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Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!sdcsvax!ajh
From: ajh@sdcsvax.UUCP (Alan Hu)
Newsgroups: net.followup,net.politics
Subject: Re: Korean Jet
Message-ID: <3739@sdcsvax.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 3-Sep-83 18:28:21 EDT
Article-I.D.: sdcsvax.3739
Posted: Sat Sep  3 18:28:21 1983
Date-Received: Sun, 4-Sep-83 04:28:54 EDT
References: rocheste.2765, <186@ecn-ed.UUCP>
Organization: U.C. San Diego, CS Dept
Lines: 27

I do know that the Soviets have a number of military installations
on their pacific coast (not very pacific!).  A number of these are
supposed to be top-secret.  Shooting down a civilian jetliner is
an easy way to warn the world to keep their distance.  It's tough
to shoot down an SR-71 or a spy satellite.  It's easy to shoot down
a 747.  By doing this, civilian aircraft which might serve double
duty as a spy plane won't dare enter the area.  The Soviets have
shown that they don't care about the PR; they just want people to
stay away.  (Incidently, if any of you have played UN*X Empire,
you've probably noticed that individual lives don't mean much.
Who cares if 3000 people starve, as long as your country is strong
enough to survive.  When you're on top, 200 people getting blown
up in a plane is pretty insignificant.  You just have to worry about
the bad press.  If you're like most of us, though, it's a different
story.)
	One thing that I thought was interesting:  Not only the
arch-conservatives, conservatives, and moderates are enraged.
It seems that most liberals are quite angry at the Soviets
(Kennedy, O'Neill, etc.).  The only person I know of who isn't
upset is Sen. Alan Cranston (D-CA) who said something to the
effect that that's what you get for getting the Soviets mad
by trying to build nuclear weapons.  Just don't get them mad
and they'll be really nice.  (That's the way I read it in
my newspaper (San Diego Union).)  (I don't think I want that
guy to be my senator!)
					--Alan J. Hu
					  sdcsvax!ajh