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Missile Defense

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?

almarst-2001 - 02:06pm May 22, 2001 EST (#4149 of 4157)

rshowalter 5/22/01 8:33am

"Between these two groups - the scientists and the literary intellectuals -- there is little communication, and, instead of fellow feeling, something like hostility."

I am pretty far from those groups but I know nowbody in US to compare to the Saharov for example.

My personal misgivings as I see it, go way back to the schools and even early years at home. The emphasis on individualizm, competition, personal achevements and the brutal drive to the top from the very early age, acievable only for a very narrowly defined set of very concrete goals set up in in a lonelly suburban environments may be a culprit.

almarst-2001 - 02:14pm May 22, 2001 EST (#4150 of 4157)

rshowalter 5/22/01 9:29am

"It is that wealth has not been created, because the cooperations wealth creation takes have not happened often and consistently enough."

That was the point the Marx made about growing influence of the working people and the dependency of capitalists on their skills and good will. We may come close to this point in a high-tech industry (just look at the compensation by the stock options). The rest of a labor market for just got much worst as huge pool of foreign nations entered the competition for the capital and jobs. The world-wide industrial revolution. for a wile.

Whatever the results, it was rearly the intent of a capitalist to share the profit. At all, not to mention in a sensible and just way. The only thing they wish is to maximy the profit.

rshowalter - 02:21pm May 22, 2001 EST (#4151 of 4157)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

Great comments, almarst. I'll respond soon. Right now, I'm writing a comment to gisterme , and eating lunch. And doing a little other homework. Back within an hour.

In a sense, as you said, we're "going in circles" - but from where I sit (and in terms of where my life has been) it seems to me that great progress is possible.

"Getting to focus" takes some "going in circles -- checking things, in tightly consistent ways, again and again.

I think that some significant progress has happened already. Some of direct use to Russia, China,, and other nations. Some of use to the US. Laborious as it sometimes is.

rshowalter - 02:22pm May 22, 2001 EST (#4152 of 4157)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

Enough, at least, so that people are clearer on what it is, exactly, that they're angry about.

almarst-2001 - 02:26pm May 22, 2001 EST (#4153 of 4157)

http://www.thesun.co.uk/news/13707971

"BLOCKBUSTER war movie Pearl Harbor is to be cut for Japanese audiences - to keep the old enemy happy.

The German version of the most expensive film ever is also being trimmed."

It is interesting to see the renewed interest in US for the WWII. Any explanation?

rshowalter - 03:11pm May 22, 2001 EST (#4154 of 4157)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

WWII bears some serious thought. WWI perhaps just as much or more. I think we'd all be better off if we could imagine what the world was like, internationally, in 1900, in humane terms that have been destroyed, and are worth reviving (stably, this time).

The "cutting" of the movie you mention is certainly interesting -- and, though it may be commercially right, not ideal from all points of view.

rshowalter - 03:11pm May 22, 2001 EST (#4155 of 4157)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

in 4115: gisterme 5/21/01 1:49pm -- made some interesting, promising comments. Let me quote him:

gisterme: "There are no new frontiers in a territorial sense. The fuel for the old race between empires is now expended. All the old racers hit the wall during WWII and the dust is finally settling after that cataclysmic crash. We're in a new era."

almarst wrote: "...I only wonder if you sencirelly believe what you say..."

gisterme: "I do, almarst. What was said is more of an observation of a true difference in conditions than a matter of faith isn't it?. Conditions really are different. The other thing I honestly believe is that nobody including the US has a clue about what to do now or quite how to act in this new environment. There are new challenges (or anceint ones revived) but few can be solved by force. Most of those components of turmoil you listed can only be solved by acts grace, something that can only occur between the parties involved. We need to learn think in new ways to adapt to the new situation. Fortunately, adaptation is one of the strong points of our species. :-)

Especially this - (I've added a few words in parenthesis) :

" Most of those components of turmoil you listed can only be solved by acts grace, something that can only occur between the parties involved. We need to learn think (and act) in new ways to adapt to the new situation."

(2 following messages)

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