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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 - 08:35am Mar 26, 2003 EST (# 10519 of 10527)
~~~~ It got understood and exposed ~~~~

JASON http://www.dcn.davis.ca.us/~welsh/book.htm

"" A group of the very brightest young scientists was recruited into a sub-group of IDA called Jason. The whole success of this enterprise depended upon establishing it as a mark of highest prestige to be invited into this elite group. IDA's Cold-War Ideology. The original political-philosophical outlook of IDA and Jason was boldly stated in terms of cold-war ideology. Their literature of ten years ago told of the creation of IDA as arising from "the inescapable realization that International Communism is imperialistic in nature and that its goal is no less than world domination." ..."Jason and the "McNamara Fence" The most detailed public account of Jason's contribution to the Vietnam War is contained in the Pentagon Papers: the 1966 Jason summer study which gave birth to a new form of technological warfare, now known as the automated, or electronic battlefield. ...Early in 1966, a clique of Harvard-MIT scientists with high level connections in Washington persuaded Defense Secretary Robert McNamara to sponsor a special study on "technical possibilities in relation to our military operations in Vietnam." With this prompting, McNamara formally requested the scientist to look into the feasibility of "a fence ...warning systems, defoliation techniques and area denial weapons." This special scientific study group was assembled under the auspices of the Jason Division of IDA, the group of 47 scientists represented "the cream of the scholarly community in technical fields"..."a group of America's most distinguished scientists, men who had helped the government produce many of its most advanced technical weapons systems since the end of the Second World War, men who were not identified with the vocal academic criticism of the Administration's Vietnam policy." This Jason study group met during the summer of 1966, starting off with a series of briefings by high officials from the Pentagon, the Central Intelligence Agency, the State Department and the White House. They were given access to secret materials. ...thus we are drawn to conclude that the clique of top-level scientific advisors were instrumental not only in initiating the electronic battlefield ideas(1966), not only in helping the implementation of the system in Vietnam(1968), but also in extending this new warfare system to a world-wide capability(1970). ...The technological wing of the military-industrial complex does not necessarily win wars. We have seen that it certainly can help prolong them. ...Since most Jason work is highly classified, and it is customary to keep secret the titles and even the very existence of most highly classified reports, we can conclude that this information represents only the tip of the iceberg.

lchic - 08:40am Mar 26, 2003 EST (# 10520 of 10527)
~~~~ It got understood and exposed ~~~~

repost - Quote ""Even the heart of the fool and the idiot frequently beats more accurately than that of the intelligent man, especially the scientist. -- Vlad Parkham

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A bunch of bright spark Jasons (above) 10519

Nameless

Whose work has been used in a manner - shameless

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Reminds one of the post (way above) on the Liberation of France .. where many women were 'shamed' some killed --- yet when those putting forward 'names' had to give their own --- the action stopped

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Having a 'name' seems important when folks need to behave decently!

Congratulations Showalter on 'having a name' re work on NYT and GU threads!

almarst2003 - 08:52am Mar 26, 2003 EST (# 10521 of 10527)

Bin Ladden to USA - "I Want YOU To Invade Iraq" - http://www.tompaine.com/op_ads/opad.cfm/ID/7434

"Go ahead. Saddam will quickly fall, but that won’t make the world safer or more secure. Your bombs will send me a new generation of recruits and fuel their hatred and desire for revenge. So go ahead. Squander your wealth on war and occupation -- America will be weaker for it. Divide your people, divide the world, isolate yourselves! Perfect! I thrive on chaos. I need an enemy. You give me both. "

Spinds logical to me.

(6 following messages)

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