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He wrote a book with some others guys that was supposedly influential in governemnt during the cold war. My understanding the impetus behind "star wars" missile

He wrote a book with some others guys that was supposedly influential in governemnt during the cold war. My understanding the impetus behind "star wars" missile defense was was kind of a decoy to get the Soviet Union to spend themselves to death. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strategy_of_Technology https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strategy_of_Technology

Turing_Machine 9y ago
Yes. It worked, too. Note that the Soviet Union no longer exists, and it happened without an actual nuclear war.
- DonHopkins 9y ago
  Yet Putin still got to choose the President of the United States.
- marssaxman 9y ago
  The tiger-repelling rock in my front yard works really well, too. Haven't seen any tigers around my house in ages.
justin66 9y ago
> My understanding the impetus behind "star wars" missile defense was was kind of a decoy to get the Soviet Union to spend themselves to death. That is a very, very generous way to characterize defense programs that wasted tens of billions of dollars without producing anything. When you're dealing with a public that finds details boring and is willing to lump it all under "defense spending," you can sort of get away with it.
- Recurecur 9y ago
  "without producing anything." Well, except for numerous technologies that are in use today. Our current missile defense program, which is fairly crucial right at the moment, greatly benefitted from SDI. Details, details...
  - justin66 9y ago
    SDI programs from the era that did not produce anything include the nuclear pumped X-Ray laser, which never worked at all. The shocking amount spent on that bullshit would have been enough to fund a huge amount of useful work in science, defense, or whatever. The thing that's frustrating about that (aside from the fact that people are ignorant of such things, but still feel qualified to comment on the topic) is that plenty of people knew it was bullshit three decades ago. The sheer hypocrisy of the politics of SDI is almost unique in human history, considering how much money was wasted by people who claimed to be concerned about excessive government spending.
    - Recurecur 9y ago
      The "nuclear pumped X-ray laser" may or may not have been feasible - tests were inconclusive. That type of research is similar to the Google "moonshot" projects, many of which have been busts, eh? Regardless, other SDI technologies such as Brilliant Pebbles and Brilliant Eyes are direct predecessors to current, successful, military technologies. There have also been many spinoffs benefiting civilians.
      - justin66 9y ago
        > The "nuclear pumped X-ray laser" may or may not have been feasible - tests were inconclusive. That type of research is similar to the Google "moonshot" projects, many of which have been busts, eh? In the analogy Larry Page or Sergey Brin of Google would be Edward Teller, capable of forcing pursuit of an absurd project well past the point where it's obviously ridiculous to continue, simply because he can fire anyone he wants. But those guys aren't blatantly ideological, demented old men, and I'm not aware of Google ever burning money in a manner quite as cosmically absurd as Project Excalibur. The business wouldn't survive much of that.
mcguire 9y ago
That's why the program is still active. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_national_missile_defense https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_national_missile... Well, getting someone to spend themselves to death.

Turing_Machine 9y ago

Yes. It worked, too. Note that the Soviet Union no longer exists, and it happened without an actual nuclear war.

DonHopkins 9y ago
Yet Putin still got to choose the President of the United States.
marssaxman 9y ago
The tiger-repelling rock in my front yard works really well, too. Haven't seen any tigers around my house in ages.

justin66 9y ago

> My understanding the impetus behind "star wars" missile defense was was kind of a decoy to get the Soviet Union to spend themselves to death. That is a very, very generous way to characterize defense programs that wasted tens of billions of dollars without producing anything. When you're dealing with a public that finds details boring and is willing to lump it all under "defense spending," you can sort of get away with it.

Recurecur 9y ago
"without producing anything." Well, except for numerous technologies that are in use today. Our current missile defense program, which is fairly crucial right at the moment, greatly benefitted from SDI. Details, details...
- justin66 9y ago
  SDI programs from the era that did not produce anything include the nuclear pumped X-Ray laser, which never worked at all. The shocking amount spent on that bullshit would have been enough to fund a huge amount of useful work in science, defense, or whatever. The thing that's frustrating about that (aside from the fact that people are ignorant of such things, but still feel qualified to comment on the topic) is that plenty of people knew it was bullshit three decades ago. The sheer hypocrisy of the politics of SDI is almost unique in human history, considering how much money was wasted by people who claimed to be concerned about excessive government spending.
  - Recurecur 9y ago
    The "nuclear pumped X-ray laser" may or may not have been feasible - tests were inconclusive. That type of research is similar to the Google "moonshot" projects, many of which have been busts, eh? Regardless, other SDI technologies such as Brilliant Pebbles and Brilliant Eyes are direct predecessors to current, successful, military technologies. There have also been many spinoffs benefiting civilians.
    - justin66 9y ago
      > The "nuclear pumped X-ray laser" may or may not have been feasible - tests were inconclusive. That type of research is similar to the Google "moonshot" projects, many of which have been busts, eh? In the analogy Larry Page or Sergey Brin of Google would be Edward Teller, capable of forcing pursuit of an absurd project well past the point where it's obviously ridiculous to continue, simply because he can fire anyone he wants. But those guys aren't blatantly ideological, demented old men, and I'm not aware of Google ever burning money in a manner quite as cosmically absurd as Project Excalibur. The business wouldn't survive much of that.

mcguire 9y ago

That's why the program is still active. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_national_missile_defense https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_national_missile... Well, getting someone to spend themselves to death.