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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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gisterme - 11:43am Jun 25, 2003 EST (# 12678 of 12690)

continued...

For education to mean much to a kid, he/she must understand that an important part of what is being learned is how to learn. In my view, that's far more important than the number of facts that have been crammed into the brain. It's the ability to access and make use of the facts that's the real prize and equally important, the ablility to realize that something needed is not known and how to find it out.

On the social side kids should know how to control their tempers, have some skills at handling "uncomfortable" situations in a somewhat diplomatic way and in general, be able to get along with others, even when there's disagreement about an issue. They should also have and show some basic respect for those who are ahead of them on the learning curve.

When a young person graduates high school they should have learned enough facts about the world and about their own personal gifts and talents to be able to decide what they want to do and what they can do with their lives whether that's just entering directly into the workforce for OJT or attending a trade school or going on to a college or university.

They should also realize that completion of any course of education, whether it's primary school or getting a PHD is not an end in itself. It is only the jumping-off point to the next stage of learning ultimately including the immersion into real world living that we all must face at some point. The real applied knowledge, the things that we learn that can be our immortal contributions to society are the things we've accomplished in our lives that remain after we're gone. Those accomplishments seldom occur in school.

Albert Einstein pretty much said it all when he said (and I paraphrase), "The difference between the most and the least educated persons is insignificant when compared to all that there is to be known.".

fredmoore - 01:38pm Jun 25, 2003 EST (# 12679 of 12690)

Good call Lou.

So what do you think of KAEP?

Cheers

gisterme - 01:43pm Jun 25, 2003 EST (# 12680 of 12690)

fredmoore - 09:48am Jun 25, 2003 EST (# 12675 of ...) http://forums.nytimes.com/webin/WebX?224@13.h5o6b1yLjfR.403143@3d7aa9@.f28e622/14343

"...Most of the victims of WWII were the best of the best, particularly from your view and mine, US service people. I believe that most of the victims were at the cutting edge of their society and could have made the world a better place had a coalition of the willing invaded Germany in time to prevent WWII..."

An invasion of Germany would still have caused WWII. Keep in mind that Stalin had a pact with Hitler prior until the time that Germany invaded Russion. During the twilight of the age of empire a "coaltion of the willing" would likely have been far more difficult to establish even than it is today. Americans wanted isolation. Britain wanted peace at any cost. France thought it was impreganble and Hitler did everything in his power to conceal his growing strength until he was himself impervious to any powers that existed prior to the war. There was no single nation or even combinaton of nations that, given the political reality of the time, could have invaded Germany prior to WWII without an all-out war anyway. There was no "superpower" that could have gone it alone. If a coalition of say, Britain and France had attempted to invade Germany (the US had very little ground war capability), the ever paranoid Stalin and Russia may well have come in on the German side. That eventuality would likely have changed the outcome of the war.

"...By saying, 'Candide' like that WWII was the best alternative because other bad situations MIGHT have arisen is denying the sacrifice and courage of those who died..."

How so? Don't forget that the context of the discussion is all about "what if one could change the actions of a single US historical figure" and not about reality. The reality is that WWII is a historical fact and not an alternative.

"...Had they lived and Germany was democratised like IRAQ will inevitably be, those fallen in WWII would have made a big improvement in where we are today..."

I'd like to think, with you, that everything would be better today if those tyrants would have somehow been stopped before they could wreak their havoc. The sheer volume of human talent, imagination, skill and creativity lost in that war is appalling. On the other hand the spectacular burst of technological innovation, the practical application of those same virtues at a supercharged rate as stimulated by that war was historically unprecedented. All I really intended to say is that the world would be different, for better or for worse but that at this point which would be the case is unrpovable. I certainly would rather that all those people lost had lived instead. There would likely still be a British empire, we probably wouldn't have all the high-tech stuff we have today...things would not be as they are now.

"...To deny that would deny their sacrifice and courage. Can you in all humility make that denial?..."

I'm not denying that, Fred. I'm saying that I can't say. However, whatever I wish to affirm or deny in such a rhetorical discussion, with or without humility, can by no means take anything away from the sacrefice and courage of those who gave their lives to make the world of thier present a better place. I can say with all humility that the world of our present is a better place because of the sacrefice they made.

gisterme - 01:49pm Jun 25, 2003 EST (# 12681 of 12690)

Fred...

What's KAEP?

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