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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?

lunarchick - 07:18pm May 8, 2001 EST (#3543 of 3547)
lunarchick@www.com

Alex was right in that the 'first strike thoughts and actions 'would most often come from the crazy-people, rather than Nation States.

3% of males (sorry guys) have a limited or lacking emotional link -- autisim -- and are capable of wild crazy actions.

The move by Rumsfeld for Knowledge to enable Satllites to knock out other Satellites -- his latest ploy --

Wouldn't knowledge gained move into the heads of the crazy-people - who could then do a number on the world ... perhaps better not to 'get the knowledge' ... for no doubt it would be posted on the net by a well wisher within days of being understood.

lunarchick - 07:19pm May 8, 2001 EST (#3544 of 3547)
lunarchick@www.com

... away walking .. perhaps in training for the upcoming goodwill games ?! :)

almarst-2001 - 07:20pm May 8, 2001 EST (#3545 of 3547)

1. If my assumptions about the origin and circumstances of the WMD attack - almarst-2001 5/8/01 6:57pm - are correct and

2. The MD is not a fraud or an attempt to ensure the US world's domination

Here is what I see as the most sensible steps the US and the rest of the World should take:

1. Reduce the unintentional or unathorised WMD (ar any other lethal) military attack, including by US forces as well. The recent US military incidents, including as I suspect, the laser-fire downing of the flight TWA-800, are serious enough to make the rest of the World to feel in danger.

2. Work to avoid and eliminate any reason for any nation or group to feel desperate and isolated. Include and maintain a contact - not exclude or blocade and sunction.

3. Work to create an unbiased and credible to all sides forum for any existing or potential conflict.

4. Demand the TRUTH from the MEDIA and present and include all existing alternative points of view to wide discussion.

5. Demand all to follow the "golden rule".

rshowalter - 07:24pm May 8, 2001 EST (#3546 of 3547)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

All great points. And find ways to work out -- publically -- what the golden rule is in particular cases - in adversarial relations, not just among friends.

______

On fundamental technical feasiblility:

A suggestion for checking (one of many possible) that could settle some technical matters - and that would be both possible, and publicly credible:

3080: rshowalter 5/2/01 7:34pm ..... 3081: rshowalter 5/2/01 7:35pm
3082: rshowalter 5/2/01 7:36pm .... 3086: rshowalter 5/2/01 8:04pm

gisterme politely but definitely declined, giving an interesting argument as an aside. That argument was that the administration, no matter what - didn't want to lose face.

They wouldn't have to --- they could make peace everybody would respect that. And, after all, everybody makes mistakes.

rshowalter - 07:25pm May 8, 2001 EST (#3547 of 3547)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

People do make mistakes. Checkers, too.

But sometimes -- when things are too hard by orders of magnitude -- it isn't difficult to show that to reasonable people.

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