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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 - 07:09pm Sep 16, 2001 EST (#9227 of 9249)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

One wonders - - do people in the US care about little children, if they don't happen to be American?

Sometimes, the answer is an emphatic yes.

Other times, the callousness is astounding.

. . .

It may be that, for human animals to feel empathy for someone, they first have to have at least a little bit of fear for that person. I sometimes suspect that.

If that's so, the chances for human warmth and empathy may have gone up.

We should declare a "war" on terror.

One that almarst could support.

It would be entirely practical to do. To get there, from where we are, what's mostly needed is checking of facts.

Including this one. We cannot hope to be "completely defended."

One reason for empathy is warmth. Another is fear.

Both have a role to play, and perhaps roles that are interconnected.

It may be that, all over America, people are getting clear about what real bombing feels like.

Even what it feels like, for people who are, in many other ways, different from themselves.

We need to step back from many of the horrors that became "standard and expected" in the 20th century.

applez101 - 07:52pm Sep 16, 2001 EST (#9228 of 9249)

On recent events and missile defence:

Firstly, I think it is the height of misunderstanding to think our real enemy is the particular terrorist organisation that perpetrated these crimes - indeed, the real enemy is an ideology of radical militancy...the belief that I am right, you are wrong, and there is no possibility of conviviality. This is an idea that has spread past all borders and all ethnic groups.

Secondly, no amount of precision munitions or heroic soldiery will change this pattern of belief, if anything, it will only add fuel to its sense of righteousness.

Thirdly, what the events of Tuesday 11 September demonstrate most clearly to me is the overwhelming need for improved intelligence - not more tech solutions, but greater global awareness of events everywhere, and flexible policies to both decrease risk, and to put together proactive responses.^

Fourthly, if and when we find the network that inflicted these crimes, it would be a mistake to pursue summary executions (via military strike for example) or to pursue capital punishment. I know a bloodthirsty America isn't going to like anything else: but do we want to solve this problem or don't we? Rudolph Hess-style imprisonment will be much more effective (avoiding martyrdom of these criminals), especially if used in conjunction with a long-term strategy to decrease our risk.#

^If President Bush is willing to admit that this is a 'new kind of war' then he'd better be ready to admit that our classic strengths, in military and technology may be ineffective tools for the problem at hand.

#'Idle hands are the Devil's workshop' - with unemployment running at near 20% in the Gaza Strip, is it any wonder that anger can quickly translate into suicide bomber volunteers? And that's in a place with greater economic opportunities than Afghanistan.

Let's solve the problem, not pulverize more ruined mud huts and spill more 'collateral' blood to sate our own lusts.

rshowalter - 08:15pm Sep 16, 2001 EST (#9229 of 9249)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

The very best intelligence is the kind that people in a community get from each other.

We need to protect ourselves -- and protect each other.

That may seem simplistic, but in real societies --for real people -- that's where safety lies.

. . .

There was so much interesting, good stuff in The New York Times today that I was overwhelmed, and very impressed.

Including a wonderful piece by George Johnson.

With so many smart people, maybe we can pull through things.

. . .

Out for tonight.

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