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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.

rshow55 - 07:36pm Jul 14, 2002 EST (#3058 of 3064)

One of a number of terrifying possibilities. A whole additional class of them is exemplified in a current movie - The Sum of All Fears . . .

Postings no longer on the thread:

"We all live in a real world of compromise, half-measures, and an avoidance of too-harsh realities. People couldn't live any other way - and it ought to be no surprise when muddles and messes happen. Most times, moral indignation may not be very useful.

"This time, perhaps it might be.

rshow55 - 07:22am Jan 24, 2002 EST (#11010 of 11035)

MD10961 rshow55 1/22/02 12:49pm bears repeating here:

" My own view, at the beginning of last year, was that the risk of the world being destroyed by a nuclear "accident" -- was running about 10%/year - - a risk discounted "expected value" the equivalent of 3-4 WTC disasters per hour. With risks from terrorism on top of that.

" I think the total risks are somewhat less now - - but still terrifyingly large. When I read some of the "technical judgements" of gisterme , and Mazza , my concern doesn't get any less.

I'd add that when I consider the corruption -- or gross incompetence, on view, reasons to trust the Bush administration, on matters so long hidden -- get reduced again - and powerfully reduced.

Checking for technical facts that can be determined in the open literature, and checked by independent authorities (for instance, people in charge of writing the professional engineering exams, and similar examinations in other countries) would be a good place to start. MD10764 rshow55 1/14/02 7:36pm Checking, on these issues, ought to be morally forcing. We are dealing with weapons that, if not controlled better than they are today, are likely to reduce much or all of the human population of the world to rotting unburied corpses.

Under these circumstances, we ought to check facts in ways that can actually determine them,. and we ought to consider alternatives. We need to protect outselves -- and that means reducing real risks from weapons of mass destruction. Including our own.

MD764 rshowalter 2/23/01 10:47am

- - -

I've been amazed how hard it is to get simple things checked . . . or even discussed. People are very afraid, in denial, our controls are a mess, and there are things to do. The world could end because so many people are so afraid, so repressed, and so dishonest.

I've been working hard, because I've been concerned. I think leaders of other nation states should be concerned, too.

I'm in the Madison Wisconsin phone book.

lchic - 07:39pm Jul 14, 2002 EST (#3059 of 3064)

:) you sleep in there? Must be a big book!

rshow55 - 07:48pm Jul 14, 2002 EST (#3060 of 3064)

Lchic is special . .

Poems -- especially Learning to Stand http://talk.guardian.co.uk/WebX?14@@.ee79f4e/3305

MD2599 lchic 6/17/02 1:46pm

rshow55 - 07:56pm Jul 14, 2002 EST (#3061 of 3064)

There's Always Poetry 1205 http://talk.guardian.co.uk/WebX?14@@.ee79f4e/1556

Before witnesses, not long ago
I blew through
Nuclear controls that apparently
hadn't been changed since the mid-60s'

Why didn't they bring me in and TALK to me?

(Other poems lchic and I wrote on March 1, 2001 might be of interest, too.)

lchic - 07:57pm Jul 14, 2002 EST (#3062 of 3064)

Insufficiently special to get the attention this guy enjoys:

http://www.observer.co.uk/international/story/0,6903,754681,00.html

rshow55 - 08:11pm Jul 14, 2002 EST (#3063 of 3064)

How the C.I.A., F.B.I. and D.O.D. can possibly doubt that a good deal of the "story" I've been telling on this thread is true . . . . is beyond me.

Don't these guys keep any records at all?

Don't these folks understand any logic at all?

Why not bring me in, as I've been begging for them to do, and talk to me?

Is this deal that expensive?

MD2770 rshow55 6/29/02 7:59am ... MD2986 rshow55 7/10/02 3:58pm

For a few minutes worth of D.O.D. expenditure, the world could be much safer. I'd settle for the truth, without the money.

What are these people hiding? Is it POSSIBLE to think of the top Bush administration people as decent, patriotic human beings?

( ? ? ? ? ? ? ? }

I keep telling myself it has to be possible . . . but I'm finding it hard.

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