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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?

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rshow55 - 09:11pm Jun 14, 2003 EST (# 12537 of 12548)
Can we do a better job of finding truth? YES. Click "rshow55" for some things Lchic and I have done and worked for on this thread.

Thinking about what actually happens, you can think about how the scene might have played out with some changes. What actually happened wouldn't fit into a movie so well - though some of it seemed vivid enough - it wasn't funny - and didn't illuminate character and circumstances as it might have done.

Suppose the dialog had gone differently.

Suppose Gina Kolata, or any other NYT reporter in an analogous circumstance, had said something she did not say:

"I am Gina Kolata - the New York Times reporter ! You are a supplicant at best. Kneel down and such my big toe!

James Bond, I believe, would have knelt quickly, gracefully, and sucked with a will. Casey would surely have expected that. Given the chance, I would have done so, too.

I'll repeat that Kolata did not in fact say this - though she pushed her power effectively. But in the spirit of KISS - I'd like to make a point.

People are afraid of New York Times reporters - and sometimes, in my experience, New York Times reporters push their advantages.

New York Times reporters are themselves too afraid.

Both kinds of fears can get in the way of valid information flows - in the way of authenticity - and can act against the interest of the country and the TIMES.

That's a SIMPLE point that might be better understood. If it were understood, the TIMES might be more widely respected. Might make more money. And I might have an easier time sorting out my security problems, as well.

jorian319 - 09:34pm Jun 14, 2003 EST (# 12538 of 12548)

Rshow, your story reminded me of things long past...

When I was a kid, my parents were good friends with Isaac Don Levine. He and his wife were often over for dinner. He had engaging tales of intrigue beyond my understanding, but there was one thing I understood very well. His wife. She was astonishingly beautiful, and charming in such a transcendent way that I believe she became the gold standard for my later pursuit of a mate. By the time I realized what kind of people IDL was mixed up with (and was duly horrified at what happened to most of them), it was too late. The charm had been struck, and the future written.

Funny how influential people are... influential.

almarst2002 - 09:52pm Jun 14, 2003 EST (# 12539 of 12548)

Few things are more dangerous than empires pursuing their own interest in the belief that they are doing humanity a favour. - http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,12271,977470,00.html

rshow55 - 10:27pm Jun 14, 2003 EST (# 12540 of 12548)
Can we do a better job of finding truth? YES. Click "rshow55" for some things Lchic and I have done and worked for on this thread.

Isaac Don Levine

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=Isaac+Don+Levine&btnG=Google+Search

Includes

Isaac Don Levine http://homepages.nyu.edu/~th15/isaacdl.html

The influential anti-communist editor of Plain Talk magazine, Levine took Whittaker Chambers to see Assistant Secretary of State Adolf A. Berle in 1939 to inform him about Communist activities in Washington. Chambers mentioned the names of Alger and Donald Hiss at the meeting, and this set in motion a chain of events that would lead to the Hiss case.

Many years later, Levine told author Meyer Zeligs that Chambers had come to him in 1938, saying he needed money and was looking to sell what Levine said was a vague magazine article about Communist activities in the United States. Levine subsequently worked with Chambers to help develop his story.

- - -

I admire Berle's generalizations in POWER , Harcourt, Brace, and World

search Berle , this thread.

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