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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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gisterme - 07:34am Jun 25, 2003 EST (# 12670 of 12690)

continued...

"...But mostly corporations and thus the media hate them because they threaten profits by creating kids with a sense of values..."

Even if you provided the extraordanary evidence to support your extraordanary claim that corporations hate teachers because they threaten profits by creating kids with a sense of values, why would it follow that the media hate teachers for the same reason? That doesn't make much sense to me, Fred, unless you're saying that the media embrace a lack of values as a desirable trait. If that's so then maybe the "dumbing-down" is intentional. I might buy that...but most of the talking heads these days, at least the younger ones are the result of public education. Contrary to your assertion, courses in ethics as a curricular requirement have long since been removed by administrators. As a matter of fact, nearly all teaching of subjective "values" has been filtered right out of the educational system. The rationale seems to be: "After all, what's ethical to one person may not be ethical to another. So let's accomodate everybody so nobody's feelings get hurt. Never mind that there are certain standards of behavior that are essential for productive survival in civilized society. They need to learn those someplace besides school. Let's don't take a chance on teaching them what has always worked in the past because they may not want to hear it. And if some don't get it? Well, isn't that what the legal system is for?" I wonder if an attitude like that could account for the highest per-capita prison population in US history.

"...Under the circumstances treating teaching as JUST a job is the only way the system can work,..."

Well, teachers, at least the good ones have always been underpaid, at least at the primary and high school levels. The bad ones are overpaid no matter how small their salary. I'd suggest that no excellent teacher (at least none that I've met) would ever say that teaching is JUST a job...and based on the product being delivered by today's public schools I'd have to say the system doesn't seem to be working very well at all.

"...the only way teachers can earn a humble living and remain sane..."

Not. I agree that good teachers should be paid as much as doctors or lawyers. However, teachers, humble as their salaries may have been historically, have in the past managed to achieve much better results than we're seeing today, with far fewer resources, while remaining quite sane. What do you suppose has changed?

"...However like all dangerous occupations in hostile environments, perhaps automation is the best way to go?...

Yeah. Put a television set tuned to the World Wrestling Federation to teach ethics for a while, then switch the channel to a sitcom to teach some history then flip to MTV for art. After that, a little time playing Nintendo would serve to teach technology. Sounds like a weiner to me.

gisterme - 07:35am Jun 25, 2003 EST (# 12671 of 12690)

Sorry for the double post of the first part of that last ramble...

gisterme - 07:47am Jun 25, 2003 EST (# 12672 of 12690)

fredmoore - 05:20am Jun 25, 2003 EST (# 12667 of ...) http://forums.nytimes.com/webin/WebX?8@13.h5o6b1yLjfR.403065@.f28e622/14334

"...Hmmmm! One log cannot change the course of a mighty river. Maybe the course of a tributary ar a stream. The river always gets to the sea!..."

There's a huge natural log dam on the lower Mississippi, near New Orleans that has literally changed the course of that mighty river. I can't help but believe that one of those logs was the first to stick there... then another caught on that, then another. All the rest followed over time, and the silt piled up. Still that all started with one log. The river absolutely does still make it to the sea. It just takes a different course than it used to.

"...Perspective is important..."

It certainly is. Perhaps I should have said "one log that sticks in just the right place can result in a change to the course of a mighty river over time.". Is that better?

lchic - 08:46am Jun 25, 2003 EST (# 12673 of 12690)
~~~~ It got understood and exposed ~~~~

Leave it to Beaver!

lchic - 09:10am Jun 25, 2003 EST (# 12674 of 12690)
~~~~ It got understood and exposed ~~~~

On the issue of Education ... look at the raw product ... the infant mind ... think of the journey through the process of Education ... ask the question - "What (or who with what) should come off the production line.

Is Education