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?

almarstel2001 - 09:53pm Mar 5, 2001 EST (#842 of 846)

Robert,

You put a quite number of claims on AMD, military, internet, deception, etc.

You left me both confused and wonder. What are relations between all those? Can you support your claims, if not factually, at least logically?

As far as I see it, the situation is much simpler. After the end of a Cold War, US spends 300 b/year on the greatest military machine this world ever seen. It supports NATO expansion eastwards trying to isolate Russia from Europe. It bombs small and weak "unfriendly" countries at will for "misdeeds" it and its "frends" frequently commit themself. And now it tryes to establish its absolute superiority against Russia and China who can't match such military buildup even close. On the way, US wants to ensure its huge conventional force equiped with "smart" weaponry and spread all over the glob feel free to act without fear of even suicidal retaliation from a country having an ultimate "poison pill" of just a few ballistic missels. US wants to be able to kill and destroy without any possible retaliation - from the safety of high above and far away - just like it demonstrated in Yugoslavia and continue doing for 10 years in Iraq.

If you thing I am the only one seeing this picture you must be pretty naive. Just as US wants its freedom and protection, so do the rest of the world. and they will try to come up with solutions that fit their budget. Those solutions may end up being very crual, not so "smart" and dangerous to all. But that what US will get if it keeps on its current way.

lunarchick - 11:48pm Mar 5, 2001 EST (#843 of 846)
lunarchick@www.com

Seems the USA has primed it's economy ..sucked in the best people, innovations and developed them ... this, together with it's size and regional influence, makes it the Superpower. China might produce a good economy ahead of Russia, because it has central control over some aspects of regionalism. Russia .. even with Putin at the helm .. may not be geared for economic growth. The question is, why put reserves of wealth into unsuable systems? Better to improve the lot of the ordinary people and thereby give everyone a better deal.

dirac_10 - 03:19am Mar 6, 2001 EST (#844 of 846)

almarstel2001 - 09:53pm Mar 5, 2001 EST (#842 of 843)

Putting aside the shrill self-defeating anti-American nonsense...

It's simple, we can easily stop ICBM's from minor powers from hitting the US. We would be idiots not to. The loss of NYC alone would pay for 1000 ABMs.

It's a done deal.

dirac_10 - 03:27am Mar 6, 2001 EST (#845 of 846)

lunarchick - 11:48pm Mar 5, 2001 EST (#843 of 844)

Seems the USA has primed it's economy

Just like that? For the ABM?

..sucked in the best people,

Uhhh, brain drain?

innovations and developed them ...

I give, from spies in Russia?

this, together with it's size and regional influence, makes it the Superpower.

Nah, not even close. The climate makes it the superpower. Nothing else whatsoever matters for national prosperity. We got the best climate on the planet.

China might produce a good economy ahead of Russia, because it has central control over some aspects of regionalism.

It'll do well because it has a good parasite free climate. Duh.

Russia .. even with Putin at the helm .. may not be geared for economic growth.

It's already happening. Read the papers.

The question is, why put reserves of wealth into unsuable systems?

Wrong on two counts, first, it is very usable, shooting down ICBMs is trivial; second, it takes very little wealth.

Better to improve the lot of the ordinary people and thereby give everyone a better deal.

An H-bomb dropping on Los Angeles "improves the lot of the ordinary people"?

lunarchick - 06:51am Mar 6, 2001 EST (#846 of 846)
lunarchick@www.com

If you say so mate!

New York Times on the Web Forums Science Missile Defense