New York Times on the Web Forums Science

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.

rshow55 - 10:30am Apr 6, 2003 EST (# 11170 of 11177)
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.

When things are complicated, truth is our only hope: http://talk.guardian.co.uk/WebX?14@@.ee7a163/296

And a substantial one.

Casey was clear about this - by 1978. For stable peace to be possible - it was essential that discourse be anchored by a body of shared facts - whatever anybody might feel about them.

We can get them, from where we are - if some people do some work.

That would restrain the bad things you fear, Almarst - without taking away from some of the valid objectives of American foreign policy.

almarst2003 - 11:10am Apr 6, 2003 EST (# 11171 of 11177)

"shared facts"

You mean like "facts" presented to the UN-SC as a reason for this war? Or "facts" about war in Kosovo?

Why don't we start from "Main"?

almarst2003 - 11:15am Apr 6, 2003 EST (# 11172 of 11177)

"if some people do some work"

Some people do some "work" for other people who PAY them to do this work.

So Who Pays to Whom to Do What and for What Reason - those the most important "facts" to be looked at. And on this metter in this particular war there is a pretty significant concensus based on a cyrcumstantial evidence.

almarst2003 - 11:20am Apr 6, 2003 EST (# 11173 of 11177)

"shared space"

Which more resembles the Grand Canion.

rshow55 - 11:21am Apr 6, 2003 EST (# 11174 of 11177)
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.

Almarst, you've read some of the things I've written on this thread. No one can doubt that I think that the Bush administration does plenty of lying.

So does everybody I actually know personally - in my opinion - and I suspect it is true of you, as well.

I've misled people too, sometimes. And myself. Sometimes by mistake. Sometimes intentionally, or when I should have been aware.

All the same - shared facts are essential. And weights of evidence are important.

Right now, there is no effective restraint on the right to lie. There needs to be - for essential reasons of stability.

On this thread, just "playing tennis" - there are limits on what can be done. If leaders of nation states wanted to get things checked to closure - a lot could be established. Everybody involved might be embarrassed in spots.

But things would be stabler.

(3 following messages)

New York Times on the Web Forums Science Missile Defense