From: Adam <""4thwormcastfromthemolehill\"{at}the field.near
the bridge">

John Beamish wrote:
> On Sun, 28 Jan 2007 17:03:30 -0500, Adam field.near the bridge">
>  wrote:
>
>> John Beamish wrote:
>>
>> Indeed so is the Shuttle a civie vehicle or a US "national security
>> asset"?
>>
> Too obvious:  national security asset.  Hands down.
>

Indeed.

>
>>>
>>
>> Oh indeed. However by doing so they advanced US rocket tech & may have
>> thus allowed US missiles to travel further on less fuel etc. etc.
>>
> The quintessential Canadian book:  How to get better gas mileage in a
> Zamboni (an ice cleaning and preparation machine).  Surely you're not
> suggesting that the US mil (or any mil, for that matter) is going to
> worry about mileage figures when it comes to launching/fending off an
> attack!
>

Umm...but what about surface to air missiles, air to air etc. All mil applications.

Rockets are rockets it's why the US flogging the tech to the Israelis to
build their "Arrow" ABM system was such a massive breach of the
MTCR.

>
>>>>
>>>
>>> You have mistaken my position.  I was referring to offensive
>>> capability.  As for defensive: sure it's very nice to have.
>>
>> Big countries seem to like them.
>>
> There are lots of things that big countries like.  It doesn't mean that
> the country with the biggest, baddest high tech is going to win in the
> long run.
>

Oh indeed. In fact in a fight between big countries /nuke armed countries
no one wins which is the point.


>
>>> And if you
>>> were going to attach Brazil or the Ukraine what would be your first
>>> targets:  coffee plantations and wheat fields?
>>
>>
>> Sao Paulo, Rio, Brasilia, Kiev, Odessa. You know the place where people
>> live as usual.
>
> Hmm ... you'd leave the mil targets untouched.
>

Counter value dear boy. All else is bollox. How many holocausts in how
short a period of time.

>
>> Big countries aren't looking at offensive capabilities against other big
>> countries or indeed nuclear capable countries. The price is too high.
>>
>
> MAD.
>

Quite.

Now this is percolating down to medium sized countries &/or countries
which weren't even independent during WW2.

Iran wants to be safe from all external aggressors....they can't out spend
the US mil in conventional forces so....nuclear tech & space tech .....

Adam

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