stuckincincy Posted July 17, 2006 Author Share Posted July 17, 2006 Yeah, really. Why, I just emptied $44 billion out of my couch this morning. Surely we could have sent more of the taxpayers' money to this particular graveyard. 724111[/snapback] Which U.S. city do you recommend? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon in Pasadena Posted July 17, 2006 Share Posted July 17, 2006 I know many people like to ridicule military spending, especially forward-looking military spending such as SDI. So I'll remind you of another futuristic military project that involved preparing for nuclear war. The fear was that a Soviet nuclear attack could knock out our communications system. To prevent this, computers at various points were networked together. Because a hub-and-spoke system would be vulnerable to attack, a net patern was used. The resulting ARPANET was the beginning of the Internet. Maybe an SDI system would also have produced great, unforeseen benefits. We'll never know, because that particular project only received a little pocket change. 724105[/snapback] Good grief. DUDE, I worked for the Army on C³I, including on-site support at some of the first Cascade Peak exercises. Believe me, I know very well the advantages well-spent technological research can confer. I also know some of the guys who were consulting on SDI. You are aware, of course, that the program did run for nearly 10 years, got funded to the tune of $44B +, and resulted in plenty of useful technology, including the core of our GMD systems (PAC-3). I wasn't disputing any of that. But as for the idea that throwing more $$ at X-ray lasers in the '80's would have resulted in us having an impregnable space-based shield today to protect us from the mighty NK menace -- well, let's just say I'm more confident that a fleet of nuclear-powered monkeys will fly out of my butt and save us in that eventuality. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orton's Arm Posted July 17, 2006 Share Posted July 17, 2006 let's just say I'm more confident that a fleet of nuclear-powered monkeys will fly out of my butt and save us in that eventuality. In that case, I suggest making an appointment at a research hospital to see a proctologist. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon in Pasadena Posted July 18, 2006 Share Posted July 18, 2006 In that case, I suggest making an appointment at a research hospital to see a proctologist. 724439[/snapback] Thanks for reminding me I need to stop procrastinating my annual visit to see the doc and experience the joy of how "the other half" lives, in all it's latex-filled glory. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts