New York Times on the Web Forums Science

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.

lchic - 02:26pm Jan 25, 2002 EST (#11038 of 11047)

Here's another thought. It seems some 'Nation States' can't distinguish between those of different designations.

Certainly 'The Lazy Man of Europe' is failing. She - put out a form asking citizens if they'd like the opportunity to be formally learn their niche language. When the forms were in - those who'd said 'yes' were arrested.

Additional to Turkey, other 'Lazy Man' Nations using unacceptable tactics include China and Russia.
If there's a link to an article covering this, feel free to put it on the Thread.

That cultures are incapable of incorporating 'other' cultures shows a need for Schools of International Relations to up their act.

mazza9 - 02:26pm Jan 25, 2002 EST (#11039 of 11047)
Louis Mazza

AND?????????????

rshow55 - 02:26pm Jan 25, 2002 EST (#11040 of 11047)

Threats don't work to "move people's way of thinking." People are too tough for that.

lchic - 02:27pm Jan 25, 2002 EST (#11041 of 11047)

And now you know why flying saucers aren't made out of dinner plates ..
And what .. ?

rshow55 - 02:30pm Jan 25, 2002 EST (#11042 of 11047)

MD10926 reads in part:

" Robert, if you can develop a decal like you imagine for under $100K, then I'd say it's your patriotic duty to do so to save the rest of us tax payers a lot of money on BMD laser system development. . . .

That doesn't look hard to do. Reflective Coatings for Reflective Mirrors: http://www.jmlopt.com/products/coatings/technical_reflective.html shows data for gold (suffixes 306, 308) and dielectric reflective coatings as well (500 series). 98% reflectance is now available, and has been since the 1970's (gold coated mylar, used on many space shots, and for other things.) A dielectric "augmentation" using flexible dielectrics isn't done yet - - but 99.8% % or higher reflectance at COIL laser frequencies doesn't look very hard --- even if it were needed.

Though Mazza is distracting, he's not denying. His response, indeed, is eloquent confirmation of concern.

lchic - 02:31pm Jan 25, 2002 EST (#11043 of 11047)

The collective cultural memory likes to 'look back' to ancestoral roots ... later it's turned into the tourist industry - and becomes a nice little money earner - thank you very much!

China, Russia, Turkey -- they just don't look ahead and ask how can these ancient alternative cultures of Tibet, Chetnya, and Kurdistan be happily incorporated with good result.

rshow55 - 02:32pm Jan 25, 2002 EST (#11044 of 11047)

Mazza asked about my background. I've set out a good deal about my background on this thread, many times. I have a P.E. license, I'm using my own name, and subject to the usages of this medium, I'm doing my best to speak the truth. People who want to can look at may patents. For more details, see MD1085 rshow55 1/17/02 3:28pm which cites MD6057 rshowalter 6/26/01 6:22am . That reads in part.

"Maybe I'm a literary figure -- call me Ishmael.

"The story I like best about me, in this regard, is that I'm just a guy who got interested in logic, and military issues. A guy who got concerned about nuclear danger, and related military balances, and tried to do something about it. Based on what he knew - with no access to special information of any kind, he made an effort to keep the world from blowing up, using the best literary devices he could fashion, consistent with what he knew or could guess.

"Let me go on with another story. . . .

I think, for the purposes of this thread, that it doesn't matter much which version you believe. Both have interesting implications -- both raise concern about the competence and good faith of our nuclear policy, and missile defense.

People who want to check, can. This thread, as it is set up, isn't built for closure. But people can look at what is said here -- and, what's more, look at the references cited here.

(3 following messages)

New York Times on the Web Forums Science Missile Defense