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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 - 09:45pm Jun 11, 2001 EST (#4794 of 4807)
lunarchick@www.com

On the economic front in Russia, the micro situation for many people, is portrayed as 'desperate plight' when the financial aspects of structure have failed them.

It seems as if a Marshall Aid type approach has to be developed. The post WWII effort included the shipping of replacement goods out of American Factories. Most factories now have a Chinese post mark.

The practial intellectual aspects of recovery for Russia relate to having legal, commercial and industrial structures revised. Also, for people to have a sense of belonging and pride re their nation ... rather than the greedy/rip-off mentality. Russia has to be rebuild from the roots up.

The book on Russia (post from Ldn: (Sunday)Observer article)said that a problem for Russia had been the failure of the leadership to enable professional institutions to develop. Controls were constricting.

There is probably a need for strategic Russians to undertake comparative studies of the frameworks and structures that do underpin democratic countries to enable stable commerce and culture to funtion.

lunarchick - 09:49pm Jun 11, 2001 EST (#4795 of 4807)
lunarchick@www.com

http://www.observer.co.uk/review/story/0,6903,504375,00.html

rshowalter - 09:54pm Jun 11, 2001 EST (#4796 of 4807)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

Figuring out how that might be done -- at the level of providing options for citizens and leaders of Russia, and people who deal with her, will be one of the great intellectual challenges of this new century.

I said providing options -- from a distance, carefully, but being sure that only the people actually in charge make the choices.

No nonRussian is going to be able to judge well consistently in this situation -- because no one not actually there can know the Russian system, the Russian mind, and the Russian heart - in the essential ways that effective action is going to take.

There is so much difference between the capabilities of the Russian people, and what is now achieved, that the potential for wonderful improvement seems very, very great.

lunarchick - 10:09pm Jun 11, 2001 EST (#4797 of 4807)
lunarchick@www.com

To some extent you are right Showalter, but, if you look at the world (past), there is a continual diffusion (Theory of Diffusion) of social knowledge that gives ALL access to the known, the made, and the process.

There is a global culture ... it represents everything that has diffused into the common pool .. people have these 'in the bag' / 'in common' .. we are all C21 people ... we've left behind much redundant knowledge, it dies out with fading generations ... and new knowledge, new and useful ways position themselves - to be used - to 'enable' and 'satisfy' extended needs and wants.

So, although you say that Russia has her own ways and own cultures ... what they need are ways to access the modern-universal culture .. FAST!

lunarchick - 10:28pm Jun 11, 2001 EST (#4798 of 4807)
lunarchick@www.com

Singapore is a State that has a PLAN, one aspect of this is the growth of the National Carrier (airlines).

Interesting thing with airlines has been the way that ... because of National laws together with the high cost of that transport mode and infrastructure ... the recent move has been towards Alliances.

Would be interesting to consider 'countries' as airline brands ... who'd be buying into whom, and what competitive advantages would they be looking for in the short term and longer term. The Nation State soveriegn boundaries will probably start to fall.

Were there to be investment in Russia, what strengths would be perceived, what opportunities could be developed, which traditions 'started' with annual re-enforcement, how 'safe' would travellers/workers feel within the country, and what would people take away .. how would they personally 'grow' from a Russian experience ?

Much of Russia is a latent resouce (aren't most places ?), so, how can it help itself to develop ? It all gets back to levels of education and tools to use to invent, innovate, process, make .. and the minds of the people have to absorb and accept and embrace opportunities as they arise.

[noted the Russian pianists took the big prizes,in competition, this week! ]

moose15 - 11:34pm Jun 11, 2001 EST (#4799 of 4807)

The USA is far more vulnerable to mischief such as non missle explosives (remember NYC?) and CBW agents. Agents can easily be introduced which could cause confusion & panic with little or no indication of the source of the mischief. If tons of illicit drugs can be easily brought into the nation under our noses by aircraft and ship, why not small amounts of Anthrax or other BW agents...just when we are running out of vaccine which DOD must now ration!! I worked in this area in the USA & overseas. Beware of this potential! A. Townsend, MD, Col, USAF,MC(Ret)

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