The US Strategic Defense Initiative: Ronald Reagan's Star Wars Program

Space lasers that kill nukes. Total side project, you guys.
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[@graeme0]

The other thing you may not appreciate is that all the cutting edge US military projects forced the Soviet Union to spend a lot of money it did not have, acting against the ideology of communism and hastening it's downfall (which was always the ultimate goal).

[@larryowsowitz2274]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Yeah a lot of money was spent but the end result was the collapse of the USSR and Warsaw Pact countries. Ultimately the size of the US military was reduced subsequently saving a lot of money as well.. Did/do the savings match what was spent? We’ll probably never know.

[@pakde8002]

That Reagan era myth has been debunked along with the myth that the Soviet losses in Afghanistan led to its downfall. Even without the USA or Nato the Soviet Union was doomed because it was too big to manage, at least in a humane way.

[@jamesoverholt878]

@@pakde8002 personally I think there is a straight line from Chernobyl to the collapse of the USSR. Consider how many nations had to pool together for the current safe confinement.

[@sicily7220]

@@wildlifetails The actual digital was long on it way in 1960s. The fall of communism in the USSR was doomed from its start. BY the 1980s you had empty food stores and more and more was directed towards its military not only within its own borders, but also Warsaw pact and other countries. Policies like USSR would supply economic package to countries if they declared themselves as communism\socialist (you can see how some countries would take advantage of this) or Khruschev attempt to create the USSR breadbasket (Midwest of the US) or Star Wars or Chernobyl or Archer 1983 or Afgan war. ALL of them led to the fall USSR, however Chernobyl in 1986 was very late to the game, the collapse was already occurring, it was not Chernobyl itself, but it was the shear volume of issues like Chernobyl that USSR could no longer attempt to keep parity with the West . The point being of STI or Star wars was not the Tech itself, but the US policy change and that policy change and that was the tipping point and from 1981 the collapse had begun and each event in the 80s accelerated it. Better for the USSR collapse in this way then in method where it will send 50,000 tanks into Western Europe just to survive. They could have been 20+ year behind in Tech, but it was real possibility. I mean Archer 83 almost caused this to occur. The 1986 summit between USSR and US leaders, showed Pres Reagan how far gone the USSR really was and it the US policy not some tech or some accident start us down that road of the fall of the USSR. I mean you can really go back to the 1961 or the date Khruschev was overthrown as the start.

[@carlchristoff9489]

I agree. There were billboards in the USSR saying "No to Star Wars". They really saw it as a major threat. Perhaps this was the single most brilliant piece of war propaganda in history. We need a new hero now, just as we had then.

[@MartinCHorowitz]

I worked on SDI Neutral Particle Beam weapon Technology. That tech works, it it used as part of CERN (linear injectors and traps) , Some Ion Engines, and to to fight cancers by irradiating them. The Space flown prototype Beam Experiment Aboard Rocket is part of the Collection of the Smithsonian Museum.

[@honeysucklecat]

Imagine if all that money wasted on building a weapon was directed at those things, for the purpose of science. But, you know how it is. That wouldn’t make the rich richer.

[@bobfg3130]

The technology works but can't be used like they way they wanted. And it was probably cheap to counter.

[@MartinCHorowitz]

@@bobfg3130 No it was successful, and unstoppable. You need an atmosphere or a large asteroid to stop the beam. The Last Strategic Limitation talks between the Soviets and the US Banned Particle Beam Weapons in Space.

[@burningchrome70]

Thank you for your work.

[@FluidKaos]

Nice! I work on developing power sources for airborne laser weapons. A lot of the SDI dreams are starting to become realities.

[@bozhijak]

George Schultze was NOT the "father" of the Hydrogen Bomb. That was Edward "Dr. Strangelove" Teller.

[@carlosvasquez9890]

True. That's a BIG mistake

[@goodchessactor]

You're right. George Schultz was the father of the Peanuts comic strip.

