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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?

rshow55 - 08:09pm Jan 15, 2002 EST (#10793 of 10834)

MD10765 gisterme 1/14/02 7:53pm includes some other things - - I'll deal with some of them in the morning.

But I'd ask -- does gisterme believe in accounting -- responsible accounting?

How about some decent technical accounting? MD10764 rshow55 1/14/02 7:36pm

guy_catelli - 12:11am Jan 16, 2002 EST (#10794 of 10834)
the trick of Mensa

it's simple. the whole missle defense debate is really a Rorschach test (http://skepdic.com/inkblot.html)

those who are for missile defense (ie, good people) want america to be stronger relative to the rest of the world. those who are against missile defense (ie, bad people) want america to be weaker relative to the rest of the world.

it's that simple.

lchic - 12:13am Jan 16, 2002 EST (#10795 of 10834)

"History is the version of past events that people have decided to agree upon." Napoleon

"He who controls the past commands the future. He who commands the future conquers the past." George Orwell

"The aim of argument, or of discussion, should not be victory, but progress." Joseph Joubert

"Everything worthwhile, everything of any value, has a price. The price is effort." Loretta Young

"It is better to look ahead and prepare than to look back and regret." Jackie Joyner-Kersee

"A problem is something you have hopes of changing. Anything else is a fact of life." C R Smith

"Man's mind, once stretched by a new idea, never regains its original dimension." Oliver Wendell Holmes

"Procrastination is like a credit card: it's a lot of fun until you get the bill." - Christopher Parker

lchic - 12:23am Jan 16, 2002 EST (#10796 of 10834)

You've go me thinking ... guy_catelli 1/16/02 12:11am ... isn't it
"The people who are against Nukes want the WHOLE world to be STRONGER" ..
so why procastinate?

lchic - 04:51am Jan 16, 2002 EST (#10797 of 10834)

Two blots down - and one to go?

rshow55 - 07:31am Jan 16, 2002 EST (#10798 of 10834)

I want the United States to be as strong as it can possibly be, with respect to the real world, as it is, and must be.

We live in a world where people watch each other - judge each other on the basis of the truth, falsity, effectiveness or ineffectiveness of what is said and done.

Fraud, deception, self deception, and endless insistence on technically false positions does not strengthen the United States. It weakens it.

I'd be for anything that actually strengthened the United States -- in ways Americans themselves, reasonably informed, would accept.

rshow55 - 07:38am Jan 16, 2002 EST (#10799 of 10834)

MD10764 rshow55 1/14/02 7:36pm

We need some "islands of technical fact" to be determined, beyond reasonable doubt, in a clear context.

The United States is weakened by the dishonest accounting that results in vote fraud, or under-the-table dealings -- the dishonest accounting on show in the Enron mess.

The United States is strengthened by honest accounting -- clear information -- so that people can make reasonable decisions.

It makes no sense, looking at the interests of the United States as a nation , (rather than a cash cow for parasites) for the U.S. to stake its resources, and its credibility, on programs that cannot possibly work.

It makes no sense to publicly risk doing so.

rshow55 - 07:51am Jan 16, 2002 EST (#10800 of 10834)

We need some "islands of technical fact" to be determined, beyond reasonable doubt, in a clear context.

MD10764 rshow55 1/14/02 7:36pm sets out a format where it would be possible to get closure on basic technical facts - - in a way that would stand the light of day - - in public - - all over the world.

The format, which has evolved through extensive discussions on this thread, involving me, gisterme and others, would be inexpensive. The format would be effective in settling issues that are in the technical, defense, and diplomatic interest of the United States (as a nation) and of people of good will all over the world.

On the basis of discussions on this thread, it appears that it would be consistent with both the letter and the spirit of security law, as that law can reasonably be interpreted within the traditions of the United States of America.

To see some of the reasons why the format is justified - - and some reasons why I believe that people with some rank should support it, staffed organizations, or people with serious interests, could look at this thread.

HOW TO SEARCH THE MISSILE DEFENSE FORUM

MD9057 rshowalter 9/14/01 1:26pm ... MD9440 rshowalter 9/19/01 7:07am

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