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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 - 08:07pm Jul 28, 2002 EST (#3347 of 3348)

People near the masthead of the NYT know who "Mr. XXXXXXXX" is in 2472 rshow55 6/6/02 9:23pm . . . - and could check a good deal of detail.

2472 rshow55 6/6/02 9:23pm ... 2473 rshow55 6/6/02 9:27pm
2474 rshow55 6/6/02 9:29pm ... 2475 rshow55 6/6/02 9:32pm
2476 rshow55 6/6/02 9:33pm

2477 rshow55 6/6/02 11:21pm

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A22380-2002Feb16.html

2478 applez101 6/8/02 1:30pm

It is interesting what's happened since. I wish I had taken a recording of the conversation I had with CIA, that occurred after the letter above. They care. It included something like the following: (I'm quoting from memory, but I have an idea that NYT people, if they wish, might get to hear the transcript.)

From CIA representative (who felt strongly that I was not to contact Mr. XXXXX) ....Q. "Do you hate us?"

My answer (maybe with some hesitation - because I hadn't been able to disclose the details of 2770 rshow55 6/29/02 7:59am : "No."

CIA Representative: "You could take the whole agency down, you know that?" ( Or something to that effect. )

My answer was something to the effect that "that wasn't what I had in mind."

I think it is fair to say that the conversation wasn't casual. And though it wouldn't be the idea deal, from any reasonable point of view, if I had in writing , or readily checkable, the assurances I was given verbally -- many of my needs would be met.

rshow55 - 08:08pm Jul 28, 2002 EST (#3348 of 3348)

In addition to the "crazy Showalter hypothesis" I think people ought to consider the "Ishmael hypothesis."

MD2476 rshow55 6/6/02 9:32pm .... http://talk.guardian.co.uk/WebX?14@@.ee7a163/289 and http://talk.guardian.co.uk/WebX?14@@.ee7a163/294 :

" "The story I like best about me, in this regard, is that I'm just a guy who got interested in logic, and military issues. A guy who got concerned about nuclear danger, and related military balances, and tried to do something about it. Based on what he knew - with no access to special information of any kind, he made an effort to keep the world from blowing up, using the best literary devices he could fashion, consistent with what he knew or could guess. "

Maybe that's a "story" worth telling, now that the government has screwed up so much, so many ways, and people have stolen so much so that nothing can be checked.

To find out whether or not it is a "story" or not, things would have to be checked. In the United States of America, when security issues are even tangentially involved, can anything be checked? What does this say about the limits on what "insiders" can steal?

Of course, I don't have the credentials the NYT most values - and rightly values.

Even so, if I were the NYT, I'd look closely on the origins of Texas oil fortunes -- and the details of how the far right wing of the republican party came to be so very well funded.

I say that sincerely . In Virginia, Young Conservatives Learn How to Develop and Use Their Political Voices by BLAINE HARDEN http://www.nytimes.com/2001/06/11/politics/11CONS.html

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