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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?

Read Debates, a new Web-only feature culled from Readers' Opinions, published every Thursday.

rshow55 - 08:05pm Feb 6, 2002 EST (#11320 of 11326)

gisterme , I'm finding it distasteful to get into the gutter with you.

gisterme - 08:39pm Feb 6, 2002 EST (#11321 of 11326)

rshow55 2/6/02 11:09am

"...In MD11288 gisterme says that there is no umpiring required, since we can refer to "published refereces" as the "ultimate umpires."

Right.

"...That isn't true, and I believe gisterme has enough connection to academics and business to know it."

I have enough connection to academics, business and science to know that it is true, Robert. Are you about to start comparing apples to oranges again? Let's see...

"...The argument would have been more fairly applied to the "published references" on Enron , six or eight months ago, when the facts were supposed to be clearly available - - here - the shroud of classification on many, many key numbers makes the case harder -- it the case is considered at all - rather than dismissed, by taking what the contractors and military officers say on faith."

Yep. Enron is not a governmet controlled entity and has no accountability to government except by civil and tax law. While I'll agree that bureaucratic administration is not the most efficient, it does make the kind of extremely poor decision making and possible criminal activity as apparenly took place at Enron much less sustainable within government programs.

Where programs like missile defense are concerned, Military officers ultimatly have no final say about program funding, nor do government contractors. Congress decides that based on the facts of the issue. It's very hard to lie to congress because there are too many folks who know the truth and are not willing to tolerate such falsehood. Their cloaks are loaded with political daggers just waiting for a reason to strike, but which for the same cause, dare not strike without reason.

You are true to your MO, Robert. Trying to establish guilt by association of dissimilar things. Another apples-to-oranges comparison fallacy.

The documents you're attempting to compare are also "apples and oranges" similies. The only thing similar about them is that they're printed on paper. Technical specifications of provably operational scientific instruments such as the HST are extremely objective and in no way similar to prognosticatons from accounting firms about the condition of a business such as Enron or Kmart.

They're not comparable at all.

gisterme - 08:41pm Feb 6, 2002 EST (#11322 of 11326)

If you're in the gutter, Robert it's because I'm on the high ground. I'm treating you the way I want you to treat me. I'm telling the truth. Why don't you?

gisterme - 08:48pm Feb 6, 2002 EST (#11323 of 11326)

"...Do you agree that the "adaptive optics" of the ABL have NO feedback, with respect to the missile, to adapt to?..."

You can't be honest, Robert. Of course I don't agree with that. It's not the truth. One more time...The-feedback-loop-is-closed-by-detection-of-laser-light-reflected-back-from-the-target. How many times must it be said?

Sound familiar? It can be repeated until you either get it or decide to be honest.

rshow55 - 08:49pm Feb 6, 2002 EST (#11324 of 11326)

This association - - between the Enron situation, and missile defense, is close.

If it were not, the current Secretary of the Army would have resigned (no matter how good he happens to be at his job) because of a concern for the integrity of the military.

Just by being there, he degrades the United States -- and most patriotic people, in similar circumstances, would look for a way out.

The idea that the military, and military contractors, are "at the mercy of Congress" is ahem , an oversimplification.

rshow55 - 08:51pm Feb 6, 2002 EST (#11325 of 11326)

gisterme:

"The-feedback-loop-is-closed-by-detection-of-laser-light-reflected-back-from-the-target.

"How many times must it be said?

gisterme , you believe this is a sufficient answer?

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