[@mikejadis]

Yeah! George Shultz was an economist not a Physicist or even a Scientist, he was one of Reagan's Secretaries of State - What was he giving a lecture on? Does any remember Ted Koppel's interview with Edward Teller on Night Line? Why isn't this interview or a transcribe of this interview available on the internet today? If you remember it, you know why.

[@ericg7044]

Care to enlighten those of us who were pre-living at the time? 😁

[@ekramer2478]

In the late 80s I was a student reporter for the Miami Hurricane at U Miami. Met Teller. He was like 90ish. We did 'Tea With Teller'. I sat back and poured tea for him. He dribbled that and cookie crumbs down over his tie. (Yes, suit and tie! He was a very proper gent.) Mostly he pushed the concept that his invention would and could some day be used for peaceful purposes such as energy. I let the physics nerds (Especially that precursor to a 4chan OG troll...) ask the questions. I smiled. I poured. I played hostess. I took notes! They kept running into asking questions that were on the top secret list (I'd tell you but I'd have to kill you...) When it came to giving answers. Now I have met up with I believe two people who were so damn intelligent that I frankly found them almost another species (And at one time many years ago I went through Network Engineering...don't ask. Chose to forget so much and that was LONG before the horror of Windows 10 etc...but did have a 4.0, for reference). Mr. Teller was the first. Hands may have been a bit shaky, but sharper than a fekking molecular filament wire weapon (allegedly...). What this elderly grandfather appearing gentleman understood and did...was beyond terrifying.

[@anarchyantz1564]

The missed out the chance to call it "Ronalds Ray Gun"

[@brandonhinrichs387]

Ronny's Ray Gun

[@MrSparky4101]

Live BlazeStream of Simon's reactions to the Star Wars movies!!

[@nathanburton2510]

A whole side project in itself

[@joeyr7294]

That would probably be hilarious, but also would potentially make a 3hr movie into 6hrs with Simon's ADHD rants lol

[@kevinfreeman3098]

@@joeyr7294 only if he stops it to talk shit...

[@spddiesel]

@@kevinfreeman3098 am I right, Peter!?!

[@garretth8224]

It would take like 6 episodes per movie because of Simons ADHD rants.

[@Sayuri81554]

Simon creating KZbin channels: "We are Borg. Resistance is futile."

[@MaxBrix]

Blaze, "we are the things that grow on Borg".

[@ignitionfrn2223]

1:40 - Chapter 1 - Background 4:55 - Chapter 2 - SDI Begins 8:35 - Chapter 3 - Problems & change 11:25 - Chapter 4 - Legacy

[@The_Daily_Tomato]

In just few minutes I've learned that Simon has never watched Star Wars and hasn't seen the Mummy films since he was a kid. Simon, I here by give you a week break from your KZbin empire in order to catch up on all the films you're missing out on.

[@longboardfella5306]

Good one! How about the creation of NYC Central Park. In its day it was a major undertaking and revolutionised what could be done with parks including cross traffic via depressed roads. It was in swamp land. 15,000 workers etc

[@cocoabutt1711]

I saw a poster on the Boston - T in 2000/2001 that read "Enron in Space" and showed a bunch of flying pigs. Haven't been able to locate the image since.

[@jonathanmatthews4774]

New SideProject idea: Simon watches StarWars.

[@SkuLLetjaH]

Blazeboi p̶l̶a̶y̶s̶ watches

[@angelarch5352]

Please Simon watch the Star Wars episodes in the Machete order! Do not watch them in numerical or chronological order, both methods are bad, and ruin certain dramatic moments. Only the Machete order works: 4,5,2,3,6,7 That's it! Do not watch 1, and do not watch 8,9... ever!

[@kamalii001]

I think the most important thing about the SDI and all of these projects is the technology and knowledge that we gained from them. Yes, the programs ultimately failed, but we still learned so much from all the money that was thrown at these projects. It's one of the biggest benefits (to me) about all of the US' military spending, you get lots of knowledge from it. Now, it takes years/decades for a lot of this knowledge to become know and common knowledge, but once it does, a lot of it is incredibly valuable.

