SDI was the actual initiative, Star Wars was the derogatory nickname. Star Wars involved a science fiction plot taking place in space which critics believed de

SDI was the actual initiative, Star Wars was the derogatory nickname. Star Wars involved a science fiction plot taking place in space which critics believed described SDI perfectly. It was also timely since Return of the Jedi would be released a few months after the SDI announcement in 1983... so Star Wars was already on people's minds.