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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 Aug 26, 2001 EST (#8160 of 8164)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

Issues of my credibility have been difficult for a long time, and some were discussed in

MD2122 rshowalter 4/10/01 7:04am .... MD2123 jqb00 4/10/01 7:23am
MD2124 rshowalter 4/10/01 8:54am ... which read in part:

"On the issue of "did either Clinton or Putin post in this thread" -- I can't be sure, but the letter I wrote to the CNN associate, copied here without giving the man's name MD2088 rshowalter 4/8/01 8:30amrshowalter 4/8/01 8:30am was adressed to a person associated with Ted Turner -- who could, if he wished, find out whether I was right or wrong. So I wasn't making an uncheckable claim, but rather a checkable claim.

And by posting that letter here, I thought I might be (on my assumptions) letting Russians know of a chance for "common ground" in a discussion.

Making claims, believed to be true, to people able to check them, seems to me to be fair play.

. . . .

I've since said - and not been contradicted, that in this thread we've been dealing with "stand-ins" for leaders - working through arguments the leaders may have to deal with. It isn't "morally forcing" to check on whether Putin and Clinton have posted here, or followed the thread in any meaningful sense.

But I believe I have made some points here, where checking should be morally forcing.

rshowalter - 04:49pm Aug 26, 2001 EST (#8161 of 8164)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

From time to time, I set out directories and summaries of this thread, because it is extensive ... MD6837 rshowalter 7/10/01 10:13am ... MD6838 rshowalter 7/10/01 10:13am MD6839 rshowalter 7/10/01 10:14am

Discussion, including many with gisterme , our "Bush administration stand-in" and almarst , our "Putin stand in" have continued.

"Counting search pages" MD7657 rshowalter 7/31/01 5:34pm

Exchanges with gisterme :
MD7656 rshowalter 7/31/01 3:16pm

Each but the last of the links below to 30 postings by gisterme:
MD7658 rshowalter 7/31/01 5:35pm ... MD7659 rshowalter 7/31/01 5:36pm
MD7660 rshowalter 7/31/01 5:36pm ... MD7661 rshowalter 7/31/01 5:37pm
MD7662 rshowalter 7/31/01 5:38pm ... MD7663 rshowalter 7/31/01 5:38pm
MD7664 rshowalter 7/31/01 5:39pm ... MD7665 rshowalter 7/31/01 5:40pm
MD7666 rshowalter 7/31/01 6:51pm ...

MD7497 rshowalter 7/27/01 11:05am

rshowalter - 04:51pm Aug 26, 2001 EST (#8162 of 8164)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

At some levels my interest and committment in these issues is great and longstanding. However, because of some awkwardnesses in my background, I've been isolated.
MD6397 rshowalter 7/2/01 8:00am ... MD6398 rshowalter 7/2/01 8:00am
MD6399 rshowalter 7/2/01 8:02am ... MD6400 rshowalter 7/2/01 8:02am

MD6057 rshowalter 6/26/01 7:22am

MD6370 rshowalter 7/1/01 7:19am ... MD6371 rshowalter 7/1/01 7:19am

When I read Maureen Dowd's Rip Van Rummy Awakes http://www.nytimes.com/2001/08/22/opinion/22DOWD.html I thought of being "Rip Van Showalter" - not having been asleep exactly -- but confined.

I'm only beginning to make contact with arms control and disarmament groups. My first contact with such people, for thirty years, was a little more than three weeks ago. I very much admire them, and we share some common ground. But I've not known them nearly long enough to build relationships. That takes some time -- and in my case, perhaps some introductions. Some of that is happening.

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