Re: Communication and Travel

jatkins6@ix.netcom.com (John Atkinson) wrote:

[snip]

>Minor peeve--note that it's only possible to actually conquer a small,
>small colony from space.  Once you get a couple million colonists with
>a homegrown industry, it becomes impossible to physically land enough
>troops to do more than raid.  Example:  Israel, with 6 million
>inhabitants, can field 13 armored divisions, and one parachute division
>(or is it 12 and 1?  I don't recall).	Taking down a force that big
>would require either massive and indiscriminate use of orbital support
>(trashing what you're supposed to be trying to conquer!) or one even
>larger--which would be prohibitive to transport.

I disagree. Israel is a technologically advanced state supported by an
extra-structure of advanced states in close proximity. A FT colony,
which
is most liklely at least a week's transit from any support, would be
reliant on lower technology, and wouldn't have nearly the work-force
surplus available for a standing military.

Likewise, depending on who founded the colony, their loyalty to the
"motherland" may not be too solidly ingrained.

Looking at it in these terms, you'd need a much smaller landing force,
and
may only have to achieve space-superiority to convince them that siding
with you may be in their best interests.

Schoon