New York Times on the Web Forums Science

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 - 11:58pm May 24, 2001 EST (#4194 of 4202)
lunarchick@www.com

The whole program is NUTS!

Senate no longer cowtowing .. what happens in the next installment of Bwsh-Ranger?

rshowalter - 02:04pm May 25, 2001 EST (#4195 of 4202)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

Op Ed today:

The Illusion of a Grand Strategy by JAMES DER DERAIN http://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/25/opinion/25DERI.html

" Today President Bush will deliver what has been billed as a major defense policy statement. Coming on the heels of a Pentagon "top-to-bottom" defense review — the result of two dozen panels of experts meeting for several months behind closed doors — his speech has been preceded by high expectations and not a small amount of controversy. Will he come to the Naval Academy armed with a revolutionary plan to transform the military, as his earlier statements have suggested?

I was glad to see instead a very reasonable speech on flexibility and good judgement:

Bush Tells Naval Graduates to Embrace Innovation by DAVID STOUT

" President Bush told new naval officers today that the country will need a spirit of innovation and sensible risk-taking as well as old-fashioned patriotism to defend its shores and its ideals in the years ahead.

" Our national and military leaders owe you a culture that supports innovation and a system that rewards it," Mr. Bush told graduates of the Naval Academy at nearby Annapolis, Md.

" Officers willing to think big thoughts and look at problems with a fresh eye are sometimes wrong," the President said. "New ideas don't always work. If you pick up this mantle, some of your ideas may fail. But we need to give you this freedom, and we will. It is from your failures that we will learn and acquire the knowledge that will make successful innovation possible."

We could all, on these matters, use flexibility, and good judgement. A good judgement that can only rest on respect for fact.

I don't think that Missile Defense can work -- and I don't think anybody thinks it can work soon -- there is a good deal of time for us to find ways to get right answers - practically, humanly better answers, than we fear we may get now.

I'm moving slowly in response to some very good comments by almarst , and some good things by gisterme , as well.

Sometimes, delay, to let things sink in, is useful.

On this thread I think we've seen a good many ways to get cooperation and communication improved, and some compelling reasons to believe that both better communication, and some facing of some history, are sorely needed.

wrcooper - 02:16pm May 25, 2001 EST (#4196 of 4202)

rshowalter 5/25/01 2:04pm

Frankly, Bob, I think we need to raise our voices and write our congressional representatives--and dubya, too--to let them know we oppose the prez's national missile defense program.

This is a straight political issue. It's time to get uppity.

rshowalter - 02:23pm May 25, 2001 EST (#4197 of 4202)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

You're right. Because of this thread, I'm considerably less physically afraid of speaking up, myself.

gisterme - 02:33pm May 25, 2001 EST (#4198 of 4202)

rshowalter wrote:

"...The assumption that talk can't work -- that international cooperation can't work -- that unilateralism is basically the only hope for effective action - is central to much of the logic of the Bush administration's actions..."

Robert, how do you come up with this wierd stuff? What evidence can you present that the Bush administration has made any such assumption, that "international cooperation can't work"? Have you just presumed this because of the actions of the previous administration? Have you presumed this because the current president has not yet undone all the policies of the former president after only four months in office? What new initiatives has the current administration made that make you think they "assume" that negotiation won't work? What actions do you refer to, Robert, when you say this "negotiation usless" assumption is central to their logic?

rshowalter - 02:40pm May 25, 2001 EST (#4199 of 4202)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

Am I being unfair? I hope so !

I may indeed have some biases based on life experience. I'll review and get back within two hours.

(3 following messages)

New York Times on the Web Forums Science Missile Defense