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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 - 06:33pm Sep 13, 2001 EST (#8975 of 8984)

rshowalter wrote( rshowalter 9/13/01 6:20pm ): "Think hard about doing nothing.

Are the consequences really so bad?..."

What we saw last Tuesday are the consequences of doing nothing. You tell me if they're not so bad...

rshowalter - 06:44pm Sep 13, 2001 EST (#8976 of 8984)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

Compared to what?

Bad as those consequences were -- and I'm concerned, too - - you have to ask about the consequences that could occur from now on.

We have nukes around, and something going on for 100 million angry, alienated people.

DO IT RIGHT.

YOU HAVE TIME.

DON'T GO OFF HALF COCKED.

MD269 rshowalt 9/25/00 7:36am

rshowalter - 06:55pm Sep 13, 2001 EST (#8977 of 8984)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

MD8964 almarst-2001 9/13/01 5:14pm

Almarst's suggestion has to be seriously considered in any sensible thing the Bush administration can possibly consider.

logician3 - 06:59pm Sep 13, 2001 EST (#8978 of 8984)
Bush is an idiot.

mazza9 9/13/01 2:23pm

Sticks and stones may break by bones, but your brain f*rts will never hurt me.

Bush et al received clear indications from congress and others that major terrorist activities were in the works. They did nothing about it.

Use what little logic you can muster to figure it out.

rshowalter - 07:02pm Sep 13, 2001 EST (#8979 of 8984)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

We have to find ways to safety that are practical. Not delude ourselves. . . .Sometimes, you have to count.

MD8844 rshowalter 9/12/01 3:47pm . . . MD8845 rshowalter 9/12/01 3:51pm

Fear can be very appropriate. And there are limits to what can be accomplished by disproportionate threats -- especially those that, as a practical matter, can't be carried out
MD8847 rshowalter 9/12/01 3:54pm

rshowalter - 07:22pm Sep 13, 2001 EST (#8980 of 8984)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

Yesterday, gisterme made some statements, that were heartfelt, but that concerned me, and concerned almarst.
MD8832 gisterme 9/12/01 1:48pm ... MD8833 gisterme 9/12/01 1:49pm
MD8835 gisterme 9/12/01 2:23pm ... MD8837 gisterme 9/12/01 3:16pm

MD8866 gisterme 9/12/01 5:21pm ... MD8870 gisterme 9/12/01 5:35pm
MD8878 gisterme 9/12/01 6:02pm ... MD8896 gisterme 9/12/01 8:24pm

And one comment, especially, that I've felt I had to respond to.
MD8901 gisterme 9/12/01 8:50pm ...

This thread is mostly built for staffed organizations, and I feel that gisterme's question -- basically " when was I ever evasive?" -- is an important question.

" Give me one example of some "red herring" I've posted for any purpose, Robert. ....

The question can best be answered, first, by reviewing things that gisterme has said, in order, and in a context where, in my view, there are clear obligations to the truth, and to the national intererest in making correct decisions on matters of great consequence, involving great risk to the nation if they are wrong.

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