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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 - 10:54pm Mar 30, 2002 EST (#988 of 1001)

mAzzA - your Easter Diversions suggest there has to be something worthy in the posts preceeding yours ... so

"Let he who is without sin cast the first stone!" and the woman was saved!

in the context of this thread becomes ...

"Let he who is without sin cast the first nuclear-stone!" and the woman's-world was saved!

See the divine spirit working through you mAzzA .. you're half way to sainthood and beyond!

lchic - 06:36am Mar 31, 2002 EST (#989 of 1001)

Were the rest of the world to look at unnecessary world problems (Say Middle East or Nukes) via use of concepts such as :

laughingstock http://www.dictionary.com/search?q=laughingstock
ridicule http://www.dictionary.com/search?q=ridicule
shamefaced http://www.dictionary.com/search?q=shamefaced

would those who could do something useful about it be 'shamed' into taking the necessary logical steps to move these situations back to normality.

rshow55 - 09:13am Mar 31, 2002 EST (#990 of 1001)

Very interesting piece. No laughing matter. As serious as it can be, and in my view, partly right, but on some key issues, flawed.

Suicidal Lies by THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN http://www.nytimes.com/2002/03/31/opinion/31FRIE.html

"The outcome of the war now under way between the Israelis and Palestinians is vital to the security of every American, and indeed, I believe, to all of civilization. Why? Quite simply because Palestinians are testing out a whole new form of warfare, using suicide bombers —strapped with dynamite and dressed as Israelis — to achieve their political aims. And it is working.

"Israelis are terrified. And Palestinians, although this strategy has wrecked their society, feel a rising sense of empowerment. They feel they finally have a weapon that creates a balance of power with Israel . . . . . "

We need to have a sense of perspective - from the point of view of others.

THREATS TO USE NUCLEAR WEAPONS: The Sixteen Known Nuclear Crises of the Cold War, 1946-1985 by David R. Morgan http://scienceforpeace.sa.utoronto.ca/WorkingGroupsPage/NucWeaponsPage/Documents/ThreatsNucWea.html

We have to consider terrorism in the full context in which it exists, and has occured. So that we can eliminate it. Deaths from the tragedy-crimes of September 11, horrible as they are, are less than 1/30,000th of the deaths from war in the last century. The deaths in the Middle East, on both sides, are a lesser percentage. This new century could be worse -- though it could be much better. Now, we've set things up so that, with instabilities as they are, the world could end.

MD908 almarst-2001 3/28/02 3:42pm ... MD909 rshow55 3/28/02 3:42pm

MD909 ends

" The policy of the current administration, behind a pelthora of words, many of them evasive and off point, includes the notion set out in Dao's essay title, Please do not disturb us with bombs ...but says more. Basically, it says.

" Please do not disturb US with Bombs. But we can bomb YOU."

"The US has to do better than that - or it degrades itself --- and the rest of the world has to expect better than that, for its own safety, and because it degrades itself otherwise.

In Betraying Humanity http://www.nytimes.com/2002/03/28/opinion/28HERB.html . Herbert says something I think is profound, essential, and practical now.

" . . . ultimately the many tribes that inhabit this earth are going to have to figure out a way to forge some workable agreements on how we treat one another."

If American standards for itself matched what it asked of others - or if symettries or definitions were reasonably discussed, there would be much more hope.

almarst-2001 - 11:27am Mar 31, 2002 EST (#991 of 1001)

Suicidal Lies by THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN

1. The NACIONALISM/FASCHISM/RACISM where born a long time ago. And not among Arab or muslim nations who used to accomodate multhi-ethnic societies piecefully for milleniums. It was born in Europe. And continue to trive there and in US.

2. The ruthless way of conducting the warfare and targeting the civilians was invented a long time ago. It was born in Europe. And continue to trive there and in US.

3. The idea that the might and victory makes moral RIGHT was born in Europe. And continue to trive there and in US.

The West didn't realise that their agressiveness, their ruthlessness and immorality helped their expansion and colonisation of the World not less then their superior technology. and in my oppinion, more.

At best, Mr. Friedman's LIES... and more LIES. At worst - an intellectual shallow emptiness.

Suicidal... May be.

mazza9 - 01:39pm Mar 31, 2002 EST (#992 of 1001)
Louis Mazza

lchic:

How nice to be able to declare diversion and not tell the truth. Perchance is your use of lies allowed?

Almarst: I'm sure the benevolent behavior of Vald the Impaler raised peaceful to a new and higher level. Talk about raising the

STAKES

. Say wasn't he that warm hearted, (blooded!) character upon which Count Dracla was based?

Oh, I remember that wonderful song lyric which goes, "teach, teach your children well..."C-4 around the waist!!! How peaceful and loving of their fellow men.

LouMazza

lchic - 02:24pm Mar 31, 2002 EST (#993 of 1001)

Seeing visual footage of