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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.

almarst2020 - 03:58pm Apr 26, 2002 EST (#1800 of 1841)

2002 'warmest for 1,000 years' - http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2002/04/26/nhot26.xml&sSheet=/news/2002/04/26/ixhome.html

It will be useful if MAZZAs of the world notice. And turn their attention from SPACE TOURISM down to Earth.

If not all, at least some may want to return back, HOME;)

mazza9 - 04:11pm Apr 26, 2002 EST (#1801 of 1841)
Louis Mazza

Almarst:

It's not about space tourism. There were utopian experiments in the United States during the 19th Century. They failed. In two instances their names live on in kitchen hardware. Oenida flatware and Amana appliances.

Might a lunar colony, a LaGrange factory with attached living space for workers, or a Space University, (yes my own little idea which I pitch from time to time), be the ground upon which the new seeds of cooperation and friendship among men might germinate? Will this be the area where mankind can evolve and show the way for everyone? If we can provide wealth through the production of sufficient, non-polluting energy so that we can raise EVERYONE'S standard of living, then maybe the well-being of Planet Earth can be delivered.

I know, I know. I just a silly optimist but it beats hell out of what we are experiencing today.

Space may be the final frontier and the salvation of our species. I hope so.

LouMazza

lchic - 04:25pm Apr 26, 2002 EST (#1802 of 1841)
Mix a little GU.com with NYT.com - NET the wider perspective!

Was it your space from-ear-to-ear that prompted academic thinking mAzzA?

almarst2020 - 04:26pm Apr 26, 2002 EST (#1803 of 1841)

"Space may be the final frontier and the salvation of our species. I hope so."

I really hope NOT. I may be silly, but I think for most of milions of a sane people who live down here, there is still a lot of life left to enjoy.

Newertheless, I wish you the best of your life-time UP THERE. Let's each one to find it's place to feel comfortable.

almarst2020 - 04:28pm Apr 26, 2002 EST (#1804 of 1841)

The commander of U.S. forces in the Persian Gulf has told senior Pentagon officers that a new war against Iraq would likely take five divisions and 200,000 troops - http://www.washtimes.com/national/20020426-41274916.htm

No volunteer to be rejected;)

rshow55 - 04:30pm Apr 26, 2002 EST (#1805 of 1841)

We have some very down-to-earth problems.

The US military-industrial complex was significantly evolved by World War II, and advanced a great deal during the Truman and Eisenhower administrations. Eisenhower became very concerned, and warned against it in his FAREWELL ADDRESS of January 17, 1961 http://www.geocities.com/~newgeneration/ikefw.htm

If we understood what has happened to us - and how many of the values we teach have been intentionally, deeply, compromised -- the United States would be a better place, and the whole world would be a safer place. We wouldn't have to waste resources on fiascos like the "missile defense" boondoggle -- there are better things we could do.

Everything Eisenhower was worried about has happened - - and the force goes well beyond the power of presidents. But presidents are responsible . . . and some of the lessons of Enron http://www.nytimes.com/2002/01/14/business/_ENRON-PRIMER.html need to be more widely applied.

MD8-84 rshow55 3/2/02 9:42am ... MD292 rshow55 3/9/02 5:20pm
MD468 rshow55 3/13/02 6:44pm ... MD620 rshow55 3/16/02 10:27pm
MD709 rshow55 3/20/02 9:36am ... MD752 rshow55 3/22/02 8:38am
MD1064 rshow55 4/4/02 8:37am ... MD1134 rshow55 4/5/02 10:53pm
1706 rshow55 4/23/02 11:35am ...

Some of the biggest problems are "simple" once one finally understands some key truths, which may be distasteful to look at. In The Great Divide http://www.nytimes.com/2002/01/29/opinion/29KRUG.html , Paul Krugman suggests that we're at "the ending of an era of laxity." To some extent, in ways that are a credit to the United States (and the New York Times) I think that's proven to be true.

But we've got a lot farther to go.

mazza9 - 04:38pm Apr 26, 2002 EST (#1806 of 1841)
Louis Mazza

lchic:

I see disparaging remarks and making fun of my name continue.

Then there was this old Italian who was taking his citizenship exam. In the geopgraphy portion of the oral exam he was asked where Minneapolis was. His answer was "Upper US". He couldn't understand why his teacher was so incensed.

So lchic, "Minneapolis"

LouMazza

almarst2020 - 07:23pm Apr 26, 2002 EST (#1807 of 1841)

"Minneapolis"

I wonder if his "teacher" new where the Italy is.

He would probably get an answer: "South of London"

;)

almarst2020 - 07:28pm Apr 26, 2002 EST (#1808 of 1841)

That's for real.

When I told one of the young computer programer just out of college I am going on a tourist trip to Madrid, he told me: Sure. It's in South America.

Not a funny story at all.

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