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From: cozadde@trsvax.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.space
Subject: Re: Orbital Artillery - (nf)
Message-ID: <56000009@trsvax.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 19-Mar-84 03:38:00 EDT
Article-I.D.: trsvax.56000009
Posted: Mon Mar 19 03:38:00 1984
Date-Received: Fri, 18-May-84 01:48:44 EDT
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Nf-ID: #R:sri-arpa:-1664800:trsvax:56000009:000:1526
Nf-From: trsvax!cozadde    Mar 19 11:38:00 1984

#R:sri-arpa:-1664800:trsvax:56000009:000:1526
trsvax!cozadde    Mar 19 11:38:00 1984



	To: richard

	What difference does it make to the people on the ground in Moscow,
	Washington DC, Leningrad, or New York whether it was a ballistic
	rock or a cargo carrier packed with food, medical supplies, spare
	parts, etc. if it falls out of high orbit.  Any physical object that
	can generate concentrated and directed energy is a weapon (this
	includes biological and chemical).  Therefore, ANY object in orbit
	that has control over its position is a weapon.  This includes mass-
	drivers used for mining operations, transportation (as in The Moon Is
	A Harsh Mistress) or space drives, Solar Power Stations (the microwave
	power transmission beam could be easily converted to a 'death ray'
	with the proper motivation), communication satellites (jamming and
	propaganda), etc.  Remember the Soviet Union has been trying to have
	the Space Shuttle declared as a strategic weapon since STS-1 landed.
	They consider it in the same catagory as the MX-1 'Peacemaker'.  So,
	before we go charging off to sign a whole bunch of 'let's stop it
	before it spreads' treaties, lets find out what it is that we want to
	stop and what the Soviet Communist Party wants to stop.

	Remember the corollary to the NRA motto"Guns don't kill people, people
	kill people."  Corollary:"Guns just make it easier (physically and
	psychologically) to kill people."

	The difference between a weapon and a tool is the ease of use for its
	intended purpose.

					lt. of marines
					...microsoft!trsvax!cozadde
					...ctvax!trsvax!cozadde