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Missile Defense

Technology has always found its greatest consumer in a nation's war and defense efforts. Since the last attempts at a "Star Wars" defense system, has technology changed considerably enough to make the latest Missile Defense initiatives more successful? Can such an application of science be successful? Is a militarized space inevitable, necessary or impossible?

ledzeppelin - 07:39am Oct 19, 2001 EST (#10239 of 10250)

cskendrick - (#10234 )

You state “I'm not calligraphist, but it is one person's deduction”.

Here you go again, cskendrick; looking at the evidence not just jumping on to days popular band wagon’s of who or whom done it.

I hope you don’t live in Salem or you could be burnt at the stake as a heretic.

cskendrick - 11:24am Oct 19, 2001 EST (#10240 of 10250)
No vaccination without representation

ledzeppelin 10/19/01 7:39am

It is, after all a Science Forum. :)

gisterme - 07:08pm Oct 19, 2001 EST (#10241 of 10250)

ledzepplin wrote ( ledzeppelin 10/19/01 6:57am ):

"...So you are of the opinion that Russia and China would accept that the US could just walk away from the various treaties and accords and install a missile system they think is very aggresive!"

From today's news that sounds like what's going to happen. Consider the article pointed out by justlooking in the post just above yours:

http://www.nyt.com/2001/10/19/international/19DIPL.html

"...and that china and russia will stay in a coalition with such a government who has defaulted on a previous coalition with them on the likes of an ABM non proliferation accord et al..."

What "default" are you talking about, ledzepplin? Please fill me in. Perhaps you know something I don't.

"...Russia and china are not fools..."

That's a fact.

"...and the moment anyone in the Whitehouse or Whitehall mentions the go ahead in Alaska blah blah blah you will have no coalition with them as members..."

That's your opinion. That's not a fact.

"...indeed you only have to see the reports from both China and Russia to appreciate that....."

Indeed? What reports out of Russia and China are those ledzepplin? The reports I see in today's NYT, referenced above seem to contradict your nightmare.

"...Indeed write and ask the Russians and or Chinese directly!..."

No need for that. I can read the NYT.

"...I sadly know what they will say, and it most certainly does not accord with your current view..."

Oh? I didn't notice that from reading the article. So don't be sad, be cheerful! It seems your gloom and doom opinions are wrong after all.

"...Indeed Pres Putin has stated same on Moscow TV..."

That was then, this is now.

"...Moreover why does not Pres Bush or PM Blair talk about missile defence anymore..."

Well, led, I suspect that the President and PM have a lot on their minds right now. Wouldn't you agree? And it sounds like President Bush is talking missile defense with President Putin?

I suggest that you seriously re-asses your point of view based on current facts, led.

ledzeppelin - 08:31am Oct 21, 2001 EST (#10242 of 10250)

gisterme - (#10241) You draw my attention to an article pointed out by justlooking what does the article state, oh Russia can now destroy any species or race within, without the west making comment and Mr Putin’s Mafia oil companies will now sell oil to the west. So we don’t need to rely on those nasty Arabs. “ Mr. Putin's announcement last month that he was opening Russian air space to the American airlift of military and relief cargoes to Central Asian republics for deployment on Afghanistan's northern frontier. Along with its support for the American military campaign in Afghanistan, Russia is offering its oil fields as a secure alternative to dependence on the turbulent Persian Gulf. . Mr. Putin's strong support for American intervention in Central Asia allows Mr. Bush to promote a greater role for Russia in Western security” such as “ Bush administration abruptly shifted its policy to acknowledge that terrorist groups had exploited the Chechnya conflict”.

Funny what goes around comes around, 10 years ago OBL and the Taliban were the west’s new play mates because they bashed up those nasty Russian’s….. So given that the Russian but was kicked badly by the Taliban its not surprising that the then head of the KGB now Pres is not going to let the US beat up the Taliban….. Note no Russian soldiers or equipment have been offerred.

You draw my attention to an article that also describes the default potential of “Moscow has been seeking as a possible trade-off for amending the Antiballistic Missile Treaty. Russia might also choose not to object to a testing program for missile defences that might otherwise be construed as a violation of that 1972 accord.”

Irrespective of the articles interpretation to the US “default” on just one of the international treaties, the US by creating son of star wars will be in “default” of international treaties, so why should others now bother, such as Syria, Lebanon, Cuba and the like.

I said in my posting that "...and the moment anyone in the Whitehouse or Whitehall mentions the go ahead in Alaska blah blah blah you will have no coalition with them as members..."

Your response is “That's your opinion. That's not a fact”, those statements were made by Pres Putin with regard Alaska indeed I do not see any statement by anyone in the article you refer, indeed the article states and I quote “ Neither side made public the details of any prospective agreement” probably because there is not one. Indeed a point reinforced according to Russian News Agency there is none?

I said "...Indeed write and ask the Russians and or Chinese directly!..." You say “No need for that. I can read the NYT”. You may have the comfort of the NYT however in times like this I like to contact the relevant embassies for the official status. That is after all what the embassies are there for.

I do not like being doom and gloom as I live on this planet also. However if you feel happy that for the US to have a missile defence shield and for the US to achieve this, the US will buy Oil from the Russian Mafia, allow Russia to massacre Chechen’s whilst also destroying in part the US’s own ability to strike back at an aggressive nation. If that is cause for you to “be cheerful” then so be it, but please don’t invite me to a wake.

You suggested that “I seriously re-asses my point of view based on current facts,” respectfully if I follow your assessment then there is greater need for concern than that based upon my assessment.

If nothing else and we agree to disagree the one thing for sure is that this whole issue of Star Wars is a mess at best, at worse our worse possible nightmare.

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