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From: tedrick@ernie.BERKELEY.EDU (Tom Tedrick)
Newsgroups: net.physics,net.space,net.research
Subject: Re: Star-Wars/Space Telescopes
Message-ID: <11045@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU>
Date: Thu, 21-Nov-85 02:54:39 EST
Article-I.D.: ucbvax.11045
Posted: Thu Nov 21 02:54:39 1985
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Reply-To: tedrick@ernie.UUCP (Tom Tedrick)
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Xref: watmath net.physics:3615 net.space:4767 net.research:347

>Consequently, the best source for Stars Wars research support is
>Eugene Velikov, (no relation to Velikovsky) of the Academy of
>Science, Moscow, a head of Kurchatov, and a mastermind of their
>own advanced Star Wars effort at Krasnaya Pachra and other Russian
>military labs, (so secure that even scientists from the "Eastern 
>Allies" can not visit them).  Incidentally, Velikov has lobbied 
>Senator Pell and others against our new fledgling program and 
>has served on disarmament committees.  My own personal information 
>is that the Russian program was in progress at least as far back
>as 1976.  I suspect the Russians have made a monumental discovery
>and are not willing to share it with us, and if I am correct as
>to what is is, I don't blame them because in a few more years it
>will give them a massive military edge.  I also think the concept 
>of their program is considerably more aggressive (offensive) than 
>ours.

One thing that has bothered me about the debate on Star Wars
research is the idea that one can afford to stop work in
some area of weapons research. The classical theory of war
includes the application of new weapons and tactics on a
massive scale as a fundamental principle. The easiest way
to win a war is to develop some new weapon that is unknown
to the other side and use it on a massive scale in a lightning
surprise attack, thereby destroying the enemy before he has
a chance to develop countermeasures. One can never predict
for certain that some new weapon cannot be created which
will upset the balance of power, therefore as long as we
have hostile nations, abandoning research is potentially
suicidal. The eternal arms race isn't appealing, but
giving up the struggle may lead to destruction.