[@jwubbz]

Or you know Reagan could just not have been a dumbass and agreed to nuclear disarmeemt with the soviets and this wouldn’t be an issue we had to research

[@SuperCatacata]

​@@jwubbz L

[@nathanward1174]

Great content and production as always. Really enjoy all of your content. Thank you. Stay safe Family first 🦈

[@TheBub26]

LOL @ shultz being the father of the hydrogen bomb. that would be edward teller. teller figured out that an A bomb could trigger fusion by focusing its radiation

[@honeysucklecat]

Dr. Teller was also one of the first scientists to point out the dangers of CO2 pollution causing climate change, back in the 1950’s.

[@DrD0000M]

People over 25 that have never seen Star Wars need to be gathered up and sent to Alderaan.

[@keirfarnum6811]

Unfortunately the best we can do is send them to Aldebaran.

[@jessedesens5845]

Awesome! I thought that this was a subject vaguely touched on in a book I read and it was never really considered to be commonly known, to myself at least. I love it that the Fact Boi covers topics that I've heard about and others subjects that I wouldn't even think about.

[@justalurkr]

This project inspired my senior project in college, which was a research paper about international law in space. My conclusion: we needed more.

[@stevengordon3271]

With nobody to enforce the existing space laws, even more space laws would just make matters worse.

[@justalurkr]

@@stevengordon3271 no form of enforcement was even written into the treaties I studied, which is kind of where I was going in the paper. The Cold War was still on at the time (1984,) so enforcement was already a pipe dream.

[@twocvbloke]

So no sharks with frickin' lasers on their heads then? :P

[@akizeta]

They're for Putin's tsunami-making super-torpedoes.

[@polintanfamily8134]

This is the time to tune up this thing before anything happens in the future. Why not, it’s already built, it just need to be activated and make it ready just in case.

[@andrewfischer8564]

when i made eagle scout i was invited to a west point reunion at mama leones. in nyc. the guest speaker was gen abramson. the head of the sdi under reagan.

[@ginger-snap6930]

I could see Simon now watching Star Wars for the first time.. Simon with his face twisted in horror “They didn’t even try to make this Scientifically accurate” 😋😂

[@SlavinaVelinova]

An idea of a Side Project video: MOSE Venice - the flood prevention system meant to protect Venice from high tides which have been an issue for quite a long time. They are already testing the gates and the project should be completed this year.

[@bhuvaneshs.k638]

Please do ITER Tokamak project

[@zonadawg9088]

How about a video on the Missile Defense Agency and all the successes it has had developing and fielding missile defense systems.

[@ZAV1944]

I read a book series called The Seventh Carrier series by Peter Albano where the Chinese devised something similar to the Star Wars program to prevent the US and the Soviets blowing up the world, this sort of worked too well and ended up blasting any jet or rocket upon ignition effectively kicking the worlds Aerospace Technology back to World War 2 levels.

[@alexcrouse]

One of the issues with the lasers is shiny silver missiles are basically immune. Dark paint was required to get a reaction to start.

[@pamelamays4186]

Simon, I know you've never seen a Star Wars film, but on The Blaze you could look into the weird fest that was the Star Wars Holiday Special. It's the special that no one from the original Star Wars film cast speaks about. It's not even considered canon in the Star Wars universe.

[@insanitysportal6692]

There were actually two *more* Star Wars moves that also got the Canon shaft. "Ewok's..." Return or something like that was one...

[@tevvya]

Mr. Westenhaver, I am surprised that you never mentioned Israel's "Iron Dome" as a legacy of the SDI. This missile intercept system is not laser-based (AFAIK) but it always seemed to me inspired by the concepts surfaced earlier in the SDI of knocking down missiles before they could land.

[@thejudgmentalcat]

Admiral Akbar's famous line was not expected, but appreciated!

[@kavemanthewoodbutcher]

Blaze Bleed in less than 30 seconds. Damn Simon.

