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?

rshowalter - 08:25pm May 7, 2001 EST (#3474 of 3480)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

Cast of characters -- a "PUTIN STAND-IN" -- almarstel2001 (7)

1367: almarst-2001 3/23/01 9:34am ..... 1369: almarst-2001 3/23/01 11:03am
1373: almarst-2001 3/23/01 11:54am makes a key point about checking for nuclear reductions:

" I think, in a matters of strategic nuclear arms, pretty good checking is already in place."

1376: almarst-2001 3/23/01 12:54pm ..... 1377: almarst-2001 3/23/01 12:58pm
1381: almarst-2001 3/23/01 2:00pm ..... 1382: almarst-2001 3/23/01 2:17pm
1389: almarst-2001 3/23/01 3:20pm ..... 1390: almarst-2001 3/23/01 3:27pm
1391: almarst-2001 3/23/01 3:32pm ..... 1538: almarst-2001 3/26/01 9:51am
1573: almarst-2001 3/27/01 10:13am ..... 1576: almarst-2001 3/27/01 1:45pm
1581: almarst-2001 3/27/01 9:57pm ..... 1582: almarst-2001 3/27/01 10:23pm
1583: almarst-2001 3/27/01 10:37pm ..... 1584: almarst-2001 3/27/01 10:42pm
1600: almarst-2001 3/28/01 11:26am ..... 1618: almarst-2001 3/28/01 3:06pm answered my question "why nuclear disarmament, combined with enhanced security for all nation states, should be impossible."

"The general Russan attitude toward the West and particularely the US has being severely damaged due, in my view, to the following factors:

"- The Russians in general saw the dismanteling of the Warsaw Pact, the unufication of Germany and evacuation of its military from the Eastern Europe as acts of a great good-will and clear desire to be integrated as equal into a modern World and Europe, to open the new page in their history. They believed it will result in the great benefits to their society and standard of living. They did not want any more to be an Empire but an EQUAL and RESPECTABLE member of the new peaceful World's community. Where the military power is no longer needed and appreciated. Where no nation will try to dominate or dictate. An Equal among Equals.

"- The unprecedented in a peace-time decline in Russia's economy and standard of living in a process of economic liberalization and privatization inspired and insisted on by the West.

"- The open disregard to Russian views on policy in Iraq and particularely the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia against existing international norms and laws while trying to expand to the countries directly on the Russian borders.

"Those factors destroyed the initial naive illusion of many Russians looking for an altruistic West for the help. They don't believe any more that it is in a West's interest to help Russia. And many believe in the opposite.

"They come to understand that the POWER is still (if not the only) what counts and now see their nuclear arms as the only way to ensure their dignity and respect.

"They also realised that all the nations, PARTICULARELLY DEMOCRATIC, must act STRICTLY for the BENEFIT of their VOTING POPULATION. There is no place for ALTRUISM. That realisation makes the NATO actions even more suspicious. The attempts by US to recrute the Southern and Central Asian Respublics, the insistence on an Caspian oil rutes outside Russia (even much more expens

possumdag - 08:25pm May 7, 2001 EST (#3475 of 3480)
Possumdag@excite.com

Ultimately power comes from wealth.

Wealth comes from the deployment of minds towards invention leading to innovation and production then marketing of new products, later to be revised up into a new life cycle.

(5 following messages)

New York Times on the Web Forums Science Missile Defense