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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 - 09:52am Jul 23, 2001 EST (#7328 of 7335)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

A huge triumph for international law, and the ablity of the world at large to agree, and a huge loss of face for the United States. For many years, the US has won many concessions, saying simply that it was indispensible. Other nations are learning how to go around the United States -- and are not deferring as they used to.

Bonn Summit Reaches Deal on Kyoto Accord By REUTERS http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/world/world/environment-deal.html

Nations Wrangle in an All-Night Marathon on Climate Treaty by ANDREW C. REVKIN http://www.nytimes.com/2001/07/23/international/23CLIM.html

8 Months Later, Talks on Climate Treaty Restart, Now in Bonn by ANDREW C. REVKIN http://www.nytimes.com/2001/07/20/science/earth/20CLIM.html

Frustrated Europeans Set to Battle U.S. on Climate by EDMUND L. ANDREWS http://www.nytimes.com/2001/07/16/science/16CLIM.html

The rest of the world ought to be proud, and the Bush administration ought to be ashamed, to see this happening in this way, with the US isolated, selfish, and acting the role of a pariah that deserves to be bypassed

rshowalter - 10:02am Jul 23, 2001 EST (#7329 of 7335)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

Question:

Suppose that the world, equally united, chose to curtail United States military power, and chose to penalize uses of it that they disliked? How effective could they be?

Answer:

It would take a great deal of study to even classify at a high level of aggregation all the ways there would be of doing it. In many negotiated working-out of this sort of thing, at many steps, the US would be faced with a choice of declaring war on the whole world, or losing power. After a few such steps -- there might be little unilateral American military power left, except for the threat of destroying the whole world.

The Bush administration has to make friends, and it has to justify what it does, not only to Americans, but to other nations as well.

If it chooses not to, the rest of the world, now much more unified than it was a few months ago, will have some motivations to deal with American military postures as the public health threats, and frauds, that they sometimes are.

rshowalter - 10:09am Jul 23, 2001 EST (#7330 of 7335)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

MD7247 rshowalter 7/19/01 4:36pm

" the words I value most on this thread are the words of the "stand-ins" in this thread . . . becq , almarst and gisterme . . - - I'm interested in their ideas, and hopeful that, if they keep talking, and seeing things, maybe they can come to new ways of thinking, that fit needs better than the old ways do. Ways of thinking and seeing that didn't exist before. If those ways got born, focused and became simple and clear, maybe the ideas could be communicated to real actors on the world stage. If so, maybe the world might be a safer place

So Dawn and I keep talking.

Sometimes, it has seemed to me that new reasons for hope have been taking shape. I have that feeling today. .

lunarchick - 10:16am Jul 23, 2001 EST (#7331 of 7335)
lunarchick@www.com

Showalter, one of the points i've made on this thread, is the failure to put a value on the individual.

Stephen KING (novelist) hit by a vehicle in the early Ninties has come out today and put a value on himself in relation to loss of earnings through incapacity (to author), loss of income from sales of books (unwritten) - he says he's down by almost $80 million.

So, if one (exceptional) individual has a worth of $80m over a decade, then why is it that International Military Strategists regard 'war and peace' as a game, rather than an economic fact of life.

Harry Dukes lost his life as a Prisoner of War (POW) WWII .. his daughter knew the value of the father she was denied .. and for everyone unnecessarily killed there are families who know the price and value of their loss. lunarchick 7/19/01 3:31am ~ King

lunarchick - 10:21am Jul 23, 2001 EST (#7332 of 7335)
lunarchick@www.com

On keeping the synergy flowing Showalter, this post asked you questions ... as yet unanswered - lunarchick 7/22/01 11:29pm

lunarchick - 10:42am Jul 23, 2001 EST (#7333 of 7335)
lunarchick@www.com

Nite RS & Levine81!

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