![[F]](../_images/site.gif) New York Times on the Web Forums  Science
Russian military leaders have expressed concern about US plans
for a national missile defense system. Will defense technology be
limited by possibilities for a strategic imbalance? Is this just SDI
all over again?
    (10059 previous messages)
rshowalter
- 07:38pm Oct 2, 2001 EST (#10060
of 10064) 
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu
Gisterme , I want to take the rest of the night off, to
think how to respond to your postings. There are sensitivities, and
differences of opinion, that seem rather surprising, but sensitive,
too. Am I wrong that you've been close, and remain close, to
decisions about the use of military force in general, and nuclear
weapons specifically? Your postings imply that. That worries me a
little.
Before signing out, I'd like to make a few points.
I seems to me that the questions:
" who are you writing for, and what are you
trying to accomplish? "
are especially good questions in light of your recent posts.
MD10036 rshowalter
10/1/01 11:16am responded to postings from you, that asked for
specific things to check. I provided them, and asked
can you, or gisterme , or anyone else,
point to responses, cited in MD9896 rshowalter
9/29/01 7:44am that are not specific enough to check
and tell me why they are not?
Perhaps there are examples where I haven't been
specific enough, but in context, I think I've been specific enough
for checking in a lot of places. Help me see where I haven't been
specific enough, could you?
Given the mistakes on missile defense, I'd expected a response.
When you posted, it seemed to me to be diversionary and defamatory,
rather than on point - - and I responded sincerely, but untactfully.
Given the importance of substance , could you respond? Is
there any reason at all to think that lasar weapons can make
military sense?
I have some concerns that I expressed in MD4671_4675 rshowalter
6/9/01 7:13pm that might interest someone - I'm posting them
on that off chance.
There's also a series of links, on the questions of where the
thread's been, and what I've been trying to accomplish, in MD8344
rshowalter
9/2/01 5:03pm . . that seem worth posting. Not high
priority, perhaps, but the link might be of interest to someone
For myself, it seems that a good deal has been accomplished on
this forum, and that your reponse, which clarifies a good deal, may
lead to constructive consequences.
But again, gisterme , I want to take the rest of the night
off, to think how to respond to your postings. There are
sensitivities, and differences of opinion, that seem rather
surprising, but sensitive, too.
Almarst , I've been rereading a lot of postings today, and
in my opinion you've posted some very fine ones.
I'd like to close with a poem: "The Nice" by Peter Goldsworthy.
http://talk.guardian.co.uk/WebX?14@@.ee79f4e/231
Please pardon me if I haven't been.
possumdag
- 08:56pm Oct 2, 2001 EST (#10061
of 10064)
Possumdag@excite.com
gisterme
- 09:25pm Oct 2, 2001 EST (#10062
of 10064)
almarst wrote ( almarst-2001
10/2/01 5:22pm ):
"You either did not understand my position and analysis or
intentionally make a mokary of.
First let me say that I'm not intending to mock you
almarst and I'm sorry that I let Robert suck you into my
comments about his...stuff. You usually do make a lot more sense
than he does eventhough I may disagree with much of what you say.
"...1. The socio-economic system usually reflects the
historical reality and the cultural heritage of a nation for its
period.
Right. No beef about that.
"...Unless (it is) imposed and supported by a foreign power by
military, political or quasi-legal economic means like bribary of a
corrupted local power structure.
Right again. Such imposition is exactly what's been unsucessfuly
tried in Afghanistan for centuries...British, Russians and now
Taliban. The Russians bombed them back to the stone age and now the
Taliban have them stuck in the eleventh century. Same thing is true
with any evil dictator who comes to power. History has shown that
the longer such exist, the more innocent blood that gets spilled.
"...2. Unless imposed by a foreign power, and as long as it
does not treatenes other nations as defined by UN resolutions and
established international law, it is up to those nations to develop
as they see the best..."
Tyrants and armies of occuption tend to have little regard for UN
resolutions, international law or any other conventions. That's a
historical fact as well. Also people who are being driven from their
homes and murdered don't think much of such idealistic bodies.
"...3. Any nation that attempts to impose its socio-economic
system upon others effectively commits the criminal aggression, even
for the best of intentions..."
President Putin pointed out in his speech yesterday that the USSR
learned that the hard way and therefore no longer exists. He said
it's time for everybody to realize that the Cold War is over and
that the Cold War mentality must be abandoned in both Russia and the
West. I certainly can't disagree with that.
(continued)
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