From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.4 (2020-01-24) on polar.synack.me X-Spam-Level: ** X-Spam-Status: No, score=2.4 required=5.0 tests=BAYES_50,REPLYTO_WITHOUT_TO_CC autolearn=no autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4 X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit X-Google-Thread: 103376,85034d1ac78a66eb X-Google-Attributes: gid103376,public X-Google-ArrivalTime: 2002-02-23 09:51:07 PST Path: archiver1.google.com!news1.google.com!newsfeed.stanford.edu!logbridge.uoregon.edu!netnews.com!xfer02.netnews.com!newsfeed2.earthlink.net!newsfeed.earthlink.net!newsfeed0.news.atl.earthlink.net!news.atl.earthlink.net!news.mindspring.net!not-for-mail From: Richard Riehle Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada Subject: Re: Ada Operating System Date: Sat, 23 Feb 2002 09:57:32 -0800 Organization: AdaWorks Software Engineering Message-ID: <3C77D80C.A97B7221@adaworks.com> References: <5Tzc8.111999$H37.15018616@news2-win.server.ntlworld.com> <3C73F480.5010806@mail.com> <9ff447f2.0202220108.7f14c9bc@posting.google.com> Reply-To: richard@adaworks.com NNTP-Posting-Host: 9e.fc.cc.9d Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Server-Date: 23 Feb 2002 17:54:56 GMT X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.7 [en] (Win98; I) X-Accept-Language: en Xref: archiver1.google.com comp.lang.ada:20308 Date: 2002-02-23T17:54:56+00:00 List-Id: Adrian Hoe wrote: > Perhaps the world will have more peace if without Ada (or any other > programming languages) supported advanced weapon systems. :) A study of history suggests that war is the natural state of human interaction, not peace. Every country that has unilaterally disarmed, or welcomed a stronger country as a guest, has been finally conquered by that stronger country. An example is Tibet. Tibet was once a militarily strong nation, with warriors feared by every neighbor. Tibet disarmed and sought a peaceful way of life. China conquered and annexed Tibet. Mexico once welcomed citizens of the United States to live in its country as guests. The United States , in 1846, decided guest status was not good enough, and conquered much of Mexico, annexing Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, California, etc. The Nazi's ran amuck through Europe and were only stopped by military might. It would be wonderful if the disagreements between countries could be solved with peaceful means, but it is rarely possible. Al Capone used to say about getting results with a kind word, "In my neighborhood we get things done with a kind word and a gun." Reality is awful. But it is real. If Ada makes a contribution to the dependability of our weapon systems, and makes us slightly more effective than our potential enemies, so be it. If, as the science fiction authors suggest, we are someday to be overcome by another race of intelligent creatures from beyond our own solar system, they will be nothing more than conquerors, even if benevolent ones. Our technology will seem puny to them. Richard Riehle