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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.

almarst2002 - 04:55pm Nov 22, 2002 EST (# 6178 of 6185)

rshow55 11/22/02 4:13pm

As for me, I am still waiting to hear western and particularely American Leaderships really condemn terrorism. The most shameful of kind. Where the terrorism strikes from a safe distance. Cheerfully. On a really mass scale. With no remorse. No pitty. Cost-effectively. TV-fotogenically. PATRIOTICALLY!

almarst2002 - 05:02pm Nov 22, 2002 EST (# 6179 of 6185)

A lot to be thankful for - http://www.msnbc.com/news/837753.asp?0dm=C202O

almarst2002 - 05:05pm Nov 22, 2002 EST (# 6180 of 6185)

American Neo-Nazi Ties - http://www.germany-info.org/relaunch/info/archives/background/right_violence.html

German officials estimate that American organizations produce and send 85% of all the outlawed neo-Nazi material found in Germany.

rshow55 - 05:15pm Nov 22, 2002 EST (# 6181 of 6185)
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 4:55pm . . . Let's suppose, for the purposes of argument, that I agree with you. Within some limits, I do.

In some other ways, I disagree.

How would we get to where you'd like to be?

In addition to indignation and rage - you've got to look at the structure of things.

And look at how things might change - from where they are today.

It might be clarifying to consider this:

What could be common ground for NATO + Russia + China + Japan - the United States ? ? ? ? ? ?

or, a more limited question

What could be common ground for Germany + France + Sweden + Norway + Denmark + Holland + Belgium + Russia + China + Japan ? ? ? ? ?

If that question was answered - a much safer and more comfortable world might be possible - in ways that would be in the interest of virtually anybody reasonable.

But as for people who advocate Al Queda - for myself - I'd advocate killing them - and if they were sufficiently bunched up - would have but little objection to doing it with bombs.

After all, I have to wonder - what they'd want to do to us?

rshow55 - 05:26pm Nov 22, 2002 EST (# 6182 of 6185)
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.

Suppose, just as a thought question, that a leader on the lists below actually wanted to find out the answer to the question

What could be common ground for NATO + Russia + China + Japan - the United States ? ? ? ? ? ?

or wanted an answer to the question

What could be common ground for Germany + France + Sweden + Norway + Denmark + Holland + Belgium + Russia + China + Japan ? ? ? ? ?

Exactly why would it be hard, using net, mail, and telephonic resources available today - to find out?

How hard would it be to discuss enough to bring that common ground into focus?

(Much of the discussion could happen at lower levels - with hypotheticals hashed out, details considered, without bothering the top people.)

How hard would it be to get some journalists involved, if that was desired?

If the United States is, by default, the only intellectually clear and more-or-less unified actor - that isn't only the fault of the United States.

How about the powers who feel alienated doing some work?

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