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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 - 02:46pm Feb 22, 2002 EST (#11726 of 11756)

People have to ask questions -- and refer to facts. When this is done -- mistakes can be sorted out. But my how offended some of the "powers that be" can get.

But on these issues, so much is at stake that careful regard for facts, and competent thought, ought to be patriotic duties for Americans.

And because the stakes are so high for others, people in other countries have a right to ask us questions and "give us advice" -- we certainly ask others questions, and give advice to others.

I'm sorry this thread is ending -

I think almarst is asking some great questions.

lchic - 02:56pm Feb 22, 2002 EST (#11727 of 11756)

I thought a new edition of the thread was about to be born.

Showalter this thread has acommplished much.

It has established dialogue and communication.

Agreement has been reached that 'Star Wars can't be sucessful' neither technically nor in the World's political MIND.

The thread has thrashed around in many MD connected areas.

The next big question is 'How does the USA bring it's cold war to closure?'

What role should the USA congress play?

Is it unacceptable to have a US shadow government - within the President's Administration - creating MD policy - on the run?

Does the USA need a clearly stated long term vision with respect to WORLD PEACE?

Can the USA show true LEADERSHIP, or, does it have to be LEAD by the older powers who more truely understand the functions of diplomacy?

lchic - 03:05pm Feb 22, 2002 EST (#11728 of 11756)

Alex made the interesting point that the conflicts of C20 have all been related to OIL.

Oil is POWER-Energy. Interesting that the collapse of Enron is Energy related. It illustrates what can happen ... how the 'body and substance and value' of a company can be skimmed off .... when there is no REGULATION or proper ACCOUNTING. A comparison has been made regarding the secret-world of USA MD. LOCK out AmericanJoePublic and be unanswerable and unaccountable. Here again the USA CONGRESS has to re-take charge of the accountability of funding, and review spending to eliminate the senseless and redundant projects.

It's notable that the OIL in the USA is around Texas, that the President if from Texas, that Texas is the HQ of MD and the HQ of Enron.

That the TEXAN WAY is regarded as a southern, most often, non-legitimate way.

One noted that Lockheed Martin took the prize re government contracts ... it has a Confederate TEXAS base?

Whereas Boeing in the Union North - missed out!

Boeing has moved to being a more INTERNATIONAL-GLOBAL based company - setting up HQ's in foreign countries ... ultimatey it may survive best.

rshow55 - 03:07pm Feb 22, 2002 EST (#11729 of 11756)

Sometimes, dialog is necessary, for emotional reasons, but because of the geometry of the situation, too. And because of issues of status and protocol. I think that some people, with real stature, from other countries, are going to have to ask questions.

For the US to bring its Cold War to closure, it seems to me that Russia and our NATO allies have to ASK for rational explanations --- maybe not adjustments, to start with - - but explanations that were REAL.

The US has been deeply engaged in psychological warfare patterns for a long time -- and sometimes necessarily so. But we've told a lot of lies (that's how psychological warfare works) and both we and others are tied up in them. Many of these lies are unstable - - they can't stand up to questions - without artificial barriers.

But those barriers are strongly established now -- there is a taboo about straight questions on some of the things that matter most. When you asked "why do the lies persist? " . . a big part of the answer is that they are supported by conventions that rule out checking.

A great deal could get a great deal better, pretty quickly, if some people with stature in the world asked some questions in public -- and asked that they be answered in public, and in enough detail for people to converge on what the facts are. Some of the techniques of the internet, illustrated on this thread, would be useful for this.

lchic - 03:07pm Feb 22, 2002 EST (#11730 of 11756)

How UNITED are the UNITED STATES ... that old North-South Divide hasn't gone away - has it!?

rshow55 - 03:13pm Feb 22, 2002 EST (#11731 of 11756)

The connections between oil, the military, and the Cold War are interesting - - and sometimes disquieting. One interesting aspect is how very quickly and untraceably money, in large quantities, can be moved in the oil business - - and how much has been.

Alex made some very perceptive points about oil and war.

I've been interested in the technical possibilities - which don't look hard, set beside "missile defense" of making the world self suffient in energy. Something good for the "military industrial complex" to do.

rshow55 - 03:16pm Feb 22, 2002 EST (#11732 of 11756)

lchic 2/22/02 3:07pm

My momma claims that she was fourteen years old before she learned that "damnyankee" was two words.

Senator Zell Miller's The Democratic Party's Southern Problem http://www.nytimes.com/2001/06/04/opinion/04MILL.html is a wonderful piece

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