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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 - 10:42am Sep 7, 2003 EST (# 13556 of 13559)
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.

Cooper - I think you're being childish - and worse - on the "don't call me a liar" point that seems so important to you.

Of course, if "don't call me a liar" is a strong enough rule - nothing that actually matters can be checked.

I posted this a while ago 13255 http://forums.nytimes.com/webin/WebX?8@13.NdWWbxiVENm.7738284@.f28e622/14940

I was wrong about Cooper's identity for a time. I admitted that. But after meeting with him, and in light of all the circumstances - my wife felt, and I felt, that we did not owe him an apology.

I've posted many reasons to believe that gisterme was closely associated with the Bush administration. In postings in this (MD) thread gisterme has often taken the position of an officer of state - with a treatening degree of power not far from reach.

13105 http://forums.nytimes.com/webin/WebX?8@13.NdWWbxiVENm.7738284@.f28e622/14784

13106 http://forums.nytimes.com/webin/WebX?8@13.NdWWbxiVENm.7738284@.f28e622/14785

Perhaps I should rephrase:

I was wrong about Cooper's identity for a time. I admitted that. But after meeting with him, and in light of all the circumstances - my wife felt, and I felt, that, if we owed him a small apology on that point - he owed me many apologies on points that, in a decent scheme of things, are larger. Attribution of insanity is a serious business. What Cooper did to me doesn't seem so very far, in intent, from "assault with intent to kill."

Cooper - perhaps I owe you a very small apology about not dropping everything I was doing and getting right back to you . You asked that I offer examples. I'd already offered a lot of examples that I thought served the purpose - and I was working on other things.

I was also unsure about what constitutes evidence to you.

I continue to think that gisterme is closely related to the Bush administration, and that the matter should be checked, for a lot of reasons - including reasons related to

13105 http://forums.nytimes.com/webin/WebX?8@13.NdWWbxiVENm.7738284@.f28e622/14784

13106 http://forums.nytimes.com/webin/WebX?8@13.NdWWbxiVENm.7738284@.f28e622/14785

And yes, I think it is distinctly possible that gisterme is a liar, and a lot worse than that.

Everybody misleads, one way or another, at one level or another. Sometimes, just out of politeness. Intent matters a great deal. I've often had serious doubts about gisterme's intent - and, at least when he's written about missile defense details - you have as well.

wrcooper - 11:01am Sep 7, 2003 EST (# 13557 of 13559)

Showalter

Then apologize, if you owe me a "small" apology.

I don't think I'm being childish. I apologized to you for teasing you that time, when I satirized your obsession in thinking I was George Johnson. That post was indeed childish.

But I don't apologize for saying I think you're delusional, paranoid and grandiose. You are all of those things.

I would add irresponsible. You're irresponsible in charging people with being liars when you have no evidence for it. I have read many of gisterme's posts, and I have never detected in any of them any sign that he's what you think he is. On the contrary, I read direct denials from him. Nothing he has said, in terms of statements about national policy or technical issues, suggests he has special access. You're imaging all that.

That's why I asked you to cite specific quotes to show exactly what you think is "evidence" to support your claim that gisterme is somebody he says he isn't. What I think is evidence is not important. It's what you think is evidence that's at issue here. So show us, specifically, the language that you find revealing of your claim that gisterme is Bush or close to Bush.

Show us, Showalter! Where's the beef?

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