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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?

rshowalter - 09:47pm Jun 5, 2001 EST (#4527 of 4533)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

almarst-2001 6/5/01 6:27pm And there are many in the West who DO care. Nor is "the West" homogeneous in the sense these particular words of yours imply.

I'm haunted by the eloquence of your words, speaking of "what is behind this sweet smile of the West."

" The smile of a master who feels he can order, buy, sell and kill anything and anyone at will with full impunity."

We aren't like that, most of us -- and particularly so if the mutual knowledge of the people concerned are such that we know enough to treat each other as human beings.

rshowalter - 09:48pm Jun 5, 2001 EST (#4528 of 4533)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

SN1342 markk46b "Science in the News" 8/23/00 2:44am . . . SN1343 rshowalt "Science in the News" 8/23/00 7:31am

In the preface to Brecht's Galileo , there's something like this.

" It takes courage to face the fact that sometimes the truth is defeated because the truth is, somehow, too weak."

I find the idea that truth can be somehow, too weak haunting.

MD4301 rshowalt 5/29/01 6:18pm . . . MD4302 rshowalt 5/29/01 6:37pm
MD4303

In MD4304 rshowalt 5/29/01 6:57pm . . . gisterme says something that should be reinforced, repeated, and made to stick:

Q. ...What do you know about Saddam which is so uniquely terrible and desrves and justifies the A-bombing of Iraq?"

" Nothing almarst. You missed my point. The point was that nothing justifies A-bombing any place (except possibly as last-ditch home defense). That's why strategic weapons are useless.

Almarst - you'd like to add "and damn little can ever justify any bombing" - - and I would, too.

But the point also relates to your hope of Russia being "protected" by Russia's nuclear weapons -- they aren't usable - and so offer much less protection than you need to find.

lunarchick - 01:02am Jun 6, 2001 EST (#4529 of 4533)
lunarchick@www.com

Do you think the US will be King of the World ? No one else will put their missiles in orbit ? Our satellites will operate with impunity in this newly militarized zone of space ?

On anyone being King of the world, that's rather a sexist term ... presumably you mean MONARCH .. and modern monarchs reign amidst an approval rating majority ... people accept a mantle of stability only when it suits their growing needs and purposes.

Remember ... whatever technological capabilites the USA has ... very likely via diffusion-theory .. the info went around the world a decade before the technology 'materialised' in 3D format.

All in all the world operates on a negotiated concensus basis ... history .. looking back can be compared to the wrungs of a ladder - each of which is a giant leap for mankind --- as it outlaws some ugliness of the past, or moderates an injustice ... take a look at an historical time line .. looking for the good things .. and you'll see how far forward the world has come. Of course it still has a long long way to go .. towards greater individual happiness.

james22h - 07:57am Jun 6, 2001 EST (#4530 of 4533)

How will I learn about the Russians and theyre culture if they "leave" this board? That Almarst dude has me interested in Foreign affairs.

rshowalter - 08:23am Jun 6, 2001 EST (#4531 of 4533)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

MD707 rshowalter 2/18/01 3:46pm

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