The Star Wars Speech

摘要

It was in this truly memorable speech that President Ronald Reagan declared, for the first time, his intent to build an anti-ballistic missile defense system―one he hoped would render nuclear weapons "impotent and obsolete." The televised announcement hit like 10,000 volts in Washington and Moscow, which had sworn off talk about missile defenses ever since the two superpowers signed the 1972 ABM Treaty. It is interesting to note that 80 percent of the 4,500-word speech dealt not with, missile defense but with the need to rearm against the Soviet threat. Reagan saved his blockbuster "vision" of a futuristic, high-tech missile defense for the very end. Reagan's plan―officially, the "Strategic Defense Initiative"― was instantly dubbed the "Star Wars" program. Soviet President Yuri Andropov called it "insane." Critics warned it would upset deterrence. However, SDI survived, changing form, size, and name. On Oct. 1, the US will activate a limited missile defense system.