President Reagan announced plans for the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) to develop a space-based missile defense system to protect the US from Soviet nuclear weapons. Some argued the money would be better spent on education and healthcare instead of the Cold War. The SDI may also violate the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty. The space race between the US and USSR began in 1957 and tensions remain high, though they cooperated briefly in 1975 by docking spacecraft. The rivalry grew from competing development of science and technology after WWII. The USSR was first to launch a human, Yuri Gagarin, in space in 1961, while the US first landed on the moon in 1969. The editorial supports US development of space programs

1. Washington D.C. PostMarch 24, 1983 <br />U.S. constructing Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI)<br />By Nanase Isaka<br />Yesterday, President Ronald Reagan declared that U.S. is planning for a space defense system protecting the country from Soviet nuclear weapon. It would prevent Russia from attacking U.S., therefore nobody would be put in a dangerous situation, providing world security and peace. President Reagan thinks that the system would bring two rival “superpowers”, U.S. and Soviet Union (USSR), to an end of the Cold War quickly (Twist) (“Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), 1983”).<br />Image of Strategic Defense Initiative (Gugliotta ).<br />Contrary opinions against<br />SDI system<br />By Nanase Isaka<br />Image of Strategic Defense Initiative (“Strategic Defense Initiative”)Although SDI program seems very profitable thing, some people argue that the government should spend their money on things such as education or medical care not for the cold war (“Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), 1983”). Moreover, it would break the Antiballistic Missile Treaty which was made in 1972. The treaty was for U.S. and USSR to not to make any missile defense system in order to not to develop arms race.<br />€<br />Space race between <br />superpowers<br />By Nanase Isaka<br /> Valentina Tereshkova(left) and Yuri Gagarin(“ValentinaCosmonaut”)Despite the fact that this space race or cold war started 25 years ago in 1957, the relationship between U.S. and USSR is still nowhere close but in bad mood. In July 1975, our relation got better by docking their space vehicle and ours, however the good relationship didn’t continue developing. The rivalry started at the end of the WWII, when we both started developing our own science and technology. USSR was the first to explore space and its cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin was the first man in to the space on April 12, 1961, orbiting around the earth, and many went there after him like Valentina Tereshkova, the first woman in space. We did first space-docking in 1966, then sent Edwin Aldrin, Michael Collins, and Neil Armstrong in 1969, making them the first men on the moon. The USSR still hadn’t land any people on the moon even though they have moon-buggy, it was great accomplishment for Americans. Furthermore, U.S. succeeded in sending probe to Mars taking pictures, whereas USSR did same thing to Venus. We were doing these kinds of things over and over yet this time was the first time nuclear weapon became concerned in space race.<br />(From left) Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Edwin Aldrin (“Man Takes First …”)<br />Support U.S. in space<br />Editorial<br />Do you like your country? Are you for <br />U.S. in the cold war against USSR? We are supporting U.S. for developing space<br />Cold war flags of U.S. and Soviet Union “Index of /1802/images”programs and competing against them for world, for us, and because of threat of USSR. Although, some people disagree and there are some reasons that shouldn’t be right. One of the reasons is if U.S. and USSR cooperate each other, then we can develop very good space air craft and system by sharing each other’s different talent and knowledge, which might expand our possibility of finding something new and contribute to the society. It has a point and we agree with that, yet, we still think U.S. should develop its own and should be kept separate to each other. In that way, we both can grow a lot more by competing, therefore it doesn’t have to be together for developing the space programs. Moreover, as you can know from President Reagan and the plan of SDI system, USSR is developing its nuclear missiles, putting world especially us into dangerous situation. Even though we are in the cold war, we don’t know if they are going to attack us or when they will. If they did and if they missed or when they test it, the missiles might affect other innocent countries. We have to prevent the dangerous happening and must save people. In addition, they broke the Antiballistic Missile Treaty already before we do. They started developing nuclear weapons therefore no more treaty, consequently U.S. is going against it by SDI. As a result, every Americans should support the government in the cold war. This is important because it influence our security and our future.<br />