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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?

rshowalter - 04:48pm Jun 24, 2001 EST (#5966 of 5969)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

If that checking were done, on an open basis (and it could be -- the essentials cannot be classified) with arguments and results public, and available to all, we could do much better than just take the unexamined, stage-managed word of politicians and advocates.
MD3642 rshowalter 5/10/01 7:24am ... MD3643 rshowalter 5/10/01 7:24am
MD3644 rshowalter 5/10/01 7:32am

But as we check, we need to learn to deal with the mistakes or deceptions that turn up, with penalties that are not so severe that they paralyze progress.

MD3645 rshowalter 5/10/01 7:53am

MD3647 rshowalter 5/10/01 7:59am .....

"-- if missile defense could be funded, at the level Congressman Weldon and advocates argue for, and watched carefully by the whole world -- it might be a great thing.

"It would show, clearly, how near to the "end of the road" we are, if we are looking for satisfactory military solutions to our problems. . . . . There aren't any.

rshowalter - 04:49pm Jun 24, 2001 EST (#5967 of 5969)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

MD3650 rshowalter 5/10/01 10:55am

"I wish it were possible to webcast Congressman Weldon's news conference. It might be a reasonable thing to do. . . . I think it would be interesting for people, all over the world, to be able to see what was said, and how it was said -- and remember what happened, in case there are disagreements.

"It would also make clear how little missile defense is being offered, if it works at all, after 3-10 more years, and 60+ billion dollars.

Now, the MD proposals made in Weldon's presentation, though not abandoned, are downplayed, and there are new proposals, whipped up on very short notice. From the web site of Curt Weldon, M.C.:

. Leading Scientists Push Missile Defense Weldon, SAFE Foundation, Host Top Researchers http://www.house.gov/curtweldon/missiledefense.html

MD3651 rshowalter 5/10/01 11:58am MD3652 rshowalter 5/10/01 12:06pm MD3653 rshowalter 5/10/01 12:07pm MD3654 rshowalter 5/10/01 12:19pm

"Curt Weldon was recently has some understanding of, and sympathy for, the notion of MAD -- this is from http://www.house.gov/curtweldon/outrage.htm

MD3659 rshowalter 5/10/01 3:22pm

rshowalter - 04:50pm Jun 24, 2001 EST (#5968 of 5969)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

Currently, many of our political usages, and patterns of argument, are tightly coupled to the traditions of the journalistic "culture of lying" where nothing that really matters can be checked if anybody in power objects to the checking.
MD5915 rshowalter 5/10/01 3:22pm .... MD5917 rshowalter 6/24/01 7:01am
MD5919 rshowalter 6/24/01 7:02am ... MD5920 lunarchick 6/24/01 7:07am
MD5921 rshowalter 6/24/01 7:12am ... MD5922 rshowalter 6/24/01 7:16am
MD5923 rshowalter 6/24/01 7:34am ... MD5924 rshowalter 6/24/01 7:50am

We have to do better, with so many chances being wasted, and things so unsafe.

rshowalter - 04:51pm Jun 24, 2001 EST (#5969 of 5969)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

almarst , this thread's "Putin stand-in character" is concerned with press freedom and clear communication in Russia. But he is also concerned with our press freedom, when it matters, and the truth of our communication, when it matters.

Here are links to discussions we've had, over many days, on that subject.
MD3982_3983 rshowalter 5/16/01 5:42pm . . . MD2088 rshowalter 4/8/01 8:30am

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