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 [F] New York Times on the Web Forums  / Science  /

    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.


Earliest Messages Previous Messages Recent Messages Outline (12875 previous messages)

rshow55 - 09:22am Jul 7, 2003 EST (# 12876 of 12879)
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.

What I Didn't Find in Africa By JOSEPH C. WILSON 4th http://www.nytimes.com/2003/07/06/opinion/06WILS.html

The author concluded that it was doubtful that Niger sold uranium to Iraq. The question now is how that conclusion was or was not used by the administration.

It would appear that the intelligence was cooked - or "muddled" with leaders happy to aid and set up the muddle - and that the objections that almarst has been making on this board - for years - deserve, and have deserved, a wider hearing than they've gotten. Was the Intelligence Cooked? http://www.nytimes.com/2003/06/08/opinion/08SUN1.html

12393 http://forums.nytimes.com/webin/WebX?8@13.FELAbu6FnEp.743715@.f28e622/14046

Deception is powerful, and has advantages, many well known. Truth has advantages, too. If stability and decent outcomes are an objective - truth has substantial advantages - and effort is needed to maintain it - and to sort out messes and falsehoods due to either muddle or deceptive intent.

Another moral, in the present circumstances - is that no one can doubt that some sheep may be unavoidably killed by mistake.

12599 http://forums.nytimes.com/webin/WebX?8@13.FELAbu6FnEp.743715@.f28e622/14257

Want to ASSURE misunderstandings between groups - - enough so that they cannot really cooperate, except in very minimal ways?

. Restrict conversation.

. Lie.

Usually, there are very good reasons to "Send in Clear" . . . though there are a few specific short term exceptions. 281 http://www.mrshowalter.net/see281_SendInClearnCryfrHelp.htm

When evasion or "simplification" has been used - if people are to make good decisions - enough of the truth for reasonable action has to be revealed. That's usually a great deal of information.

The techniques of connecting the dots with the new resources of the internet make directness both more possible and perhaps more necessary than they've been before. Directness has always been important for basic practical reasons. As it becomes harder to lie, muddle and evade, it becomes more necessary.

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 [F] New York Times on the Web Forums  / Science  / Missile Defense