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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 - 06:59pm Jun 22, 2001 EST (#5845 of 5846)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

MD899 almarstel2001 3/9/01 4:59pm .... MD900 rshowalter 3/9/01 7:06pm
MD901 rshowalter 3/9/01 7:07pm .... MD902 rshowalter 3/9/01 7:13pm

Could people be acting irrationally, because theyve done things that they cannot admit having done? Or are they acting rationally, in their private interests, but against the interests of the nation and the world, because they have done things that they cannot admit having done?

There may be other explanations, but that is an explanation that occurs to me.

Nuclear weapons should have come down, long sense. The Generals responsible for the weapons may feel that most keenly of all. Here is a text adaptation of CNNs Special Report, REHEARSING DOOMSDAY... http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2000/democracy/nuclear/stories/nukes/index.html which aired Sunday, October 15, 2000 at 10 p.m. EDT.

As for conventional weapons, I don't see the need for a US expenditure 10 times larger than the military budgets of all our potential enemies.

Perhaps there is a reason beyond the desire of people doing jobs to keep on doing them

I think a strong, effective US military force is essential. In rshowalter 2/19/01 12:29pm I asked:

" How about promoting the peace, comfort and safety of the United States? In a world that is stable, and with our military functioning in ways that make Americans proud, and other nations respectful, according to American ideals? ...... For that, the military budget might be worth every penny. But by that standard, there is thinking to do, and new beauty must be found, where ugliness now exists.

The defense we have now seems maladapted, and not worth the money. Ugliness, in the sense of disproportion, is what now exists.

almarstel2001 asks a good question. It is a question not only for other nations, but for citizens of the United States, as well. Some of the things being done seem so ugly, in the sense of disproportionate, that I sometimes wonder if people are acting in their private interests, but against the real interests of this nation and the world.

Could the answer be massive, institutionalized, fraud?
MD 904 lunarchick 3/10/01 10:45am ... MD905 rshowalter 3/10/01 12:08pm

MD922 rshowalter 3/11/01 8:08am

Carlyle looks bad: http://www.nytimes.com/2001/03/05/politics/05CARL.html
MD926 rshowalter 3/11/01 5:02pm ... MD927 rshowalter 3/11/01 5:08pm
MD928 rshowalter 3/11/01 5:10pm

MD929 almarst-2001 3/11/01 5:13pm

lunarchick - 07:02pm Jun 22, 2001 EST (#5846 of 5846)
lunarchick@www.com

GI said: 'they all seem consistent to Robert because they all come from HIS distant right.'

so if Robert is 'mainstream', which he certainly is, begs the question again .. how right (which i expressed above in the historically redundant thought process comparison) .. how right of right is the current administration in the USA .. that's the Admin 'appointed' by the incumbent .. not voted for by the people.

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