Re: SPACE: Lunar Warfare

The Low Willow (phoenix@ugcs.caltech.edu)
Sun, 19 Jan 1997 16:12:54 -0800 (PST)


On Jan 19, 5:37pm, Michael Lorrey wrote:

} Your only cherry picking statements. You ignore my statement that Luna
} will not NEED to attack earth. Such a confrontation will require a first
} strike by earth.

Luna might need to threaten to attack Earth. Consider Alaska or Hawaii
trying to secede from the US. Governments could proclaim that activity
by their citizens constitutes a claim by their nation on the new
territory.

Or taxes? "This isn't about independence! They're just trying to get
out of paying taxes, out of paying their share of the debt! After being
helped out by government-paid for research!"

} > accidents and terrorism, not war, and doesn't currently condone dropping
} > nukes on small relatively helpless nations.
} Exactly, what part didn't you understand?

Luna needn't qualify as a relatively helpless nation, as I said.

} > The relatives of the convict losers you've been talking about populating
} > your colony with? Big deal.
} Maybe to you, but those politicians most likely to oppose the use of
} such force have such people as their main constituents. Killing

You're overlooking the fact that these convicts have been shipped off of
Earth in the first place. Permanent exile, given low-g bone and
muscular decay. If you can get away with that, nuking them after they
turn threatening won't necessarily be a big PR problem.

} I really don't care. I know that any time people say something is
} impossible, someone else goes and proves them wrong. it happened with

Impossible? You're the one who seems to have been arguing that it is
impossible for Earth to control a lunar colony. I'm in the "it will
greatly depend on what actually happens" camp.

} Frankly I am surprised than anyone on this list would not have learned
} from such recent history.

Waiting for you...

Merry part,
-xx- Damien R. Sullivan X-) <*> http://www.ugcs.caltech.edu/~phoenix

"Good intentions will always be pleaded for every assumption of
authority. It is hardly too strong to say that the Constitution was
made to guard the people against the dangers of good intentions. There
are men in all ages who mean to govern well, but they mean to govern.
They promise to be good masters, but they mean to be masters."
-- Daniel Webster