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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.

lchic - 09:56pm Jan 27, 2003 EST (# 8196 of 8219)
~~~~ It got understood and exposed ~~~~

Saddam should be on trial: Butler | January 28, 2003

"" FORMER UN weapons inspector Richard Butler has called on the international community to strive for an alternative method to war in deposing Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.

Mr Butler today suggested similar action to that under way against former Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic, who is on trial for crimes against humanity before the UN war crimes tribunal in The Hague.

"In a more ideal world Saddam should be on trial in The Hague next to Slobodan Milosevic for crimes against humanity," Mr Butler told the ABC.

"It's an established fact that his actions have led to the death of a million people.

"Why isn't the world community saying you have to yield this man for trial?"

Mr Butler praised the efforts of UN chief weapons inspector Hans Blix, who today told the UN Security Council Iraq had not accepted international demands to disarm.

Dr Blix, the head of the UN disarmament agency, said there were signs Iraq still had anthrax stocks, and dismissed a 12,000-page declaration made by Baghdad to the United Nations on its weapons programs.

Mr Butler said the Iraqi leadership had persisted with "denial in principle and then deception in practice" when it came to UN inspection and verification.

"What Hans Blix has said is that Iraq has been reasonably cooperative on the surface but he complained sharply about their failure to come forward with the material that will fill the gap in their declaration," he said.

"And I agree with him, I think that's a matter of deep concern.

"I think it just leaps off the page that Iraq has still not yet taken that central government decision that they need to take which says `yes, we'll give over those weapons, we'll give them across'."

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,5902163%5E1702,00.html

lchic - 09:58pm Jan 27, 2003 EST (# 8197 of 8219)
~~~~ It got understood and exposed ~~~~

"It's an established fact that his actions have led to the death of a million people.

"Why isn't the world community saying you have to yield this man for trial?"

~~~~~~~

nb Exactly the point i've made above in this thread

wrcooper - 11:36pm Jan 27, 2003 EST (# 8198 of 8219)

Bob Showalter:

Email me at

wcooper@21stcentury.net

I live only a few hours from you in Chicago. We can arrange to meet. This is your opportunity to check out the reality of one of your delusional obsessions--namely, that I'm George Johnson, author and journalist.

I can prove to you I am not. All you need to do is jump in your car and drive down I-94 to Illinois. We'll arrange a meeting place. I'll show you my driver's license and also a picture of George Johnson from the dustjacket of my copy of his most recent book Strange Beauty . You will note that my picture--on my driver's license--and his, on the dustjacket, aren't the same. Ergo, Q.E.D.

Look, I think I'm being awfully open and generous and brave and forthcoming to make this offer. Many people would be, quite frankly, fearful of making contact with an obviously deluded and paranoiac--no offense--individual such as yourself. Buit I'm not.

I bet we could sit down at a cafe and have a really interesting conversation about math or other things. You intrigue me.

Write me and let's set a date.

Maybe it will be a start of something new and hopeful in your life. An opportunity to begin shedding some of your delusions.

Best,

Will

gisterme - 01:08am Jan 28, 2003 EST (# 8199 of 8219)

rshow55 - 10:40am Jan 27, 2003 EST (# 8186...)

"...That work involved great contributions from "stand-ins" who have taken the role of senior Russian and American officials - -..."

Only in your imagination, Robert. Only by your proclamation. Nobody among those representing the various points of view on this board has agreed or pretended to be a "stand in" for any purpose. As much as some of us like myself and Almarst might disagree in our world views, we can agree that we only represent our own selves... not American officials, not Russian officials and not any other kind of officials.

"... a role that has continued since March 1, 2000 #207..."

A role that has never exsited except in your imagination, Robert!

I think that anyone who proudly points to something non-existant as their "work" for the last few years should step back and do some serious self-evaluation.

You're the one who's been trying to spin the magic fabric to make the king's wardrobe, Robert; but your problem seems to be that nobody else here, regardles of their viewpoint, is stupid enough to buy any of it. No matter how passionately the rest of us may disagree on some things, I'm sure we're all smart enough to know if we're naked.

I hold up the "oscillatory solution" as a prime example of your hanidwork. You can't even explain what it means so that anybody can see it; but you imply that it is the panacea that you (by Bill Casey's direction) offer the world.

"Ahhh zuch elegant Showalter vabric...oonly a vool coouldn't zee eet...ahhh, eesn't eet looovely?...follow za shvinking vatch veeth yuur eyce...eet's all zo loovely...your'e relaxin'...growin' zleeepy...here, let meee puut yuur clothz on youuu." :-)

No thanks! Personally, I prefer stability to oscillation, straight talk to double-talk, visibility to invisibilty and common sense to nonsense.

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