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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 - 10:28am Sep 17, 2001 EST (#9274 of 9281)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

Competence matters - - this bears reading:

Bush did not heed several warnings of attacks by Andrew Gumbel 17 September 2001 http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/story.jsp?story=94433

" George Bush's administration was warned repeatedly that a devastating attack on the United States was on its way, including a State Department advisory as late as 7 September, but either failed to read the signals or was unable to follow up on intelligence tips in time to prevent last Tuesday's onslaught on the country. . . . . ."

lunarchick - 10:29am Sep 17, 2001 EST (#9275 of 9281)
lunarchick@www.com

The mind of man. Interesting to note that many men who commit crime may have problems ranging from ADD to Autism.

These guys can get into trouble. Can be imprisoned.

Noted that 2nd in command Chaney is wanting to use convicted criminals to assist with security issues. That this was outlawed a 1/4 century ago suggests that it is beset with problems ... and probably unfair to the ex-criminals.

rshowalter - 10:30am Sep 17, 2001 EST (#9276 of 9281)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

I've been warning the administration, which stays informed of this thread, of massive technical failures -- and it is doing nothing about them either.

But it seems confident that it can lead the country into a war.

Why?

lunarchick - 10:34am Sep 17, 2001 EST (#9277 of 9281)
lunarchick@www.com

Irving Berlin God bless America

rshowalter - 10:42am Sep 17, 2001 EST (#9278 of 9281)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

From Bush did not heed several warnings of attacks by Andrew Gumbel http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/story.jsp?story=94433

There is also mounting evidence that the Bush administration, preoccupied with its "Son of Star Wars" missile defence system to guard against rogue nuclear, biological or chemical attacks from overseas, did not give sufficient weight to the demonstrably more pressing threat of low-tech guerrilla attacks.

"Last January, just after Mr Bush took office, a bipartisan commission chaired by former senators Gary Hart and Warren Rudman, issued a warning that "the relative invulnerability of the US homeland to catastrophic attack" was coming to an end.

"The report said: "A direct attack against American citizens on American soil is likely over the next quarter century." A series of 50 recommendations was made, including a greater reliance on human intelligence rather than espionage equipment and the creation of a new domestic security agency marshalling the forces of the CIA, immigration, the border patrol, the Coast Guard and the FBI.

"Rather than accept the report, which was unanimously approved by all seven Republicans and seven Democrats involved in its drafting and which led to the introduction of congressional legislation advocating the creation of a National Homeland Security Agency, the Bush administration chose to put it to one side and work out its own strategy from scratch.

"Senator Hart said he sat tearing his hair out last week while he watched the scenes of carnage and destruction unfold on his television set, feeling that his warnings had not been taken with the appropriate seriousness. "We predicted it," he said forlornly.

lunarchick - 10:43am Sep 17, 2001 EST (#9279 of 9281)
lunarchick@www.com

It is important for you to consider how you are perceived State Organisations too!

rshowalter - 10:44am Sep 17, 2001 EST (#9280 of 9281)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

. . . . . . . Could private agendas have been part of the problem? Including the desire for private profit, and the desire to hide things in the past that could not stand the light of day? . . . On the basis of things I've seen, and gisterme's responses, the question is well worth asking.

Somehow, the motivation to pursue policies that have seemed insane to most of the whole world must have been very strong, and seem to continue to be very strong.

lunarchick - 10:44am Sep 17, 2001 EST (#9281 of 9281)
lunarchick@www.com

It is important for you to consider how you are perceived

State Organisations too!

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