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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 - 08:43pm Sep 16, 2001 EST (#9230 of 9249)

A poster on another forum asked this question...

"...Would someone please post a map of the Moslem Empire at its peak?

This is what Islamic extremists and Jihad groups are saying is "their" Holy Territory for which all sacrifice of the martyrs in their midst are aiming to restore for Allah's sake..."

This is what they're saying; but it's no more truth than the spell-binding oratorical images created by Hitler of the thousand year Reich. This is virtually the same lie. This lie comes directly from the father of lies and is designed to do one thing and one thing only...instigate and maximize the spilling of blood.

Fortunately, such a lie is much like an evil crop planted in a field. This crop must be watered and carefully tended to survive. The source of that loving care is also the sole source for the hateful water that is required for it to flourish. Cut that off and the evil crop will wither. That's because evil is not the natural bias of the hearts of men.

The way to destroy that evil source is by the application of vast quantities of truth. Not propaganda, not political rhetoric, just simple truth.

How do we do that in places like Afghanistan and other areas where there are vast numbers of illiterate or poorly educated people who have no access to information besides transmitters of the lie? It’s easy. Just use the same technology (our own) that these terrorist groups are using against us. A society that can devise the fantastic mobile communications and information systems as it has done for the use of its own people can also apply that same technology to inform others.

What's needed is not for a crop of land-mines and bombs to be sown in that vast field of ignorance. Those will only serve the lie. What’s needed are for a hundred million seeds of truth to be sown instead. You say "gisterme are you nuts? What do you mean by seeds of truth?"

Truth and untruth enter the heart, mind and soul through all of our senses. But the spoken word is by far the most powerful means of widespread transmission of both good and evil. It is even more powerful than visual images because the powerful images that the word can create by analogy, by allegory, by metaphor, by parables...they are images that, once created, can be passed from person to person with no further help from technology. Once they've taken root, there's no stopping their spread. We need some "good weeds" planted amidst the evil but carefully tended tillage.

How to do that? Perhaps a hundred million solar-powered spread-spectrum radio receivers, delivered by air would be a good start. Those receivers should be tuned to only one station...a station that tells only the truth from the true Islamic perspective.

The thing about we human creatures that will ultimately drive evil from this planet, perhaps the real and tangible gift and proof of God, is that intangible quality of character that exists within the vast majority of our souls, a quality of character that is able to distinguish the truth from the lie; but, for that distinction to be made, the truth must be heard.

rshowalter - 08:48pm Sep 16, 2001 EST (#9231 of 9249)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

Yes, gisterme , thati's important, and I'm glad to hear it from you.

Hopeful words. Fine words.

And justification by faith may sometimes be necessary.

But when it is possible (and it often is) truths can be checked.

In a world where distrust is natural, and safe, that's reasonable to ask for.

I find your words hopeful !

Out.

gisterme - 09:13pm Sep 16, 2001 EST (#9232 of 9249)

rshowalter wrote ( rshowalter 9/16/01 6:53pm ): "...I'm using "morally forcing" in that sense. for credible checking, by a process that could itself be checked..."

Robert, all your faithless moralizing, the sum total of it multiplied by a million wouldn't amount to a fart in a hurricane. The entire basis of your philosophy/religion has been overcome by events.

You're going to have to wait until the cause of the current singularity of purpose that events of the last week have caused in America are removed. Until then, if you continue with the same kind of petty, ineffectual, shallow-sounding, divisive crap you usually publish, you're only likely to get backlash from any but your own cronies.

dirac_10 - 10:02pm Sep 16, 2001 EST (#9233 of 9249)

Turns out both sides are right. We're gonna spend money on all of it. Including MD.

Think if Iraq and Pakistan could destroy us by a quick push of a button.

Would that complicate the present situation?

Pakistan may be plunged into a very tough civil war. Hard to predict who will win. Who would own the button.

rshowalter - 10:12pm Sep 16, 2001 EST (#9234 of 9249)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

gisterme 9/16/01 9:13pm (Condoleezza?) , the world is watching you, and your colleagues.

And responses like your last one won't stand you in great stead.

Do you own the events that are unfolding?

. . . . . . .

Try honesty, gisterme.

Might be hard for you. But the alternatives are too complicated.

(15 following messages)

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