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.

almarst-2001 - 03:09pm Apr 13, 2002 EST (#1337 of 1368)

While all is watching the ME, The White House clearly was pleased by the Venezuelan military's toppling from power of Chavez, whose anti-American rhetoric increasingly angered the U.S. government. U.S. officials insisted, however, that they did not know in advance of the chain of events that led to Chavez's departure. - http://abcnews.go.com/wire/Politics/reuters20020412_249.html

So, the "Mother of all Democraties" which didn't wait a minute to impose sunctions on Zimbabve for suspected "unclean" elections, is pretty happy to watch a military coup in Venezuala.

BTW, most of those killed during a demostration turned out to be a ... Chavez's SUPPORTERS!

According to the eye witnesses, the fire was conducted by a squad of snipers from the roof. Not by the ordinary military and police watching the demosnstration.

Quite telling is also a fact, that the first thing the new rullers ordered was a cancelation of the oil supply to Cuba.

Another black page in a Latin American history. At least, so far, not too bloody. The CIA apparently, did improve its "modus of operandy".

lchic - 03:55pm Apr 13, 2002 EST (#1338 of 1368)

mAzzA - teplukin and cleitus are the same person?
mAzzA this has your name on it
GU-internatFisk
--------------------------------------------
ManyManyMooses - 11:26pm Apr 8, 2002 BST (#76 of 150)
How many here know that teplukin and cleitus are the same person?

Just got an email today from someone known by the mysterious name of "The Bid Blue Behind's Secretary". This person sent me a transcript of a tape they recorded secretly of a conversation between the person who writes here as teplukhin and cleitus. This is what it said. In following proper internet etequete, I have changed their real names so not to divulge their true ID on the internet and I have left in descriptions of actions written by the "secretary".

“Teplukhin!” orders the person known as “The Big Blue Behind”.

“Yes sir!”

”Come in here.”

“Yes sir.”

“I have new assignment for you.”

Teplukhin turns around and starts to unbutton his short pants.

“No! Not that kind of assignment. Well not today, anyway. Now button your shorts and turn around, boy.”

“Yes sir.”

“We have need for some one to kick ass at The Talk again. They are criticizing our country and bad mouthing the prez again.”

“The poopyheads!”

“Yes. Well, we need you to go in there again and straighten them out. I am giving you one last chance to prove yourself, boy. Your past performance over there has been, ahh, very disappointing.”

“Sorry sir.”

“This time I want success from you!”

“Yes sir!”

“Remember, keep the words moving, dont let your opponent regroup. Use all the company lines we’ve taught you. Understand?”

“Yes sir”.

If your arguments are failing, start posting random. This will confuse them while you ready your “Grand Strategy”. Do you remember what that is, boy?”

“Yes sir!”

“Well?”

“I call them unrealistic.”

“Very good, boy. If you are able to complete this assignment successfully this time out, we will allow you to wear long trousers like the big boys.”

Teplukhin's eyes light up with unbridled enthusiasm at this.

“Now run along and get to work, boy.”

“Yes sir! You’re the bestest sir!”

-------------------------------------------------

almarst-2001 - 04:06pm Apr 13, 2002 EST (#1339 of 1368)

THE FREE WORLD STILL HAS A TRUE LEADER;) - http://www.foulds2000.freeserve.co.uk/bushv5.htm

lchic - 04:10pm Apr 13, 2002 EST (#1340 of 1368)

Repeating: mazza9 4/13/02 1:19pm : Fisk's point re NYT Op-Ed writers F&S not being thorough in their fact-finding supports the viewpoint i put on the board above.

If Bush doesn't know what he thinks .. then how can mAzzA know --- do you read Bushie's mind, tea leaves, palm, bumps (One of the natural protuberances on the human skull, considered to have significance in phrenology), or pull bushPuppet stings?

manjumicha2001 - 04:33pm Apr 13, 2002 EST (#1341 of 1368)

Hurray !

People's power has triumphed again in another Latin American country. So what if Chavez was elected by the people, he was a commie freind of Fidel and had to go.....But for the sake of consistency, where is NYT and other usual "save-the-democracy" crowd nowadays? Hahaha ! What a bunch of hypocrites...

lchic - 04:49pm Apr 13, 2002 EST (#1342 of 1368)

^{[ suzan40 "Unrest in Colombia and Venezuela" 4/13/02 3:12pm
okinokie "Unrest in Colombia and Venezuela" 10/5/99 3:21pm ]}

lchic - 05:10pm Apr 13, 2002 EST (#1343 of 1368)

NORTH AMERICA / Why is the world so difficult?

... As Americans confront these ambiguities, they will be reminded that the United States itself has a history of allowing fund raising for Irish terrorists to carry on openly within its borders. The clear us-versus-them paradigm that Mr Bush offered will break down.
^{http://www.theworldin.com/arts/nam/fs1.html}

manjumicha2001 - 05:33pm Apr 13, 2002 EST (#1344 of 1368)

A few bad news for Bush's "faith-based" charity program (those commies can't just sit still):

The recent Shenzhou III launch showed that China could control orbital re-adjustment during mid-flight, accounting for the fact that it took the U.S. ten hours before it could track the orbit of the space vehicle.

The significance of this is that, even if Bush's NMD gets deployed with the intended capability (with no countermeasures deployed against it), NMD would still be useless against an incoming missile whose mid-flight orbit can be manipulated. Sorry for the bad news !

Additionally, it has been reported that 094-series nuclear submarines have been launched by China starting in January, 2001. If eight of these (as previously announced) were deployed, there would be 864 nuclear warheads, enough to cover all the major population centers of all major nations. So who is take care of these warheads after Bush Jr. finishes his "faith" programs? I just hate these inconvenient facts....:-)

(24 following messages)

New York Times on the Web Forums Science Missile Defense