My Learning in Retirement class had its first session this morning. It certainly was worlds apart from anything I took as an undergraduate; more like a graduate seminar for a comparison.

We discussed Ted Hall, who passed A bomb documents to the Soviets. His purpose was to achieve a "balance" of power, so that America did not become the world's only superpower, able to rule the world under threat of annihilation. If everyone had the bomb; no one could rule.

In the preface to the book Bombshell he points out that American generals were already talking about pre-emptive unilateral strikes against other countries--and the Soviets were our World War II allies, until the start of the cold war.

Those were his rationalizations, anyway.

It was an interesting class. I look forward to the next one. By the way, I'm presenting a paper on Sir Francis Walsingham. I know nothing about him now, but obviously Sir Francis and I are about to become well acquainted.

It's fun to be learning something new.