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 - 07:31pm Jun 15, 2001 EST (#5232 of 5245)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

People like George Soros probably have seen most of the systematic mismatches that exist between the cultures.

rshowalter - 07:36pm Jun 15, 2001 EST (#5233 of 5245)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

The US has some uncomfortable and anxious things about it, too.

Guardian Talk Issues Mankind's Inhumanity to Man and Woman - As natural as human goodness?

http://talk.guardian.co.uk/WebX?13@@.ee7b085/193

The link leads to #163 of that thread, a posting I did in response to an inquirry, on a Guardian thread, by an anonymous reporter who I suspect, judging from output, filed without my help the next day.

rshowalter - 07:40pm Jun 15, 2001 EST (#5234 of 5245)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

Shortly after the situation described just above, I posted this. In retrospect, it may have been too hostile.

MD380 rshowalt 10/5/00 5:54pm

lunarchick - 07:42pm Jun 15, 2001 EST (#5235 of 5245)
lunarchick@www.com

The Bwsh http://www.dawn.com/2001/06/15/cart.htm Euro tour hardly figures in the Pakistan daily

lunarchick - 07:48pm Jun 15, 2001 EST (#5236 of 5245)
lunarchick@www.com

Stereotyping, Kipling & other

rshowalter - 07:49pm Jun 15, 2001 EST (#5237 of 5245)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

On March 1, Dawn and I made a number of postings on There's Always Poetry concerning nuclear risks that may be of interest to some. http://talk.guardian.co.uk/WebX?14@@.ee79f4e/1553

gisterme - 07:50pm Jun 15, 2001 EST (#5238 of 5245)

fritzi,

Robert seems to think that enough repetition of his point of view will somehow make it acceptable to all. Go figure. I think that's a kind of brain-washing technique isn't it?

What he does do effectively is dilute the comments of others (even those on HIS side) with such a volume of links and repetitions that most others' comments seem far and few between. I have to work really hard to get one post per page unless he takes a break. It would take a person FOREVER to actually go back and read the stuff. Of course there are many repeat references...links to links to links.

Robert seems really concerned for some reason about the number of posts on this thread and even keeps track of how many ring-binders a printout of the thread fills. He's made comments about that several times. I asked him why but he didn't answer. Maybe he's getting paid by the page. I suppose that's as good of a guess as any until he tells us himself. How 'bout it Robert?

Robert is trying to create a pseudo-negotiaion format to simulate a real international negotiation by assigning proxy labels to various folks of different views that have contributed regularly to this thread. Almarst's assigned proxy label is "Putin" and Robert thinks she represents a Russian point of view eventhough almarst is not Russian. Robert has made me a Condoleeza Rice proxy. I honestly don't have a clue what Ms. Rice's point of view is except that she's part of the conservative administration. God only knows who Robert thinks he represents. Both almarst and I have said that makes us feel uncomfortable...to me, kind of "used". We've both said that we don't represent anybody but ourselves; yet Robert persists.

Still he does present the anti-BMD arguements in such a way that answereing them is kind of like picking cherries...

As for "two straight days", you haven't looked back far enough, fritzi. This has been going on for months! :-P

By the way, thanks for your thoughtful contributions of late. Poor 'ol gisterme sometimes feels like he's getting double or triple teamed. :-) One thing Robert is REALLY good at is generating volume, even though it seems to be mostly straw.

In fairness to Robert though, he has been consciencious about tracking the posts of all and periodically posts "library" lists to those posts. That does make things easier at times for everybody. Especially those who may want to go back and look through the thread.

A while back a list of arguments that had been presented by both sides of the debate to that point was posted. Nothing much new has been presented since then...if I can locate a link to that I'll post it.

lunarchick - 07:54pm Jun 15, 2001 EST (#5239 of 5245)
lunarchick@www.com

Sterotyping Russia

rshowalter - 08:12pm Jun 15, 2001 EST (#5240 of 5245)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

gisterme have you ever considered the word count of talk radio, or for that matter, ordinary conversation?

Some points, thought they are very simple, are hard to get across.

I'm mostly interested, for the next little while, in seeing whatever public implication there may be of whatever discussions happen between Bush and Putin.

(5 following messages)

New York Times on the Web Forums Science Missile Defense