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Missile Defense

Nazi engineer and Disney space advisor Wernher Von Braun helped give us rocket science. Today, the legacy of military aeronautics has many manifestations from SDI to advanced ballistic missiles. Now there is a controversial push for a new missile defense system. What will be the role of missile defense in the new geopolitical climate and in the new scientific era?

kalter.rauch - 06:15am Sep 27, 2000 EDT (#310 of 396)
Earth vs <^> <^> <^>

Yeah, we had those classes in high school...... One term laying out the struggle against World Bolshevism...and a term on Civil Defense.

Don't let defeatists or 5th column rumor-mongers sap your will to survive. It is very possible to survive the critical period of prompt radiation and overpressure. Careful planning will minimize exposure to fallout.

Remember......after the surprise attack, Ivan will make his move.

rshowalt - 06:26am Sep 27, 2000 EDT (#311 of 396)

There's something I feel the need to say. I don't think I've been unfair, but I've been incomplete on a matter that concerns both justice and hope.

If Bill Clinton has been imperceptive, and acquiesced in bad things not of his origination in nuclear policy, so have previous presidents.

He's paid attention, primarily, and his experience comes, primarily, from domestic politics. He is perhaps the most outstandingly effective politician of our time, because he is able to get people together, in ways that work for them. (Ways that require a minimum of deception, and a maximum of clarity). He does this so well that, in spite of his flaws, and disproportionate attacks on him based on these flaws, he has led the United States of America outstandingly well. Look how well the nation is doing, in many, many ways where he has made, or led in the making of, crucial decisions!

I believe that W. J. Clinton is, flaws and all, a gifted, careful, moral actor. He leads people into accomodations that actually work long term. Only morally straight leaders can do this as well as Clinton does it. In my view, we may not have had a more careful, effective moral actor counting everything done, with reasonable weightings on things done in the White House since Roosevelt (no angel himself.)

I think many of the people who hate Bill Clinton most, especially Southerners, basically hate him for the good and careful things he's done. As governor of Arkansas, he worked hard, year after year, to sweep away the vestiges of the rationaliztions of slavery and racial injustice, to make a freer and better society possible. He did so, and stayed an effective politician. He made some headway. He is widely hated for it, and the people who hate him for this will do what they can to blow anything he does wrong surreally out of proportion. (Not that he's an angel.)

If Bill Clinton wanted to rid the world of nuclear weapons, there would be nobody better fit to do it, or with a more solid moral right to insist on it. Look at the good things Clinton's done. All of them. His faults, ugly as they are, are relatively small, and he's faced the consequences of his mistakes with considerable discipline and courage.

Notwithstanding, nuclear weapons, and American policy concerning them, are as ugly and dangerous as they are. I hope he does something about them.

Respectfully,

M. Robert Showalter

beckq - 11:36am Sep 27, 2000 EDT (#312 of 396)

rshowalt - 06:26am Sep 27, 2000 EDT (#311 of 311

I think that even Bill cannot overcome the basic flaws of man. Go back to Hobbes.

keynes_blows - 01:51pm Sep 27, 2000 EDT (#313 of 396)

rshowalt - nucleur bombs are too easy to make now a days, and our ability to insure that some madman will be able to build one is no where near safe enough.

Bill Clinton lead Arkansas from being one of the worst states in terms of per capita income and other yardsticks, to being... about the worst state.

He is an effective SPEAKER because he's a great liar, and certainly has great oratory skills as well.

But, he doesn't have the ability to "bring people togethar," simply by the fact that he has alienated so many.

And the people on his own side that he has sacrificed to keep his own name clear of the crimes he's committed makes him a traitor to his own kind.

keynes_blows - 01:55pm Sep 27, 2000 EDT (#314 of 396)

Gail Collins, you don't know the first thing about military technology, your just another brainless journalist that likes to think that they understand anything about anything.

You seem to believe that US foreign policy ought to be extorted by the N. Koreans and the Iraqis, and the Chinese. Why?

Finally, when an administration is clearly lukewarm about pursuing a missile defense, and has taken the first small steps due to a political need rather than a defense one, then yes it is leadership that has hampered our ability to improve upon the technology.

Why dont' you just say that you don't want us to have a missile defense, and will say whatever you have to to bring that point across? Why don't you tell you that in your heart, you pray to Chairman Mao, and hope his way of life will prevail?

You do understand that as a Journalist, if you held any views contrary to their Politburo, (though I doubt that you have any views contrary), that you wouldn't be allowed to publish them, and would be punished for even having them?

You're as much of a liar as Bill Clinton.

beckq - 02:40pm Sep 27, 2000 EDT (#315 of 396)

keynes_blows - 01:55pm Sep 27, 2000 EDT (#314 of 314)

hey idiot,

I don't want NMD and HAVE DONE and will continue to do everything in my political power to prevent it.

p.s.

Kenyes was brilliant;0

lunarchick - 06:10pm Sep 27, 2000 EDT (#316 of 396)
Barrier Reef - not the place4 - NUKE SUBs !

As the poem intimated - the species is in to self perpetuation - Nwinters are unsurvivable ... if the air, water and crops aren't usable ... how long could we survive?

lunarchick - 09:38pm Sep 27, 2000 EDT (#317 of 396)
Barrier Reef - not the place4 - NUKE SUBs !

That's an ORDER! Milgram (1963) - the classic study in this area: http://www.fsu.u../_images/dept/psyc/southerl/prism/bill.htm http://www.usafa.af.mil/dfpfa/CVs/Bertha/Psyhero.html http://www.uwinnipeg.ca/~epritch1/social98a.html http://www.abacon.com/baronbyrne/chapter9.html http://www.psychology.org/links/People_and_History/

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