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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 - 01:36pm Mar 30, 2003 EST (# 10793 of 10798)
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.

There are basic human needs 666 http://forums.nytimes.com/webin/WebX?8@28.4qGpaSyu6vx.2368861@.f28e622/826

667-668 http://forums.nytimes.com/webin/WebX?8@28.4qGpaSyu6vx.2368861@.f28e622/830

Decision Tree: 668 http://forums.nytimes.com/webin/WebX?@@.f28e622/828

Just now, I feel like linking to some beautiful things from museums and artistic sites, mostly Russian, collected by lunarchic last year 670 http://forums.nytimes.com/webin/WebX?8@28.4qGpaSyu6vx.2368861@.f28e622/830 .

We need to remember both the ugliness, the danger, and the good -- and do as well as we can, without lies that mislead, brutalize, and endanger us.

Almarst , I know you're frustrated, but it seems to me that we've made a significant amount of progress on this thread over the years. We are effecting discourse.

Maybe I've been too hopeful.

10673 http://forums.nytimes.com/webin/WebX?8@28.4qGpaSyu6vx.2368861@.f28e622/12223

Putin quote: 10623 http://forums.nytimes.com/webin/WebX?8@28.4qGpaSyu6vx.2368861@.f28e622/12173

10159 http://forums.nytimes.com/webin/WebX?8@28.4qGpaSyu6vx.2368861@.f28e622/11705

Right now, it seems to me that things could go terribly - but they could also go very well, in many humanly important senses, if people try to do the best they can - in ways they can feel proud about, and can explain.

One thing's clear. Patterns are sharpening. That's often a very (good-bad) sign.

If this is "N - dimensional chess" some patterns are condensing. (Search Wizard's Chess)

I think there's a good chance of a lot of things converging to better situations than we have now - if people work at it.

How much would it really take for international standards that made a lot of things better than today? Lchic has been talking about the need for that repeatedly - and she isn't the only one.

There's a lot of agony and death going on (though, by past standards, body counts on all sides are quite low) - a lot of chaos - a lot of anger - a lot of disorder.

But forces of ordering and decency are strong - and getting stronger.

There have to be limits - institutional and moral - on what people and institutions can do and say within their own borders - because we are interdependent, and there is no turning back from that. We have to negotiate them into being.

From where we are, how hard would it be? Not as hard as it would have been in the past.

Some battles of ideas have to be fought an won. People seem to be more ready to face them than they have been. In large part thanks to you, Almarst.

almarst2003 - 03:18pm Mar 30, 2003 EST (# 10794 of 10798)

What's good about USA... What's bad about USA.

I wonder what a dicent German person would say about his country after 1933? What good about Germany?

Well, unlike German, I made a choice to come here. But that was not a country I knew enough or know now.

The more I learn the more depressing it looks to me. Watching in a disbelief the mass media, cheerfull patriotic crowds and the polls results (however they formed), I feel as someone could on a morning waking up on a different Planet. Except I waiked up 4 years ago. And couldn't catch a good night sleep since then.

almarst2003 - 03:21pm Mar 30, 2003 EST (# 10795 of 10798)

Robert,

I also have a feeling we are approaching the climax. But I am rather pessimistic on outcome. I can feel it. And I rely much more on intuition then math.

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