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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.

lchic - 09:03pm Mar 13, 2002 EST (#491 of 522)

Of conscripted guys the most proficient killers were said to be the former civillian tradesmen who did a full day of proficient killing ... the general everyday guy can be converted into an auto-killing-machine of a soldier .... so where does 'thinking for oneself' come in to the ranks?

almarst-2001 - 09:08pm Mar 13, 2002 EST (#492 of 522)

Lunarchic,

"While throwing pebbles in the pond, ponder on the rings produced thereby; otherwise such throwing will be but a pointless pastime."

This is an excelent translation. If it's yours - congratulations. I did not realized you know Russian. I used to be a great fun of Koz'ma Prutkov.

And, if we already at that, I can't not to mention their's another one:

"Even if you have a fountain - close it. The fountains also need some rest"

Isn't it a time for us to take a note?;)

lchic - 09:15pm Mar 13, 2002 EST (#493 of 522)

No, sadly i don't know Russian .. i put a citation-link ...

Koz'ma Prutkov seems an interesting literary personality -- as i said above NYT or Guardian or even my own Weekend Australian ought to blow off the dust and give him back to the world to amuse and entertain us :)

almarst-2001 - 09:18pm Mar 13, 2002 EST (#494 of 522)

lchic 3/13/02 9:03pm

There is a Kipling's line I will translate as well as I can... from Russian:

"And if somthing goes wrong - its not our's fault

For so was requested by our fatherland

And here I go and play with my machin-gun

How easy it to be a solder, a solder."

lchic - 09:32pm Mar 13, 2002 EST (#495 of 522)

Saying that 'responsibility for actions' lies with the person above, above, above ... in USA terms this would have to be the president .. so it is important that the person in that role has wisdom together with leadership.

------ ------

Perhaps our Koz'ma Prutkov will re-appear via literature or drama .. a joint BBC-RU production - costume drama - on the Giants of literature set in the splendor of St Petersburg C19
I don't see him here ... but there will be a reference ...
http://russia-in-us.com/literature.html

lchic - 09:39pm Mar 13, 2002 EST (#496 of 522)

Glagoly ust moikh
by
Koz§ma Prutkov
- 398 pages
Izd-vo "Knizhnaëiìa palata";
ISBN: 5700004615

lchic - 10:05pm Mar 13, 2002 EST (#497 of 522)

Prutkov Kozma

Koz'ma Prutkov (1976) I Ego Druz'ia / Dmitrii ZHukov.

Koz'ma Prutkov (1972 ) : The Art Of Parody.

Russkie Poety (1970) : Tiutchev, Fet, Koz'ma Prutkov, Dobroliubov.

almarst-2001 - 10:05pm Mar 13, 2002 EST (#498 of 522)

"US stockmarket"

At its hights it was presented as a symbol and manifistation of American Optimizm and unstopable Success. Those past days I was less of a believer of its collective wisdom then I am now. Its a very symptomatic to the way the US Global War on Terrorism and its overall policy is heading.

See Selling Uncle Sam - http://www.tompaine.com/feature.cfm/ID/5233

"America's problem is not with its brand -- which could scarcely be stronger -- but with its product."

"It's no coincidence that the political leaders most preoccupied with branding themselves and their parties were also allergic to democracy and diversity"

"that beneath its stated commitment to democracy and sovereignty, it is deeply intolerant of deviations from the economic model known as the "the Washington Consensus." Whether these policies, so beneficial to foreign investors, are enforced by the Washington-based International Monetary Fund or through international trade agreements, the United States' critics generally feel that the world is already far too influenced by America's brand of governance (not to mention America's brands)."

lchic - 10:06pm Mar 13, 2002 EST (#499 of 522)

One notes the US stockmarket is very concerned about TRUTH these last days ... the public sense that there's too little of it (truth), is reflected in the price fall.

almarst-2001 - 10:07pm Mar 13, 2002 EST (#500 of 522)

"We hear a lot about rogue states these days. You know, the rogue states that refuse to ratify important treaties, the ones who refuse to allow international inspections of their weapons of mass destruction, the ones who ignore U.N. resolutions, who violate human rights with impunity and who refuse to sign on to human rights conventions? You know, those rogue states." - http://www.tompaine.com/feature.cfm/ID/5208

"It's hard for most Americans to think of the United States as a rogue state. We're a democracy, after all. Our elections are free and fair (well, some of the time).

"But our foreign policy is far less accountable to democratic ideals, or to the global community than we like to think. The problem isn't isolationism -- we're engaged (at least our military forces and our U.S. manufactured weapons are) all over the world. The problem is unilateralism -- our tendency to act out our unchallenged 'super-power of super-powers' role without concern for what others in the world think."

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