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 [F] 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.


Earliest Messages Previous Messages Recent Messages Outline (8051 previous messages)

gisterme - 09:28pm Jan 25, 2003 EST (# 8052 of 8072)

gisterme - 09:27pm Jan 25, 2003 EST (# 8051...) (continued)

"...I have some limited faith in his good will and intelligence - ..."

Thank you, Robert.

"...but he puts his pants on one leg at a time -..."

You got something about me right! This is progress.

"...and we shouldn't trust him so well that he kills and maims more people than he could be forced to sit down and count..."

We? Who's we, Robert? You and lchic? Now, Robert, what kind of a thing is that to say? I've never killed or maimed anyone and don't want to see anyone get killed or maimed, especially my fellow Americans. Whether or not we ignore the sources of the killing and maiming of Americans and others by Iraq-backed terrorirsm, you can't deny that we've already seen killing and maiming.

America isn't about to start a war. It's about to prosecute a war that has been thrust upon it. The last administration tried to ignore terrorist attacks and may have even tried to hide them by denying that they occured. Those who openly delcared war on the United States back in 1998 refused to be ignored and escalated the scale of attacks until finally they took down the WTC. I'm sorry to say that it took such a clamity as that to galvanize the US government to action. 'Must have thought we had plenty of time.

The first WTC bombing should have been enough to wake us up, but it didn't. The various bombings of our embassies should have awakended us, but they didn't. The bombing of the USS Cole should have awakended us, but it didn't. Other things should have awakened us but they didn't. The previous administration treated these terrorists who were killing and maiming Americans as if they were just infants messing their diapers and as if they would eventually grow out of their desire to destroy us. It seems that the Clintons thought those terrorists would stop "for the children" and realize that "it takes a village" and want to cross that "bridge to the 21st century". What foolishness. The the terrorists blew up the village and the bridge and "the children" instead.

All that's happening now is that America is awake and we're going after the folks who have been prosecuting this war against us. They've been doing their worst for some time now and will undoubtedly be responsible for even greater atrocities here and in Europe; but in the end, the world will be rid of them.

A world free of those kinds of folks can only be a better place.

almarst2002 - 09:46pm Jan 25, 2003 EST (# 8053 of 8072)

Robert,

I would like to respond to the following two points you raised: Christianity/Golden Rule and whatever you call Modernity.

I already expressed my deep rejection of a Golden Rule as it is understood by Christians and presented the Jewish interpretation to show the great difference of a huge significance and implications. Staring from the expulsion of Jews and mauritanians from Spain thru Inquisition, Crusaiders and particularely the last two centuries of Colonization, mass expluatation, genocid, two World Wars using the WMD against civilian populations and Jewish tragedy of Europe - ALL perpetuated by the Christian nations. The worst crimes of Civilization where commited by Christian nations against Christians and even more so - non-christians.

On Modernity. The history have shown that free from moral quidance, the technological progress and axceleration of socio-economical changes lead to tragedies and crimes on ever greater magnitudes. Show me by example how the positive aspects of Modernity (as recognised in West) are enough to negate its negative consequences for the last two centuries, for example.

almarst2002 - 09:52pm Jan 25, 2003 EST (# 8054 of 8072)

gisterme - "All that's happening now is that America is awake and we're going after the folks who have been prosecuting this war against us. They've been doing their worst for some time now and will undoubtedly be responsible for even greater atrocities here and in Europe; but in the end, the world will be rid of them."

If you relace "America" for "Muslims" you could submit this to Bin-Laden's likely approval.

You are a great example of what I just pointed out to Robert above.

almarst2002 - 10:03pm Jan 25, 2003 EST (# 8055 of 8072)

U.S. Weighs Tactical Nuclear Strike on Iraq - http://www.latimes.com/la-fg-nuke25jan25,0,4684654.story

limpseed - 10:32pm Jan 25, 2003 EST (# 8056 of 8072)
"Do not attempt this in your motor home" - some car commercial Thanks for the tip.

almarst2002 a/x/l?

I will assume you are male.

The question is what is your age/location? tia.

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