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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?

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rshow55 - 04:55pm Feb 22, 2003 EST (# 9222 of 9225)
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.

Gisterme, your 9184 http://forums.nytimes.com/webin/WebX?8@28.P5aoaa833ba.2020772@.f28e622/10710 is especially important, I think, and I'm working on an annotation of part of it right now.

Punishing crime is a high value. Among others. But most people are concerned about the question of what happens in the future - not just the past. We both know that. I'm concerned that Buch is likely to stop doing things that have been productive so far - and will overplay his hand - making a mess where there could be very good results that will make the whole world better. Bush is not prepared to be the world's policeman in a fully balanced way. Here's an example of a case where he isn't prepared to impose his own sense of justice (or mine) - and is right not to.

Probably the greatest mass murderer of the last century was Mao Tse Tung - and very many of the murders were as premeditated and ugly as anything Stalin did. Secretary Powell is about to visit China - where Mao's portraits are still displayed prominently, and even revered. Is Secretary Powell wrong to do so?

Neither of us thinks so. China has made adjustments - not every adjustment anyone might hope for - but many in a very good direction.

Judged by the standard of human loss and pain - there's been plenty of evil in the past. We've been associated with a lot of it - associated enough that we have to feel some responsibility. I think a lot. And do better.

rshow55 - 05:00pm Feb 22, 2003 EST (# 9223 of 9225)
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.

We're still dealing with the Korean war - where we dam bombed and fire bombed - knowingly killing more than two million N. Korean civilians (in an ancestor worshiping society) - in service of our convenience and our ideas and ideals. Ideas and ideals not universally shared - and certainly not universally shared by the Koreans (North or South.) Aren't we responsible? Somewhat responsible?

Where is justice? It may be too complicated and contradictory - in too many ways - and we may just have to go on, make right what we can, protect ourselves, and try to do better in the future. Others may have to do similar things.

During the Cold War, there was a lot of damage that we inflicted knowingly - feeling that, on balance, it was "right" to do so. Kissenger, for instance, made some very rough decisions - decisions closely associated with the death of millions - and the blighting of the lives of tens of millions. Jusified? Maybe. I might argue so. Still, lots of people in the world would call that evil.

I think it would be a fine thing to get rid of Saddam - or render him no threat to other nations - and a much lesser threat to his own people, as well. And if it can be done under UN auspices - I think I'd be very much for it - risks and all.

We've got a good chance of making the world much safer than it has been - and we need to arrange things so that - once the fairly minor, fairly temporary threats of AlQueda, Iraq, and N. Korea are rendered nonthreatening (and that does not necessarily require extermination of individuals are groups) - we can actually achieve some of the high and humane ideals that we both profess.

Gisterme, your 9184 http://forums.nytimes.com/webin/WebX?8@28.P5aoaa833ba.2020772@.f28e622/10710 is especially important, I think, and I'm working on an annotation of part of it right now.

_ _ _

I'm hoping that, with careful decisions, we can have less Fear on the Home Front By BILL KELLER http://www.nytimes.com/2003/02/22/opinion/22KELL.html rather than more. That ought to be possible. I'm not alone in thinking so.

lchic - 05:40pm Feb 22, 2003 EST (# 9224 of 9225)
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New York Times on the Web Forums Science Missile Defense