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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 - 12:42pm Apr 19, 2001 EST (#2394 of 2404)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

Some of the stronger signs of anger between the US and China seem to have smoothed out today, perhaps in part because of ambassadorial changes.

But the issue of unresolved hatreds remains a key one. rshowalter 4/18/01 2:24pm
The standards set out in http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200104/18/eng20010418_67992.html seem very good ones, to apply to both the US and China in this regard.

lunarchick - 03:43pm Apr 19, 2001 EST (#2395 of 2404)
lunarchick@www.com

China Daily Press: http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/home.html they're still talking SPY_PLANE and offer a public opinion barometer on should China have entered the Plane ... 48% say NO!

lunarchick - 03:46pm Apr 19, 2001 EST (#2396 of 2404)
lunarchick@www.com

I see China are big on 'White Papers' that offer their viewpoint. Any equivalent 'White Papers' from Moscow regarding their political and economic development. Would the Moscow paper(s) have an English_text edition ?

rshowalter - 04:11pm Apr 19, 2001 EST (#2397 of 2404)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

Both good ideas !

The discipline of getting "White Papers" written, and discussed, would be very good. English editions of papers would be very good, direct evidence of the reasonableness of Russian positions.

rshowalter - 04:13pm Apr 19, 2001 EST (#2398 of 2404)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

An effort to license some foreign papers for Russian language use might be of interest, too --

Just an idea (ahem) --- suppose that Russia (perhaps with a government subsidy) arranged for a "Russian translation" of some distinguished papers

for instance The Washington Post and The Los Angeles Times

and made that available on the internet. Might be good for Russia -- a clear - comparison of standards ( perhaps you might do the same with the National Enquirer , as well) and might also be very useful indeed as language instrution -- people, with a little effort, could be looking at running parallel texts, in Russian and English --with straightforward grammar and clear, objective referents (pretty often). A great way

1. to teach language

and

2. to identify when languages are NOT exactly isomorphic - as Russian and English are sometimes not.

rshowalter - 04:41pm Apr 19, 2001 EST (#2399 of 2404)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

2029 rshowalter 4/6/01 6:34am You shouldn't underestimate how deeply the NYT cares about it when journalists get beaten up, killed of (yes, this happens often enough to the female ones, raped.) That's a "gut" issue to the NYT. And so is a free press.

Made some suggestions:

2030 (with links) rshowalter 4/6/01 6:50am

2031 (with links) rshowalter 4/6/01 7:08am

" 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

" If Russia did this, she would assure herself a free press at home -- the most important thing Russia needs, I believe, and she'd have taken a huge step toward getting a fair press abroad.

One thing is sure -- though many (not all) will wish to give Russia a "good press" if they can -- Russia has to proceed, in a way that works for Russia, but that she can explain and justify -- to deserve a good press from abroad.

rshowalter - 04:46pm Apr 19, 2001 EST (#2400 of 2404)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

Maybe Russia, for all her problems, can take some steps forward. If RUSSIAN journalists covered problem with the American and European press - that might improve the thinking and practices of all concerned -- if each could see both what was good, and bad, both what was transferrable, and what not, about each other's systems. rshowalter 4/1/01 1:45pm

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