because of the sure and certain perception of military threat by other political bodies around the world. One possible exception is a nation with a long, established history and tradition of neutrality, such as Switzerland, although it is unclear whether such a nation would be willing to undertake RIO even if that were acceptable to the international community as a whole. One must look carefully to those social organizations which would stand to lose the most should an SPS become, or even be perceived as, a military threat. Not the least of the basic factors involved in a SPS is the capital investment and the attendant high capital risk, especially if the SPS were perceived as a military threat and therefore became an early target in an armed conflict between nations capable of significant assaults against SPS. The elements of the SPS would probably be heavily insured against loss, just as large terrestrial power stations are today. It would then seem that a possible umbrella organization or foundation for RIO would be the insurance consortiums, financial institutions, and other risk-reduction organizations whose loss would be the greatest if the SPS were perceived as a military threat and therefore came under attack in a general war on Earth. Such risk-reduction organizations will do their utmost to protect the investment of their clients whose risk they have insured. They would certainly wish to establish and insure that the operation of RIO is in concert with the basic needs for RIO: elimination of the risk of the SPS becoming a military target because of perceived threat. This argument does not apply to the socialist nations of the world such as the USSR or the People’s Republic of China in which the state insures itself. It is an open question whether the USSR or the PRC would permit uncontrolled and completely free access by outside organizations to SPS elements which they owned. Who pays for RIO? Shall the cost be borne by the users and customers? by the SPS owners? by national governments whose concern of the military threat of the SPS system is allayed by the RIO? by the United Nations? If risk-reduction organizations were the roots for RIO, they would consider RIO as part of their operational costs and would see to it that RIO were suitably funded to remain as effective as possible. The cost would naturally be passed along to their clients, the SPS owners and operators, who, in turn would pass the costs along to the users and customers. This appears to be in concert with the current
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