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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 - 10:37am Aug 5, 2002 EST (#3509 of 3545)

Constructive post, Mazza. And I appreciate it.

Good idea for today, as well. I think lchic knows, and knows very well, how many wonderful things there are about the United States. I've felt that many of her postings have served the national interest very well -- unless criticizing "our team" is out of bounds. Not everybody thinks it should be.

But we don't have to agree about everything - or even everything important.

MD3349-3350 rshow55 7/30/02 6:28pm includes this:

"I'd like some security matters, awkward and of long standing, to be resolved far enough so that I can live my life. That means, if my work has no security constraints associated with it that should be in writing . Other issues can wait - but for me to function, this one can't."

Maybe, following on some of your advice, and related approaches, that problem can be resolved.

Maybe a lot of problems that have become associated with this thread can be better resolved than they've been. Life isn't perfect, and people aren't either. But things can and do get better, often enough.

. . . . . .

Now, about Missile Defense - how are key things to be established and checked? We've talked a good deal about that, and maybe the approaches referenced in MD1075-76 rshow55 4/4/02 1:20pm . . that were unacceptable in the old environment Greenberg speaks of might be more acceptable in the new environment taking shape, where there's more concern with checking? http://www.nytimes.com/2002/08/05/opinion/05GREE.html

You've been on the other side from me in arguments about MD - - can you tell me things, of a specific, technical nature, where you think I've gotten it wrong?

bbbuck - 12:39pm Aug 5, 2002 EST (#3510 of 3545)
'I don't like messing with drugs. Something might go wrong'.....'Tell that blockhead to get aboard, he's got enough wood in his head he could float'...

looniechic.
Why did the little girl want her grandmother's eye?
I don't get it?
Was she going to save it before a missile blew them up?

mazza9 - 02:57pm Aug 5, 2002 EST (#3511 of 3545)
"Quae cum ita sunt" Caesar's Gallic Commentaries

Robert: A quick anecdotal observation. Then I'm off to a job interview. I'll be back around 3:00PM CST. The emblem of the Corp of Engineers is the Castle. Caesar's siege engines, English castles and moats, Forts in colonial America, trails blazed and all manner of weapons developed and neutralized is the long history of warfare (albiet the opening of 2001 that we spoke of is in all likelyhood true though undocumented except in Kubrick's film). My first premise is that nothing is impossible and all offense and defense can be overcome. Maginot Line anyone?

All during the 50s intercontinental weapons were being developed. Some,like the Snark didn't work. But eventually Atlas, Polaris and the Long Tom Cannon became nuclear delivery systems for the Air Force Navy and Army. But those engineers with their castles keep on working and defense checks offense and then offense checks defense. It is meaningless to attack the issue from this persepctive. We need to evolve beyond the need for warfare. To settle problems or achieve ends of a personal nature we need to solve the global issues which divide rather than unite us a sentitent being on the "Third Rock From the Sun". Who's the greater threat to mankind, Bill Gates or Saddam Hussein?

War Begets Poverty Poverty Peace

Then People will Traffic and riches increase.

Riches produceth pride Pride is war's ground.

War beget poverty So we go round.

What a loon. I was rushing and posted this over on the Space Exploration forum. Got home early and oops

LouMazza

lchic - 04:27pm Aug 5, 2002 EST (#3512 of 3545)

UK economy falls
^{http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/story/0,3604,769579,00.html}

lchic - 05:02pm Aug 5, 2002 EST (#3513 of 3545)

On the girl - eye, the Korean Girl of the Korean War had her eye blown out by a USA bomb, the eye was hanging down her face. She asked her (injured) mother to remove it. The mother, injured, couldn't and had to tell her beloved young child to remove her own eye.

Poster - I don't 'bash' the USA ... most often I present a spectrum of viewpoints - thanks for your interest.

mazza9 - 07:45pm Aug 5, 2002 EST (#3514 of 3545)
"Quae cum ita sunt" Caesar's Gallic Commentaries

Why don't you find something interesting to say about the Soviet weaponry that caused the same mayhem during the Cold War. How about the civilians in the airliner that was brought down by an East German fighter aircraft that was "buzzing" it in what was designated as a civilian passageway to Berlin? All those people were killed because of the Soviet Unions desire to "take control of" West Berlin. Remember the Berlin Airlift of '47 when the United States and NATO kept food, coal and other supplies flowing to West Berlin when the East Germans blockaded the ground routes to West Berlin in contravention of the existing treaty.

I'm not bashing either. Just reminding you that behaviors on both sides were less than polite and "PEOPLE DIED!" You go beyond the childishness and try to establish lines of communications and progress can be made. Stick you finger in your opponents eye and it is very unlikely that he will SEE your point.

LouMazza

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