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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?

Read Debates, a new Web-only feature culled from Readers' Opinions, published every Thursday.

gisterme - 08:03am Oct 14, 2003 EST (# 14959 of 14963)

rshow -

"...I'm saying that going around in circles is essential to much human logic - and can convege - though it need not."

Another brilliant observation. Is logic about "going around in circles"? I thought that logic was (from Merriam Webster):

log·ic...

Function: noun

Etymology: Middle English logik, from Middle French logique, from Latin logica, from Greek logikE, from feminine of logikos of reason, from logos reason -- more at LEGEND

Date: 12th century

1 a (1) : a science that deals with the principles and criteria of validity of inference and demonstration : the science of the formal principles of reasoning

(2) : a branch or variety of logic <modal logic> <Boolean logic>

(3) : a branch of semiotic; especially : SYNTACTICS

(4) : the formal principles of a branch of knowledge

1 b (1) : a particular mode of reasoning viewed as valid or faulty

(2) : RELEVANCE, PROPRIETY

c : interrelation or sequence of facts or events when seen as inevitable or predictable d : the arrangement of circuit elements (as in a computer) needed for computation; also : the circuits themselves

2 : something that forces a decision apart from or in opposition to reason <the logic of war>

Robert your use of "logic" in conversation doesn't seem to fit that definition. An explanation would be nice. I'd always thought that logic was a cognative tool used to cut through the circlarism and get to the point. If I've misunderstood, please explain.

"...Cantabb is, in general, against the idea..."

Another thing that cantabb and I agree on. "Going in circles" doesn't get you anywhere except where you've been before. Haven't you noticed that yet, rshow? Haven't you noticed that going in circles doesn't get you anywhere you haven't been before after the first time around, cantabb? I'm sure he's noticed, Robert.

"...We're dealing with subject matter here that science writers - and "average readers of The New York Times" care about - ..."

A sweeping generalized assumption; but, okay...

"...and it seems to me that illustration of difficulties with "connections of the dots" is worth talking about - and relates to missile defense - ( imho )...

Oh? How so? Which dots? You just never seem to get around to mentioning that.

"...because there is already much on this board about the technology of missile defense that can be focused and largely validaded by internal crosscheckings - many of them recursive...."

Ahh! Recursive! Now that must make them important! :-)

Robert, there's not piddley-squat about missile defense technology on this board that can't be found in a few very simple web searches.

The only thing recursive here is your collection of self referencing maunderings.

fredmoore - 08:12am Oct 14, 2003 EST (# 14960 of 14963)

Cantabbelle Rap: ( As sung by Cantabb him/her self.)

>>>>

Gunna tell a story yes yo heard it before--

Mere verbiage -- dismissed galore:

May be "reasons" that sound "logical" to you

– and that doesn't say or amount to much,

does it ?

One can STILL 'switch' between perspectives on THE SAME

specific issue, focused, make a rational insane.

This gobbledygook doesn't even make much sense.

And, why worry ?

Perhaps it shows in Not quite a perverse way

"ordinary .. human behavior" does go astray !

Are you still imagining your teen-year "fights" ?

You've got me so cut up I could punch out your lights.

Couldn't I?

No coincidence Fredmoore is on topic

Thanks to Will, Blue, Gisterme not my silly myopic

call the pressure, a service to the forum , yes entropic

if I try to leave this barn yard behind.

you're NOT talking about being "assigned"

to do it here on NYT's MD forum , are you blind?

You think other "fights" don't happen ?

You gonna tell us RIGHT again ?

Don't tell me to stop I just love bein' a pain.

Anything to do with MD science ? Specifically ?

Or, are you re-visiting your Granny down in mississippi

with that teen year fightin'?

Still re-living your teen-year fightin' ?

Ahem, Ahem, Ahem,

Ahem, Ahem, Ahem,

Ahem, Ahem, Ahem.

cantabb - 08:14am Oct 14, 2003 EST (# 14961 of 14963)

gisterme - 08:03am Oct 14, 2003 EST (# 14959 of 14959)

rshow55: "...Cantabb is, in general, against the idea..."

gisterme: Another thing that cantabb and I agree on. "Going in circles" doesn't get you anywhere except where you've been before. Haven't you noticed that yet, rshow? Haven't you noticed that going in circles doesn't get you anywhere you haven't been before after the first time around, cantabb? I'm sure he's noticed, Robert.

Gisterme trying to get on the 'bandwagon' ?

Seeing some familiar phrases and approaches too.

(2 following messages)

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