Re: Minimum Nuclear Deterrence - reply to Charu

[Vamsi Musunuru <vamsi@siliconcorp.com>]

Charu datt wrote:

> The
> transistor was NOT the product of military research, neither was HDTV.
The
> resarch that led to the internet in the US was funded by the US
department
> of
> defense but there is no reason to believe that civilian funding would not
> have
> accomplished the same result. For a good analysis of how US military
> spending is
> used as a tool of Keynesian Economic pump-priming see
>

    The need for Transistor and Internet research had strategic importance
to
the Military and that was the reason they were funded by the Military.  It
would
have been impossible for any Civilian agency to take up the task - simple
Economics!!


>
> >   2. A strong Military is vital for protecting National Interests and
> esteem.
>
> I think we need to be very careful in clearly defining "National
Interest".
> I've
> seen the term frequently abused to avoid accountability. What do you mean
> by
> "National Interest"?.

    I suppose we have no national interests and we can certainly allow the
US,
Russian, and Chinese Governments tell us what to do.  Tell us what we can
do
research in and what not to.  Hold our hand and baby us on every Global
issue.
Maybe they can even tell us that we cannot even have colonies on the Moon,
Mars,
or beyond because we are so poor and doomed that we need not look at these
things or even think about it.  Our national interests are free
electricity,
water, and controlled prices - this has been our past why can't it be our
future?  We never take charge of anything; instead, we wait for others to
do it
for us first.

>
>
> >   3. It would also give a global role for India which means we have to
> stay on
> >
> >      top of things if we are going to survive.
>
> What global role do you see for India?
>
> -Charu

    In our present state there is no Global Role for India.  However, if
India
was to be more responsible it can certainly serve as an example to those
aspiring (poor) countries that they too can become technological titans and
improve their quality of life.  The clear Global role for India is that it
should serve as an example to itself and the rest of the world by breaking
through stereotypes, etc.  We cannot accomplish this without a
Entrepreneurial
population and a strong Military - at least, former Soviet Union couldn't.
Although it had a strong enough Military at one time its Entrepreneurial
population wasn't nurtured!!



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