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?

lunarchick - 05:25pm Mar 16, 2001 EST (#1103 of 1112)
lunarchick@www.com

All the more reason for having cultural exchanges so that the next generations get to 'know' each other and the suspiscion is lessened! As in U C and C U !!

rshowalter - 05:29pm Mar 16, 2001 EST (#1104 of 1112)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

And there are plenty of Russians, and Americans, who act in bad faith, and are nasty folks.

Neither side smells like roses at all times.

lunarchick - 05:30pm Mar 16, 2001 EST (#1105 of 1112)
lunarchick@www.com

How does one negotiate with a President who understands (does he?) baseball.

If others wanted cultural exchange should they be DEMANDING or descreet. Perhaps demanding. As in work out what they want and TELL 'w' that's the deal.

Supposedly the rightwing people are 'telling' 'w' what they want re tax thresholds being highered.

lunarchick - 05:32pm Mar 16, 2001 EST (#1106 of 1112)
lunarchick@www.com

I don't know baseball ...

If the MD situation .. re extracation ... were dialogued in the culture and language of baseball .. i wonder how it would look and sound?

What is the favourite game of Putin - in climatically more limited sports terms?

rshowalter - 05:47pm Mar 16, 2001 EST (#1107 of 1112)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

almarst-2001 3/16/01 5:10pm Raises VERY important points. It seems to me that if Russia learned how as Russians to interface comfortably with the West, and especially America - and thought hard about the things you can do better , and there are plenty of them - and thought about the advantages that come from your differences --- some really big improvements in the Russian socio-technical system, by RUSSIAN standards might follow.

But you'd have to be clear that you were DIFFERENT from Americans -- wanted to continue to be, and work out your OWN standards, and your own aesthetics.

I think Russia has a lot of very big problems with lies - with facts that were never well faced and integrated -- just as Americans do, with some other facts. I think openness would be very good, on both sides -- things would run very much better "in clear."

But Russians and Americans would continue to be VERY different.

We ought, however, to be able to keep from blowing each other up. I think the controls on nuclear weapons are screwed up enough now that I'm guessing that there's a 10% chance of the the world blowing up this year -- and I don't like it.

rshowalter - 05:51pm Mar 16, 2001 EST (#1108 of 1112)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

again, rshowalter 3/16/01 4:08pm

rshowalter - 06:23pm Mar 16, 2001 EST (#1109 of 1112)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

almarst=2001 has made some very important, troubling points in 1083 and 1087

almarst-2001 3/16/01 2:53pm almarst-2001 - (#1083)

We almost armed the KLA, and DID arm the Taliban and a number of S. American monsters.

We bombed, and acted as if we felt it was "all right" to bomb. And the mass media supported that , and very much exaggerated key aspects of the situation (though atrocities were real.)

A sensible person feels he has "reason to question the true values of the US ." That's serious.

almarst-2001 3/16/01 3:46pm almarst-2001 - (#1087) is completely correct that

" the West, the US, and Russia lost a great opportunity in the last 10 years."

A huge opportunity was lost. Huge human tragedies have occurred.

I think he makes a good point about arms.

And about the fact that we SHOULD have concentrated on integrating Russia with the world economy and should now.

We have to learn better, and do better.

rshowalter 3/16/01 4:08pm and the proposal it refers to, would help.

rshowalter - 06:28pm Mar 16, 2001 EST (#1110 of 1112)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

After what the US did in the Cold War, speaking as a private person, it seems to me that some reparations, or adjustments, might be in order, as well.

lunarchick - 07:17pm Mar 16, 2001 EST (#1111 of 1112)
lunarchick@www.com

there's a 10% chance of the the world blowing up this year

the movie 'crison tide' hit tv last night ... showed the pecking order and subversion of a sub-crew .... a frightening senario

(1 following message)

New York Times on the Web Forums Science Missile Defense