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Article 6784 of comp.ai.philosophy:
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>From: mdl@phelixsalt (Michael Lynch)
Newsgroups: comp.ai.philosophy,rec.arts.sf.misc,alt.cyberpunk
Subject: Re: 21st Century Soldier
Message-ID: <1992Sep4.173041.23952@walter.bellcore.com>
Date: 4 Sep 92 17:30:41 GMT
References: <1992Aug29.205058.1142@highlite.uucp> <ig2FqB2w164w@kryton.UUCP> <185borINNj1l@agate.berkeley.edu>
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Reply-To: mdl@phelixsalt (Michael Lynch)
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Sounds like they're on to something, here.  A little more work and
it won't be necessary to put a live trooper inside all that stuff.
Not mentioned, of course, is what happens to all that electronics
when it rains, or when the soldier has to wade chin-deep through muck.
Or what happens when he or she has to take a dump.    And what happens
when this stuff breaks, as it no doubt will shortly after it's put
into use, and the trooper (who has come to depend on all this gear)
has to turn his head to aim, or take his shirt off to get cool, or
think for himself because he's no longer in electronic and instantaneous
touch with those directing the operation?

I would guess (and this is ONLY a guess) that historically speaking the
most effective weapons systems have been those developed to deal with
an ACTUAL need, and that pie-in-the-sky, wouldn't-it-be-nice stuff either
never makes it off the drawing board, or it's the first thing the grunt
throws in the ditch when it's time to lighten the load.

Besides.....I already knew about all this stuff.  I saw Aliens......




Mike Lynch


