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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 - 09:26am Sep 18, 2001 EST (#9373 of 9408)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

"On Sunday I interviewed Jordan's King Abdullah, one of America's real friends. He had three wise messages: We can win if you Americans don't forget who you are, if you don't forget who your friends are and if we work together. "The terrorists are trying to break down the fabric of the U.S.," said the Jordanian monarch. "They want to break down what America stands for. The terrorists actually want to provoke attacks on Arabs or Muslims in the U.S., because if the American communities start going after each other, if we see America fragment, then you destroy that special thing that America stands for. That's what the terrorists want — they want to be able to turn to your friends here and say, `Look, this is all a myth.'

""That is why you have to be very careful when you respond — make sure you respond in a way that punishes the real perpetrators, that brings justice, not revenge, because otherwise you will be going against your own ideals, and that is what the terrorists want most."

"At the same time, U.S. strategy can't just be about punishing the bad guys. It also has to be about helping the good guys. Jordan is a country with a decent government and an economy that — despite the Intifada — grew 3.9 percent last year, thanks largely to a free-market approach, with an emphasis on software, technology and textile development that is drawing U.S. investors. That's a lot of jobs. (Jordan is also the first Arab country to sign a free trade agreement with the U.S., but ratification has been foolishly held up by the Senate.) In short, Jordan is becoming a good Arab model for how to do things right. We have a fundamental interest in this model succeeding, for all its neighbors to see. Terrorists thrive in failing, stagnant, weak states with illegitimate regimes — not countries on the rise.

"Which brings up the king's last point: "The bad guys work together, but we don't. The terrorist groups are a global organization. They know how to cooperate and stay focused on their military objectives. We have not. Some people didn't want to share intelligence. [Some] said, Islamic terrorism is not my problem, and looked the other way. We can defeat them, but only if we learn to cooperate globally as effectively as they do."

rshowalter - 09:27am Sep 18, 2001 EST (#9374 of 9408)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

Comment: To cooperate, we must act on the basis of ideals that work for our friends, and that can convert many people, against us now, to our side. To do that, we have to be the good guys.

When our enemies speak of ways that we are ugly, we should listen.

To the extent that they are right, we should fix what we can. Which is all anyone could ask. Which would fix everything that matters.

If there was a decently organized world community, an effective missile defense would follow, naturally, without high tech stunts, as a matter of course.

lunarchick - 09:28am Sep 18, 2001 EST (#9375 of 9408)
lunarchick@www.com

Cold War - Nato

Nato Press Releases

rshowalter - 09:29am Sep 18, 2001 EST (#9376 of 9408)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

Much too often, the Bush administration has been moving in exactly the wrong direction.

They should turn around.

I feel that people from outside the United States should encourage them to do so, using the persuasive means at their disposal. Chirac and Blair may be working to do just that, right now.

lunarchick - 09:41am Sep 18, 2001 EST (#9377 of 9408)
lunarchick@www.com

somebody has to ... watch out! ... Here's Blair

lunarchick - 09:52am Sep 18, 2001 EST (#9378 of 9408)
lunarchick@www.com

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/

The truth is that hate does not answer to logic. It is neither symmetrical nor rational. By its very nature, it is usually the opposite. Hate normally seeks out the vulnerable and innocent for punishment.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/elsewhere/journalist/story/0,7792,553876,00.html

lunarchick - 10:03am Sep 18, 2001 EST (#9379 of 9408)
lunarchick@www.com

Two out of Three are/ain't bad :
' recently posted a 2:1 Australian Poll ... 2 for war actions, one against. That same figure appears in the UK as 2 in 3 back air strikes.

lunarchick - 10:14am Sep 18, 2001 EST (#9380 of 9408)
lunarchick@www.com

Air Strikes :
[ Air strikes against whom? Jesus. How did it get to this so quickly? Do the US have a clue who and where to "strike". Sure 2 out of 3 want it. It is "clean" and none of "us" get hurt. You never have to see the civilian damage and death because the media can't show it. If the enemy show any footage its probably staged propaganda. They are not real people anyway. Funny looking, funny dressing, Star Wars kind of people. Do I support air strikes? Hell, NO. ]GU thread : air strikes Read!

lunarchick - 10:28am Sep 18, 2001 EST (#9381 of 9408)
lunarchick@www.com

Gu: more talk

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