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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.

lchic - 06:47am Apr 13, 2002 EST (#1330 of 1368)

From GU-International Fisk Thread
pandaman - 10:54pm Apr 8, 2002 BST (#73 of 134)
greatplainsofks (#20)

A question:

How much yearly gov and ngo assistance does the PA receive? Ive read reports that vary by 100$$m. According to Chris Patten (EU commissioner), the PA's current income is US$22 million per month (US$264 million per year), reduced from a norm of US$91 million per month (just over US$1 billion per year), due to withholding of tax revenue by Israel.

By contrast, Israel's income from US aid alone is US$3 billion per year, to which you can add their income from taxes (don't have those figures to hand, though).

Israel's population is just under 6 million, while the Palestinian population is slightly over 3 million.

http://www.europaworld.org/issue62/pattendefends211201.htm

According to the CIA Word factbook ( http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/menugeo.html ), the Palestinian income is US$1.6 billion per year, as of 2000. Israel's is US$40 billion per year.

Note that, even on the most optimistic figures for the Palestinian economy, this means that the US provides twice as much aid to Israel every year as the entire Palestinian Authority receives in tax revenue and aid combined.

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loricat - 11:48pm Apr 8, 2002 BST (#78 of 134)
I am glad that Robert Fisk is out there writing. He is one of the few who show a balanced and intelligent view towards the problems in the Middle East. Most of what we get in North America is written by pro-Israeli excuse makers and liars or by people who hate Arabs.

You gave this girl a smile. Thanks MMM who ever you are.

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rshow55 - 08:11am Apr 13, 2002 EST (#1331 of 1368)

MD1326 gisterme 4/13/02 3:44am cites my MD1318 rshow55 4/12/02 6:59pm ... which in turn cites MD1314 gisterme 4/12/02 5:15pm where I say gisterme shows a lot of gall, and where I quote some sources that must, according to gisterme , be "naive-" Krugman and Wayne

The White Stuff by PAUL KRUGMAN http://www.nytimes.com/2002/04/12/opinion/12KRUG.html

Elder Bush in Big GOP Cast Toiling for Top Equity Firm by LESLIE WAYNE http://www.nytimes.com/2001/03/05/politics/05CARL.html

I'd be glad for anyone, whatever their views, to read MD1326 gisterme 4/13/02 3:44am as a response to my MD1318 rshow55 4/12/02 6:59pm . .

but that isn't as important as reading Rich's piece today:

The Bush Doctrine, R.I.P. by FRANK RICH http://www.nytimes.com/2002/04/13/opinion/13RICH.html

It takes some kind of perverse genius to simultaneously earn the defiance of the Israelis, the Palestinians and our Arab "allies" alike and turn the United States into an impotent bystander.

Rich ends with this paragraph:

"This is a world with a lot of gray," said Chuck Hagel, the Republican from Nebraska, to The Washington Post late this week. "We can choose either to live in an abstract world or choose to engage in the real world. . . . The reality of that has started to set in with this administration." We must hope that Senator Hagel is right. While it is far too late for an Arafat or a Sharon to change, it is not too late for a young president still in a young administration to get over himself. At this tragic juncture, the world depends on it, because, as his own vice president put it, there isn't anybody else to do the job.

One hopes it isn't too late. But given past actions, and responses such as the ones that so often occur from gisterme honest change and good judgement where a change of view are involved may be too much to expect. Gisterme resembles Condoleeza Rice in an number of ways that can be seen in thread dialog, though she hasn't put a return adress under her posts directing us to Rice, as kandawei directed us to Ann Coulter last year).

The power of the United States, and the credibility of the United States, are being dissipated at a very great rate - by politicians who sometimes resemble criminals, and hucksters, a great deal more than they resemble trustworthy adults -- and who never apologize.

MD943-944 rshow55 3/29/02 5:49pm
MD662 rshow55 3/18/02 9:55am ... MD658 almarst-2001 3/18/02 12:06am

Some significant change is in order -- it it happens, it is very late. Unless it happens, for all the talk of American "Empire" - - - the United States will be margninalized as a proto-Nazi state based on a bought press and a "culture of lying" - - - around Europe, Americans are being asked why they are not ashamed to be Americans. This administration should not be so actively providing reasons for people to ask the question.

I'll be pretty busy with other business today - though I'll try to check this board and participate if I can.

. . .

If the United States were willing to work on the basis of facts , and a sense of proportion that it could explain to itself clearly, and explain to others -- there would be solutions.

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