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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.

gisterme - 11:19pm Oct 16, 2002 EST (# 4956 of 4974)

rshow55 10/16/02 8:11pm

"...Not everybody thinks the stakes are jokes - or dismisses substance so easily..."

Hmmm. Gee Robert, I thought you were the one that thinks interdiction before the fact was the best way to prevent disaster. After all, just a day or two ago you were boasting that you have been arguing for of interdiction for some time now. Let's see...

rshow55 10/14/02 8:03pm

I believe that's the post where you said:

"...Me, I've been arguing for interdiction - - when it matters enough - since September 25, 2000..."

Are you waffeling again? Or is it that you're just trying to keep at least one foot on each side of the ring so you can say "I told you so" no matter which way things may go?

I wouldn't bother with this thread if I didn't think the "stakes" (your word) are a joke. Who would? Many lives are at stake here, perhaps including yours and mine. Those are high enough stakes for me.

gisterme - 11:36pm Oct 16, 2002 EST (# 4957 of 4974)

rshow55 10/16/02 8:11pm

"...Not everybody thinks the stakes are jokes - or dismisses substance so easily..."

Hmmm. Gee Robert, I thought you were the one that thinks interdiction before the fact was the best way to prevent disaster. After all, just a day or two ago you were boasting that you have been arguing for of interdiction for some time now. Let's see...

rshow55 10/14/02 8:03pm

I believe that's the post where you said:

"...Me, I've been arguing for interdiction - - when it matters enough - since September 25, 2000..."

Are you waffeling again, Robert? Or is it that you're just trying to keep at least one foot on each side of the ring so you can say "I told you so" no matter which way things may go? If so, just give it up now. That can only work on people with very short memories.

I wouldn't bother with this thread if I didn't think the "stakes" (your word) are a joke. Who would? Many lives are at stake here, perhaps including yours and mine. Those are high enough stakes for me.

Oh, by the way, are you shocked that North Korea has admitted to having a secret nuclear weapons program? Would it also shock you to think they'd sell that technology to the highest bidder like they do their rocket boosters? No doubt it would. After all...why would those NK leaders lie for all that time and then finally 'fess up? Gotta wonder. They must realize that their jig's up and it's time to dance or get off the stage. Can you think of any other reason they would admit to their lies just now?

gisterme - 11:40pm Oct 16, 2002 EST (# 4958 of 4974)

bbbuck 10/16/02 5:33pm

"...I just thought it was a good taunt..."

That was not really intended to be a taunt, bbbuck. I just wanted to let commondata know that I know where he's coming from without being too rude.

manjumicha - 11:51pm Oct 16, 2002 EST (# 4959 of 4974)

Wow, mazza, don't tell me you are suprised by NK news? Hate to say it..but I told you so.

The fact is, NK has had an uranium enrichment program that doesn't require nuclear reactors for decades and they have plenty of raw uranium in their mines...funny thing is they got not much else as way of natural resources. What a cruel joke. The fact of the matter is probably no one knows how many bombs and deliverable ICBMs they have deployed....and they don;t seem too worried about NMD either, including navy's aegis system which they think are sitting ducks against their sunburn-type cruise missiles tipped with either conventional or tactical nukes.

There is a reason Japan wants to break out of Bush' tough guy club after all re: NK.....

manjumicha - 11:56pm Oct 16, 2002 EST (# 4960 of 4974)

It has been reported (except in the US) that NK basically told Kelly and Bush to stuff it up their (fill in the blank). And that they are fully ready for nuclear exchange with US in the event of a preemtive nuclear strike by US.

Of course, US media will never report it the way it actually happened.....otherwise mazzas of US will all go into mass depression and despair and DOD will have to "cook up" 10 more "successful" NMD tests at $100 million per pop for a proper national therapy session.

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