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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 - 09:58am Apr 5, 2001 EST (#1996 of 1998)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

Storage is getting very, very cheap: http://www.nytimes.com/2001/04/05/technology/05STORR.html In the Storage Race, Will Consumers Win? By MICHEL MARRIOTT

rshowalter 4/1/01 1:45pm

" The modern news genre has its origins in a sweeping but little-understood revolution at the turn of the (20th century) by figures like Joseph Pulitzer, Ivy Ledbetter Lee, and Woodrow Wilson, who helped to gut the liberal traditions of American democracy and replace them with a system of constitutional oligarchy based on news, the public-relations oriented corporation, and the activist presidency.

That revolution was based on usages that relied on limitations of human memory, and limitations on the human ability to handle complexity. With the internet, those limits can be radically extended, and the techniqus of the "culture of lying" can be placed under new, powerful, and entertaining pressure, in the public interest.

Not only would this change be in the public interest. It would be entertaining ! And with storage as cheap as it is now, manageable.

major social problems, and reasonable hopes for their solution, depend on how the press functions. rshowalter 4/1/01 8:14am

If mainstream journalism powers changed their procedures and policies only just a little, the penalties for bad faith an lying by politicians and "political operatives" might increase radically, quickly, entertainingly, and at low cost. rshowalter 4/1/01 12:56pm

The technology of the internet is making the techniques of opinion manipulation developed before WWI (and highly evolved since) much more vulnerable than they used to be, because many more words are available; content can be available, subject to very extensive crossreferencing over very extended times; and there is therefore much more possibility of getting issues considered to a level that permits closure. rshowalter 4/1/01 12:54pm
rshowalter 4/1/01 12:59pm
rshowalter 4/1/01 1:07pm
rshowalter 4/1/01 1:09pm

What if subjects of stories were routinely notified, and denials or discussions were made available on the internet - archived as the articles were.

I think the change would be practical, would act to increase the power and reliability of journalism, and could be self supporting, or even a money-maker. rshowalter 4/2/01 8:39am

rshowalter - 09:59am Apr 5, 2001 EST (#1997 of 1998)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

Detailed discussion on nuclear weapons matters, involving journalists and others, might be a good place to perfect all the technology this would need.

almarst-2001 - 11:16am Apr 5, 2001 EST (#1998 of 1998)

lunarchick 4/5/01 1:08am

"Clinton was pushed into Yugslavia by Europe"

Wery well may be. But this does not reduces his responsibility, particularelly since the NATO is under US command. Additionally, there are many indications of much earlier CIA-KLA cooperation. The Rambullette (spelling?) was reported as designed by US (appendix A on a "technical" details is particularelly noticable requesting the de-facto NATO occupation of the whole Serbia).

The famous "fields of death" of up to a 100000 Albanians used as a reason for a bombing was "based" on data provided by US satelites.

The UN War crimes tribunal was financed in large part directly by US and issued an indictement against Milosovic just couple of weeks after the bombing started in a clear attempt to sabotage any possible negotiations less then unconditional capitulation.

The actual bombing was planned and approved by Pentagon before presented to European partners, supported by US provided inteliigence data. The bombing of Chinese Embassy was executed in absolute secret by B-2 bombers which flew directly from US.

"On Monica - she has a higher intellect than Bush."

At least she used it more;)

"Travellers say Hong Kong is now a 'dirty' city (as is London), and that there is no understanding of the needs of the travelling customer -- they're coming unstuck!"

Sorry, can't compare - never was there. Do you think they replaced the street cleaners or cut the budget?

"Checnia-Russia ... is there an omission here ... doesn't Russia refuse to give Checnia independence ... and isn't this related to resources? Better they have it and Russia pays, or pays rent, for facilities crossing that zone."

There are many problems in this area the Russia is very sensitive to:

- Mixed population, particularelly in cities, up to 50-60% Russians.

- Strategic location for existing and planned Caspian oil pipes plus some local oil production.

- Strategic location vis-a-vi Gorgia and Turkey.

- Fear of spread of armed Islamic fundamentalism openly supported by Taliban, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.

- During 2 years of "independence" after the first war with Russia, Chechnia became a terrorist-mafia heaven, the main route of narco and human traffic to Europe. As well as a base for frequent invasion, terror and incitement of near-by southern-russian territories with mixed national populations.

- Chechnia was never an independent state, but always a very independent tribal area having the longest historical alingment with Turkey and used as a major Turkish outpost against Russia for centuries. Just like the Russian Casaks played the opposite role on the Russian side.

"On Putin's speech ... his speech would have been visionary .. the detail can be filled in appropriatly - later."

Sorry, have not heard.

"On understanding Germany"

Let's hope the past will never be repeated. But I was more interested in a Russia-Germany relations which have repeated the same phases many times in a past. They always have a closing period followed by a sadden break and war. Usually as Germany gets an illusion of its relative power and Russias demise. Doesn't seem to may happen again this time.

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