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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.

mazza9 - 04:39pm May 14, 2002 EST (#2206 of 2215)
Louis Mazza

lchic:

I admit that you are a baby killing, murder focused fool.

President Bush is reducing the size of the nuclear arsenals in the US and Russia. That's a fact.

You, on the other hand prattle on about "launching the US into Space."

Is that verifiable, practical, or even doable? You can find mental health. Reach out for help before it's too late.

LouMazza

lchic - 04:54pm May 14, 2002 EST (#2207 of 2215)

mAzzA - your bulldust begets bulldust!

lchic - 04:57pm May 14, 2002 EST (#2208 of 2215)

Were the US to help devise a quality index, and also themselves implement the same, then the USA population would have a measure and standard.

For example. Whereas Putin has the brain and good sense to take-down Nukes. Bush has only put them in a warehouse. The US population might then ask the question - 'Are warehouse nukes equally dangerous to the US as primed nukes?' - there will be dangers - what are they?

lchic - 05:02pm May 14, 2002 EST (#2209 of 2215)

UN set out to IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE for the people of IRAQ
^{http://www.nytimes.com/2002/05/14/international/14CND-NATI.html}

rshow55 - 05:03pm May 14, 2002 EST (#2210 of 2215)

The mechanisms for asking such questions are getting better -- and the lines of communication may be getting clearer.

NATO Countries Approve Pact Giving Russia Role of a Partner By TODD S. PURDUM http://www.nytimes.com/2002/05/14/international/14CND-NATO.html contains encouraging words. Words aren't deeds, but public words can be used to argue for more extensive contacts -- webs of communication and cooperation that can have substance, by permitting cooperation of all sorts, and by providing information, from many channels, making defense easier, and agression harder, than it would otherwise be. Purdum writes:

"Together, the countries that spent four decades glowering at each other across the wall of hatred and fear now have the opportunity to transform Euro-Atlantic security for the better," the NATO Secretary General, Lord Robertson, told a meeting of foreign ministers here.

"The British foreign secretary, Jack Straw, called the agreement "the funeral of the cold war.`

" "The cold war is finished," he said. "Done. Kaput. What we can say for certain is that Russia is coming out of the cold as a partner, ally and friend."

It would be good if lines of communication could be established, at many levels, using both old and new tools now available - to give substance and depth to those words. If partners, allies, and friends can check on each other, and interact deeply, at many levels - a lot could get better - stably and fairly quickly. Much less has been achieved than might have been hoped, but all the same, the situation is better for Russia than it was at the time "Muddle in Moscow" http://www.economist.com/displayStory.cfm?Story_ID=533129 ..... ... ... was written.

There's a long way to go. On nuclear reductions, we've barely begun.

lchic - 05:06pm May 14, 2002 EST (#2211 of 2215)

So how does the purported WALKERb policy of going back into Iraq to take out Hussien fit? ....
Is the UN (world) failing to 'fall in line' with puppet string pullers wishes?

lchic - 05:22pm May 14, 2002 EST (#2212 of 2215)

ColdwarCommentUK
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/politics/story.jsp?story=295182

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