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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?

rshowalter - 07:54pm May 3, 2001 EST (#3197 of 3207)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

I would. I'd also say that, in Korea, the Chinese lost more than a million people (fighting closer to home than we were fighting) and the N. Koreans lost over 2 million civilians to dam-busting and firebombing raids. When it was happening, they did not think of themselves as "the bad guys." The Koreans didn't think of their parents, lovers, and children, as "fair targets."

So there's a lot of hatred. Enough to get in the way. In Korea it has been, and remains, an inconvenience.

And it is very much in the interest of all concerned (including the interest of many Republicans) to try to improve relations with China.

We want to avoid fighting stances in dealing with them, it seems to me. They don't help. Partly due to the political savvy of China, the US just lost, for the first time, her seat on the UN human rights commission -- a seat of symbolic importance. Lost by a pretty clear vote margin.

Nobody doubts that the United States can beat up anybody at all. Nobody doubts that our military technology is superior.

Nobody doubts that the Chinese, like the Russians, and like us, have done plenty of things that are, from our perspective, from most perspectives, unbeautiful indeed.

I don't think language and behavior patterns that provoke unnecessary fights are helpful.

Yes, we can beat them up (at tremendous cost to ourselves.)

Yes, everybody knows we can beat them up.

Unless we really have to deal with them from a fighting stance, we should avoid it, it seems to me.

Some very smart, rich, Republican deal-making lawyers have sometimes been at pains to tell me such things, sometimes even accusing me of ungentleness.

We'd like to change China's behavior some. We might well change some of ours, as well.

rshowalter - 08:06pm May 3, 2001 EST (#3198 of 3207)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

This is the 100th post today. I don't think NMD can work, but NMD may, by getting people to pay attention to nuclear matters, turn out to have saved the world. If we're careful, and check things.

rshowalter - 08:11pm May 3, 2001 EST (#3199 of 3207)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

rshowalter 4/8/01 8:22am

rshowalter - 08:12pm May 3, 2001 EST (#3200 of 3207)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

A North Korean leader who takes great risks to take his kid to Disneyland can't be all bad.

Japan Is Said to Detain Son of North Korean Leader by HOWARD W. FRENCH http://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/03/world/03CND-KIM.html

rshowalter - 08:17pm May 3, 2001 EST (#3201 of 3207)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

"It is important that Russia, as a nation, stop lying so much, and find ways to set up complex cooperations, and feedbacks, that are truthful enough, and smooth enough, so that the nation can work well for itself and other nations." rshowalter 4/6/01 1:00pm

I'd say the same to China. I'd also say the same to the United States.

gisterme - 08:37pm May 3, 2001 EST (#3202 of 3207)

rshowalter wrote: "...Yes, everybody knows we can beat them up.

Unless we really have to deal with them from a fighting stance, we should avoid it, it seems to me.

Some very smart, rich, Republican deal-making lawyers have sometimes been at pains to tell me such things, sometimes even accusing me of ungentleness.

We'd like to change China's behavior some. We might well change some of ours, as well."

Do you consider the aircraft incident one where the US should not have taken a firm stance? Do you feel that China's stance was fair or honest? Would the US response have been different if the Chinese had returned the US personnel the next day and said:

"We'll give your airplaine back after we sort out what really happened. Let's investigate this together."?

I'd love to convert the entire planet into Utopia but so far I've failed miserably in divining a realistic plan to accomplish that. The problem I keep running up against is that there really are evil people in the world. I confess that I can't see how any amount of legislation, rules, money or "staffing" can change that dark side of human nature. Can you help me out there?

rshowalter - 08:45pm May 3, 2001 EST (#3203 of 3207)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

So who are the evil people?

I'll give you Saddam Hussien, though some might quibble even there.

Who else?

The first few pages of this might interest you. Mankind's Inhumanity to Man and Woman - As natural as human goodness? http://talk.guardian.co.uk/WebX?14@@.ee7b085/0

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