[@ninpodarren]

Great video, need a new monitor now after smashing that like button

[@TheEvilCommenter]

Good video 👍

[@yettiman2817]

Simon should do a side project on all his side projects

[@nolarobert]

"Physicist Edward Teller later told me that in 1967, when Ronald Reagan had just been elected governor of California, Reagan came to the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory for a briefing on a topic of Teller's research: how to defend against nuclear attack by using nuclear explosives. Reagan listened intently, asked many questions, but made no comments pro or con. This may have become the first gleam in Ronald Reagan's eye of what later became the Strategic Defense Initiative." - From George Shultz's book Turmoil & Triumph which may have confused Simon about who inspired Reagan. www.margaretthatcher.org/document/110632

[@akizeta]

Simon's scriptwriter. You don't think Simon researches these things himself?

[@feartheamish9183]

You should do the Erie canal

[@bryanrussell6679]

I don't know if I can continue watching your videos until you've seen the Star Wars trilogy. Just the first one. The others you can watch at your own risk.

[@waceyseufer7083]

Yeeeesssss!!!! I'm so glad you're finally gonna watch Star Wars! Lmao!!!! You gotta watch all of them though!! Lol Have fun bro!

[@bhuvaneshs.k638]

Please do Iron Dome

[@kevinfreeman3098]

I think that was on another channel

[@ghostindamachine]

Perhaps make a video of the Russian Dome of Light / White wall of light

[@thereallasre]

Simon: Ballistic Missile Defense doesn’t work Me: laughs in SM-3, GBI, THAAD, and Iron Dome

[@AcornElectron]

😂 be really nice if any of those actually did function 100%

[@thereallasre]

It would be nice to be the king of all Londinium and wear a fancy hat. Nothing works 100% of the time.

[@honeysucklecat]

They do nothing to protect from ICBMs carrying nukes.

[@honeysucklecat]

@@thereallasre

[@thereallasre]

😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣🤣😂

[@dangingerich2559]

Little known fact: shortly after The Return of the Jedi came out, a NYT writer wrote he believed the line "It's a trap!" was supposedly directed at President Reagan about SDI. Several local news broadcasts made fun of the writer, as they pointed out that the move was in distribution channels by that point and had been finished for some time before President Reagan made his speech, but many of his political opponents continued to believe the story was true for years afterward. Also little known fact: it did, in fact, work, but not quite as President Reagan had intended. The Soviets ramped up their spending to both match the defensive measures and to increase their offensive measures, and the extra costs killed the USSR economies, eventually bringing the USSR to its knees economically.

[@kennyhagan5781]

It wasn't unproductive, just an extremely long term investment. After officially ending the program, some of the more productive research threads were farmed out to the private sector and continued with better chances of success. Sadly, military research is how we achieve some of our most impressive advances.

[@MaxPSVR]

It’s a shame. Because we could really use something that can stop an ICBM right about now

[@Willaev]

It was not illegal. Lasers are not "nuclear weaponry" or "weapons of mass destruction".

[@watcherit1311]

Lasers need power. A lot of it.

[@Willaev]

@@watcherit1311 "needs lots of power" isn't a qualifier for "nuclear weaponry" or "weapon of mass destruction". Current military lasers developed for actual engagement of a target are chemically-pumped, not nuclear.

[@watcherit1311]

@@Willaev Not much chemical fuel in space and solar power is not enough for lasers. So nuclear reactor is the only option for lasers in space. And it is quite understandable why anything nuclear in Earth orbit is banned.

[@0311Mushroom]

@@watcherit1311 actually, it is not banned. I have no idea where you get that idea. The Soviets launched dozens of them since the 1960s. And most satellites have a nuclear reactor on board. What do you think powers Voyager? And what Whatley was recovering from the sand in The Martian? Banned indeed, name the treaty that banned it.

[@watcherit1311]

@@0311Mushroom Check "Outer Space Treaty". Could you mention at least one specific satellite (NOT just any spacecraft) that would have a power output similar to what would be needed for a space laser? Lighting a few lightbulbs (the power output of a Voyager) is not exactly powerful enough.

