Re: Soviet Union and Ada are similar

[eachus@spectre.mitre.org (Robert I. Eachus)]

In article <3dqca1$dob@dartvax.dartmouth.edu> alexy@belknap.dartmouth.edu (Alexy V. Khrabrov) writes:

 > However, the most recent example is the D-day's 50th anniversary,
 > when one in the US could thought the States made the war.  But the
 > fact is, they came in 1944 to the arena prepared, eventually, by
 > 30,000,000 Soviet lives.  The total of the US, I remember, is about
 > several hundred thousand.  The civilian American killed numbered 6
 > (from a rogue Japanese balloon with explosive).

   There were a lot of brave French soldiers who died for their
country in 1940, there were also Free French troops who participated
in the African campaigns and D-Day.  But that does not mean that the
French were a significant factor in winning World War II.

   On the other hand, could the Russians have beaten the Germans
without help?  No.  Could all of the other allies have won without
American participation?  A much closer call, but I think I just have
to point to the Battle of the Atlantic to show that American
participation was required for the British and the Soviet Union to
survive.  Certainly, if the Soviet Union and the United Kingdom had
fallen the war would have lasted MUCH longer, but I can't conclude
that either event would have guaranteed an Axis victory.

   I could quote General Patton, but I'll restrain myself, and instead
point to the case of the USS Lexington.  The Japanese severely damaged
the Lady Lex during the Battle of the Coral Sea, but due to heroic
efforts by the crew and yard crews at two naval bases, she was not
only kept afloat, but was a major player in the Battle of Midway a few
days later.  Notice the use of the word heroic above.  In the American
way of looking at things, you don't have to die or fight to be a war
hero, just do the best you can and help win.  (Another good example,
and appropriate during the fiftieth anniversary of the Battle of the
Bulge, think about why Americans honor those who held out at Bastogne
and in the pocket.)

   Does this have anything to do with Ada?  Only indirectly.  It says
a lot about the American view of software engineering.  Anything which
is percieved as aiding in victory is honored, but one of the chief
benefits of Ada--that failure can be detected early--is ignored when
it is not belittled.  To sell Ada in the American market, we have to
point to contributions to victory, not to cases where Ada avoided
or ameliorated defeat.
--

					Robert I. Eachus

with Standard_Disclaimer;
use  Standard_Disclaimer;
function Message (Text: in Clever_Ideas) return Better_Ideas is...