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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?

almarst-2001 - 09:11pm May 14, 2001 EST (#3867 of 3870)

gisterme 5/14/01 7:58pm

"If that had been the intent it would have happened when Stalin refused to withdraw from eastern Europe."

There was no chance the US-Britain could turn against Russia at that point. They would loos hands down and destroy the remainding of the Europe right away. The US has may be one more bomb to use and then to lose all its military contigent on the ground. Remember also that it was according to the Yalta aggreement and US refused to withdrow from the western Europe. A tit-for-tat you so like as I remember;)

"Britain first went to war to liberate Poland from one evil dictator"

Britain went to war to save its Empire. It understood pretty well the combined forces of Germany, Russia and Japan would put a sure end to its World's posessions.

"did the treaty that Britain went to war for somehow dissappear when it was Stalin rather than Hitler occupying Poland, or did the same war just continue in a different form until Poland was finally liberated?"

The Britain hoped to put its feets in Europe for a very long time (having succeedeng only in the Gibraltar), mainly on two places - the Balkans and the Poland. It tryed once the Crimea, but apparently lost interest to fight the Russia. The British are very calculative nation and strived for a cost-effective solutions:)

"Perhaps someone here thinks Stalin's secret treaty with the Nazis to occupy half of Poland should be the one that's recognized?"

The Nazis broke that treaty and then disappeared. Otherwise that one would prabably would be recognised. And how about the not secret treaty with Japan to occupy the Okinava? Or other places occupied by the US around the Globe presented as a land-leese payment by the British in a secret treaty between Rusevelt and Cherchill at the sea?

"If Britian had known about that treachery, do you think Russia would have received so much material support from the western allays?"

The Stalin-Hitler alliance was anti-British first and formost. The British always dreamed of destroying the Russia and connecting their Asian colonies from China, India, Pakistan,Afganistan, and Iran to Balkans and to the Europe, but never had a chance because of Russia. It was just too big and the dangerows piece to swallow. They also remembered the Napoleon's fate and the Crimea war way too well.

However, if Britis new about the Hitler-Stalin design, they would come and give the Russia all it wants to prevent this from happening. The last thing they wanted is to face both in a war. And you should know it was a Hitler's design to fight the Britain to expropriate so to speak some of its colonial treasures. After the fact, the British worked overtime trying to convince the Hitler it will be much easier to take the land from Russia then to fight the Britain all over the world.

Are you trying to present the British Empire as some very attractive alternative to any other one?;)

"That treaty proves Stalin's desire for empire existed before Russia was attacked."

And the British desire for empire just disappeared?;)

"If Stalin would betray Poland and her allies he would certainly betray Germany..."

If the British would betray Chechoslovakia...;)

But seriously, how come Stalin to betray Poland? Do you really know the Russian-Poland history? Which started much earlier then Hitler was born. So much earlier... even I don't recall;)

I suggest you start the investigation from there;)

"Not the kind on neighbor one want's at their back door."

That may be a real problem when neighbors start to expand their houses... untill their back doors hit;)

gisterme - 09:47pm May 14, 2001 EST (#3868 of 3870)

almarst wrote: ".... Just to compare such a development to the Chechnia or the Kosovo..."

WRT Chechnya, obviously the Russians don't like the prospect of losing one of their "states" any more than the US would.

The US has already been through the bloodiest war in its history over state's rights. Too late for tickets to that. What you don't seem to understand about the US is that it is a nation of immigrants. If hispanics wanted to turn California or Texas into Mexico, they would just go to Mexico instead. It would be much easier. But those folks are just as proud to be Americans as any other ethnic group. No different than Russians being proud to be Russians. If the Serbs and Albanians would adapt the US Anglo-Hispanic cultural relationsip as a model they wouldn't be wanting to burn each other out of their homes. Since the US civil rights revolution in the '60s and '70s we've had far more problems (crime etc.) within ethnic groups than between them. There have been tremendous advances in cross-cultural understanding and wide spread sharing of the best points of all those cultures. The sort of centuries-old racial bias that existed in the US (and presently exists in Yugoslavia) can't be changed overnignt by legislation. Legislation is good as a starting point, but it takes generaions of "not teaching your father's racial hatred to your children" for such hatred to dissipate. Passing a law can't change a person's heart.

almarst, do you believe that because two ethnic groups hate each other that they they have a right to slaughter each other? If you see two neighbors trying to kill each other, and you have the power to stop them, should you?...Or should you just let them fight until one is dead? If you intervene and prevent a killing, eventhough both parties hate you because of it, would you feel better about yourself than if you did nothing? Is it ethical to allow a massacre to win a friend? Would the survivor have respect for you after he knows you allowed him to kill your neighbor? Would you have respect for yourself, knowing you could have saved your neighbor (even though you might not like him)?

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