[@dontmatter1056]

I better hear you spell out them acronyms from now on Simon xD

[@ericchilders9234]

Come on Simon. I'm subscribed to 5 of your 72 channels

[@scottreed4448]

@3:26 - George Schultz was considered the father of the hydrogen bomb? I thought that title went to Edward Teller. Apologies if someone else has pointed this out already.

[@jameschenard7691]

Never watched a Star Wars movie? That’s a difficult accomplishment. No judgment here by any means, but it’s as surprising as saying “I’ve heard of the Union Jack, but never seen it”. Also, MAD is probably the most accurate acronym ever, it conveyed more meaning than the full length words it stood for. I have huge disagreements with Reagan’s philosophy but because of timing and the fact he recognized that the way to beat the Soviets was to out spend them until their economy collapsed I have to give him credit for extending our lifespan as a species. The big question is: what do we need to save us now?

[@rubenlopez3364]

"Scrapped Project" i think they might have completed this Project, i dont think they would tell anyone whether they did or not

[@jabberwolf7348]

And today... the tech works. The lasers are much more powerful and compact. The tracking systems, MUCH more accurate and quick to process. The introduction of hyper velocity (hyper mach) missiles, now only legitimizes SDI's function. I'd be very surprised if the US space force (formerly an air-force division) does not actually have this in operation at the moment (but guised in misinformation as a past, and failed program).

[@carlibridges6053]

I am starting to think you might be on to something.

[@captainperoxide1]

Not a single word about the ARROW MISSILE DEFENCE SYSTEM?? A joint venture between the US and Israel to shoot down ballistic threats in the reentry phase with a kinetic impactor... It works and is operational. Live tests are conducted from time to time: "In a series of tests in July 2019 at the Pacific Spaceport Complex in Kodiak, Alaska, the Arrow 3 system successfully intercepted 3 "enemy" rockets, one of them outside the atmosphere. The tests demonstrated Arrow 3's ability to intercept exo-atmospheric targets"

[@nonyabisness6306]

Pretty much all Technologies of SDI are in use today. Railguns, Lasers, Kill-Vehicles, Ground-to-Space weapons. Not sure how much of their modern deployment is down to SDI research, but the concepts certainly stayed around. The US navy is still trying out Railguns, Rheinmetall has incorporated Lasers into their modular Air defense systems and Anti-Satelite Missles have been around for a long time, some can intercept ballistic missles as well. So the worst you can say about SDI is that it wasn't feasible back then. But it's a far cry from the joke people generally make it out to be.

[@michaelshortland8863]

SDI was a great success at what it was designed to do, that is be a cover for a secret program that was funded under it's umbrella. The good thing with these kind of covers is that even though SDI was a cover program you still got good science from it, even though you don't really care if it works or not. When the secret program is successful you just drop the cover program.

[@akizeta]

What was the secret program?

[@michaelshortland8863]

@@akizeta ?? It is a secret, that was the whole point.??

[@0311Mushroom]

Precursor technologies. Like GPS and kinetic kill weapons. It was never really about lasers, but that was what got all the attention.

[@akizeta]

@@michaelshortland8863 If it's a secret, then how do you know about it?

[@hillbillykoi5534]

SDI was an awesome PC game in the 80s too.

[@turtle2720]

From Cinemaware?

[@hillbillykoi5534]

@@turtle2720 Had to look it up. Had name wrong. Defcon 5 by Cosmi Corporation. Came out in 87 but dealt with SDI lol. Old memory.

[@pauljaime3285]

Do you have sources where you got this information from?

[@Gyrocage]

Teller’s proposed x-ray laser (AND IT WAS TELLER NOT GEORGE SHULTZ!!!) was a hydrogen bomb that would have focused X-rays created by the detonation of the bomb at several different targets in the nano seconds before the bomb destroyed itself. So you would lob one of these up in response to a massed ICBM attack and it was supposed to destroy several warheads, thus in theory making the cost of stopping a warhead down close to or less than the cost building and launching a warhead, shifting the advantage to the defense. The problem of assessing an attack, launching a response in time to stop it, sorting cheap decoys from real warheads, targeting all the warheads, aiming precisely enough to hit them, and assuring that a hit destroyed them, much less actually making the X-ray laser itself work can be imagined!

