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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?

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

jorian319 - 11:08pm Mar 29, 2003 EST (# 10743 of 10762)

Alarmst, thank for elucidating the experiential basis of your opinion in this matter. Your hopes and mine are very similar, yet our beliefs about what is actually happening are very different. Knowing something about how you came to believe what you do is very helpful to my understanding of your opinion. I had thought you were young, naive, idealistic and American born. I was wrong about that and I might be wrong about the outcome of the war, the attitude of the Iraqi people (if it can be usefully generalized at all), the forthrightness of American military spokespersons etc.. Forgive me, but I do believe what I hear from Vance Brooks, and his statements about the limits of what he can candidly discuss. I also believe communiques I have indirectly received from an American in Iraq, who was able to procure an uplink for brief uncensured communication. I believe very little of what I see from "embedded journalists" and even less of what I hear and read. In all cases, I try to consider the source, appraise the messenger along with the message and discount anecdotes as indicators of broader facts. Still, I believe this war will result in less suffering and less bloodshed than would have resulted from inaction, and am hopeful that it will be viewed retrospectively as one of the most benevolent and beneficial interventions ever undertaken by a government's military. You have given me plenty of reasons why your view would be different, but no reason to change my own. You do not think I'm right, and I do not expect to change your mind, but you better hope I'm right!

I pray that this war will defuse the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, (get them to get rid of Arafat!), inspire an internal change in Iran, open the eyes of the North Koreans, force Al-Qaeda deep underground where no government dare befriend them, and a host of other consequences that COULD, I believe, come to pass. I think it was Israel's ex-foreign minister who called 9-11-01 "the beginning of World War III". If all goes well in Iraq, this could be the last battle of World War III. If it doesn't, it could be just the beginning.

almarst2003 - 11:41pm Mar 29, 2003 EST (# 10744 of 10762)

jorian,

I hold no preset image about you. And I beileve you believe what you say. And I still blieve you are terribly wrong. Its hard for me to share your optimism based on American previous wars. Its bad enough if this war is for OIL. Its catastrophy if this is ideological one.

While America will always have an option, if things go wrong, say sorry and retreat to its shores, Israel will have to struggle for its ACCEPTANCE in place where it is. If this will become a Holly War for the dignity of Arabs and Islam, it will burn for generations. Many generations. As it stands today, US has practically only Britain on its side. And even that for a very short time, in my view. In a sea of disgusted frightened World. And a sworn enemy of dosens of hugely populated muslim and Arab nations, long suffered from humiliations inflicted by British colonial power and later - Israel. Even short (and I think it will not be a case) resistance of poor Arab country, devasted by wars, bombs and sunctions, will give them a huge reason to fight. And they will win.

almarst2003 - 12:25am Mar 30, 2003 EST (# 10745 of 10762)

"Indian Muslims consider the American attack on Iraq as an attack on Islam and humanity" - http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/2894327.stm

almarst2003 - 12:29am Mar 30, 2003 EST (# 10746 of 10762)

Two thousand new babies are born every day in Iraq. - http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/2896945.stm

UNDER THE BOMBS!

WITH LITTLE OR NO WATER! NO FOOD! NO MEDICINE!

DID ANY OF THE CIVILIZED LIBERATORS GAVE IT A THOUGHT?

dccougar - 12:31am Mar 30, 2003 EST (# 10747 of 10762)
Everyone is entitled to his own opinion but not his own facts.

Fiew in US cares....

You know, Alarmist, not only is your spelling wrong, your thoughts are wrong.

.

You

are askew.

.

And I'm sure there's many a soldier who'd prefer a martini tonight, over a deadly skirmish. Where's the justice....

Well, I guess I had 6 years of the military draft hanging over my head, and maybe that was enough time for a government to express their ownership over one's very existence....

Do you know how that feels, by the way?

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