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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?

gisterme - 08:19pm Jun 18, 2001 EST (#5401 of 5405)

rshowalter wrote: "...The Russians have concerns here..."

Of course they do. That's what president Putin said. Is that any big surprise?

I think these two presidents have just decided to forego all the tap-dancing and baby steps and that they've taken a giant step in the direction of mutual understanding. As president Bush said, they took the time to get to know each other, to initiate a personal friendship. They made arrangements to get together in the future as people who want to build friendship and trust must do. They invited each other to their homes.

The thing that amazes me is the demogoguery of those who were last week saying that president Bush was so stupid he was bound to fall on his face with president Putin; but now are saying he's stupid for trusting Mr. Putin. Those folks that have never met the Russian president face-to-face suddenly know him so much better than they did last week...enough better to say he's not trustworty. Go figure. Da' hypocrites! If president Bush listened to those types he'd NEVER get anything done.

gisterme - 08:28pm Jun 18, 2001 EST (#5402 of 5405)

almarst wrote: "Do you honestly believe in officially declared reason for MD?"

I do, almarst. That's why I think that a BMD will be built; but I'll bet you a buck that if it is built it will be as a joint project that will include Russia and (I hope) China in very meaningful ways. As you know, I think the big prize for the whole world will be a path to the stand-down of strategic nuclear missiles.

dirac_10 - 08:30pm Jun 18, 2001 EST (#5403 of 5405)

What a vast wasteland this forum is. No axiomatic system is complete. Including freedom of speech.

Added to the list of incompleteness, I suppose, is sheer volume. So much absolute drivel, that no sane person would want to flip through it. Effectively shutting out conversation on the subject.

Uh, do the voices go away when typing?

gisterme - 09:15pm Jun 18, 2001 EST (#5404 of 5405)

By the way, almarst, you asked a while back about fairy tales that American kids grew up with. The ones I recall are:

1. The Little Boy Who Cried Wolf (a variation of the classic "Peter and the Wolf")

2. Goldilocks and the Three Bears

3. Hansel and Gretel

4. The Three Little Pigs

5. The Emporer's New Clothes

6. Cinderella

7. Mother Goose rhymes

8. Snow White and the Seven Dwarves

9. Dr. Seuss tales: The Cat In the Hat, The Grench that Stole Christmas, Thidwick the Kind Hearted Moose etc.

I think most if not all of those except Dr. Seuss have European origins. I doubt that most kids growing up here today whould even be able to identify most of those. In my mind, that's a shame. They all illustrate simple lessons for living, except maybe the Mother Goose rhymes. I'm to sure those rhymes would really qualify as fairy tales.

gisterme - 09:16pm Jun 18, 2001 EST (#5405 of 5405)

Dirac,

The last post should pretty well answer your question. :-)

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