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 [F] 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.


Earliest Messages Previous Messages Recent Messages Outline (11845 previous messages)

rshow55 - 10:29am May 21, 2003 EST (# 11846 of 11850)
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.

One of the more savage comments on this thread is this one:

Missile Defense #5703 - mazza9 Nov 13, 2002 10:58 am http://forums.nytimes.com/webin/WebX?8@13.wqteaPfzb4O.980206@.f28e622/7114

"Kalter:

"Be kind to Robert. When he stuffs the barrel into his mouth and pulls the trigger, we can hope that his belief system is such that he knows that he has "done a good job" and is just "SO UNAPPRECIATED!" "

I don't happen to feel the least bit suicidal. But I have been reviewing my life, and discussing with my wife what I can reasonably do, and ought to do.

If I were permitted to work - and to use my skills - the world would run enough better to justify any inconveniences that might be involved in permitting me to live a workable life.

For instance, I could be useful to Germany, other EU countries, or Russia - if I'm not permitted to be useful to the United States.

Putin Tells Russians of Clouds With Reform-Plan Lining By STEVEN LEE MYERS http://www.nytimes.com/2003/05/17/international/europe/17RUSS.html

MOSCOW, May 16 — President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia today outlined an unusually bleak vision of a country mired in poverty, strangled by bureaucracy and facing ominous threats from inside and out.

. . .

"We are confronted with serious threats," he said. "Our economic foundation, although it has become noticeably stronger, is still shaky and very weak. The political system is not developed enough. The state apparatus is inefficient, and most sectors of the economy are uncompetitive. The size of the population continues to diminish. Poverty is receding very slowly."

. . .

"He was very frank, but it was very difficult for him to paint any other picture, since these are the truths known to everyone," said Andrei Piontkovsky of the Center for Strategic Studies, a research center here. "The current model of Russian capitalism is just not working."

"Mr. Piontkovsky said that however laudable and politically popular Mr. Putin's long-range visions might be, he had offered few proposals to address the problems that face Russia now. "Unfortunately, there is nothing in between," he said.

- - - - - -

I think I could help with that. The US economy isn't doing perfectly, either.

I've been wondering what I owe others - what they reasonably ought to owe me - and one point occurs particularly. What do I owe the New York Times?

I think I have made significant contributions to the policy set out here - and a good deal else:

Bush Issues Directive Describing Policy on Antimissile Defenses By DAVID E. SANGER http://www.nytimes.com/2003/05/21/international/21MISS.html

rshow55 - 11:29am May 21, 2003 EST (# 11847 of 11850)
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 Perfect Candidate The Times needs an ombudsman. Here’s the man for the job http://www.msnbc.com/news/916073.asp?0cv=KA01&cp1=1#BODY NEWSWEEK WEB EXCLUSIVE

May 20 — Paging Alex Jones. Time to come down from Harvard’s Ivory Tower. I’ve got a new challenge for you: The New York Times’ first-ever ombudsman.

I could have - and could - use a chance to talk to a NYT officer in an ombudsman role. When things are complicated - such people can be useful - especially when there are problems with exception handling.

My own personal view is that this thread shows the NYT at its very best - and worst. With a little flexibility, the good could be preserved and enhanced - without the bad - or with much less bad.

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 [F] New York Times on the Web Forums  / Science  / Missile Defense