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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.

rshow55 - 09:16pm May 8, 2002 EST (#2104 of 2114)

It's been more difficult than that - security rules, for ordinary circumstances - for ordinary jobs - according to established rules -- work reasonably well. And of course a lot of people working in the Union of Concerned Scientists and other groups have done classified work.

I was involved in the academic-military equivalent of an "extreme sports" stunt -- and it has been more complicated - in part because it has involved a mix of security problems, and paradigm conflict problems . . . .

It has been, for me, the most fascinating nightmare imaginable.

And taunting, because, in so many ways hope - intoxicating hope - has seemed so close.

Here's a statement that may seem strange to you, manjumicha , but that seems central to me.

Before AEA blew, in the early 1980's you could say, and I would have said, that we were very close to a triumph for almost everybody concerned, and for America -- a triumph for the military, for high officers like Casey, and even a triumph for humane values . . . for all the ugliness the Cold War involved. We were doing something new, something important, and it was working - - and Steve Kline had good reasons to take half time leave from his Stanford Professorship - against passionate opposition - to work on the project. A lot of people had reason to be proud - - - of themselves, and of America.

Then Casey "pulled a plug" -- for reasons that made operational sense at the time.

Then something unexpected happened - - I broke. Badly. For a while, actually lost the ability to read.

That was more than 15 years ago, and I've done a good deal of work since.

There are few things more disastrous than a "tight" complicated sequence, with all sorts of things calculated to a "knats's eyelash" - that falls apart.

But the "putting it back together" has been rough, but fascinating.

MD1152 rshow55 4/6/02 5:47pm

http://www.wisc.edu/rshowalt/klinerec

If I can get a workable way to proceed (and, so far as the security situation goes, a workable fiction would do) I believe that there's a lot to hope for.

But things involve some complications, and there's more to fear than just fear itself.

Also, fear counts. Some time back, I was tortured for a while.(or I'm saying that here * ) Left an impression on me. *

There's a lot to fear, but a lot to hope for, as well.

MD1567 rshow55 4/20/02 4:07pm

manjumicha2001 - 11:15pm May 8, 2002 EST (#2105 of 2114)

rshow

I see. I admit I have never done anything of importance to cause me to have such stresses that you were subjected to. So I am sorry if I was not grasping the complications that you seem to have faced. A couple of clarification if you can......:

What was AEA? And you broke and couldn't read?...was there some kind of nervous break-down (which is not uncommon amongst gifted minds...Nash comes to mind)? And most disturbing of all, what do you mean you were once tortured....? By whom?

lchic - 12:17am May 9, 2002 EST (#2106 of 2114)

^{Not by your employer ?
Who did you say you worked for .....}

mazza9 - 12:20am May 9, 2002 EST (#2107 of 2114)
Louis Mazza

manjumica2001

So the Freudian Slip evaluation hit the mark. Why am I not surprised at you response. Truth Hurt?

The terrorist don't wear uniforms to confuse and hide. The IDF must deal with the fact that all Palestinians are potential death. How would you react to a sudden loud noice. The PLO has created the atmosphere and don't care that the consequences are dead innocents on either side.

LouMazza

lchic - 12:31am May 9, 2002 EST (#2108 of 2114)

Freudian Slip - who's a cross dresser?

lchic - 12:32am May 9, 2002 EST (#2109 of 2114)

Through all of this President Bush has swung to and fro like a weathervane in a Texan tornado
Indecision reigns
Powell: His more powerful weapon lies in the simple fact that his adversaries' policies do not work.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/elsewhere/journalist/story/0,7792,711982,00.htm
{foreign policy should be with captial 'C' Congress not those who can be ousted by lunatics}

lchic - 12:37am May 9, 2002 EST (#2110 of 2114)

FISK
Israel's black propaganda bid falters as documents reveal an impotent leader not a terrorist mastermind
Israel's "Book of Terror" purporting to show Arafat's role in suicide attacks is 'riddled with omissions and falsehoods'
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/story.jsp?story=293162

-----

Mr Sharon is happy to launch another ferocious military offensive against Palestinian-run areas, possibly into the highly volatile Gaza Strip. http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/story.jsp?story=293212

lchic - 12:45am May 9, 2002 EST (#2111 of 2114)

http://talk.guardian.co.uk/WebX?14@@.eea14e1/1420

manjumicha2001 - 01:39am May 9, 2002 EST (#2112 of 2114)

Lou

You crack me up. Whatever, dude.

(2 following messages)

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