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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 - 08:57am Apr 10, 2001 EST (#2125 of 2131)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

For example, I've said that "Missile Defense" is, in Menken's wonderful phrase

" as devoid of merit as a herringfish is of fur."

I've said that Star Wars, from the beginning, has been a web of lies, and unbecoming to a nation with the "big league" pretensions Thomas Friedman speaks of so eloquently today http://www.nytimes.com/2001/04/10/opinion/10FRIE.html .

That can be checked. That should be checked, and with international force, and in detail.

That should be morally forcing.

rshowalter - 08:59am Apr 10, 2001 EST (#2126 of 2131)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

The economic interests of the leaders of the "military-industrial complex" - especially those who have held, and traded on, their government office, ought to be checked, and checked carefully, and the judgements made subject to questions of conflict of interest should be studied.

These matters can be checked and, for reasons of life and death, and the honor of the United States, checking them should be morally forcing.

rshowalter - 09:04am Apr 10, 2001 EST (#2127 of 2131)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

Threats of the first use of nuclear weapons, delivered from United States leaders to the leaders of other nations, combined with very brutal threats leading the conversations on the matter to be concealed, have been made. They have been damaging to the causes of peace and decency.

This can be checked, and made public, and it should be morally forcing to do so.

It is naive to think that the Chinese are upset primarily about the loss of a pilot. They have been threatened with mass death. And they have reason to be upset about it, though I might proceed differently from the way they have done.

rshowalter - 09:07am Apr 10, 2001 EST (#2128 of 2131)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

The story of how the US put Russia in fear of extermination, and held that nation there, not only while that nation was communist, but afterwards, and to this day, is a shameful story, that ought to be carefully checked, internationally, and widely understood -- so that the ideals of "big league diplomacy" can be consistent with humanly decent conduct, and peace, rather than exploitation, lies, and a totally unacceptable risk of destruction of the world.

rshowalter - 09:08am Apr 10, 2001 EST (#2129 of 2131)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

Russia should put her house in order. Efforts are being made.

The United States should, too.

rshowalter - 09:11am Apr 10, 2001 EST (#2130 of 2131)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

The idea that "only people who are not American can be war criminals" ought to be carefully, openly, internationally discussed, with feedback possible in detail -- using internet usages that are now available, so that the United States, and the world, can be freed of deceptions and lies that are putting the whole world at risk, and costing us all much more than we can know.

rshowalter - 09:12am Apr 10, 2001 EST (#2131 of 2131)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

I have lab work to do, and will be gone for about the next nine hours.

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