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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?

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gisterme - 08:10pm Feb 13, 2002 EST (#11529 of 11552)

rshow55 2/13/02 11:38am

"...We need some sensible accounting on issues of national and international importance, that can bear examination when Americans, and people of other nations, are paying attention....'

A sensible sounding statement when standing alone, Robert...

"...Missile defense is a key example."

...until you apply it to a conext of national security that would be severly compromised or possibly rendered ineffective by revealing too many operational details. I'm content to leave technologically compromising details where they belong...outside the public domain. I can accept the fact that when it's in the best intersts of the safety of the nation, there may be things that I just don't need to know. Why can't you?

If that's too hard for you to understand, Robert, then think of the perfectly parallel context of personal security...

Do you place your house key in an envelope labled in 3" bold letters "house key, come on in" and tape that to your front door while you're out? No?

How about your car keys? Do you leave them on top of the car while it's parked and you're away? No?

WHY NOT? You probably don't do those things because it's dangerous to leave the keys to your personal security lying around. That would be casting your pearls before swine.

If you understand why you don't do those things on the scale of personal security, then (given your great intellect) you should be able to extrapolate on the same concept to understand why equivalent behavior would also be unwise on the scale of national security. Is that idea beyond your ability to grasp, Robert?

"...Some basic issues of functionality are an important place to start."

The results of the MD test program are public. There are reams of stuff available on the web that show considerable detail about what's going on and why. That's way more revelaling than just "basic functionality". MD development is not a super- secret hidden program. There's plenty of public information about it.

Why would you offer the keys to the kingdom to theives , Robert but not your own house key? Are you like the communist that has two chickens?

gisterme 1/16/02 8:19pm

lchic - 08:14pm Feb 13, 2002 EST (#11530 of 11552)

Just checking the MD wrist watch Gi: gisterme 2/13/02 7:20pm
the printout says
'not yet dead'
'don't dilly_dally'

gisterme - 08:21pm Feb 13, 2002 EST (#11531 of 11552)

rshow55 2/13/02 11:29am

"Defense is a matter of life and death. Justified trust is so essential to long-term cooperation, and long term prosperity..."

...and those things are important to long term stability. Glad to see you awakening to that fact, Robert. I'm encouraged. :-)

gisterme - 08:28pm Feb 13, 2002 EST (#11532 of 11552)

"...Just checking the MD wrist watch Gi"

the printout says

'not yet dead'

'don't dilly_dally'"

I see you're coming around too lchic! I'm glad to be alive too! What a singular day here on the MD forum! :-)

I fully agree that the less we dilly-dally with MD development the better our chances are of staying alive.

Are you suggesting that the program should be accelerated?

gisterme - 08:29pm Feb 13, 2002 EST (#11533 of 11552)

Gotta go. :-)

lchic - 09:09pm Feb 13, 2002 EST (#11534 of 11552)

The USA Government has bottomless pockets ?gisterme 2/13/02 8:10pm
At what point are MD matters prioratised?
How accredited?
When is redundancy admitted?
Where's the list of low priority projects that can be jettisoned?
Where is the list of projects to keep?

Is it
'What's good for Carlyle is Good for Bush-Bush?'

But what's good for America?

(18 following messages)

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