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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 - 09:41pm Jun 16, 2001 EST (#5299 of 5339)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

Especially if they're still using the circuits, and staffing, I think they're using -- which would probably mean proceeding on a system, precarious in the 60's and 70's, but now with a whole bunch of AT&T "classified deals" dead letters, and maybe forgotten, and with whole layers of safeguards stripped away.

In #269, this thread, I pointed out something that most people already know -- that is that human actions work best according to the following pattern:

"Get scared ... take a good look ... get organized ... fix it ..... "

I'd scared enough, but not organized enough to feel comfortable about my next posting -- which I'll file in the morning.

- - - -

I had stuff on Thomas Friedman's great book review of Kissenger's Does America Need a Foreign Policy http://www.nytimes.com/books/first/k/kissinger-01policy.html

" How to Run the World in Seven Chapters http://www.nytimes.com/books/01/06/17/reviews/010617.17friedmt.html , which makes a wonderful analogy between Kissenger and Machiavelli (much to Machiavelli's advantage) but I'll wait on that, too.

lunarchick - 12:57am Jun 17, 2001 EST (#5300 of 5339)
lunarchick@www.com

Machiavelli - that scheming little prince of darkness -- from a country that still seems much the same today.

~ http://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/rosso.htm ~ http://nsa.nps.navy.mil/Syllabi/ns_4036.html

possumdag - 10:09am Jun 17, 2001 EST (#5301 of 5339)
Possumdag@excite.com

http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/talking_point/newsid_1378000/1378475.stm america trying to dominate the world - talking point (NOW)

possumdag - 10:20am Jun 17, 2001 EST (#5302 of 5339)
Possumdag@excite.com

http://www.abc.net.au/newsradio/ (talkingpoint/bbc)

possumdag - 10:23am Jun 17, 2001 EST (#5303 of 5339)
Possumdag@excite.com

Guest - Tom Read Washington Post - talkingpoint@bbc.co.uk

rshowalter - 12:19pm Jun 17, 2001 EST (#5304 of 5339)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

I'm taking a while.

jimmyz211a - 02:56pm Jun 17, 2001 EST (#5305 of 5339)

Where Does Russia Come Off Saying Whether The United States Can Have An Anti-Ballistic Missile Defense Or Not?

As far as I recall, we won the cold war because the Soviet Union could not keep pace with our large defense spending. So why should we give a damn if the Russians, or any other country doesn't like it. Oh, it could start up the old cold war. I doubt it. Russia has no money. We're paying them cold hard cash to dismantle their nuclear weapons because they can't afford it. I don't think they can start building all over again without starving their own people. It would cause a serious degradation to the Russian budget. The 1972 Anti-ballistic missile treaty is old and useless. We're the only super power left, and we shouldn't be scolded and hassled by third world weenie countries. Since we're number one, why don't we act like it. I don't care if the French, or Brazil, etc. like it. Take away their foreign aid and see them come running back.(Shane, come back) In the very near future we're going to have to worry about China, North Korea, Iran, Iran, and all those other countries that hate us so bad. The shield would cost billions of dollars and most probably be late and over budget. This defense shield would be against a large missile attack. We know right now that a country can send in a boat, a plane, or even a single individual carrying a W-88 nuclear device, and blow up any city they want too. That's unstoppable. But with the missile defense shield we could stop hundreds of our major cities containing millions of people. So if you don't build it, we're screwed, and if we do build it people will argue that it's a waste of money, that money could have gone for helping our enemies with aid sothat they like us. We're the good guys wearing the white hats remember? The Muslim nations and the fa Eastern countries could care less. We're the Great Satan to the Muslims, and the evil capatalists to the far East. We'll never be able to buy peace with those countries because that's not how they think. Look at WWII and you see the Japanese as a country willing to risk everything. They fought to the last man. The would rather die, or commit suicide rather than lose. Remember the Chinese sending over a half a million troops after the US pushed the Communist North Koreans over the Yalu river into China. They died by the thousands, and it didn't matter, as long as their objective was obtained. The US on the other hand is unwilling to suffer a single casualty. This is not how you fight a war. I'm not saying war is good, it should be the very last option. Our thinking between us and other countries is still so alien to us, it's crazy. There will be an attack on us as sure as the sun does shine. The question is will we be ready? James Ziolkowski Buffalo, NY shelback211@aol.com

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