New York Times on the Web Forums Science

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 - 02:03pm Oct 24, 2002 EST (# 5192 of 5205)
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.

Just trying to do my duty - and keep my promises.

Bill Casey wrote a history of the American Revolution - - and had a pretty definite view of what the national interest was. He thought the Cold War was awful - and justified some awful things - - but now, he'd want it to be over.

Last year, I asked gisterme on a number of occasions What had I ever done that was not in the national interest - - and she didn't have any argument that I was going against national interests that amounted to much. I think I'm serving national interest - and some other people do, too, or a basically conservative newspaper wouldn't be tolerating this forum.

Mazza, you sometimes amuse me, but not always. You've been advocating the "missile defense" fraud here for quite a while - pushing it very hard - - and you also, it turns out, advocate setting up a University in Space. That shows an astonishing absence of judgement - an insensitivity to the size of things - and how numbers matter - practically and morally.

A quote in Jack Hitt's article is worth noting, when judging space weapons - "it costs a bar of gold to put up a coke can."

. The Next Battlefield May Be in Outer Space by JACK HITT http://www.nytimes.com/2001/08/05/magazine/05SPACEWARS.html

How much would your "University" cost - in a world where it costs a bar of gold to put up a coke can - and as much to move that coke can mass from one orbit to most other orbits ?

Both your practical judgements and your moral judgements are atonishingly out of proportion.

As for mine - I'm trying to do the best job I can possibly do, within my limitations, to serve the national interest - mostly in areas where national interest - and broader interests are the same.

The fact is, I think progress is being made, and the world, ugly as it is - is getting safer. Maybe I'm misjudging that - - but it keeps me working. From where things are, if some leaders asked to get some facts straight - a lot of things might get much better.

MD5149 rshow55 10/23/02 1:17pm . . . MD5149 rshow55 10/23/02 1:17pm
MD5149 rshow55 10/23/02 1:17pm . . . MD5149 rshow55 10/23/02 1:17pm

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

mazza9 - 02:26pm Oct 24, 2002 EST (# 5193 of 5205)
"Quae cum ita sunt" Caesar's Gallic Commentaries

So now a peaceful, progressive, educational institution in inimical? A world at peace is a world where mankind's pursuits are "of the mind". Universities were founded by people interested in knowledge. The rediscovery of classical writings in the Moorish libraries of 12th Century Spain after the Cid drove out the Moors, was the catalyst that begat the universities in Italy and eventually all of Europe. Does the term Renassiance mean anything to you?

Maybe, Space University could bring all of mankind together to solve Earth's problems without the need to deal with those individuals who "establish" social and political systems through the force of arms.

Anything that man conceives is possible. I believe that it was Robert Kennedy who espoused the pursuit of dreams, as did Martin Luther King! Robert Kennedy was brought down by a Palestinian nationalist, (as if his actions were anything but horrible) and Martin Luther King was brought down by an ignorant doofus.

Remember, Truth and Justice over Ignorance and Supersitution! You're clueless!

lchic - 04:19pm Oct 24, 2002 EST (# 5194 of 5205)
~~~~ It got understood and exposed ~~~~

UNI vers ity

UNI verse city

The home of poets?

lchic2002

(11 following messages)

New York Times on the Web Forums Science Missile Defense