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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 - 11:07am Mar 24, 2003 EST (# 10424 of 10428)
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.

Last time I looked, the stock markets were way down - over 3 % in not much more than an hour.

That's stupid. What did people reasonably expect?

It looks to me like things are going pretty well - but on the other hand, I expected that in a military situation such as this, some thousands of American soldiers were likely to be wounded, and very many were likely to die.

Sometimes the coverage in the NYT is so distinguished that it revives my sometimes-wavering confidence in Bill Casey's judgement and advice on a key issue. The coverage of the war, so far, has been very impressive - and, if biased - not more biased than must be expected under current journalistic conditions.

I think the following coverage on market instability is also really distinguished, and that people need to remember how important it is that people judge well.

We need more stability - fewer "wild rides" such as described in July 2002

Week in Review: Hold On for a Wild Ride http://www.nytimes.com/2002/07/21/weekinreview/21BERE.html

Think about how big a 2.5% change in valuation is.

INTERACTIVE GRAPHIC The Incredible Shrinking Stock Market More Than $7 Trillion Gone By SETH W. FEASTER http://www.nytimes.com/2002/07/21/weekinreview/20020721_MARKET_GRAPHIC.html

"What follows are various ways of looking at the market's continuing contraction. Here's a beautiful technique -- graphs under graphs:

Click on the graph in Feaster's graphic, and there are more wonderful, enlightening graphs:

Market Value: 17.25 Trillion - March 24, 2000 http://www.nytimes.com/packages/html/weekinreview/20020721_MARKET/nwr_MARKET_01.html

. Market Value: 10.03 Trillion - July 18, 2002

. Market Structure:

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FRANK RICH is right in The Road to Perdition http://www.nytimes.com/2002/07/20/opinion/20FRIC.html . . . "Everything is connected."

When Bill Casey advised me that, after easier options were exhausted, my best chance was to "come in through The New York Times - - he had good reasons. When exposition is difficult, and depth is needed - it is the best newspaper in the world. Surely the best in the U.S. Though not, perhaps, as good as Casey thought in every respect.

The Times can't and won't break a story that is too difficult all alone -- and for pretty good reasons. But some situations are unstable - maybe even ready to "break" -- and break into print.

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The idea that, when a few tens of Americans get killed in a war we started, the market valuation of stocks dives 300 billion dollars worth is stupid. People need more stability than that - in the US , and all over the world. We need to lie less - when it matters. For all sorts of reasons of life and death - and dollars and sense.

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For what little it may be worth - I think things are going well, and that a good deal of disciplined optimism is called for. Mixed with some seriousness - there are problems before us that we can solve.

almarst2003 - 11:57am Mar 24, 2003 EST (# 10425 of 10428)

FBI, Justice Dept. Increase Use of Wiretaps, Records Searches - http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A16287-2003Mar23.html

Expectations...

The war against terror and simultanious establishement of American Century by military force will take more and cost more then some have expected. As I see it - the gradually steeper perpetual down sloop. "The Road to Perdition"

If the truth is a first casualty of WAR, we may not see it again for a very long time.

BTW. I think the "liberties" will just follow.

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New York Times on the Web Forums Science Missile Defense