[@nataliewitkowski913]

crazy to think the Iron Dome is a thing now

[@bricolagefantasy7291]

If you mean it is crazy to use modified air to air missile that costs $60k to chase home made projectile that costs $600. Yeah. Who can argue with that. But then again uncle sam pays for all that. Who cares right? Another money pit.

[@nataliewitkowski913]

@@bricolagefantasy7291 its crazy to think you took the time to write out this comment

[@CocoaBeachLiving]

Gee Simon, you make 'blasting your enemy off the Earth' sound like a bad idea.. Lol

[@pendefig]

In the late '80s in a restroom at Stanford I saw some graffiti on the Ass Gasket dispenser in a stall that said "SDI Support Hats"

[@gooner72]

I've always thought that the Americans still have some part of this project going, there's no way that the Pentagon will spend this much money and get absolutely nothing out of it... no way!

[@davelowets]

2:58 🎸🎶" Speak of mutually assured destruction?" "Nice story, tell it to Reader's Digest!" "Feeling paranoid, true enemy or false friend?" "Anxiety's attacking me and my air is getting thin." "I'm in trouble for the things, I haven't got to yet." "I'm chomping at the bit and my palms are getting wet." "Sweating bullets." 🎶 These guys described it best.... 🤘

[@RealityCheck6969]

When you saw you never saw the Star Wars movies I insta liked your video.

[@janierik]

Polyus probably got closer to the intended level of technology then the Star Wars program

[@skyrimax]

If I remember correctly, lasers are not baned by the outer space treaty

[@MarkDolan-ke1vk]

Black night is USA es ssd system its also stealth its black in colour I know as my relative worked on it and still does also rods of god is the newer weapon but now we are using lasers to affect weather

[@dennisanderson3895]

The brilliance behind the SDI program - which did advance a lot of tech - is that it caused the USSR to essentially bankrupt itself attempting to counter it. It led to the fall of the USSR.

[@FoXakaFoX]

Proof / Source?

[@woodscraftlindsay789]

Did you know that cartoon tv show in the 80 had this in it a spy game star blazers

[@Petequinn741]

Just thinking about how weird Reagan was ahead of his time with this, with China and Russia having military ambition and military satellites in space now

[@brimstonesulfur5013]

We need the lazer. We need it now

[@danieljob3184]

What did you get out of working on the SDI? Physicist: You mean besides a beach house in Malibu?

[@andybolton4924]

old stuff what you got on Snowbird?

[@Skwertydogs]

"It is possible to synthesize excited bromide in an argon matrix." - (who?)

[@PeteCourtier]

I always thought that SDI hastened the end of the USSR. The soviets were bankrupted trying to keep up.

[@soloperformer5598]

SDI, I thought that was a Rover.

[@JAllyFarms]

I guarantee the SDI (Star wars program) is still in operation today

[@CrystalClearWith8BE]

On this day, 40 years ago, this event happens.

[@RossTheBossTrotter]

FRICKIN LAZER BEAMS!!!!!

[@mizzshortie907]

What!!?? Good morning to all of Simons minions 😈

[@CAP198462]

Praise Simon.

[@bwmcelya]

I worked on SDI at the WSMR. To prove it worked, we cut a WW2 tank in half in seconds. After that we proved it to the Soviets by vaporizing a defunct orbiting satellite. Yeah, it worked alright. It was first deployed in Poland. It caught the Soviets flat footed and it took them 10 years to catch up. Their system was, and still is, notably inferior. Today, it is all still top secret. The good news is that ICBM’s are now obsolete, though all sides still maintain them. I’m not sure why.

[@KeefChief_]

Has no one told Simon that he’s NOT a comedian?

