New York Times on the Web Forums Science

Missile Defense

Technology has always found its greatest consumer in a nation's war and defense efforts. Since the last attempts at a "Star Wars" defense system, has technology changed considerably enough to make the latest Missile Defense initiatives more successful? Can such an application of science be successful? Is a militarized space inevitable, necessary or impossible?

Read Debates, a new Web-only feature culled from Readers' Opinions, published every Thursday.

gisterme - 05:29am Apr 11, 2002 EST (#1245 of 1257)

rshow55 3/1/02 7:07pm

"...Very serious efforts to defend BMD have been made here - and they have taken up much space, and involved many evasions..."

Your evasions, Robert. They've taken up most of the space.

"...But they have made no specific and detailed technical points that have been able to stand about technical feasibility..."

I agree that you've made no technical points whatsoever. That's one of the truest things you've said, Robert. Of course, you simply ignore the technical points made by others that don't agree with your veiw, regardless of the technical references posted along with the claims. That's just denial on your part.

"..."The "lasar weapon" programs have been significantly discredited --

More bull$hit. You've expressed nothing but your feelings. No offense intended, but for me, your feeling carry no technical weight. And you just evade whenever I post technical stuff.

"...because countermeasures are easy,..."

What countermeasures are those, Robert? I've never been involved in any discussion about countermeasures against lasers although I haven't had time to read everything that's been posted lately. Perhaps you could direct me to that discussion.

"...because adaptive optics is not easy,..."

Nope, but neither is flying. However adaptive optics is already a working technology, in the civilian world, no matter how much you may deny it.

http://cfao.ucolick.org/ http://www.ifa.hawaii.edu/ao/ http://www.aoainc.com/

Of course I'm sure making a simple web search for "adaptive optics" exceeds your stated fervor for "checking". Any moron could do that. You're just not interesed in the truth because it doesn't serve your purpose.

"...and because a fundamental misunderstanding about the "perfect coherence" of lasers has been made..."

You're the only one who's said anything about perfect coherance, Robert. In my view, that's based on your oft demonstrated lack of technical understanding. You're trying to create an issue where one doesn't even exist. However, just as is the case with the midcourse BMD interceptor program, your objections are being overcome by events. OBE seems to be the culmination of most of your arguements. And it's hard to argue with success...but you already know that don't you, Robert? :-)

I'll also disagree that the referenced post "summerizes" the thread before March 2. You've just made stuff up to try to make it look as if your feelings somehow have something to do with technical reality. They don't.

In fact I'd say that none of the things you claim as "conclusions" are true. The thread to date has shown, based on open literature, that both midcourse and laser BMD systems are feasible, based on integrations of existing technology. There are no technicological quantum leaps necessary.

Why can't you be honest, Robert? Is there some compusion within you that just can't abide the truth?

As for all this "stand-in" BS, well, all I can say is that you're a legend in your own mind, Robert. Nobody, including Almarst (much to his credit) has bought into that idea. He doesn't represent president Putin, I don't represent president Bush and you don't represent anybody but the "blame America first" crowd.

I think you're one of those people who either doesn't know how to deal with success and so feels guilt at being successful, or hasn't been able to generate much personal success and so feels jealousy toward those who have. In either case you'd be unqualified to comment on America's sucess as a nation. After all, success doesn't just happen. It's not like winning the lotto. Success is created from hard work that's directed toward a worthy goal.

lchic - 05:52am Apr 11, 2002 EST (#1246 of 1257)

... Showalter's probably ironing his shirt and a-shining-of his shoes ... or just a-dreaming .. and if he's a-dreaming then odds are it's about turning the USA into a new Nation, one that is based on a truer truth - one that uses it's wealth and advantage to help Nations that need assistance via simple technological concepts that require sustained back-up for development and implementation. If he weren't a-dreaming he be on the board right now to speak to this !

gisterme - 05:57am Apr 11, 2002 EST (#1247 of 1257)

lchic 4/11/02 4:47am

"...Bush has the leash, his dogs of war can be seen to be out of control..."

Right. And If Mr. Bush pulls the leash, all the sucide bombings would stop? Uh huh, sure. And the families of those Israelies who nearly daily bleed and die from the sucide bombers would just forget all about it? That's got to be the silliest load of bunk I've ever seen you post, lchic.

Don't forget that the Palestenian suicide bombings started before GW became president and before the Israelies decided to put a stop to them. You're sounding like part of the problem, not part of the solution, lchic. Of course I'm sure that you'd just ignore it if your mother, father brother or sister were blown up while eating at the local pizza parlor.

Something is going on here, but It's not within any negotiable control of either the US or Israeli government. The same evil that destroyed six million Jews in Europe last century is at large in the world again with the same goal in mind. And don't forget, that fasciest war destroyed some fourteen million other lives. So the mind behind this evil would seem to be as much interested in general sustained blood-letting as destroying the jews. The technique is familiar...it's the same mind. Just like last time, the Jews are being used as an excuse to spill the blood. It's the classic scapegoat situation.

The difference is that this time the Jews are in their historical homeland and able to defend themselves. And God is watching.

lchic - 06:02am Apr 11, 2002 EST (#1248 of 1257)

Much of this space and missile stuff makes me laugh ... here we have a world filled with people who have genuine simple basic needs ... and what does the USA spend it's tax dollars on? Why, looking out into the far distance

... folks drinking raw sewage - 'cause the Americans have set their Israeli-Pitbulls upon them, their families, their homes, their infrastructure ... these real people - they're more interested in getting clean water to drink, they'd like to stay healthy and LIVE!

.... they don't give a toss about the military-scientific-esoteric ... the helicopter firing makes them bleed to death - slowly - kills -- and death is forever!

(9 following messages)

New York Times on the Web Forums Science Missile Defense