[ansel12]

For those who don’t remember, the hatred against SDI was white hot from the media of America and the West.

I naturally had no idea if it could work or not, but I could continue to study the Soviet Union, and SDI seemed to panic and anger them more than anything that I had seen in my life.

SDI was a massive bludgeon against the Soviet Union, they were totally agitated and confused by it and it seemed to totally wreck their seeming unflappability, and normally confident and arrogant negotiation style.

It was the first time that I could remember when a President seemed to have them by the important parts.

[Nowhere Man]

A side note, we bought our new TV, a 1982 Zenith, in February of 1983 and two things I remember vividly was Reagan’s SDI speech and Michael Jackson’s Moonwalk. Today is the 30th anniversary of the latter. Like then, still today, I use that same set everyday. BTW, it is kind of neat to watch the same set today as I did when I was a high school sophomore. BTW, it does a good job reproducing a good picture when I hook a Blu-Ray to it. B-)

[Triple]

I was at a college basketball pre-season game Vs. the Soviets.

There was a famous sign in the stands, which I believe made the yearbook.

I <3 SDI

The school was heavily involved in SDI related research. If I’m not mistaken The USSR got waxed that night. Fun Stuff.

[Nowhere Man]

Let me add, sadly, 1983 was the year that I asked my question, "what if the US became the USSR and the USSR became the US?" I added, "what if we ever became the Evil Empire?" This was later in the year, just started 11th grade after KAL-007 was shot down. I just asked it for "sh^&s and giggles" but seeing today, I think I'm going to find out my answer.

I think I owe it to one of my favorite teachers, my German teacher. He showed us slides of a trip his class took to Germany in 1979 and they took an excursion into East Germany and saw how they lived and such over there. He told us that if we were not careful, we could lose our freedoms here and our way of life. I kept into contact with him. In the early 1990's, like many of us, he expressed optimism at the passing of the Cold War. I think like all of us here, he'd be disturbed at where we are now and where we are headed but I'd give my last $10 to hear his take on all of this. Sadly, he passed away in 1993.

I did have a dream one time where my 46 year old mind went back in time to 1983 in my 17 year old body. Just think, with all I know, I'd try my hand at changing things, then again, who knows?

[preacher]

Wasn’t this the initiative Liberals scornfully called, “Star Wars?”

Later, when the Soviet Union collapsed, Liberals said that we outspent them on the military.