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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.

almarst2003 - 11:35pm Apr 8, 2003 EST (# 11212 of 11222)

The leaders of the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem consider George Bush and Tony Blair to be war criminals and as such they have been banned from entering, according to the Qatar news agency. - http://english.pravda.ru/usa/2003/04/09/45803.html

almarst2003 - 11:45pm Apr 8, 2003 EST (# 11213 of 11222)

Exclusive: The Evil of Cluster Bombs - http://www.arabnews.com/Article.asp?ID=24936

Essam Al-Ghalib, Arab News War Correspondent NAJAF, 9 April 2003 — Six days after the “liberation” of Najaf, Iraqis of all ages continue to pack the corridors of Saddam Hussein General Hospital.They are mostly victims of unexploded munitions

rshow55 - 09:43am Apr 9, 2003 EST (# 11214 of 11222)
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.

It appears that the war in Iraq is headed toward an end. As that happens, the subject matter treated by this thread becomes comparatively more important.

Things need to be sorted out so that they work - for the people involved - in the situation as it is - in all the ways that matter.

As Friedman points out today,

. Hold your applause http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/09/opinion/09FRIE.html

much of Iraq is now reduced to a Hobbesian state - with the old order overthrown - and with the patterns of order that the Iraqis themselves have - not only collectively, but individually - on display and in disentegration.

We need to find ways, with the Iraqis - to build things back in a way that makes the losses worthwhile. For them. For the United States. For the rest of the world. That ought to be possible.

mazza9 - 12:13pm Apr 9, 2003 EST (# 11215 of 11222)
"Quae cum ita sunt" Caesar's Gallic Commentaries

First Baghdad! Next? Take your pick. There is evil and suffering in the world and maybe we need to continue in the forefront.

3 Million dead in the Congo? Where's the UN? Is the Congo in need of a regime change?

North Korea is a thorn in the side of an otherwise peaceful Far East. Time for a regime change?

Slavery is openly practiced in the Sudan, much to the chagrin of the UN, but hey Jesse Jackson doesn't seem to mind. My church houses refugess from this evil country. Of course, the UN panel on human rights is headed by Libya? Regime change in Libya and Sudan anyone?

Iknow this is an awful lot of DOTS but heck I like that gooey candy.

Jorian and Fredmoore, HOH HAH go Marines! Liberation is at hand.

rshow55 - 03:29pm Apr 9, 2003 EST (# 11216 of 11222)
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.

People make mistakes. I know I do.

Bush makes mistakes - and I don't especially like him, either. I don't take back a single bad thing I've said about Bush, right off hand - though maybe I've said some bad thing that I might reconsider if it crossed my mind.

Almarst was wrong on his judgement about the difficulty of taking Baghdad:

almarst2003 - 11:34am Apr 1, 2003 EST (# 10896 http://forums.nytimes.com/webin/WebX?8@28.PTGyaLg96Oo.1356310@.f28e622/12446

"Robert,

"You still may believe Friedman. But here what I say for the record:

" This war was LOST even BEFORE it actually started.

" The longer it will go, the greater LOSS it will be. In human lives, World wide economy, terrorism, arms race, World-wide DISORDER, discreditation of International Law and Order as we knew it, substituted by Law of preventive Jungle, American liberties lost, and, may be most importantly - AMERICAN CREDIBILITY AND IMAGE.

" As for the actual conflict on the ground, I see no way US-British troops taking over Baghdad without leveling it to the ground. Siege is not an option either under the 120 degrees sun with supply lines 200 miles long.

That wasn't a crazy judgement Almarst made about Baghdad. The judgement made perfect sense if you granted an assumption - that Saddam's forces, and the Iraqi population, were prepared to stand up to heavy punishment for Saddam, and fight to the death for him. Not enough of the Iraqis were willing to do that. And so the judgement was wrong - though it made perfect sense according to particular assumptions - because the assumptions were wrong.

Bush's judgements about Iraqi actions were also imperfect.

Maybe things can go well if people are careful, correct their mistakes as they make them, and go slowly enough so that things have a chance to converge.

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