🚀 go-pugleaf

    Date:  8 Jun 1981 1121-CDT
    From: Jon Webb <CS.WEBB at UTEXAS-20>

    Idea about dropping things in the way of ICBMs isn't a very good one.
    Who will put up the oribiting satellites?
It doesn't matter who puts them up, but whoever with the best micro-computers
and A.I. software would be best, USA and/or Japan presently I guess.
    If it is an aggressive nation
    you can't be sure they won't design them so there own missiles can get
    by.  No non-aggressive nations have the technology to do this.
We'd have to have total inspection.  Programs would be in non-changeable
ROM, burned-in at the factory and inspected by an international team
before launch.  After launch, we could spot-check them by sending up
inspectors via shuttle or Saluz, like pick one out of a 25 at
random to verify they didn't get their programs changed during launch
procedure.
    Also, it dosen't seem  like that would be too  reliable, and all it
    takes is  1 missile to get by to cause major damage.  All the aggressive
    nations have to do is to build many more missiles, send them on
    different flight paths, etc.
I don't see any way to eliminate the threat of nuclear war presently, but
at least we'd give the first-striker a great disadvantage, his ICBMs would
nullify the defense satellites, perhaps one or two ICBMs getting thru,
destroying a few military installations and one or two cities, while
the retaliatory strike, if delayed an hour or so until satellites are
used up, would get thru relatively unchecked.  Thus whoever strikes
first gets destroyed without destroying the one who got attacked first.
    I guess there is nothing really we can do to stop nuclear war.  I think
    the odds are about 3 to 1 against  our making it to the end of this
    century without one.
With odds like that we should all quit our jobs and work together to
prevent nuclear war.  After nuclear war, all our work we've done will
be lost.