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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 - 01:30pm Nov 22, 2002 EST (# 6152 of 6164)
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.

The technical ease with which checking can be done has shifted up radically in the last 20 years - and significantly in the five years.

It is far harder for people in advanced societies to hide things than it used to be.

It is far harder for military forces to make big surprise attacks than it used to be.

And there things will get harder still.

This thread, and work elsewhere on the internet - has made "connecting the dots" easier than it used to be - though still neither certain nor costless.

The changes that have occurred - and that are occurring now, are large enough that people need to rethink some old patterns - because of new problems, and new opportunities.

I believe that these changes have made it possible to take the incidence of agony, death, and cost from war far below what it was in the 20th century. So far as I can see - if we could get some reasonable and enforceable rules of checking agreed on - and a few other reasonable, enforceable rules agreed on - - that reduction in incidence would be achieved.

It looks possible to me - with the people involved - and the problems as they are - in the not-too-distant future -- if people just stay awake, keep working - and stay reasonably honest - if not with each other - at least with themselves.

rshow55 - 01:33pm Nov 22, 2002 EST (# 6153 of 6164)
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.

For example - it seems to me that if there were reasonable, enforceable, and well enough enforced rules on checking - including some checking across cultures and across borders - - the terrible risks connected to Iraq - the folly of Islamic terror attacks - - and the North Korean impasse - would all be solved - reasonably peacefully - and in ways reasonably comfortable to everybody involved.

almarst2002 - 01:39pm Nov 22, 2002 EST (# 6154 of 6164)

"Is there a right to check - and an obligation to accept checking?"

Only if Freely accepted and Fully symmetrical.

rshow55 - 01:45pm Nov 22, 2002 EST (# 6155 of 6164)
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.

almarst2002 11/22/02 1:39pm - - those are things to be desired - but in the real world - there have to be limits - sometimes substantial limits.

To find those limits - you have to start accounting costs.

We have to do considerably better in the checking department - and there have to be efforts to have the improvement symettrical - - but perfection isn't possible.

I'd be for having Iraq fully disarm in the ways it has agreed to do

and

asking for a much fuller accounting - on a number of issues you've pointed out - from the United States.

Those would be important steps - workable together - that would take us a long way.

almarst2002 - 01:46pm Nov 22, 2002 EST (# 6156 of 6164)

rshow55 11/22/02 1:33pm

Robert,

Do you believe the following:

- The Right of the Citizens to bear Arms

- The Ballance of Powers and Checks and Ballances

- The universal application of Law

- The protected rights of Minority

- The "No Taxation Without Representation"

(8 following messages)

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