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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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rshow55 - 02:48pm Feb 19, 2002 EST (#11634 of 11638)

In news stories, people speak of the "5W's + H" approach.

Who? . . . What? . . . Where? . . . When? . . . Why? . . . and How?

HOW, exactly, did the world get into this mess? HOW exactly, did the world get so strange that one has to ask the questions in almarst-2001 2/19/02 2:08pm ?

If we had those questions answered, in a coordinated, balanced, correct way - - - then people who are now stumped might be able to sort a lot out.

The situation is strange . . . the Cold War was in many ways unprecedented, the US tactics were without many precedents - - and the "end game" parts haven't worked well at all.

It has been, and remains, an ugly, grisly, expensive, dangerous mess. And not a mess anybody seems to understand completely or comfortably.

There may be places where indignation makes sense -- but the question "how did the situation get so strange?" is worth asking, too.

rshow55 - 04:29pm Feb 19, 2002 EST (#11635 of 11638)

Another question, to add to those in almarst-2001 2/19/02 2:08pm :

. . . "Why, when it has long been technically clear that the US "missile defense" programs were not tactically workable, has the Bush administration pushed so hard for them, and based so many things in its diplomacy on them?"

When things are so strange that the questions in almarst-2001 2/19/02 2:08pm are entirely reasonable ones - - it becomes important to ask "who benefits?"

Whose ideals are being served? Whose interests are being served?

Not ordinary members of the American people.

These are questions that more and more people in the world are prepared to ask. If people with enough influence want them asked, and well answered, they will be. If that happens, some things will change, because power is partly based on ideas.

Some of the techniques for getting key points establshed have been discussed on this web. MD6934 rshowalter 7/11/01 4:03pm

We need to establish some key FACTS beyond reasonable doubt - and explain these facts very broadly, and effectivly, to a wide audience. We have to find ways to do so that are not "somehow, too weak."

almarst-2001 - 06:44pm Feb 19, 2002 EST (#11636 of 11638)

The Vatican’s Complicity in Genocide in Fascist Croatia: The Suppressed Chapter of Holocaust History - http://www.holocaustrevealed.org/_domain/holocaustrevealed.org/Church/Vatican_Hiding.htm

Fourteen years ago the U.S. Government de-classified the now famous "La Vista Report" of May 15, 1947, a top-secret U.S. Army Intelligence report documenting the Vatican’s role in aiding the escape of numerous high-ranking Nazi war criminals, among them Ante Pavelic, fascist leader of wartime Croatia; Franz Stangel, Commander of Treblinka; Eduard Roschmann, "the Butcher of Riga"; Klaus Barbie, "the Butcher of Lyon"; SS General Walter Rauff, inventor of the mobile gas truck; Adolf Eichmann, "architect of the Holocaust"; and tens of thousands of others.

mazza9 - 07:00pm Feb 19, 2002 EST (#11637 of 11638)
Louis Mazza

RShow55:

How about staying on point. This international relations course might be of interest to an advanced Poli Sci major but it is out of place here.

The "La Vista Report" has nothing to do with missile defense!

LouMazza

rshow55 - 08:03pm Feb 19, 2002 EST (#11638 of 11638)

Mazza, we're asking reasonable questions, that seem well justified, trying to put missile defense in context.

Given the questions in almarst-2001 2/19/02 2:08pm , it may be that almarst's connections are more on point than we'd wish. Connections between the Nazis, and the way the US fought the cold war, are certainly direct and established, and with the situation on missile defense so strange , questions make some sense. Enron, as I remember, was "above reproach" in people's estimation for a long time, and then it wasn't.

I have an engagement, and will be back in the morning. As I leave, it seems to me that MD11625 rshow55 2/19/02 9:02am still makes sense

"Other nations can reasonably object when the United States acts as if it does not care about their interests. And may object if the US government acts as if it does not care about their opinion. But perhaps the most solid reason of all to object to American decisions is that they are crazy , distorted, and based on lies and motivations that cannot stand the light of day.

"In the face of "American political technology" -- bad decisions can be made, and sustained for long times. There are good reasons to ask that facts , including technical facts, get established, and that actions taken correspond to them.

Almarst , I was honored and glad to hear from you, and hope we can interact again. I'm hopeful.

Out.

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