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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 - 09:58am Apr 6, 2003 EST (# 11160 of 11169)
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.

The "imperialism" analogy looks flawed to me - and doesn't have much support at all from the American people. The analogies to Hitler are extraordinarily flawed, as well. The idea of "exploitation" isn't very convincing.

There is another analogy - and a huge body of experience associated with it - supported by thousands of years of experience - some ugly - but much understandable.

Q: How do groups and societies deal with individuals or much smaller groups that they regard as insane ?

How do they do so when people are regarded as insane and dangerous?

How do they do so when people are regarded as insane , dangerous, and demonstratably threatening?

What are the "rights" of the insane, especially the criminally insane?

How far does their "sovereignty" extend?

Questions like this have had to have operational answers for as long as human society has existed.

Answers to questions like this have been involved in many human difficulties - and plenty of injustice.

But questions like this are inescapable - and the main reason that so many Americans support the Bush administration's policies is that - to them, both the Saddam regime, and agressive radical Islam in all its forms, look insane to them.

rshow55 - 10:01am Apr 6, 2003 EST (# 11161 of 11169)
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.

The analogies to current policy - and problems - and emotions are, I think, pretty close.

If one looks at the behavior of the Iraq regime since 1990 - insanity certainly seems like a concept worth discussing. If not as an exact fit - as a clarifying analogy.

Here's a fact. Exception handling kicks into the law - in many ways - sometimes brutally - when it deals with "insanity."

A lot of Arab and radical Islamic conduct sure looks crazy to me - and a lot of other Americans, too.

The manner in which the insane are treated may be rough - and it may involve some terrible injustices.

But the analogy to Hitler's war of agression and exploitation is a very imperfect analogy to such things.

The analogy to "forced conversion" is also an imperfect analogy - though there are connections.

Usually - the objective is to find ways, with as much force as necessary - to get the individual or group that is regarded as "crazy" to stop acting crazy.

American policy in both the Middle East and Asia has some analogies to the attitude of mental health professionals (and lawyers and policemen) involved with "forceful interventions."

Which are sometimes justified.

- - - -

I think that the world would be better if radical Islamic craziness - and the craziness of the N. Koreans were under enough control that it ceased to be dangerous and in conflict with ordinary human needs.

The neo-cons are crazy in spots, too.

The world should ask reality-checking questions when people have "gone crazy."

Often enough, people do that - and it is dangerous.

We'd be very close to a stable, peaceful world if people would check facts when it mattered enough. People wouldn't like each other so very often. But we could get along, and do a lot better.

almarst2003 - 10:07am Apr 6, 2003 EST (# 11162 of 11169)

"How do groups and societies deal with individuals or much smaller groups that they regard as insane ?"

Stalin placed them in a mental institutions for life.

Hitler neutred them so they will not reproduce. Or just killed.

Any defensless minority can be declared "insane". Particularely if a Doc has a Nuke.

I assumed (naively) that one of the principles of Democracy is a rule of Law protecting the rights of minorities and dissidents.

Robert,

I think you opened yourself a bit more then you planned.

almarst2003 - 10:09am Apr 6, 2003 EST (# 11163 of 11169)

What's New? - http://electroniciraq.net/news/

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