We all know the theory of Star Wars was to have a space-based missile defense system that would counteract the MAD equilibrium that the superpowers had settled into. But I have a question about this that I thought others might shine some light on. Was the very public discussion and debate over Star Wars simply a ruse to take eyes off of the space-based GPS systems being put in place then? Was it a means to get us into position to have our conventional weapons gain dominance in "traditional" warfare by having us redefine the battle space?

If you asked Reagan, he'd say he wanted to develop the technology and then share it with the Soviets and others to remove the threat of global nuclear holocaust.

The Soviets didn't believe he'd actually share it with them, though, so even though they were pretty sure we couldn't build it, the slim possibility that we might pull it off freaked them the hell out. If we had it and it worked, what would there be to stop us from launching a first strike attack that wiped out Russia?

There was one negotiation where the Soviets offered to destroy their entire nuclear arsenal if the U.S. did, too, and if we stopped Star Wars development, but Reagan said no, because what about China's nukes, or if anyone else made nukes? We'd be too vulnerable. He wanted Star Wars.

Tangentially related, but the late Sci=Fi author Jerry Pournelle was a big advocate of what became SDI. He was very active in the Citizens Advisory Council on National Space Policy.

A lot of his essays on the topic can be found in his There Will Be War S-F anthology series.