New York Times on the Web Forums Science

Missile Defense

Technology has always found its greatest consumer in a nation's war and defense efforts. Since the last attempts at a "Star Wars" defense system, has technology changed considerably enough to make the latest Missile Defense initiatives more successful? Can such an application of science be successful? Is a militarized space inevitable, necessary or impossible?

Read Debates, a new Web-only feature culled from Readers' Opinions, published every Thursday.

rshow55 - 06:03pm Mar 2, 2002 EST (#123 of 133)

Almarst , I'm still thinking about your request for an explanation of the US military-industrial complex - - trying to be useful, even graceful -- and that's a strain for me. Won't get something that satisfies me till tomorrow. The clearest point, it seems to me, is that the key issues have to be staffed to the point that understanding is both clear and sure.

manjumicah2001 also asked a question about interdiction. I've thought at good deal, first and last, about ways to kill people -- but think, on this one, that if you want an answer in much detail, you ought to call me on the telephone. Though I'll give you some more general answers tomorrow. One point is that Alan Bloom, who has always wanted to be a reincarnation of Aristotle, is connected to a philosopher who helped produce one of the true monsters of all time - Alexander the Great. Sometimes, Wolfowitz reminds me, in unpleasant ways, of an Aristotelian product.

almarst-2001 - 06:04pm Mar 2, 2002 EST (#124 of 133)

"folks in power display lack of empathy with the human condition - life!"

Could it be a reason they come to power?

lchic - 06:07pm Mar 2, 2002 EST (#125 of 133)

Showalter the great story Cassablanca is covered here http://www.fortunecity.com/lavendar/ducksoup/555/storyshape.html

lchic - 06:09pm Mar 2, 2002 EST (#126 of 133)

Those in power failing to display empathy are the elite power-men of the USA.

Their road to power isn't democratic.

To be President or live under the presidential shadow there's a large $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ element - that comes for 'vague' sources ... the President then picks a team --- none of whom are elected!

lchic - 06:12pm Mar 2, 2002 EST (#127 of 133)

Don't know - isn't an excuse!

In those positions they have to know, do know, but pretend they don't. These folks HAVE responsibilities - they know !

almarst-2001 - 06:19pm Mar 2, 2002 EST (#128 of 133)

HOLOCAUST..

All knew about what is going on from the very beginning. The Pentagon had even a mock of a concentraition camp with all its "essential facilities". There where just a fiew of a main camps and the railroad lines connecting. The US-British bombers flew almost daily overhead to bomb the German cities. Not a single time even attempting to bomb the roads. Or the camps.

almarst-2001 - 06:27pm Mar 2, 2002 EST (#129 of 133)

"Their road to power isn't democratic."

In a country where the $=vote!

Nowdays it is called the "free speech". By the US Supreme Court!

Quite astonishing. The more money one has - the more powerful LOUDSPEAKER (media time)it can buy. And then - Welcome to the "democratic" competition of the IDEAS.

rshow55 - 06:59pm Mar 2, 2002 EST (#130 of 133)

almarst-2001 3/2/02 6:19pm , you make good points about responsibility. And nuclear war would be worse than anything the Germans did in WWII.

"Erica Goode's IDEAS AND TRENDS piece Hey, What if Contestants Give Each Other Shocks? deals with issues of concern to most people I know, and shows a case where scientific information can give evidence on an issue about humanity, and one particularly troubling. During WWII, what did the Germans know, and when did they know it? Who was a responsible actor, and in what sense can these words be used?" rshowalter "Science in the News" 8/29/00 7:26am

"Populations with competent militaries know everything they have to in order to support what is done. This goes for Americans, and goes, emphatically, for the German military (all of it) the German bureacracies (all of them) and the German people (just about everybody) during the Nazi era. ...."

"The ignorance defense so many Germans claim, in the fuzzy way in which they claim it, makes no logical or emotional sense to me. To the degree that people were responsible members of German society during this time, they needed to know enough for the complex cooperation, and focused and mutual coercion, that they actually showed. (That is, everybody had to know practically everything, except for details of execution.) rshowalter "Science in the News" 8/29/00 8:03am

In the same way, Americans, and especially Americans responsible for military action, must know - must be responsible for, the risks they take with atomic weapons.

rshow55 - 07:05pm Mar 2, 2002 EST (#131 of 133)

almarst-2001 3/2/02 6:27pm . . . money counts for getting ideas across - - - there has to be enough. But the amount required may be tiny, for effects achieved. Some other times, no amount of money is enough to persuade.

Sometimes ideas are the most important things of all.

. . . .

Ideas and money are linked -- power and the money connected to power depend on systems of ideas and beliefs.

The connections aren't always simple.

But good arguments, and good presentation, make a difference.

(2 following messages)

New York Times on the Web Forums Science Missile Defense