New York Times on the Web Forums Science

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?

Read Debates, a new Web-only feature culled from Readers' Opinions, published every Thursday.

jorian319 - 09:39pm Mar 29, 2003 EST (# 10736 of 10762)

One Basra resident who made it to the bridge, Raad Sead, 51, refused to believe that the Iraqis inside the city were firing on the refugees. "They are firing at the army, at the aggressors," he insisted.

The facts have a way of eventually predominating in these situations. And you do believe they were firing on their own, don't you?

You're right about the elephant. We'll see. I'm just giving you the reasons my fifty cents is on dcougar's scenario vs. your own.

almarst2003 - 09:44pm Mar 29, 2003 EST (# 10737 of 10762)

jorian,

I don't know about you, but I studied the Russian Greatest Wars of 1812 and 1941.

The nation may hate the rulling tyrant. But its THEIR tyrant.

And long unreliable communication lines and lack of real human understanding of the enemy was enough to finish the finest military machines at a time.

This was the fatal mistake of both - Napoleon and Hitler. And I am afraid, of Bush and Blair.

almarst2003 - 09:50pm Mar 29, 2003 EST (# 10738 of 10762)

Two years ago a project set up by the men who now surround George W Bush said what America needed was "a new Pearl Harbor". Its published aims have, alarmingly, come true. : John Pilger :12 Dec 2002 - http://pilger.carlton.com/print/124759

One of George W Bush's "thinkers" is Richard Perle. I interviewed Perle when he was advising Reagan; and when he spoke about "total war", I mistakenly dismissed him as mad. He recently used the term again in describing America's "war on terror". "No stages," he said. "This is total war. We are fighting a variety of enemies. There are lots of them out there. All this talk about first we are going to do Afghanistan, then we will do Iraq... this is entirely the wrong way to go about it. If we just let our vision of the world go forth, and we embrace it entirely and we don't try to piece together clever diplomacy, but just wage a total war... our children will sing great songs about us years from now."

IF HE COULD, HITLER WOULD TAKE A LESSON.

jorian319 - 10:07pm Mar 29, 2003 EST (# 10739 of 10762)

"HITLER WOULD TAKE A LESSON"

I'm going to try to defy Godwins law, and respond to that :-)

Hitler gave that lesson.

Both he, and your Russian examples had degrees of success in rallying national pride to go along with their terrorist suppression of dissent. (Bush is little different, but that is irrelevent to this point).

I do not believe the Great and Wonderful Saddam Son of Muhammed has anywhere near that degree of credibility among his populace. You will eagerly point out that I could be wrong about that. True, but I'd bet on it. In fact, WE ALL ALREADY HAVE. Our money's on the table, all that's left is to show the cards.

As far as second guessing what we're doing, it's too late. If you could snap your fingers and put all the coalition assets and personnel back where they came from, there would be an unprecedented bloodbath before the sound of your snapping fingers died out. Time to get on board.

almarst2003 - 10:08pm Mar 29, 2003 EST (# 10740 of 10762)

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Iraq has executed some prisoners of war in what the Pentagon's No. 2 general described Wednesday as one of many "disgusting" war crimes committed by forces loyal to Saddam Hussein. - http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/03/27/sprj.irq.pows.executed/

You must have a good reason to believe him, don't you?

The last one I am going to believe is a US official source. Blaim it on my life experience, if you like.

In a past 12 years I have seen more of no-truth, half-truth and outrageus propaganda then ever before in my life. And believe me, I have seen a lot.

(22 following messages)

New York Times on the Web Forums Science Missile Defense