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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.


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rshow55 - 03:41pm May 1, 2002 EST (#1935 of 1941) Delete Message

One thing that I'm trying to do, on this thread, just now, is explain that there are problems with checking -- and that I have a need to get some things established.

Maybe there are ways to make some progress.

It seems to me that this thread HAS represented progress.

I deeply appreciated MD1910 manjumicha2001 4/30/02 5:35pm

"I have noticed for some time that you are experimmenting with a unique way of public discourse, made possible by the web-hyperlinks. Such methodology is extremely effective and powerful in tackling complex issues which are often impossible to be properly discussed due to various oratorical smoke screens and "purposful clouding" of issues that often goes on in typical mass medium of public discourse today (i.e. print or audio-visual media). I also have noted, however,your methods do demand devoted attention of the fellow participants and good faith attempt to follow your "thoughts"....and being lazy as we all are (and some even acting not in good faith), you can be pretty lonely at times, I think."

It has been lonely, and awkward - for me, and for others as well. But the "unique way of public discourse, made possible by web-hyperlinks" is effective - and I believe that, with checking, that could be proved from this thread. I believe that it has been effective. I've been working, with lunarchic , to protype-demonstrate a pattern for negotiation, and for getting facts to closure, suitable for staffed organizations.

No one has to believe me, but I'm "passing off" the statement - which you may choose to regard as a fiction -- that this is something Bill Casey longed for, and something I promised I'd try to get done, if I could figure out an effective way to do it. "How to talk with the Russians" was a big problem in his mind. How to communicate effectively between staffed organizations was another. I've done my best.

I think that this thread has been effective - - and think that could be checked.

I believe that the techniques prototyped, demonstrated, and suggesed here, if reasonably used and developed, could save millions or billions of lives, billions or trillions of dollars, and let ordinary people figure out how to make their world much better.

If I could get some workable clarifications from the federal government, so that I could go on with my life - I could do a lot that I believe would be in the world and the national interest. Some things have to happen face to face. I've been working to get debriefed, in not-very-deniable communication with the TIMES, since 1996, and have been in desperate need of help with that since I "crossed a Rubicon" in September 2000.

MD1235 rshow55 4/10/02 2:26pm ... MD1236 rshow55 4/10/02 2:38pm

rshow55 - 03:51pm May 1, 2002 EST (#1936 of 1941) Delete Message

It is worth my pointing out that, if only I didn't care about nuclear dangers, or negotiating techniques -- if only I'd felt able to just focus on math and neuroscience -- there were some accomodations made for me at the University of Wisconsin that (deniably, but probably) involved the Bush administration.

But I've felt that this thread has actually been effective and important enought to work on it. Have I been wrong about that? That's something that could be checked.

I think, on the basis of indirect evidence that could be checked, that this thread

has either interacted directly with Bill Clinton, or a very good "stand-in" for him, useful in a "war gaming" sense;

has either interacted directly with a team in contact with Vladimir Putin, or with a very good "stand in" for it, useful in a "war-gaming" sense;

has either interacted directly with a team including Condoleezza Rice, or a very good "stand-in" for it, useful for war gaming;

and

. think it is probable that this thread had made communication possible between the Russians and the Americans that may have been painful, but that has made the world a safer place.

Just inferences. They could be checked.

For all the work, and lengthy text -- I'm proud of what we've collectively done on this thread, and the patterns that it has shown are possible.

If I could get some things about my past clarified workably -- my life would be much better -- and I think I could make more contributions.

rshow55 - 04:05pm May 1, 2002 EST (#1937 of 1941) Delete Message

The awkwardness of some of those accomodations at the University of Wisconsin, and some related problems, have reinforced my sense of how important it really is for me to get some basic things checked.

The alternatives, in the real world of human organization -- are impractically awkward rshow55 5/1/02 12:01pm . . . for reasons that would be a lot more decorous and humane to discuss face to face than on this thread.

The UW can't tie itself in knots, and neither can I. Even a fiction, if it were bureaucratically workable, would be better than the current situation.

If I had an official affidavit, suitable for real use or framing, saying that my claims of connection to the government was a total fabrication - a literary device - - the fact is that I could work with that. Though I might contest it. But such a release would permit stable accomodations.

rshow55 - 04:25pm May 1, 2002 EST (#1938 of 1941) Delete Message

There would, however, be a number of awkwardnesses with my record, going back 35 years, that would make considerably better sense, in a great deal of detail, on the basis of the other "story."

I was stripped of all my credentials, set up doing a research project, according to some detailed promises - - I did what I was told -- kept my ends of the bargains made -- kept faith the best way I could.

There is also a matter of a bankrupcy for 16.4 million dollars - - connected to some interesting stories, and a good deal that can be checked.

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