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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.

lunarchick - 10:11pm Jan 9, 2003 EST (# 7544 of 7557)

NK spends $5-7 billion pa on Military

Put the USA figure on the board please!

gisterme - 12:30am Jan 10, 2003 EST (# 7545 of 7557)

lunarchick 1/9/03 5:40am

"...Euros said that Americans didn't have the experience of their cities being bombed and flattened WWII..."

That's right, lunarchick. America went to war to put a stop to that in Europe and to prevent the same from happening at home.

America is at war now for the same reason.

What does the fact that American cities had never been attacked from the air prior to Sept 11, 2001 have to do with knowing America knowing about the capital or social cost of war?

There were three quarters of a million gold stars displayed in American windows during WWII. Those stars were there because America was willing to spend the blood of its young men to defend a concept, Liberty. America wasn't attacked by Germany before it decided to spend that fiscal and social capital to help it's friends. It was not a member of anybody's empire. What other nation has spent so dearly for less than its own home defense? Can you name one?

Incidently , I'd like to apologize for getting angry at what you said yesterday about all this. Although I meant what I said, pity would have been a more appropriate emotion.

Getting angry at someone because they are ignorant, misinformed or mentally challenged is not a good thing. Sorry.

gisterme - 01:35am Jan 10, 2003 EST (# 7546 of 7557)

lunarchick 1/9/03 6:02am

"...A US Senator it putting up a bill that says a representative cross section of Americans should be called up to go to Iraq..."

Why call up anybody who doesn't want to volunteer when nobody more is needed? The senator you mention has partisan and self serving political reasons for making his proposal.

"...The Good Senator says that AfAms compose the US military for the most part ... whereas in the general population they ae 25% (nearer 11% ?) ..."

I don't know if that's true or not, lunarchick; but, if all people are created equal, and we live in a truly integrated society, why should it matter? Why do you suppose the "good senator" insists on trying to sustain a sort of social segration against the will of all? Do you suppose the good senator would make the same proposal if the US military were entirely composed of Americans of Europoean ethnicity?

Place your index fingers gently on your temples, your thumbs at the base of your earlobes, your pinkies together at the bridge of your nose and try to reason this question out: "Why would a senator from a particular political party, one that counts on the votes of blacks, want to be creating an illusion of continued segregation and victimization among blacks?"

Stop trying to think now, lunarchick, lest you strain yourself. I'll tell you the obvious answer. When blacks realize that they are truly integrated into American society they will no longer be a "voting bloc". They will no longer be politically segregated.

This is one of those situations I've been talking about lately and an example I'm glad you've brought to light. Even though blacks have the same rights as anybody else here, for the sake of sustaining political segregation, the perception that they do not have equal rights is projected, contrary to the reality, in order to keep them "grouped". The price that black citizens pay for that is remaining segregated by the very folks they vote for.

"...The military sucks in the AfAm population because it's a way of them putting themselves through 'college' and getting that degree!..."

Why shouldn't anyone take advantage of an opportunity? You're beginning to sound like a segregationist yourself, lunarchick. Do you hear what you're saying?

"...The Senator says 'all' should have a cross-sectional opportunity to endure the 'war' experience ..."

All do have the opportunity to endure the military experience. All they need do is volutneer. But all Americans have no choice but to endure the war experience even if they don't volunteer. That's because they're Americans and America is at war.

"...of course he's [the "good" senator] right !..."

Think what you will, lunarchick. I think the senator you refer to is a self serving coward who's selling out all those folks who share his ethnic background by counting them and their own personal decisions less worthy than those of all other Americans.

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