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Missile Defense

Russian military leaders have expressed concern about US plans for a national missile defense system. Will defense technology be limited by possibilities for a strategic imbalance? Is this just SDI all over again?

gisterme - 01:33pm Oct 2, 2001 EST (#10054 of 10060)

almarst wrote: ( almarst-2001 9/28/01 11:00pm ):

"...The sad thing is most Americans can't even apprehend why would someone hate them..."

Not so, almarst. Firstly, not as many people as you imply hate the US. But the reasons that those who do hate the US is simple. The vast majority are either ignorant or jealous; but usually both. The one leads to the other.

As the saying goes, there are three kinds of people in the world:

1. Those who make things happen. 2. Those who watch things happen. 3. Those who wonder what happened.

Likewise with the brotherhood of nations. The US has never been the lord of a great territorial empire as has Britain, Russia and other European powers. The US does not derive its greatness or power from the oppression or plunder of others; it derives its greatness and power from application of its own resources, creativity, ingenuity and hard work. The driving and enabling force for all those good qualities is liberty. The US makes good things happen for its own people and for people all over the world.

The good find those characteristics admirable, whether at the scale of individuals or nations.

The evil hate liberty because it leads to those good results...liberty tends toward the good of all. This hatred stems from jealousy ("you admire him, why do you admire me?") and a general willingness to deny others those good results. It's been this way at least since Cain and Able.

It is impossible to maintain a focus of indiviual power toward oppression among those who have expreinced true liberty. The evil one would rule all with an iron fist...he delights in the oppression of others and in his own power to oppress. Those who have liberty will not allow it. That's the ultimate basis of the hatred.

Consider that if the United States ever loses its liberty it will have already lost its greatness, no matter how weathy or militarily powerful it might be at the time. Those who might take delight in that thought are the same who would wish to deny us our liberty. Are you one of those, almarst?

rshowalter - 01:54pm Oct 2, 2001 EST (#10055 of 10060)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

I think it is reasonably clear from the record that almarst does value many, most, or all of the good things of which American are justly proud.

I also think that gisterme 10/2/01 1:33pm above shows, rather graphically, why AMERICAN inability to look at its own problems - - stands in the way of so much.

Looking back over the record, almarst has been very clear about reasons Russians are likely to distrust America -- and very few of the reasons he gives are in any way inconsistent with any of the values or patterns that most Americans are actually proud of, or even know about.

Gisterme , I value liberty here. So does almarst. You're being evasive and dishonest in what you write just above. If you actually believe what you've written, after the hundreds of posts you've made (and I would think, the hundreds you've read) on this forum, I wonder about what people who trust your judgement can be thinking about.

rshowalter - 02:05pm Oct 2, 2001 EST (#10056 of 10060)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

This thread has been built for staffed communication. That's been clear for a long time. And I believe that staffs do look at it, and can judge what gisterme says in a larger, longer term context. Problems with lies have been central problems on this thread for a long time. Again and again, I've asked to be checked, on clear matters, and gisterme has resisted and evaded.

MD5990 http://forums.nytimes.com/webin/WebX?14@184.tuuyanLaw0s^3706599@.f0ce57b/6414... MD5991 rshowalter 6/25/01 12:03pm
MD5992 maran5901 6/25/01 12:18pm ... MD5993 smartalix 6/25/01 12:35pm

Sometimes, when reading what gisterme writes (and gisterme has written extensively) both direct statements and evasions, the comment about "mimi" in 5994 below occurs to me: .. MD5994 rshowalter 6/25/01 1:05pm

Gisterme , when you write a plainly unfair summary of almarst's objections, who are you writing for, and what are you trying to accomplish?

(4 following messages)

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