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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 - 06:15pm Sep 23, 2001 EST (#9761 of 9764)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

OUR FATHERS OF OLD
by Rudyard Kipling

Excellent herbs had our fathers of old -
Excellent herbs to ease their pain -
Alexanders and Marigold,
Eyebright, Orris, and Elecampane -
Basil, Rocket, Valerian, Rue,
(Almost singing themselves they run)
Vervain, Dittany, Call-me-to-you-
Cowslip, Meliot, Rose of the Sun.
Anything green that grew out of the mould
Was an excellent herb to our fathers of old.

Wonderful tales had our fathers of old,
Wonderful tales of the herbs and the stars -
The Sun was Lord of the Marigold,
Basil and Rocket belonged to Mars.
Pat as a sum in division it goes -
(Every herb had a planet bespoke) -
Who but Venus would govern the Rose?
Who but Jupiter own the Oak?
Simply and gravely the facts are told
In the wonderful books of our fathers of old.

Wonderful little, when all is said,
Wonderful little our fathers knew.
Half of their remedies cured you dead -
Most of their teaching was quite untrue -
"Look at the stars when a patient is ill.
(Dirt has nothing to do with disease),
Bleed and blister as much as you will,
Blister and bleed as oft as you please,"
Whence enormous and manifold
Errors were made by our fathers of old.

Yet when sickness was sore in the land,
And neither planets nor herbs assuaged,
They took their lives in their lancet-hand
And oh, what a wonderful war they waged!
Yes, when the crosses were chalked on the door -
(Yes, when the terrible dead-cart rolled!)
Excellent courage our fathers bore -
Excellent heart had our fathers of old.
None too learned, but nobly bold
Into the fight went our fathers of old.

If it be certain, as Galen says -
And sage Hippocrates holds as much -
"That those afflicted with doubts and dismays
Are mightily helped by a dead man's touch,"
Then, be good to us, stars above!
Then be good to us, herbs below!
We are afflicted by what we can prove.
We are distracted by what we know.
So - ah so!
Down from your heaven or up from your mould
Send us the hearts of our fathers of old.

rshowalter - 06:17pm Sep 23, 2001 EST (#9762 of 9764)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

The conceptual structure, the paradigm of "our fathers of old" was an interconnected, mutually reinforcing, statistically derived conceptual structure.

Our conceptual structures are also interconnected, mutually reinforcing, statistically derived conceptual structures.

That is how human conceptual structures always are, in cultures and in individual heads.

Sometimes, for compelling practical reasons, minds have to be changed. Patterns of ideas have to be contested. When this is necessary, the change can only occur when key facts are made clear, that undermine the certainties of the conceptual structures.

After that, there is a lot of talking, and thinking, and adjusting, left to do - - and this is rethinking that only the people involved can possibly do - - because it happens in their culture, and happens in their own heads.

But the adjustment has no chance at all of occurring until decisive facts are established, with enough credibility that minds face up to the need for change.

Unless, when stakes are high enough, it is in an operational sense morally forcing to get facts checked, "paradigm conflicts" of this kind may be insoluble, or prohibitively expensive in terms of time and other costs.

For decent resolution for a number of problems, we have to change minds - - and get "common ground" enough so that certain kinds of damaging mistakes and conflicts can be avoided. To some degree, we'll have to consider change in our own minds. We'll have to interact so that others change their minds in some ways, too.

rshowalter - 06:23pm Sep 23, 2001 EST (#9763 of 9764)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

I'm trying to get the intellectual message about how soluble current problems are set out in a way that is accessable without much math. That fits widely held experience. I'm trying to figure out how to get people to investigate the ideas involved, and learn them well enough to get the confidence action takes.

It is taking me a while, but I think it will be clear, and that the things suggested will be practical, hopeful, and workably simple.

It would be an easier thing for me to do, without formality, if more people shared an experience that has been one of the formative experiences of my own life - - the experience of searching at the Patent Office, and working with the data structures the Patent System has evolved.

Sorry to be slow. I'm keeping at it.

rshowalter - 06:25pm Sep 23, 2001 EST (#9764 of 9764)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

I don't mean to stand against some fighting -- sometimes it is necessary. I think some military action, or police action, is necessary in this case.

But if fighting is our only option - - things will be more expensive, dangerous, and ugly than they need to be.

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