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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 - 05:15pm Mar 9, 2002 EST (#302 of 330)

There's plenty to be concerned about.

To do some effective things about it, people who make news -- rather than "just" cover the news, have to take a hand.

mazza9 - 05:20pm Mar 9, 2002 EST (#303 of 330)
Louis Mazza

Almarst-2001

It must be a terrible burden to operate under the disability of abject ignorance. You don't know me and choose to ascribe feeling and thoughts to me as if your ignorance is sufficent basis for such pronouncements.

To say that I don't value life is slanderous. Have you ever saved a life? I have! Have you ever gone into a child care center that was threatened by a burning vehicle that might explode and lead children to safety? I have!

Your nonsensical statements are an affront. Keep on the subject or go away!

LouMazza

rshow55 - 05:22pm Mar 9, 2002 EST (#304 of 330)

Mazza, you're very comfortable with mass murder -- you distract whenever you can - - and I can see almarst's point of view.

almarst-2001 - 05:24pm Mar 9, 2002 EST (#305 of 330)

Louis,

It was not my intention to diminish your personal heroism.

What I was discussing are the ideas. Not personalities. Sorry if that was not understood.

rshow55 - 05:26pm Mar 9, 2002 EST (#306 of 330)

Excellent, almarst !

almarst-2001 - 05:27pm Mar 9, 2002 EST (#307 of 330)

"Have you ever saved a life? I have!"

In the Jewish religion, to save the single life is like to save the world.

I just hope one should not take it as a priviledge to reduce the World to rubble after the saving someone's life.

mazza9 - 06:00pm Mar 9, 2002 EST (#308 of 330)
Louis Mazza

RShow55:

An where, pray tell, do you develop this belief that I would be comfortable with mass killing?

Oh maybe the saying has been changed, "Who knows what secrets lurk in the hearts and minds of man? The Shadow (RShow55) does."

You speak of communications, tolerance and understanding but don't practice it. You know, maybe that is the source of all the angst in the world.

Almarst you mentioned optimism. Well, you can accuse me of that, I suppose. Read my thread at the Space Exploration forum or visit my club's web site WWW.nssnt.org to experience what I think about where I would like mankind to go. Hint:Ad Astra.

LouMazza

lchic - 07:33pm Mar 9, 2002 EST (#309 of 330)

In the Jewish religion, to save the single life is like to save the world. (Alex)

If there is peace with security understanding purpose and worldly love ... then people in that setting are being 'saved' minute by minute by minute -- without them ever knowing that they 'could' have been endangered.

I like this idea.

Constant peace is actually saving multiple lives in our single world.

Hope you folks appreciate the updated interpretation here ... so if the 'threated by nuclear strike labelled nations' went to an international body that declared that this 'threat' should be removed ... then a third to half of the world's entire population would be being 'saved' by straight talking and straight thinking.

rshow55 - 09:25pm Mar 9, 2002 EST (#310 of 330)

We need to understand, much better than we do, the brave, dangerous, thoughtless, cruel social hunting animals that we are. And modify, through culture, instincts and patterns both natural and adaptive to group hunters, with simple weapons, that are gruesomely ill fitted to our current socio-technical systems, where we fight each other, rather than hunt, and do so with weapons with powers we can barely understand, but too easily use. Nuclear weapons are very natural indeed. But so is death.

A Foul Wind by THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN http://www.nytimes.com/2002/03/10/opinion/10FRIE.html ....ends:

"Is that real enough for you?"

It is real enough for me.

king01a - 11:39pm Mar 9, 2002 EST (#311 of 330)

almarst-2001 - 05:13pm Mar 9, 2002 EST (#301 of 310)

I think that the first two atom bombs were claimed to have been dropped over civilians for "humanitarian" purpose. Some call it good maths.

But this "humanitarian" bomb was not taken lightly once Soviet built her own. Since then missle defense system became rather important. Good maths turned into a nightmare.

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