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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.

gisterme - 10:40pm Jan 25, 2003 EST (# 8057 of 8072)

rshow55 - 06:32pm Jan 25, 2003 EST (# 8048...)

gisterme said:

"Oh, by the way, Robert, for the umpteenth time, I have nothing to do with the Bush administration or the US government other than being a tax payer and a voter."

Showalter says:

"...If one searched gisterme _ the 12 search pages available yesterday - and the 35 additional search pages from March 1 - that would be a dubious claim..."

Why, Robert? Why would that be a dubious claim? It's not just a claim, it's the truth! Truth is a thing you seem to have little talent for recognizing.

Oh, by the way, since you've probably got ten times as many search pages as I do, does that make you a ranking official in the Bush administration? Your own logic when evenly applied seems rather nonsensical doesn't it, Robert?

"...Again and again, gisterme claims special knowledge that would only be available to a Bush administration insider..."

Oh? That's news to me, Robert. I think you're confusing "special knowledge" with "applied common sense". Common sense seems to be another area of weakness for you. Still I'll give you the benefit of the doubt. How about just one example of a case where gisterme has "claimed special knowledge"?

"...And not infrequently, gisterme pulls rank..."

Oh? Pulled rank on whom, Robert? The only rank I have is the ability (or gift if you will) to express what I believe or know witin a context of common sense and common knowledge. If you find yourself feeling "outranked" from time to time it's because you don't seem to have that same ability. To be fair, once again, I'll ask for an example.

"...I've been under the impression, since the middle of 2001, that gisterme has had a lot of rank -or close connections to rank in the Bush administration..."

You've been sadly mistaken.

"...And looking at the record, that seems the only reasonable conclusion..."

You expose the fact that your intuitive powers are another area of weakness for you.

"...If I'm right - ...

You're not. You seem to be revealing more than usual about yourself today, Robert. Hope you're taking note.

"...and some people on the Security Counsel have been reading this thread - the matter could be checked..."

Let 'em check! :-) I do hope the folks on the UN security council have better things to do than follow this thread. Still though, you might be offering a real opportunity to the French governemnt, Robert. Proving that gisterme is not a US government official might be the greatest accomplishment the French government has managed since they surrendered to Hitler. If they were to aim really high and and apply all their brain power and strain their intelligence resources to the absolute limits, they might just succeed! :-)

That's why nobody will much care what the French government thinks WRT the Iraq issue unless we should decide to surrender. Then the French advice could be well taken since they're the only contry on the seucrity council who's forte and modus operandi is surrender.

If the US were to surrender, do you suppose the French would come rescue us?

gisterme - 10:50pm Jan 25, 2003 EST (# 8058 of 8072)

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

gisterme said: "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."

Almarst said"

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

No doubt, Almarst. Except the Iraq issue and even Al Qaeda are not really about religion. They're about bloodletting. Our blood. Muslem nations don't have problems because they're muslems or even because their culture is different to ours. They have problems because their leaders have continued to opress their people.

As much as you hate America, Alex, that's an unchangeable fact.

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

Then you're off base on two counts.

gisterme - 11:17pm Jan 25, 2003 EST (# 8059 of 8072)

I read an article a couple of days ago about some European anti-war folks who are travelling to Iraq to volunteer to Saddam Hussein to be his human shields. Can't find the link.

Now it seems to me that anybody who volunteers to defend Saddam Hussein is his friend and the enemy of his enemy. Whomever defends Saddam defends the generally atrocious treatment he has shown his people and the blatant human rights viloations he has perpatrated.

It both saddens and amazes me that such naivetie could exist in educated people. The article quoted a comment something like ..."the world will take notice when there are white European limbs and body parts flying about with those of our brown brothers"...to one of the group leaders. Wow. They're racists! They think that by being "superior" to their brown brothers they will somehow be able to prevent a war. They're believeng their own propaganda! This is a modern-day pied piper story.

If Saddam doesn't disarm and military action is taken, nothing will save anybody who's defending Saddam, regardless of their race. Those people will intentionally be increasing the carnage. I wonder how many of those young folks know that once they get inside Iraq and present themselves as human shields, they won't be able to change their minds? How ironic that their first taste of a real dictatorship will be their last.

As a lasting testimonial to the efforts of these voluntary human shields perhaps the Darwin Awards folks will make allowances for a "group award" category...or perhaps a "lemmings" branch of the arward.

The prestigeous Darwin Award goes to folks who improve the human gene pool by removing themselves from in the most stupid ways.

http://www.darwinawards.com/

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