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From: KFL%MX.LCS.MIT.EDU@MC.LCS.MIT.EDU
Newsgroups: mod.politics
Subject: Defense
Message-ID: <12239243069.34.MCGREW@RED.RUTGERS.EDU>
Date: Mon, 15-Sep-86 20:10:11 EDT
Article-I.D.: RED.12239243069.34.MCGREW
Posted: Mon Sep 15 20:10:11 1986
Date-Received: Fri, 19-Sep-86 23:00:53 EDT
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Reply-To: KFL%MX.LCS.MIT.EDU@MC.LCS.MIT.EDU
Organization: The ARPA Internet
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Approved: poli-sci@red.rutgers.edu


    [ I'm going to give up my profitable business of selling widgets
    and join the army while my compeditor keeps selling widgets ...

  It is up to each individual.  Anyone who thinks defense of a their
free country is sufficiently important, and that they can contribute
more to its defense by joining the military than by donating money to
it or by continuing to produce widgets, will do so.
  Many people, especially people under 30, are not yet doing anything
important.  They won't have the widget magnate's dilemma.  The widget
maker could probably contribute more to the effort by donating money.
  Any country whose inhabitants won't defend it except when coerced is
not worthy of being defended.

    (pick the wrong time [to re-arm], and you spend big bucks on
    weapons that will be obsolete when you need them).

  Wrong.  Since the most important purpose of defense is deterrence, a
weapon that never needs to be used is the most successful weapon of
all.  There is no wrong time to re-arm.  People won't pick fights with
us if they know we can blow them away.  We are paying for peace, not
for war.  And if there is a war, we are paying for its shortness and
painlessness.  This can only be done by always being prepared for a
long and painful war.
  We can best lead by example.  If we adopt a truly free civilization,
other countries will do the same after they see the results.  Perhaps
eventually we won't need any sort of defense.
                                                              ...Keith

[ Sorry, but telling an under-30, "You're not doing anything
important, go join the army" won't work.  Hell, I'm under 30, and I'm
not going to join an army just so widget salesmen can keep on making
widgets.  What if I have a job I like, working for the widget saleman,
making a comfortable living?  I'm not going to give that up (i.e. the
'widget saleman' argument extends to all of the employed).

  No wrong time to rearm, huh?  Go tell the Polish Lancers of 1939.
Tell the Russians of 1914, or 1905.  Tell the 'Devastator' pilots of
the USN in 1941.  Build a lot of the wrong thing (or the right thing
that gets old) and that's all it is - the wrong thing.  You can paint
'Peace saving weapon' on it all you want, but if it doesn't work
against what the other fellow has, then its no good.  But once again,
we digress....  - CWM]
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