall (P39 - 49). The authors explore the technical considerations involved in space-based missile defense in considerable detail, covering low-orbit and geosynchronous systems, ground and space-based lasers, pop-up systems with X-ray lasers, homing projectiles, etc. I quote from the closing section: "...In our view the questionable performance of the proposed defense, the ease with which it could be overwhelmed or circumvented and its potential as an antisatellite system would cause grievous damage to the security of the U.S. if the Strategic Defense Initiative were to be pursued. The path toward greater security lies in quite another direction. Although research on ballistic-missile defense should continue at the traditional level of expenditure and within the constraints of the ABM treaty, every effort should be made to negotiate a bilateral ban on the testing and use of space weapons. ..." I recommend reading it. ------- ------------------------------ Date: 20 Sep 1984 14:48-PDT Sender: WARD@USC-ISIF.ARPA Subject: Who wanted WWI From: Craig E. Ward <WARD@USC-ISIF.ARPA> To: ARMS-D@MIT-MC.ARPA If you want quick and simple reasons why some of the various nations of Europe started World War I: Germany: Earn their place in the Sun (Empire building) France: Revenge for their loss of the war in 1870 Austria-Hungry: Empire building Russia: Protect fellow Slavs in Serbia (Beat on Austria) Great Britain: Keep Germany in its place (Keep an empire) It is wrong to state that Germany alone wanted war. Each nation made a reasoned decision to get involved. It is obvious now that their reasoning was faulty. Most of you know that the first domino was that some Archduke of Austria was assassinated. This started a quarrel between Austria and Serbia. The Russians did not want to see their Slavic brothers dominated by Austria so they began to mobilize; however, the wonderful Russian general staff had never contemplated a war against Austria-Hungry alone. All their plans mobilized along both the borders of Austria-Hungry and Germany. Of course, despite Russian assurances that they would not attack, the Germans could not stand idle while the might of Russia gathered across the border... I do not want to imply that it was all Russian stupidity that caused the war but to illustrate part of the "black comedy" that went on at the time. There were a lot of things going on and it is not possible to come up with one central (no pun intended) cause. ------------------------------ [End of ARMS-D Digest]