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<blockquote data-quote="Umbran" data-source="post: 6113558" data-attributes="member: 177">No, he isn't.&nbsp; He's arguing that we could not do it now, assuming a reasonable time of discovery in the past.&nbsp; What happens in the future is the future.Cue Ender's Game and the Bugger Wars?&nbsp; Per previous post, really not relevant.&nbsp; They cannot actually use our planet at the time under consideration, and we couldn't really use theirs.&nbsp; The only reason to go to war is fear that the other guy will, but the other guy has no reason to go to war!This is where the interplanetary scenario differs from our Cold War.&nbsp; Our Cold War was ultimately over (proxy) control of real-world resources that could be used.&nbsp; The Russians presented a threat of taking over Europe and Asia, because they could have *used* Europe and Asia.&nbsp; At the tech level cited, the Martians have no use for Earth.&nbsp; We have no use for Mars.We can only think of going to Mars to use it now because it is uncontested, and even then the economics make it a questionable venture.&nbsp; Make it so before you can get anything out of it, you have to demolish the planet, it becomes even less attractive.&nbsp; Yes.&nbsp; My point is about the lack of need.Yes.&nbsp; So, let us think about that for a moment.&nbsp; How, exactly, are you going to test whatever weapons you develop?&nbsp; You sure as heck can't test them on Earth.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Umbran, post: 6113558, member: 177"] No, he isn't. He's arguing that we could not do it now, assuming a reasonable time of discovery in the past. What happens in the future is the future. Cue [I]Ender's Game[/I] and the Bugger Wars? Per previous post, really not relevant. They cannot actually use our planet at the time under consideration, and we couldn't really use theirs. The only reason to go to war is fear that the other guy will, but the other guy has no reason to go to war! This is where the interplanetary scenario differs from our Cold War. Our Cold War was ultimately over (proxy) control of real-world resources that could be used. The Russians presented a threat of taking over Europe and Asia, because they could have *used* Europe and Asia. At the tech level cited, the Martians have no use for Earth. We have no use for Mars. We can only think of going to Mars to use it now because it is uncontested, and even then the economics make it a questionable venture. Make it so before you can get anything out of it, you have to demolish the planet, it becomes even less attractive. Yes. My point is about the lack of need. Yes. So, let us think about that for a moment. How, exactly, are you going to test whatever weapons you develop? You sure as heck can't test them on Earth. [/QUOTE]

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