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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?

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rshow55 - 12:40pm Aug 31, 2002 EST (# 4076 of 4079)
Can we do a better job of finding truth? YES. Click "rshow55" for some things Lchic and I have done and worked for on this thread.

Cooper - why don't you call me on the telephone ?

We can arrange to find out who you are.

There's a good deal of correpondence about that on this thread -- some of which I saved after you deleted it at a "convenient" time - on the presumption that you're not who you say you are.

I'm taking my time. Watching a movie, and talking to my wife, in fact.

You have enough references, cited quite recently - to keep you busy.

If I've made a specific claim, with respect to a specific weapons system, that you have a specific reason to doubt - - you might point it out.

The notion of pretrial discovery is appropriate indeed.

wrcooper - 01:17pm Aug 31, 2002 EST (# 4077 of 4079)

Showalter:

You're evading the questions.

First, I have no interest in talking to you on the phone or proving to you who I am. Why should I? You need think of me only as another anonymous forum participant, although I have in fact identified my real name and my home city to you previously. Jaysus, a few years ago I even invited you to join me at a math lecture at NWU and to have a beer afterward. You declined.

Look, just give me your sources. How difficult can that be? I don't want to go sifting through your voluminous past posts to unearth an answer to such a simple question. Just answer the question! Where did these figures come from? If you can't provide a ready response honestly and directly to such a simple, straight-forward question, then I will start to suspect you don't know what you're talking about. The thought will slowly insinuate itself into my consciousness that you're pulling numbers out of thin air. So just give me your sources (chapter and verse), so I can examine them independently. That's called "checking," buddy boy, something you applaud, no?

Also, if you have a mathematical argument to support your assertion of there being a thousand to a million times cost differential for developing the BMD system versus its countermeasures, just outline it for me. Show me how you came up with it. This isn't asking much. Just do it. If you can't, then I will start to think it entirely fair of me to suspect you're expressing pure unfounded opinion.

Don't let me think you're a hypocrite when it comes to "checking," Bob. Reveal your sources so I can check your claims. That's the way science and good journalism are done.

mazza9 - 02:07pm Aug 31, 2002 EST (# 4078 of 4079)
"Quae cum ita sunt" Caesar's Gallic Commentaries

One day and 53 posts? The BS factor on this forum must be reaching at least 10^3 or is it 10^6 times normal!

What's the matter Robert? Can't you or won't you answer a civil question? Cooper has a degree in math, does that frighten you? You've written me off as beneath your contempt but that technique might work in a debating contest but there are no judges here, except you!!!I ask again, Who at the NYTimes made you the BMDF sheriff?

Cooper, I spent the night thinking about your observation regarding Missile Defense and its destabilizing effects. While that would be true in a Cold War era where two powers are faced off with 5 other nuclear powers basically a non issue, that is no longer the case. If Saddam becomes a nuclear power we face a 21st Century Hitler with the "big stick". If Al Quida obtains weapons of mass destruction what do you have? A stateless entity with a "big stick". International laws is based on accepted patterns of behavior by nation states. Al Quida is not a nation state it has shown that it is not bound by the norms of international law. Our defense becomes more complicated.

You need only look at the Pakistan/India brinksmanship and the interference of these non state entities. Wanna have a nuclear war? There are a variety of scenarios.

Plus BMD is scientific research so something like the DCX evolves and maybe there are benefits to obtain!

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