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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.

rshow55 - 12:40pm May 15, 2003 EST (# 11681 of 11713)
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 Reader Discussion: 'Repress Yourself' thread, there's a series of posts by me, taken from this Science, Missile Defense thread

114 http://forums.nytimes.com/webin/WebX?8@13.o3LeaD1s9bU.722955@.f39a52e/114 to 126 http://forums.nytimes.com/webin/WebX?8@13.o3LeaD1s9bU.722955@.f39a52e/126

that relate closely to the shuttle, - for example the problems set out in Shuttle Investigator Chides NASA on Safety By MATTHEW L. WALD http://www.nytimes.com/2003/05/15/national/nationalspecial/15SHUT.html

To ask people in DOD, or other government agencies, or newspapers, or other institutions to do much better than NASA did on the shuttle matter - there have to be ways to check facts and relations - even when that checking goes against other interests.

That takes rules of exception handling. And institutional responses.

To get them, some poor souls have to "break some rules" - within limits. I think Casey would be reasonably proud of the work I'm doing - and proud of lchic - and, within limits, very proud of The New York Times as it has supported this thread. But with some things to criticise, in spots.

gisterme - 03:09pm May 15, 2003 EST (# 11682 of 11713)

rshow55 - 05:28pm Apr 28, 2003 EST (# 11414 of ...)

http://forums.nytimes.com/webin/WebX?8@13.o3LeaD1s9bU.722955@40679d@.f28e622/12992

"...If this dangerous vestige of the Cold War can be dealt with and healed, the world will be a better, safer place. This is a situation where the US must be careful, but can also afford to be decent, and even generous..."

I believe that's the way the NKs are figuring it. The 4 or so billion dollars the US has given the NK regime during the last administration to "not develop nuclear weapons" has apparently run out and it's time for the next installment. I guess the NKs figure we can afford it. Still, they took the money last time and didn't do what they were bribed to do. Should that shock us? Should we be shocked they now have nuclear weapons and no money? I don't think so.

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.

I don't think we should allow ourselves to be subjected to nuclear extortion.

gisterme - 03:11pm May 15, 2003 EST (# 11683 of 11713)

fredmoore - 11:02pm Apr 27, 2003 EST (# 11409 of ...)

http://forums.nytimes.com/webin/WebX?8@13.o3LeaD1s9bU.722955@.f28e622/12985

"...China needs to look at wetland engineering technologies and manually shifting upstream mineral and effluent backlogs to downstream locations to help redress these three imbalances!..."

I think you're right about that, Fred. If they don't do something about the effluent backlogs, within a hundered years or so the place will be known as 3 Gorges falls.

gisterme - 03:19pm May 15, 2003 EST (# 11684 of 11713)

rshow55 - 12:40pm May 15, 2003 EST (# 11682 of ...) http://forums.nytimes.com/webin/WebX?8@13.o3LeaD1s9bU.722955@.f28e622/13291

"...That takes rules of exception handling. And institutional responses.

To get them, some poor souls have to "break some rules" - within limits..."

What poor souls would those be, Robert? What are the rules they have to break? What limits are you talking about? How would individuals breaking rules within limits have anything to do with institutional responses?

I can see nothing much has changed with you since I've been away, Robert. :-)

gisterme - 03:27pm May 15, 2003 EST (# 11685 of 11713)

lchic - 03:44am Apr 30, 2003 EST (# 11431 of ...)

http://forums.nytimes.com/webin/WebX?8@13.o3LeaD1s9bU.722955@3e7bb3@.f28e622/13011

"...How to turn a civil state into a nightmare-police state .... Saddam must have been well tutored!"

Stalin is Saddam's idol.

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