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Missile Defense

Russian military leaders have expressed concern about US plans for a national missile defense system. Will defense technology be limited by possibilities for a strategic imbalance? Is this just SDI all over again?

lunarchick - 09:11am Apr 17, 2001 EST (#2309 of 2316)
lunarchick@www.com

It's interesting that Sharon is realising that 'brute force' isn't the way forward .. regardless of his election promises.

Putin is getting criticism from Europe regarding his failure to promote 'freedom of the press' -- seen as a necessity for democratisation.

If the Russian oligarchy of control dont want an independent press, then the question to ask is what have they got to hide? If those with power don't want their past exposed, then how long can they hold out? Were Putin to have 'plans' regarding future self, social, cultural and economic and commercial development .. then the agenda might be focused on.

Two 'newsprint' freedom publications have also been closed down.

Putin is getting a BAD PRESS regarding these lack of freedoms.

rshowalter - 09:15am Apr 17, 2001 EST (#2310 of 2316)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

That bad press matters. -- For all sorts of reasons, Russia needs to move in the direction of openness -- but it also needs order, and it has to work from where it is. - - - -

rshowalter - 09:17am Apr 17, 2001 EST (#2311 of 2316)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

http://www.nytimes.com/2001/04/17/opinion/17FRIE.html Myth-Matched Nations by THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN

is an important piece, with a fine title -- China and the US are "Mismatched " -- our myths are "mismatched" -- and our peoples - not only our nation states -- don't get along well. In fact, there is hatred, going both ways, and reasons for people to be uncomfortable, going both ways.

And he speaks of the legitimacy not only of the Chinese people, in themselves, but of their government.

" My own theory is that by flashing his e-mail the pilot was signaling that he has a voice, and that may be the key lesson of this whole affair. Yes, China is an authoritarian state, but thanks to the rise in personal freedoms there, the Internet and cable and satellite TV, a quasi-independent public opinion is developing in China, and we need to take it seriously.

" Because as much as we like to assume that a democratic China would be pro-American, that could be a huge illusion. A more democratic China is likely to be a more nationalistic China. The notion that all Chinese are building replicas of the Statue of Liberty in their basements is not the case. It misses the deep well of popular nationalism among Chinese (I'd add, a nationalism including HOSTILITY to the US and to Japan) many of whom sincerely believe they should have a prominent place in the world and America is trying to block that. And it misses the fact that as brutal as the current Chinese regime is, it still has a measure of public support (tactfully stated -- it has CONSIDERABLE public support) , because of the stability and prosperity it has brought to a generation of Chinese who grew up during the madness, starvation and instability wrought by Mao's insane Great Leap Forward and Cultural Revolution.

" Tiananmen Square shocked Americans because of what it revealed about the Chinese regime. This affair is shocking because of what it reveals about Chinese public opinion. By all reports, the government had to dampen resentment of America, not stoke it. I got an e-mail from a young Chinese friend at Nanjing University. She wrote: "The plane crisis has been the top issue here. There is a sharp difference between Chinese students and international students. Chinese students argue that since the pilot is still missing, any demand from the U.S. side is ridiculous . . . Combined with the long-held anti-American emotions, it is understandable that Chinese will behave this way."

"So we've got mail from China, and it's not just from the leaders. We need to read it carefully and develop a public information strategy to persuade the Chinese public that America is not out to keep them down, but only to ensure that as China moves into the world system it does so by the rules. The biggest mistake we could make is to believe our own myths — that as soon as China becomes a democracy it will embrace America.

Let me modify the last two lines:

We need to read (Chinese public opinion) carefully and develop a public information strategy to persuade the Chinese public that America is not out to keep them down, but only to ensure that as China moves into the world system it does so by the rules. And to do that, the persuasion needs to be based on reality - it is in our interest to make this TRUE - as it is not, by reasonable Chinese or Russian standards, true today. WE NEED TO BE BOUND BY THE SAME DECENT RULES WE ASK THE CHINESE TO ABIDE BY.

Let me add here an interesting quote from Almarstel2001's first posting, almarstel2001 3/5/01 12:17am which occurred after my posting of "yes sir !"

Almarstel2001: "Who would trust the dishonest arrogant and brutal superpower bully run amok? "

many Chinese, and many Russians would ask just this question

(5 following messages)

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