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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.

almarst-2001 - 08:01pm Mar 29, 2002 EST (#961 of 973)

Russia is concerned with the US’s position on Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). This was reported by RIA ‘Novosti’ referring to a source in the Foreign Ministry. - http://english.pravda.ru/main/2002/03/29/27239.html

According to this source, namely this treaty is “the most important barrier in the way of spreading and development of nuclear weapon.” While the US, the source stressed, “not only hesitates in ratification of this treaty, but also beforehand prepares a base for its withdrawal from this treaty.” That the US will carry out nuclear weapon tests was clear already when it refused, in contrast to Russia, to ratify Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty.

almarst-2001 - 08:21pm Mar 29, 2002 EST (#962 of 973)

"Suppressing the activity of the guerrillas, the Americans use the same tactics, as the Russian soldiers do in Chechnya, arranging raids, detaining all, who raise suspicion, checking their connection with terrorist groups. The so-called scouring procedures in Chechnya have become the talk of the town in the West. The law-enforcement bodies, the public figures, journalists and politicians are fond of talking about the Russians’ barbarism, about jeering at “poor Chechens.” The US State Department was playing an important role in this respect, they did not think about those “poor Chechens” cutting the heads of the Western specialists off. But in this case we are talking about Afghanistan, not Chechnya" - http://english.pravda.ru/main/2002/03/23/27150.html

rshow55 - 08:47pm Mar 29, 2002 EST (#963 of 973)

I understand your indignation in MD946 almarst-2001 3/29/02 6:00pm . . . but almarst , do you have any quarrel with MD945 rshow55 3/29/02 5:19pm ?

MD947 almarst-2001 3/29/02 6:08pm . . . Some can find your morality fatiguing. Many don't share it exactly. On September 25, 2000, I had a long talk with "becq" -- who I thought was Clinton at the time. More than 8 hours, back and forth. We didn't agree on a number of things. But Clinton was an "outsider" rather than an "insider" with respect to a "military-industrial complex conspiracy" that I was concerned about. I've been concerned with the policies of the Bushes, and concerned that they are "insiders" Elder Bush in Big G.O.P. Cast Toiling for Top Equity Firm .... by By LESLIE WAYNE ..... NYT . . . . March 5, 2001

rshow55 - 08:48pm Mar 29, 2002 EST (#964 of 973)

MD951 almarst-2001 3/29/02 6:32pm

Colonialism, as the British practiced it, had much to be said against it,, but it was not all bad - - - and the good parts (not forgetting the arrogance) ought to be remembered. Compared to much the Soviet Union did, some what was done looked pretty good . . .

THE WHITE MAN'S BURDEN by Rudyard Kipling . . . . 1899 http://www.poetryloverspage.com/poets/kipling/white_mans_burden.html

THE UNITED STATES AND THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS

starts . . .

Take up the White man's burden --
... Send forth the best ye breed --
Go bind your sons to exile
.... To serve your captives' need;

and includes

Take up the White Man's burden --
... The savage wars of peace --
Fill full the mouth of Famine
... And bid the sickness cease;
And when your goal is nearest
... The end for others sought,
Watch Sloth and heathen Folly
,,, Bring all your hope to nought

. . . . .

Colonialism was not all about exploitation. It was more complex than that.

Kipling was a long way from being a Nazi. . . .

He sometimes took stances nearly identical to some Russians have taken.

rshow55 - 09:06pm Mar 29, 2002 EST (#965 of 973)

Just a thought for a happy ending, based on the pattern in How a Story is Shaped http://www.fortunecity.com/lavendar/ducksoup/555/storyshape.html

http://talk.guardian.co.uk/WebX?14@@.ee7a163/283

Maybe some things in the Middle East might be converted to "good stories" too?

Indignation, after a point, stops being useful. It seems to me that, on missile defense and other issues, there are soluble problems before us.

rshow55 - 09:40pm Mar 29, 2002 EST (#966 of 973)

Bush, Putin May Sign Accords in May By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/national/AP-US-Russia.html

mazza9 - 10:14pm Mar 29, 2002 EST (#967 of 973)
Louis Mazza

almarst:

Did you ever hear of the rape of Nanking? Personally, I believe that there is one cure for all rapists. "No pepe..no rapee!"

LouMazza

applez101 - 11:15pm Mar 29, 2002 EST (#968 of 973)

rshow - can you possibly keep you comments (of the length that they are) to just one side of the Atlantic please?

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