[@EddieVBlueIsland]

Treaties are only as good as anyone everyone to abid to them.

[@mridlon1634]

It’s like getting a restraining order, at the end of the day it’s just a piece of paper. I mean, when was the last time you’ve heard of a truly psycho ex or stalker abiding by one?

[@jamesburgess6211]

It’s the early 21st century... the USA has lasers that can shoot down planes and sink boats. Seems as though Ronnie Ray gun was just ahead of his time.

[@jamesrochon2195]

Simon. You need to watch the movies. If you ever have time with all of your channels.

[@bradhobbs6196]

Nah. A US Court has official ruled that SW (Disney versions) are "mediocre and schloky". The Court stopped short of declaring Jar Jar Binks a crime against humanity.

[@Albinoafroman316]

They built lasers, but never mounted them to the head of friggen SHARKS.

[@keirfarnum6811]

All we got were ill tempered, mutated sea bass instead. 😞

[@jamescole3152]

Ok well maybe you should have brought us up to date on what is possible 35 years after this SDI. There must have been a massive technology increase since then. Lasers seem like the obvious choice.

[@hectorsmommy1717]

Fun fact: former Doobie Brother Jeff "Skunk" Baxter was one of the consultants on the Star Wars program.

[@jondough5300]

I remember that speech... They interrupted 3's Company.

[@maraland4628]

Simon, your research team failed you. George Schultz had a Ph.D. In Industrial Economics (1949) and became the U.S. Secretary of State (1982). The father of the hydrogen bomb was Edward Teller.

[@joshuasinger8385]

How about space based multi barrel's that all fire at once against computer guided retro rockets.

[@jayburn00]

There was at least one medical advance made due to SDI research if I remember correctly, but I forget what is.

[@tomhansen6450]

The best musical critique of SDI came from Frank Zappa: "Star Wars won’t work Star Wars won't work The gas still gets through It can get right on you And what about those germs now Star Wars won't work It's a piece of shit Why are they even talkin' about it anymore It's just an expensive bunch of nothing"

[@AppalachianHistoryDetectives]

It advanced space and laser technology used by NASA and the medical fields to this day. Now the bigger question? Is China able to do it...?

[@keithprice4711]

Sadly, I feel like they could or soon will be able to militarily compete with us

[@MaxBrix]

The little kid in me gets sad when I hear that someone decided to not use lasers.

[@memeco50]

And here we are again, close to destroying ourselves.

[@insanitysportal6692]

I dont know how you could miss this, but please go read (or watch) "The Cuckoo's Egg" bu Cliff Stoll. Its relevant, trust me

[@kokomo9764]

George Shultz was not the father of the Hydrogen bomb. Hahaha, he was Secretary of the OMB under Reagan or something like that. Edward Teller was known as the father of the Hydrogen bomb. Glaring error Simon!

[@drewd6144]

Good video. I have to disagree with it being a waste of money. Not just the countless items now in use partly because of the research, it was also akin to- when you leave your home you lock the door correct? Even though it wastes years of daily locking because you probably didn't get robbed...point being, Regan wanted to protect us, as was his duty. In his mind, with all the nuclear fears at the time, no price was to steep to save us. Imagine if we had gotten into a nuclear war, I would have at the least given him credit for being the only leader with the thought to go for something like that to protect his people, instead of just considering us calculable losses.

[@elizajayne2888]

Well . It’s complete .. The defence program is finished . The Star Wars defence program is finished. The laser is finished. Iss power source as you see lots of solar panels . Hubble telescope is the laser base . Webb telescope/ camera is the laser focus point . A space station size laser ...

[@kineuhansen8629]

the force was strong with reagan

[@honeysucklecat]

The idiocracy is strong with the GOP.

[@honeysucklecat]

He was good at reading scripts. Not actually smart enough to understand any of it. He had his handlers who knew how to manipulate him, give him his scripts, and help him believe he was actually President.

[@jeffreybunch3959]

We have a statn in space 🚀