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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.

rshow55 - 05:43pm Jan 30, 2003 EST (# 8352 of 8361)
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.

"At a joint news conference with Mr. Aznar in Madrid tonight, Mr. Blair asserted that if Iraq's disarmament could not be achieved through the weapons inspections "it should happen with the full consent and authority of the United Nations by force."

Mr. Aznar said he hoped there would be a second United Nations resolution if the inspections failed to achieve disarmament. "That would be a very good sign that there is unity among the international community," he said.

Mr. Blair said he did not believe that Security Council members would veto the use of force if the inspectors certified that Iraq was not complying with demands for its disarmament.

"Force is the only alternative to a failed inspection route," Mr. Blair said.

(end of Cowell's article)

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What about a successful inspection route?

My own guess, right now - is that a million dollars worth of fact checking - from available sources - could save billions of dollars of waste and agony. Or tens or hundreds of billions of dollars worth of waste and agony. Thinking a little cynically, it seems to me that some French and Russian oil companies might find it more than worthwhile to fund that fact checking. Many other groups ought to be willing to do so, as well - if they looked at their own interests. Sometimes the most central issues of right and wrong - in moral terms - hinge on right and wrong about questions of fact.

I was impressed (a word that can express mixed feelings) by gisterme's 8345 http://forums.nytimes.com/webin/WebX?8@93.C3pba6D51sc.39706@.f28e622/9871 and have spent the day reading at least some of every posting that gisterme has made here since March 1 . I will be making available links to all of gisterme's postings on this thread in a convenient form. If staffed organizations looked at them - they'd have reason to be impressed - but also some reason to be careful, it seems to me.

If the UN Security Council discusses the question What about a successful inspection route? a lot of good might come. Right now, the world is being asked to put an enormous weight on the good faith and good judgement of George W. Bush. I'd argue that gisterme is closely associated with Bush that looking at gisterme's ideas and credibility might give one some cause for hope - but some reason to be careful, as well.

almarst2002 - 06:03pm Jan 30, 2003 EST (# 8353 of 8361)

"The race of the vassals has begun" - http://reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=2142228

rshow55 - 06:05pm Jan 30, 2003 EST (# 8354 of 8361)
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.

Senate Presses White House to Disclose Evidence Against Iraq By DAVID STOUT http://www.nytimes.com/2003/01/30/politics/30CND-SENATE.html

"WASHINGTON, Jan. 30 — The leaders of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee pressed the Bush administration today to sharpen its message and disclose its most damning evidence against Iraq, so that reluctant American allies and the American people know why war may be necessary.

""I appreciate the importance, as we all do on this committee, of safeguarding sources and methods in sharing highly classified information," Senator Richard G. Lugar, the Indiana Republican who is chairman of the panel, said.

"But, Mr. Lugar said, if the administration has damning evidence, now is the time to bring it forward.

almarst2002 - 06:08pm Jan 30, 2003 EST (# 8355 of 8361)

NEW YORK (AP) - The White House said Wednesday it postponed a poetry symposium because of concerns that the event would be politicized. Some poets had said they wanted to protest military action against Iraq. - http://www.guardian.co.uk/uslatest/story/0,1282,-2362176,00.html

almarst2002 - 06:11pm Jan 30, 2003 EST (# 8356 of 8361)

Only the POLICE STATE can Police the World

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