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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?

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lchic - 10:49pm Mar 15, 2003 EST (# 10020 of 10027)
~~~~ It got understood and exposed ~~~~

The thought of the US dropping unnecessary bombs if a worry. The shorter the war, the faster a conclusion, the less 'muck', the less damage, the fewer casualties.

How to change the mind-set of the average Iraqi away from the dictator towards the new government?

A thought here might be to offer a 'value' to the general population that is of 'greatest value' if he war stops before it starts / soonest ... giving least value if it's prolonged.

A marketing nation such as the US would instinctively understand 'value'.

rshow55 - 10:51pm Mar 15, 2003 EST (# 10021 of 10027)
Can we do a better job of finding truth? YES. Click "rshow55" for some things Lchic and I have done and worked for on this thread.

That's a good idea.

Some carrots to go with the sticks.

gisterme - 10:51pm Mar 15, 2003 EST (# 10022 of 10027)

rshow55 - 10:44pm Mar 15, 2003 EST (# 10017 of ...) http://forums.nytimes.com/webin/WebX?8@28.v0LPasDF5Qs.2115059@.f28e622/11562

"...until leaders with real power - use - that power to see to it that key facts get checked to closure...

The US, UK, Spain and others are about to check Saddam's claims to closure...a thing that the UN and all the diplomacy in the world for twelve years has been unable to do. All that has been proved by Saddam's antics is that the UN is impotent...and that has pretty much been checked to closure.

rshow55 - 10:56pm Mar 15, 2003 EST (# 10023 of 10027)
Can we do a better job of finding truth? YES. Click "rshow55" for some things Lchic and I have done and worked for on this thread.

The UN is a very poor Zeuss - that's clear.

But it needs to be able to grow.

And the UN is indispensible - the US CANNOT supplant it - it doesn't have enough backing from enough people in enough places in the world.

The US needs to be a careful and tactful Zeuss.

The UN is needed - and the US needs the respect of the world.

If you represent the Bush administration (something difficult to doubt) - you ought to consider how your posts read to others. You read like an irresponsible, cocksure bully.

Krugman's Queeg piece fits all too much all too well. http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/14/opinion/14KRUG.html

gisterme - 11:09pm Mar 15, 2003 EST (# 10024 of 10027)

lchic - 10:49pm Mar 15, 2003 EST (# 10020 of ...) http://forums.nytimes.com/webin/WebX?8@28.v0LPasDF5Qs.2115059@.f28e622/11565

"The thought of the US dropping unnecessary bombs if a worry. The shorter the war, the faster a conclusion, the less 'muck', the less damage, the fewer casualties..."

Absolutely.

"...How to change the mind-set of the average Iraqi away from the dictator towards the new government?..."

That's easy. All that needs to be done is to remove Saddam's gun from thier heads. I have not heard a single Iraqi that has left Iraq say that anybody there loves Saddam. I have heard them say, unanimously, he needs to be removed. I have heard them say that everybody in Iraq fears Saddam, including his own family members.

As with other dictators throughout history, Saddam's maintenace of that fear of him among his poeple is the key to the maintenance of his power. It is a classical case of rule by intimidation. Why do you think 100% of the Iraqis voted for Saddam in their "election", lchic? Such unanimity has never existed in a free society so far as I know. I don't think it's possible.

When people in Iraq know they no longer need to fear Saddam, that they and their families are beyond his power, they will gleefully flock to the aid of those who are there to remove him permanently. When those people have a bigger hammer than Saddam, they'll use it. They'll want to make sure the job is done completly, to closure, once and for all.

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