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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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jorian319 - 03:41pm Apr 9, 2003 EST (# 11217 of 11222)

Don't worry alarmst, there's still time to find a reason to level Baghdad. Sorry - I'm trying really hard not to say "I TOLD YOU SO!!!"

...and besides, even my own prognostication provided that this would not be the tough part of winning a solution of benefit to the Iraqi people. I'm sure that at this point, alarmst will agree (he always has) that the worst is yet to come.

Robert, mighty large of you to offer to rescind comments you don't remember making... maybe one of your hordes of readers will find time to pore through the thousands of links you've provided to your own writings, and submit some candidates for possible apology.

rshow55 - 04:20pm Apr 9, 2003 EST (# 11218 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.

On the subject of apology and correction - I don't think I've got much of consequence to take back - but a little thing like this thread doesn't matter so much.

The Arab press does matter a lot - and issues of correction - and comparison between what the Arab press said, and how it was balanced - and what happened - might be useful.

If the US engaged the Arab press - pointing out their errors - but also admitting American mistakes when they were made - some crazy things might become less crazy. If people, not excepting Bush, were just a little less crazy a lot might go better. People are having to rethink some things - and that makes this a good time for honest engagement.

Arabs Watch Hussein's Demise in Disbelief By REUTERS Filed at 1:11 p.m. ET http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/international/international-iraq-arabs-saddam.html

CAIRO (Reuters) - Arabs watched in disbelief on Wednesday as Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, described by one Moroccan as the Arab world's ``best dictator,'' lost Baghdad to U.S.-led forces without a fight.

``It's like a movie. I can't believe what I'm seeing,'' said Adel, a lawyer in Beirut. ``Why didn't he just give up to start with if this was all the resistance he could muster? Instead of wasting all those lives for nothing.''

Maybe the answer was that Saddam, and a lot of his supporters in Iraq and all over the Arab world - were a little crazy - deceptive and self deceptive - about some basic things.

10963 http://forums.nytimes.com/webin/WebX?8@28.PTGyaLg96Oo.1356430@.f28e622/12513

10964 http://forums.nytimes.com/webin/WebX?8@28.PTGyaLg96Oo.1356430@.f28e622/12514

The Daily Star of Beruit is no fan of the the US - but its editorial office has people who say some sensible things. Might be good people to engage in conversation - about details - and what people can reasonably ask for and hope for.

Arab world needs to start doing something useful, the Daily Star, 4/1/03 http://www.aljazeerah.info/1%20op%20eds/Arab%20world%20needs%20to%20start%20doing%20something%20useful,%20the%20Daily%20Star%20aljazeerah.info.htm

" . . . . Everything about Arab governance and Arab culture, especially as regards the influence of Islam, is being subjected to intense scrutiny by what can only be perceived as hostile foreign powers.

It might be well to clarify what that hostility is and isn't.

- - -

A Daily Star editor wrote this op-ed:

The War Americans Don't See By RAMI G. KHO http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/04/opinion/04KHOU.html

. . .

"Arabs are increasingly tired of being lied to and presented with only half of reality, and their press is starting to reflect this.

"The press also is starting to reflect fast-changing Arab attitudes, as more and more people in this region criticize both American military attacks and the tradition of autocratic Arab regimes that have caused so much waste and destruction in modern times. One antidote to the cumulative catastrophes that have plagued the modern Arab world is truth and intellectual balance, and the press is also beginning to reflect this important demand as well.

As for me, I think the Bush administration ought to deal with each and every criticism Krugman makes - they're more important than mine.

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