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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 - 11:03am Nov 10, 2002 EST (# 5574 of 5576)
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.

Leaders have to explain themselves - and deal with their fields of responsibility - and Hussien seems to understand something about that:

Iraq Parliament to Discuss U.N. Plan By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/international/AP-Iraq-UN.html

"CAIRO, Egypt (AP) -- Iraqi President Saddam Hussein on Sunday called an emergency session of parliament to consider the U.N. resolution to disarm, while Arab ministers indicated he was ready to accept the document. . . .

Here are some basic, universal relationships that we need to take into account -- and that make our opportunities clear. 666 rshow55 3/18/02 11:13am

lunarchick - 11:37am Nov 10, 2002 EST (# 5575 of 5576)

RED
The petals of poppies
fall for past dead

Rememberance day

Flander's poppy
Fields bled

rshow55 - 05:48pm Nov 10, 2002 EST (# 5576 of 5576)
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.

If Iraqi disarmament can be accomplished and verified efficiently and gracefully, effectively and without war - that will have been a great accomplishment for the whole world - and a big step toward a workable redefinition of an international law that fits the things we actually know well enough to use about the "science of human relations."

That's looking possible.

Arab Ministers Welcome U.N. Resolution on Iraq By REUTERS Filed at 3:05 p.m. ET http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/international/international-iraq-arabs.html

I've felt, for the last few weeks, that some things have been going very well, and hopefully.

In very complex systems, patterns of solutions that exist and seem at all satisfactory, within a system of constraints, are likely to be few or unique. And often easy for people to think about and focus on in ways where they all agree. If they do enough talking and crosschecking. Views converge. People may "connect the dots" differently from particular viewpoints - but when things are considered in detail, from many different angles, with everything that matters considered - differences tend to iron out - if not about feelings, at least about facts. And to an important degree, about feelings, too. That makes considering real complexities not just daunting, but hopeful. It can find solutions that actually work, and that meet all the valid needs of everyone involved.

(Complexity: http://talk.guardian.co.uk/WebX?14@@.ee7b085/385 )

It seems to me that if Iraq, supported by other nations, finds ways to fully and convincingly cooperate with what the UN resolution asks - and lives up to its own words -- Iraq will have played a major part in working out some problems for the whole world. And can and should do so in ways that are graceful and honorable. Ways that preserve and augment Iraqi interests in Iraqi terms. And that serve the interests of the whole Arab world. It look possible.

Saddam Hussein has many flaws, and they've been much discussed. He's also a leader of ability. He's handled some very difficult problems as well or better than anyone else in the Arab world - problems that remain in an unsatisfactory state, and remain to be solved. Some of America's leaders have "had their flaws" too. Perhaps the future can be better than the past.
4978 rshow55 10/17/02 9:51am
5118 rshow55 10/22/02 3:22pm
5119 rshow55 10/22/02 3:28pm

There is coming to be a "new deal" in international law. Renegotiations are dangerous - because mistakes can be very costly. But there is a chance that the new deal coming into focus may be considerably better for the safety and prosperity of the world than the old deal. Clearer. More workable. More fit to real human needs.

Negotiations and readjustments are ongoing - and it seems to me that some important decisions are being well made.

If resolution with Iraq occurs efficiently and gracefully from where we are now - that will be a great achievement -and much better resolutions to the messes in Palestine and the Koreas may be possible too - even close at hand. 5555-5556 rshow55 11/8/02 5:56pm

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