The scientists' opposition to SDI: How political views affect technical analysis
This study examines the scientists' opposition to President Reagan's Strategic Defense Initiative (1983-1989) with a focus on the relationship between the scientists' political and strategic opposition to ballistic missile defenses (BMD) and their technical doubts about BMD technologies. The study begins with a review of the scientists' increased influence in United State's national security decision making because of the development of atomic weapons. The study then examines the scientists' role in developing and promoting a theory of arms control based upon mutual societal vulnerability. Because of this theory, a large segment of the American scientific community came to believe that the development of ballistic missile defenses would destabilize the strategic balance and therefore took the lead in arguing against BMD deployments. These background chapters conclude with an analysis of the scientists' involvement in the political campaign to stop the proposed Sentinel and Safeguard Anti-Ballistic Missile defense. The study then turns to the contemporary scientific opposition to BMD deployments and the SDI research program. After examining the polls and petitions that identify the scientists opposed to SDI, the study analyzes the tactics that three scientists use in their political effort to prevent BMD deployments. Next, an examination of the political and strategic assumptions behind the scientists' opposition to BMD reveals that a belief in the arms control process and deterrence by punishment, especially Assured Destruction deterrence, with a fear of an action-reaction arms race inspires much of the contemporary opposition to BMD. Finally, the scientists' technical doubts about BMD technologies are analyzed through the prism of peer critique. These critiques show that the scientists opposed to BMD deployments us pessimistic and unrealistic assumptions to skew their technical analysis of BMD technologies.
- Research Organization:
- University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA (USA)
- OSTI ID:
- 6986773
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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