Re: [FT][SG][DS] Canada, the US Civil War II, and the structure

Moody, Danny M. wrote:

> Does this mean we can discuss surface bombardments from orbital ships
> again?

This current fracas does illustrate one point about orbital
bombardment:  If your target doesn't have serious aerospace defenses,
then it's a great way to give the impression that you are "Serious" or
"Doing Something" or "Sending a Message" without putting a lot of troops
at risk, and without any hope in hell of accomplishing whatever you are
claiming to be doing.  So we'll see a lot of politicians who will call
for orbital bombardment to solve every sort of interplanetary problem,
whether spacepower is an apropriate tool for the problem at hand.  Looks
great on ISN, doesn't have a lot of inconvenient body bags to justify,
and makes the constituents get that warm and fuzzy feeling that you are
"Getting tough".  Given current trends, orbital bombardment will be
advocated as a solution for everything from genocidal alien attack too
offensive body odor.

John M. Atkinson