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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 - 08:23am Aug 23, 2001 EST (#8029 of 8047)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

Now, it seems that the instant someone raises an issue of credibility, or decorum, checking can be stopped if it will make someone uncomfortable.

In theory, the idea that "checking is good" is accepted. But it seems it is a good that will ALWAYS be subordinated to other considerations.

In my opinion, the Cold War is continuing, and other "insoluble" problems are not being solved, mostly because key facts cannot be established.

lunarchick - 08:43am Aug 23, 2001 EST (#8030 of 8047)
lunarchick@www.com

:) Needs a little detective work !

rshowalter - 08:52am Aug 23, 2001 EST (#8031 of 8047)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

Usages analogous to detective work, and usages analagous to legal work, too.

When, at law, the truth has to be found, there have to be ways of forcing or at least pressuring, players to tell the truth.

Without that, progress stops.

Sorting out the Cold War, from here, will take some truth -- and some of it will be truth that people would rather lie about.

rshowalter - 08:56am Aug 23, 2001 EST (#8032 of 8047)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

That truth will have to come from, and be judged by, real, fallible, imperfect human beings, as they are.

Such things get done, and done well, all the time. Lots of things work well -- including some things done by The New York Times.

Which can work in mysterious but wonderfully productive ways. I wrote an appreciation of such a circumstance a while back. Referred to it, with linkages, in MD4690-4691 rshowalter 6/10/01 12:48pm .

rshowalter - 08:56am Aug 23, 2001 EST (#8033 of 8047)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

But sometimes, direct approaches, rather than indirection, are really needed.

lunarchick - 09:09am Aug 23, 2001 EST (#8034 of 8047)
lunarchick@www.com

Any intelligent life forms out there?

rshowalter - 09:20am Aug 23, 2001 EST (#8035 of 8047)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

Some intelligent life forms out there. Including some in the intelligence community.

But also life forms out there built to decieve, to suppress dissent, and to cause unnecessary problems.

rshowalter - 09:26am Aug 23, 2001 EST (#8036 of 8047)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

I've done a running summary-condensation of this thread, with links, in the Guardiian thread Psychwar, Casablance, and Terror , from #152 on http://talk.guardian.co.uk/WebX?14@@.ee7a163/159 that may interest people wanting a background to what this very long, specialized forum on missile defense, military balances, and related issues is about.

I'll be putting some more summaries here later -- in the hope of moving some things that matter for world prosperity and survival into a checkable condition.

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New York Times on the Web Forums Science Missile Defense