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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 - 07:16am Mar 20, 2003 EST (# 10251 of 10269)
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.

lchic - 10240

Which is more powerful:

A bomb

or

A bounty

Both carrots and sticks are powerful. Now that fear levels (of retribution from the Saddam regime) are lessening - and the fighting is started - bounties might make sense - with incentives that make sense. A hand of friendship might be useful - if it were handled well. A chance for any people who helped kill or capture key Iraqi leaders to see, talk to, and ask questions of the President of the United States might count for a lot - in a country and culture where so much is personal.

As for whether Saddam was killed or not. With 3-6 "body doubles" - it might be a little hard to tell. Maybe not impossible.

A bounty on body doubles might make some sense.

Saw Jack Straw on TV - he did well.

Within Treaty of Westphalia standards - where "lies" can be denounced (even without limit, from other countries) but never checked to closure - and never restricted in effective ways - we're doing about as well as possible - so far.

This is an interesting piece - true or not - and perhaps the Pope did lose his temper. If so, that's another reason for the US and UK to be careful - but not necessarily to stop. http://www.hipakistan.com/en/detail.php?newsId=en19954&F_catID=&f_type=source

almarst2003 - 07:18am Mar 20, 2003 EST (# 10252 of 10269)

The war without end, prophesied by the great George Orwell in his tome, "1984," has started. - http://www.mediamonitors.net/

rshow55 - 07:21am Mar 20, 2003 EST (# 10253 of 10269)
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 Era of Preventive War http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/20/opinion/20THU1.html

The doctrine of preventive war offers carte blanche to use military might against hypothetical threats before all other avenues are exhausted.

Carte Blanche? That's an important question. I think preventative war may be necessary on occasion - and have said so repeatedly. But as a pattern of exception handling - within a workable system of international law.

The editorial raises very important concerns - and that is what editorials are supposed to do.

almarst2003 - 07:23am Mar 20, 2003 EST (# 10254 of 10269)

"but not necessarily to stop"

Why to stop? There is still so many nations waiting in line to be "liberated".

rshow55 - 07:26am Mar 20, 2003 EST (# 10255 of 10269)
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 Treaty of Westphalia has failed - and that is a question that has to be negotiated.

If Russia, China, and France hadn't, in effect, said "no war, ever" - which is just what they did - this war wouldn't be happening.

Now that it is - some serious people ought to think carefully about negotiating a workable international law into being.

almarst2003 - 07:32am Mar 20, 2003 EST (# 10256 of 10269)

"The Treaty of Westphalia has failed"

Even if true, does it mean any small nation is now up for grabs by the mighty?

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