![[F]](../_images/site.gif) New York Times on the Web Forums  Science
Nazi engineer and Disney space advisor Wernher Von Braun helped
give us rocket science. Today, the legacy of military aeronautics
has many manifestations from SDI to advanced ballistic missiles. Now
there is a controversial push for a new missile defense system. What
will be the role of missile defense in the new geopolitical climate
and in the new scientific era?
    (650 previous messages)
mhunter20
- 11:35am Feb 8, 2001 EST (#651
of 665)
dirac_10
2/7/01 9:58pm
massive forced inspections
That's what I support and it's more effective and less expensive
than missile defense. Let's bargain away missile defense to get the
world to agree to massive forced inspections. Economic sanctions for
any nation that doesn't agree.
rshowalter
- 05:29pm Feb 8, 2001 EST (#652
of 665) 
Robert Showalter
showalte@macc.wisc.edu
If people made CLEAR how TERRIBLE use of nuclear weapons actually
is, how abhorrant that use ought to be, getting UN support for those
forced inspections could, I believe, be enthusiastically arranged.
And with a broad consensus on the point, terrorists would have
little or no place to hide. You could force a lot of inspections for
sixty billion dollars with a moral consensus on your side.
To make the world see how TERRIBLE use of nuclear weapons
actually is, AMERICANS would have to see it (the Russians see it
already) and act on the knowledge. Forging a world consensus, from
there, should be very possible. A lot of islamic leaders, and other
religious leaders, would be very inclined to help. Many are already.
And the first steps in this direction (much smaller arsenals for
the US and Russia) would ensure the preservation of the world.
rshowalter
- 08:31pm Feb 8, 2001 EST (#653
of 665)
Robert Showalter
showalte@macc.wisc.edu
Rear Admiral Eugene J Carroll Jr was on General Alexander Haig's
staff in Europe from 1977 to 1979 and director of US military
operations for US forces in Europe and the Middle East. He is now
vice president of the Center for Defense Information in
Washington DC
He wrote IT'S
A FRIEND'S DUTY TO SPEAK UP: Tell Bush that he is making a
disastrous error with NMD
Wednesday February 7, 2001 The Guardian
***************
In the Moscow Times there's this ominous and very sad
article about a cold war continued without reason, with NMD taken as
a threat.
Thursday,
Feb. 8, 2001..... New Cold War Warms Up...by Pavel Felgenhauer
These Russian responses are not only tragic wastes of money (and,
in Russian circumstances, money lost means lives certainly lost) ...
They are also evidence of an unstable, irrational, dangerous
confrontation that could destroy the world.
This is UGLY.
bigred152
- 01:08am Feb 9, 2001 EST (#654
of 665)
the camels would then have to survive advanced weapons tests ....
http://www.newscientist.com/dailynews/news.jsp?id=ns9999392
dirac_10
- 01:56am Feb 9, 2001 EST (#655
of 665)
rshowalter - 06:43am Feb 8, 2001 EST (#650 of 654)
[Some stuff about all the clever things that you and other
people said at some time in the past, while once again not saying
anything clever whatsoever at the present.]
No, I haven't commited to memory your collected writings. Sorry
to disappoint you.
I don't think you can just ignore the arguments in that
article, made by real people, with real reputations, who put
them on the line, if you're a responsible human being, taking
authoritative positions on this forum (especially, doing so
without giving your real name.)
Yeah, you are real facinated by who I am. Now, why is that?
Coupled with your apparant total ignorance of science and
engineering, it's quite striking.
dirac_10
- 02:00am Feb 9, 2001 EST (#656
of 665)
mhunter20 - 11:35am Feb 8, 2001 EST (#651 of 655)
...Let's bargain away missile defense to get the world
to agree to massive forced inspections. Economic sanctions for
any nation that doesn't agree.
I agree to everything except the economic sanctions part.
Dictators like Saddam laugh at economic sanctions, and continue
their weapon development as their people starve.
And since it is the Saddams that are the most worry, only
overwhelming military force will work.
rshowalter
- 06:38am Feb 9, 2001 EST (#657
of 665)
Robert Showalter
showalte@macc.wisc.edu
You mean enough overwhelming force to defeat Iraq?
Surely the United States needs more than enough military force
for that !
Common ground.
Why do nuclear weapons have to be involved?
dirac_10
- 08:21am Feb 9, 2001 EST (#658
of 665)
rshowalter - 06:38am Feb 9, 2001 EST (#657 of 657)
You mean enough overwhelming force to defeat Iraq?
Why do nuclear weapons have to be involved?
Because Saddam has them. Or at least will. He certainly has other
WMD right now. If we don't, he wins any war.
Duh.
mhunter20
- 09:43am Feb 9, 2001 EST (#659
of 665)
dirac_10
2/9/01 2:00am
I agree to everything except the economic
sanctions part. Dictators like Saddam laugh at economic sanctions,
and continue their weapon development as their people starve. And
since it is the Saddams that are the most worry, only overwhelming
military force will work.
I agree. For certain countries failure to allow surprise
inspections anywhere, anytime should be considered an act of war.
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