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.

rshow55 - 04:14pm Aug 19, 2003 EST (# 13335 of 13338)
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.

I'll be looking closely at the Discovery Times Channel tonight, where two hour programs will be shown

Children of the Secret State 8 pm E/P

Nuclear Nightmare: Understanding North Korea 9 pm E/P

When I checked it - this link still works - and is still interesting.

North Korea, TV Nation By RUSSELL WORKING http://www.nytimes.com/2001/03/26/opinion/26WORK.html

- - -

With luck, we'll get better at understanding North Korea - and they will get better at understanding themselves. Some fights and tragedies ought to be avoidable.

The Two Cowards By AMOS OZ http://www.nytimes.com/2003/08/19/opinion/19OZ.html is an excellent piece - and deals with the Middle East, but makes a basic point very well. Sometimes - in the ways that matter - compromises have to be simultaneous . Both sides have to make changes - concessions, adjustments at once. For that to be stable - there has to be a lot of interconnection - a lot of communication - good sense on both sides - and some willingness to tolerate both clarity and ambiguity - alternately - each uncomfortable in its own way. A lot of talking and "trying things on for size" before people take action. Alternation of trust and distrust - in ways that can converge to stability. For that convergence, steps have to be small. And many. Big steps, no matter how chosen - can produce divergence - and often are certain to produce divergence. Divergences explode. Everybody wants to avoid that.

Getting to stable outcomes is tough to do when it matters most - when people are passionate, and hate each other. Maybe it will be possible, this time.

If not, there will be more agony and loss - after so much already.

As Oz points out - leaders have to have courage - to face things that have to be faced. But they need care and caution, too. Convergence to stability is the objective. Not an explosion.

gisterme - 07:53pm Aug 20, 2003 EST (# 13336 of 13338)

"I believe leaders do have to have the power to kill people under some circumstances"

So do terrorists, drunk drivers, sober drivers, grizzly bears and tornados, just to name a few.

(2 following messages)

New York Times on the Web Forums Science Missile Defense