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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.

cantabb - 12:39am Nov 14, 2003 EST (# 17659 of 17663)

rshow55 - 11:56pm Nov 13, 2003 EST (# 17646 of 17654)

Cantabb , for the life of me, it did seem to me that the stuff made sense . . . This too: It is a long time since Watergate:

It made no sense. None whatsoever.

As fredmoore says, "God bless free speech, God bless this Forum and God bless America."

What does he know about ‘free speech’ ?

Didn’t you see the link to my exchange with him on it in “Science in the News” (May, 2003). He demonstrated his ignorance on this too. He didn’t think Letterman had a right to joke about NYT -- nO free speech for Letterman. But he’s your loyal follower.

with luck - this will be its last post.

You mean they’re going to keep him in the barn !

rshow55 - 12:05am Nov 14, 2003 EST (# 17651 of 17656)

From what I can gather over than long distance telephone - that baby doesn't want for attention. A lucky baby.

Unique baby !

Is this thing Really going to shut down tonight ?

I know you're trying to dump as much as you can to the end... to "build the record." Don't worry you'll have company -- even if lchic can't !!

What a relief !

Getting too hot for you? Begging for mercy now !

I can imagine your “relief” !

I've got other things to do, believe me.

Sure you’ve LOT of “work” to do !

Getting a long nap; working on condensing the 3+year slop, and creating more demons; chasing your tail {"Loop Test"} !

rshow55 - 12:08am Nov 14, 2003 EST (# 17653 of 17656)

When I first got on this board - I was hoping to be off in a day !

My ambition was to dump my stuff to some Light Colonel, sort out what I could do - put in my claim for back pay - talk a bit about some control problems - and get on with my life.

What really happened was . . . . err . . . different from what I expected.

Re-living the abuse ? Last minute ruminations, just before curtains !

rshow55 - 12:09am Nov 14, 2003 EST (# 17656 of 17656)

Cantabb, old buddy, if you want to get into that with me - invite me to where you are - and we can talk about it.

Sorry, that kind of thing is what WRC does !

What’s there to talk about. This exchange not enough ?

I've been playing it straight. And if you "call me Ishmael" the most interesting things about the board remain anyway.

You can’t even see straight, much less playing it !

You misrepresented MY post, and made some additional remarks based on that misrepresentation. How irresponsible.

Do you ever “check” ANYTHING ? Do you even know what "checking" involves ?

bluestar23 - 12:39am Nov 14, 2003 EST (# 17660 of 17663)

Some last-minute actual MD news...

By DAVID ELBERT Register Business Editor 11/13/2003

A Boone company that makes lightweight, flexible solar energy panels has been working with one of the nation's largest military contractors, Lockheed Martin, on an unmanned, high-altitude, solar-powered blimp for the U.S. military.

Iowa ThinFilm Technologies Inc. assisted Lockheed Martin on initial plans for the airship and hopes to be involved in further development of the blimps, said ThinFilm's Michael Coon.

Lockheed was awarded a $40 million Missile Defense Agency contract a month ago for the second phase of development of the giant blimps. At least two more development phases are planned before production of the blimps could begin, sometime after 2006.

The blimps are being designed to remain stationary over Earth for a month or more at a time. The blimps could become a key component of a future anti-missile defense system for the United States.

bluestar23 - 12:48am Nov 14, 2003 EST (# 17661 of 17663)

Here, Showalter seems ornery, upset, cranky...:

"F**k you, bluestar - - - and while we're being informal, I'd like to make a small complaint.

Folks have been claiming I'm an uncontrolled, violent type. Lchic , lovely and wonderful as she is - may be partly to blame for that.

Casey didn't think it would be that hard to come in through the NYT ( he thought you folks were smart ) - - I had a coherent story - and combat skills that could pass fairly well, in a pinch, as evidence, or credentials."

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New York Times on the Web Forums Science Missile Defense