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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?

descripto - 03:28pm Jul 19, 2001 EST (#7241 of 7257)

rshowalter - 03:22pm Jul 19, 2001 EST (#7240 of 7240)

Your in love with your own words.

rshowalter - 03:47pm Jul 19, 2001 EST (#7242 of 7257)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

From becq's reference

TEAM W by Jacob Heilbrunn http://www.thenewrepublic.com/magazines/tnr/current/heilbrunn092799.html

" (Rice) told me, "I read early on and was influenced by [Hans] Morgenthau," who wrote the realist bible Politics Among Nations. Morgenthau didn't believe that nations should go on ideological crusades or attempt to promote human rights in other countries. He saw the cold war not so much as a contest between communism and democracy but as something more antiseptic--a struggle between two rival continental nations who simply had clashing national interests. "

A problem with thought on this scale, if it is used exclusively, is that it can lead to positions, like Kissinger's, that can, in Friedman's words "make Machiavelli sound like one of the Sister's of Mercy"

descripto - 03:58pm Jul 19, 2001 EST (#7243 of 7257)

rshowalter - 03:47pm Jul 19, 2001 EST (#7242 of 7242)

The problem you have with Morgenthau is that morality does not exist in the equation. The use of it undermines the entire state and overextends the nation. Thus, your entire being and existence on this forum for all this time, and for the thousands of useless posts you dribble out-is questioned by one simple concept.

mcgarveypatrick - 04:02pm Jul 19, 2001 EST (#7244 of 7257)

Bush and Powell perform like Dumb & Dumber in their warning to Russia that they are going ahead with their missile shield Tinkertoy nonsense! The upsetting aspe3ct od all this is the arrogance of the two of them, as if somebody appointed them God and Deputy God! Their hubris is so great they are digging their own graves. No way will Bush win a second term with his "attitude" problem.

descripto - 04:06pm Jul 19, 2001 EST (#7245 of 7257)

mcgarveypatrick - 04:02pm Jul 19, 2001 EST (#7244 of 7244)

Sadly Americans don't care about foreign policy when it comes to elections. Unless of course it is to extract American boys out of a warzone.

rshowalter - 04:32pm Jul 19, 2001 EST (#7246 of 7257)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

Americans could do with more of a sense of risk. What Bush and Powell are doing, whatever their intentions, is decreasing US security -- and reducing US prestige, as well.

rshowalter - 04:36pm Jul 19, 2001 EST (#7247 of 7257)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

descripto 7/19/01 3:28pm , aka becq said I was in love with my own words -- and sometimes, after polishing, I enjoy them. Though they'll never lay down as well as the words of some professional writers do, or as cleanly as many other people's words do.

And I'll never research with the dash and genius of Dawn Riley, either. I love her words and citations -- and the many ways she makes the world a bigger, brighter, more interesting place.

But the words I value most on this thread are the words of the "stand-ins" in this thread . . . becq , almarst and gisterme . . - - I'm interested in their ideas, and hopeful that, if they keep talking, and seeing things, maybe they can come to new ways of thinking, that fit needs better than the old ways do. Ways of thinking and seeing that didn't exist before. If those ways got born, focused and became simple and clear, maybe the ideas could be communicated to real actors on the world stage. If so, maybe the world might be a safer place.

I was glad to say some things on September 25, 2000, some of them concise -- but was especially glad to interact with the powerful ideas of becq between MD266 rshowalt 9/25/00 7:32am and MD304 rshowalt 9/25/00 5:28pm

I was proud to interact with almarst , and especially so after I read "Muddle in Moscow" http://www.economist.com/displayStory.cfm?Story_ID=533129 ..... cited in MD1126 rshowalter 3/17/01 4:57pm ... When I read that story, I imagined, just for a while, that Dawn and I were communicating with a really powerful person, and that this person was paying attention. Now, of course, I know that was a dream. But it was an interesting dream! Dawn and I did our best to tell almarst things we thought it might be good for Putin to know -- in the cause of humanity and peace. And because the exercise was fun, too. Who knows? Maybe somebody on Putin's staff read a little of it..

I was also thrilled, and honored, to get into contact with gisterme - - who asked key questions, starting with a powerful one in his first posting .. MD2997 gisterme 5/2/01 1:09pm

To keep these words going, and to try to sort things out, I've kept talking. And sometimes enjoyed that talking. And I've been especially glad to do it, because of the beautiful words and citations of Dawn Riley.

But the words I really love to read are becq's , almarst's , and gisterme's - - -

Because I've been afraid that the world was in danger.

Trying to do something about it, somehow, I've felt less afraid.

Sometimes, it has seemed to me that new reasons for hope have been taking shape.

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