New York Times on the Web Forums Science

Missile Defense

Russian military leaders have expressed concern about US plans for a national missile defense system. Will defense technology be limited by possibilities for a strategic imbalance? Is this just SDI all over again?

rshowalter - 02:51pm Feb 28, 2001 EST (#801 of 802)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

Dialogs somewhat like this may go on, and may be forced to go on, among countries.

Countries deeply dependent on the United States are raising doubts in public, and private dialog is likely to be more rigorous than the public dialog is.

Less than a week before he meets President Bush in Washington, the president of South Korea today publicly took Russias side in the debate over Washingtons plan for a national missile defense.

A joint communiqu issued by President Kim Dae Jung with the visiting president of Russia, Vladimir V. Putin, declared that the 1972 Antiballistic Missile Treaty, which would be threatened by Washingtons project, was a cornerstone of strategic stability. The treaty should be preserved and strengthened, the communiqu said.

The declaration by Mr. Kim whose country is protected with the help of 37,000 American troops was one of the strongest to date by one of Americas Asian allies

South Korea Takes Russias Side in Dispute Over U.S. Missile Defense Plan by PATRICK E. TYLER

The article goes on to cite steps, proposed by Russia and being discussed with the Koreas, that might go far to neutralize one of the "rogue states" that we are so afraid of.

Somewhat analogous steps might, at least conceivably, neutralize the threat posed by Iraq.

It may be that basic facts, never before clarified, are going to be clarified. It may be that new solutions, much better than the old ones, are going to be found.

When facts are in the open - so that the undeniable cannot be denied, and the indefensible cannot be defended, old uglinesses may give way to new solutions of disciplined beauty.

Just now, the things one can observe seem consistent with the possibility that this may happen.

rshowalter - 03:00pm Feb 28, 2001 EST (#802 of 802)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

It still seems to me that something like the basic proposal I set out on September 25th, and discussed all that day with President Clinton, could work. rshowalt 9/25/00 7:32am

Human actions work best according to the following pattern:

"Get scared .... take a good look ..... get organized ..... fix it .... recount so all concerned are "reading from the same page ...... go on to other things."

I believe that elimination of nuclear weapons should proceed according to this pattern, with details well crafted enough so that the pattern worked for almost all people in the world. It would be a major challenge to disarm in a way that was aesthetically pleasing, and understood to be honorable, by all concerned. I believe that people are artistically perceptive enough to meet this challenge.

I believe that we could do it soon, and that we should do it soon. rshowalt 9/25/00 7:36am

New York Times on the Web Forums Science Missile Defense