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From: hollombe@ttidcc.UUCP (The Polymath)
Newsgroups: net.sf-lovers
Subject: Re: SF-LOVERS Digest   V10 #374
Message-ID: <733@ttidcc.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 24-Sep-85 18:45:42 EDT
Article-I.D.: ttidcc.733
Posted: Tue Sep 24 18:45:42 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 27-Sep-85 06:40:14 EDT
References: <3748@topaz.RUTGERS.EDU>
Reply-To: hollombe@ttidcb.UUCP (The Polymath)
Organization: The Cat Factory
Lines: 41
Summary: 

In article <3748@topaz.RUTGERS.EDU> BARD@MIT-XX.ARPA writes:
>From: Bard Bloom 
>Maybe light-sabres are more expensive than blasters?  Or maybe it
>costs more (money, time, talent) to train people in light-sabre than
>in blaster?
>
>Or perhaps light-sabres are more sporting (you can run from them, sometimes)
>and not appropriate for the Empire to use.
>
>Or maybe you can learn to use the Force from light-sabre training, and
>the Empire doesn't want ten billion grunts running around with 
>moderate skill in the Force.  Who knows?  Maybe one of them will be
>stronger than Darth Vader.

I'm jumping in blindfolded here because our  news  software  was  down  for
almost  2  weeks and I've missed a lot.  This appears to be a discussion of
why Jedi use light sabers and Imperial Storm Troopers don't.

For a pretty good discussion of why modern soldiers  aren't  equipped  with
swords see Heinlein's _Glory Road_.

The basic premise is that almost any moron can be taught to point and shoot
a  rifle  in  a  matter  of weeks.  To be seriously good with a sword takes
_years_ of loving practice.

The sword is, in some ways, a superior weapon.  It's better  for  close-in,
hand  to  hand  combat  and  it  never jams or runs out of ammunition.  The
training factor is what makes it impractical for use by grunts.

There is the problem that a blaster allows  attack  from  a  distance.  The
Jedi  appear  to  get around this by being so good they can deflect blaster
bolts with their sabers.  Imagine trying to teach  _that_  technique  to  a
platoon of raw storm-trooper recruits (evolution in action? (-: ).

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_
The Polymath (aka: Jerry Hollombe)
Citicorp(+)TTI                    Common Sense is what tells you that a ten
3100 Ocean Park Blvd.             pound weight falls ten times as fast as a
Santa Monica, CA  90405           one pound weight.
(213) 450-9111, ext. 2483
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