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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.

botulism - 07:21pm Jul 6, 2000 EST (#127 of 11858)

NMD is not about Defense from nuclear missiles. It is about developing a First Strike capability-- something that should be reprehensible to all thinking/feeling human beings. China recognizes that they are the main target of this system, not straw enemies like North Korea or Iraq.

Another 5 Billion dollar welfare payment to dependant corporations like McDonnell-Douglas and Grummond...

obilot - 08:16pm Jul 6, 2000 EST (#128 of 11858)

Wake Up & smell the $- the military budget is not "miniscule" as a previous missive stated. for every tax dollar you spend on education, you'll spend 8 on the military- it's the fastest growing part of the federal bedget-look at the pie chart on the back of your tax forms. the end of the cold war did not bring the much-touted "peace dividend"- instead the military budget is increasing 1.9 trillion over the next 6 years. see california peace action- www.capa.org if you want to check it out. if you want to see the true, unconcealed goals of abm, go to the source- the united state space command lang range plan, 1997- Vision 2020, at the official, public site- www.spacecom.afmil/usspace . they admit it's offensive, not just defensive, & imperialist-they want complete control. they also state they they will have to scare the public & build up concensus, & indicate that other countries are ahead, or exaggerate the possibility of enemies. (when i re-find this exact quote, i'll send it in-it's very disturbing). Here are direct quotes: "Control of Space is the ability to assure access to space, freedom of operations...& an ability to deny others the use of space, if required. Global Engagement combines integratated focused surveillance ...with a potential ability to aply force from space. Global Partnerships augments military space capabilities through the leveraging of civil, commercial, & international space systems." There is a section describing pioneering even closer (how can they get any closer than beign in the same bed?) bonds between corporations & gov., sort of hybrids, with longer-term contracts, & quicker approval processes.

obilot - 08:59pm Jul 6, 2000 EST (#129 of 11858)

If you've made up your mind, stop talking & start acting! Right now, there are people camping out in hidden areas of the vast Vandenberg Air Force Base to delay the test scheduled for July 7th to the test site at Kwajalein Atoll in the marshall islands. the Marshallese were cleared off of their land several decades ago, & live in an apartheid-like, overcrowded situation on the nearby Ebeye island. In 1983 they risked their lives to sail back to their island- operation homecoming- & maintained their reoccupation for months despite arrests. some of us in the s.f. bay area peace & justice movement (same folks who've organized blockades at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories, Diablo Nuclear Power Plant, Concord navl weapons station, etc.) found out about this & decided to support them while simultaneously re-occupying shoshone land of the vandenberg base (with the help of the shoshone tribe). you won't hear about this in the NY Times, but in 83 we did delay tests several times. using completely non-violent & creative tactics, such as leaving balloons or webs of ribbons woeven into bushes, so they know people are there & don't want to risk media coverage by hurting or killing someone. several thousand people were arrested at the front gates (serving several hours to 2 weeks in county or federal jails- some were taken in buses to tempeh, arizona. Several years later, a young woman smashed a first strike computer (security is very lax on base) & served pver 2 years in jail- she is now a lawyer helping others arrested for direct action.

The Marshallese have negotiated a month of fishing rights & are allowed back on kwajelein starting july 13th. so the timing is crucial- the democrats want a "successful" lauch before the convention. For the past year, southern & central californian s have been monitoring & interfering with the test launches.

there is going to be an international day of action at vandenberg oct. 7, 2000.- legal, family-friendly rally/vigil also- you never need to "risk arrest" to get involved- lots of support, 4, research, logistics always needed. see www.directactionnetwork.org, global network against weapons & nuclear power in space. see www.directactionnetwork.org, or the globalnetwork against weapons 7 Nuclear Power in Space (don't have site handy),or www.globenet.free-online.co.uk/, or www.abolition2000.org, for that or other actions (a lot can be done simpley with e-mail)

campaign fincance is also essential, as weaponsmongers spend 50-100 million a year lobbying congress. in calif., 93% of "our"congresspeople took arms $- find out the numbers for your state. Also, a vote for ralph nader, the only candidate promoting a cut in the military budget (by one third), is not a wasted vote. if he get's 5% of the national vote, the green party will receive federal matching funds, & can start building the party. If we keep voting for the lesser of two evils, all we ever get is more evil...

armel7 - 12:10am Jul 7, 2000 EST (#130 of 11858)
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Article:Nobels object to Missile Plan...

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emurraysc - 02:34am Jul 7, 2000 EST (#131 of 11858)

I am completely in favor of launching missles which can collide with each other at 15,000 mph.

I would just hope they load them up with all the politicians, generals and defense contractors who are promoting this insanity. The thought of them all being pulverized into space dust seems heavenly.

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