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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 - 01:09pm Jun 20, 2001 EST (#5547 of 5555)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

Though some technical reservations will need to be adressed as well:

MD5420 rshowalter 6/19/01 9:22am

rshowalter - 01:17pm Jun 20, 2001 EST (#5548 of 5555)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

MD4727 rshowalter 6/10/01 11:28pm . . We need to remember the context in which proposals and promises are happening.

And the history involved is ugly - - in terms of what the US has done, and what it has condoned.

THREATS TO USE NUCLEAR WEAPONS: The Sixteen Known Nuclear Crises of the Cold War, 1946-1985 by David R. Morgan http://scienceforpeace.sa.utoronto.ca/WorkingGroupsPage/NucWeaponsPage/Documents/ThreatsNucWea.html

The NAZI influence on US policy cannot now be reasonably doubted. And its connection to nuclear policy seems clear.

CIA's Worst-Kept Secret by Martin A. Lee May 16, 2001 http://www.consortiumnews.com/051601a.html

rshowalter - 01:18pm Jun 20, 2001 EST (#5549 of 5555)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

MD4728 rshowalter 6/10/01 11:36pm

There are things, both about hardware function, and negotiating realities, that need to be checked, and have not been adequately checked.

Was Putin's position about MIRVs anticipated?

almarst-2001 - 01:45pm Jun 20, 2001 EST (#5550 of 5555)

rshowalter 6/20/01 1:18pm

"Was Putin's position about MIRVs anticipated?"

This was the mildest of possible responces I could imagine. I would think that is just the first responce untill the capabilities of MD will become known. The additional danger is, those capabilities may be exagerated in a "best traditions" of a Pentagon to justify the expences. That will create the spiral no one knows the end of. Yet.

As I stated before, EVERY country has the right and even duty to defend itself against foreign agression. The military imbalance is the greatest it was in a history of civilization since the Roman Empire. The benevolent nature of the US is at best questionable. The past behavier far from exemplary. Even the very recent past up to to this day.

Based on a past experience, statistically, the danger of nuclear attack against US is immensly lower then a danger of US attack against small defenceless nation. Those who enjoyed watching the wonders of "smart" and "humanitarian" bombing of other nations should remember: "The one who raises the sword dies by the sword".

rshowalter - 01:58pm Jun 20, 2001 EST (#5551 of 5555)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

I think the risk of nuclear destruction is high. Perhaps I'm wrong about that.

But if the questions about military balances, and backgrounds raised on this thread, could be staffed and checked to reasonable closure we could have real peace.

And that would be a great thing, for almost all American citizens, and people all over the rest of the world.

rshowalter - 01:59pm Jun 20, 2001 EST (#5552 of 5555)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

With the ingenuity the Bush administration is now devoting to making its case for missile defense (and you have to credit them with ingenuity and initiative on this) they could probably figure out how to achieve real peace, solve the global warming problem, and assure the whole world an adequate and safe energy supply, forever.

They'd get a lot more credit for that than they're getting for what they're now doing.

rshowalter - 03:31pm Jun 20, 2001 EST (#5553 of 5555)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

If George W. Bush found a way to clean up the messes left by the Cold War, get rid of the terror of nuclear weapons, and use American leadership, in cooperation with other countries, in a way that made the United States safer, more prosperous, and more respected, and all legitimate nation states more secure, he'd go down in history as one of the greatest presidents of the United States.

He need not act in these ways. But the opportunity to act in these ways is right before him, and his advisors.

MD1205 rshowalter 3/20/01 12:43pm . . . MD1204 rshowalter 3/20/01 9:33am
MD948 rshowalter 3/12/01 10:02am . . . MD2842 rshowalter 4/30/01 5:31pm

Some basic decencies ought to be remembered. .... Chain Breakers ..... Secular Redemption:
MD4634 rshowalter 6/8/01 7:16pm . . . MD4635 rshowalter 6/8/01 7:16pm

The golden rule , and its negation:
MD4636 rshowalter 6/8/01 7:20pm

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