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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 - 06:08pm Sep 12, 2001 EST (#8880 of 8905)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

almarst , I happen to think you have a very respectable position there.

Some terrorists have said the same -- and their argument is - -

" since the United States acts as it does, and threatens as it does, we can do anything.

It is a terrible argument - - but in terms of logic and proportion, has some things to be said for it.

We need to take away the intellectual and religious justification for terrorism that is actually used - - which is justification in terms of the stances of the United States - - by getting rid of nukes. Or, at least, reducing them a helluva a lot.

The US would be better defended, and safer, without them, and so would everybody else in the world.

rshowalter - 06:11pm Sep 12, 2001 EST (#8881 of 8905)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

I think people should read the all-day discussion I had with "becq" on September 25 2000 (who I believed at the time was Bill Clinton) and see how matter-of-factly he acknowledged the role of nuclear threats in US diplomacy.

rshowalter - 06:16pm Sep 12, 2001 EST (#8882 of 8905)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

That day started with a proposal from me MD266-269 rshowalt 9/25/00 7:32am

went on all day, included this:

" Quite true thats why America makes it quite clear and indicates that it will use nuclear weapons if it feels it needs to. " MD301 beckq 9/25/00 5:03pm

and ended with an offer from me that still stands MD304 rshowalt 9/25/00 5:28pm

rshowalter - 06:18pm Sep 12, 2001 EST (#8883 of 8905)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

It was an unapologetic terrorist stance.

In almarst's terms, and in mine.

If we changed our stance, we'd have a much better chance of controlling all other forms of terrorism.

rshowalter - 06:21pm Sep 12, 2001 EST (#8884 of 8905)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

I am very strongly for condemning and eliminating terrorism.

In all its forms.

A big thing the world has to do is become more like a community , and less like a Hobbesian gaggle, engaged in a war-of-all-against-all.

To a quite encouraging degree, I think there have been steps in that direction in the last few months.

rshowalter - 06:24pm Sep 12, 2001 EST (#8885 of 8905)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

gisterme 9/12/01 6:02pm , when did I ever say that our "free society" --- especially the free parts, wasn't worth fighting for?

Never did.

I don't always like you either - - it seems to me that, quite often, you drag red herrings across the dialog, just to close off conversation whenever you feel you or your colleagues need to pull a fast one, usually for private profit, to the disadvantage of the United States and our allies.

rshowalter - 06:34pm Sep 12, 2001 EST (#8886 of 8905)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

Talk about insulting the memory of our fighting men who lost thier lives, and insulting the men who fight today . . . . look at this:

. Elder Bush in Big GOP Cast Toiling for Top Equity Firm by LESLIE WAYNE http://www.nytimes.com/2001/03/05/politics/05CARL.html

Don't you think soldiers have reason to be ashamed of that sort of thing?

rshowalter - 06:46pm Sep 12, 2001 EST (#8887 of 8905)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

I'm working to defend and protect the reasonable interests of the United States.

Not interests that cannot stand the light of day, held by a small group that has, long ago, forgotten both about its job and its responsibilities.

MD8246 rshowalter 8/30/01 3:05pm ...contains many links about what this thread is built to do, and what it has done.

MD8258 rshowalter 8/31/01 8:10am ... MD8259 rshowalter 8/31/01 8:16am
MD8260 rshowalter 8/31/01 8:55am ...

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