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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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rshow55 - 09:56pm Mar 19, 2003 EST (# 10235 of 10248)
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.

By historical standards, that's a stunningly low body count - and a stunningly low incidence of wounding - given the situation as it has been, and the things that have been said. There have been plenty of crazy and angry people on all sides - yelling, screaming, and lying at the top of their lungs. Tactics as crazy as suicide bombing. Plenty of wrenching ugliness. It has been as ugly as it has been. But a century ago, one of the populatiobns involved would have exterminated the other, as likely as not. That hasn't happened.

Fights that would have been explosively unstable in past eras are a lot more damped today. That doesn't mean problems are solved. But they are more soluble than they've been before.

People and political institutions may not grow up, exactly. But if we keep at it, find ways to face up to what a workable international law has to do, and are lucky, incidence of death and agony from war may decline as the incidence of death from small pox has.

I'm worried, and sorry for the deaths that are to come. But hopeful that things can get better, too.

almarst2003 - 10:57pm Mar 19, 2003 EST (# 10236 of 10248)

Sen. Robert Byrd: 'Today I Weep for My Country' http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A56635-2003Mar19.html

"Today I weep for my country," said West Virginia Democratic Sen. Robert Byrd. "No more is the image of America one of strong, yet benevolent peacekeeper. ... Around the globe, our friends mistrust us, our word is disputed, our intentions are questioned.

"We flaunt our superpower status with arrogance," Byrd said, adding: "After war has ended the United States will have to rebuild much more than the country of Iraq. We will have to rebuild America's image around the globe."

When I came here I hoped it would be my country too.

Today I weep for my mistake. For crushed hope. For the dark future of my grandchild.

rshow55 - 11:28pm Mar 19, 2003 EST (# 10237 of 10248)
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.

Why do you think your grandchild has a dark future?

rshow55 - 11:28pm Mar 19, 2003 EST (# 10238 of 10248)
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 War After War With Iraq By TIMOTHY GARTON ASH http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/20/opinion/20GART.html

Over the last few weeks, the geopolitical West of the cold war has collapsed before our eyes. No one can know what the shape of the new world will be. . . . I'll call them the Rumsfeldian, the Chiraco-Putinesque and the Blairite.

The Rumsfeldian idea — if idea is not too dignified a word — is that American might is right. . . . .

The Chiraco-Putinesque idea — if idea is not too dignified a word — is that American might is dangerous. . . .

That leaves Blairism. Tony Blair's idea is that we should recreate a larger version of the cold war West, in response to the new threats we face. . . . . .

lchic - 01:07am Mar 20, 2003 EST (# 10239 of 10248)
~~~~ It got understood and exposed ~~~~

She was imprisoned at fourteen

Raped

Raped

Raped

Some years later

still in prison

Raped

Raped

Raped

and mother of five

She is 'worried over' by a grandparent

Her mother

And she worries too for

Her children

Living in a prison

Of Rape and Torture

dR3

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