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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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mazza9 - 01:57pm Apr 3, 2003 EST (# 11020 of 11027)
"Quae cum ita sunt" Caesar's Gallic Commentaries

Is the fat lady singing? Fatima will welcome the coalition with open arms. When this situation is behind us, what will Robert, Alarmist and Lchic focus on? Missile Defense? I don't think so!

Golly, they might fall ito a deep funk! How depressing. Not! Maybe they'll go away and we few, we science geeks who eschew emotional appeal and base our posts on science and logic, can return to intelligent discourse.

lchic - 06:13pm Apr 3, 2003 EST (# 11021 of 11027)
~~~~ It got understood and exposed ~~~~

The focus has to be 'ending the cold war' and 'taking down the cost of military expenditure to the US taxpayer' ... and moving towards utilisation of limited resources in ways that offer maximum benefit to a 'GREENer World' ...

the technology and processess have been hard fought and are here

let the world use them

let standards everywhere rise

let people maximise their potentials

let's all fly high on Maslow's peak of self-actualisation in 'newly created jobs' that offer incomes to all

let's continue to seek the ideal and be idealist!

rshow55 - 06:25pm Apr 3, 2003 EST (# 11022 of 11027)
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.

That would be practical !

Mazza's for intelligent discourse. Something to be said for intelligent discourse, and keeping emotions under control.. Every now and again, lchic and I have tried such an approach. A little over a year ago, for instance:

"Whatever we do, we need much better communication. Workable outcomes, both the political ones and the miltary ones, require that.

rshow55 - 07:05pm Mar 1, 2002 EST (#25 of 47) http://forums.nytimes.com/webin/WebX?14@201.Pd6Va6GTFXE^174309@.f28e622/32

"Here's a fact. Anybody who has studied military matterns ought to know it.

"Consider two groups, weapons drawn, confronting each other. In order for a surrender or a peace or a victory or a defeat to occur with stability, there has to be clear communication, and for things to work, people who fear and distrust each other have to deal with each other with good enough stability so that things don't fall apart.

"Taking down hostilities is touchy, and things can very easily fall apart.

"Clear communication is vital.

"There is no substitute for it -- because stable solutions are hard to get -- impossible if (very many) wrong moves are made.

rshow55 - 07:08pm Mar 1, 2002 EST (#26 of 47) http://forums.nytimes.com/webin/WebX?14@201.Pd6Va6GTFXE^174309@.f28e622/33

The "simple" asymptotic solution where one side exterminates the other is distasteful, and also generally impractical. Morality counts, but even if it didn't, you want an end of hostilities where the survivors can and do go on with their lives, and interact, when they have to, peacefully.

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Planning the Battle for Baghdad By ERIC SCHMITT with BERNARD WEINRAUB http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/03/international/worldspecial/03BATT.html

WASHINGTON, April 2 — The objectives of the battle for Baghdad will be a microcosm of the war itself: destroy the forces that support President Saddam Hussein, avoid civilian casualties, limit damage to civilian infrastructure and provide aid.

" If it becomes an all-out, hand-to-hand urban battle for Baghdad, then we'll have done something wrong," a senior military official said.

Right now, what is in the practical and moral interest of the people involved?

Sometimes, simple things (like clear definition and consistency checking) can help.

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