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.

rshow55 - 12:35pm Jun 29, 2003 EST (# 12742 of 12754)
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 would be much, much worse. I've had close contact with a number of good people - my work with Steve Kline is on-the-record - and I think that lchic is the most valuable mind I've ever encountered. We're partners, and I'm grateful for every minute she's spent working with me. I'd like to get reasonably paid (in status and money) for my work - and want her to be, as well.

The New York Times should be proud to have her contributing.

rshow55 - 01:10pm Jun 29, 2003 EST (# 12743 of 12754)
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.

If the staffed organizations of nation states were to read these summaries of my work on this thread from its beginning, with a "willing suspension of disbelief" about my involvement with Eisenhower they might give the postings more weight - though the arguments wouldn't change all. And the extent of the work, by lchic , the NYT, and other posters would not change at all.

A posting from Jun 4 makes sense to repeat now, 12300 http://forums.nytimes.com/webin/WebX?8@13.wqtHbjeul4M.0@.f28e622/13948

If the staffed organizations of nation states were to read these summaries of my work on this thread from its beginning, with a "willing suspension of disbelief" about my involvement with Eisenhower they might give the postings more weight - though the arguments wouldn't change all. And the extent of the work, by lchic , the NYT, and other posters would not change at all.

9002 http://forums.nytimes.com/webin/WebX?8@13.wqtHbjeul4M.0@.f28e622/10529

9003 http://forums.nytimes.com/webin/WebX?8@13.wqtHbjeul4M.0@.f28e622/10530

9004 http://forums.nytimes.com/webin/WebX?8@13.wqtHbjeul4M.0@.f28e622/10531

9005 http://forums.nytimes.com/webin/WebX?8@13.wqtHbjeul4M.0@.f28e622/10532

9006 http://forums.nytimes.com/webin/WebX?8@13.wqtHbjeul4M.0@.f28e622/10533

9007 http://forums.nytimes.com/webin/WebX?8@13.wqtHbjeul4M.0@.f28e622/10534

9008 http://forums.nytimes.com/webin/WebX?8@13.wqtHbjeul4M.0@.f28e622/10535 set out summaries of work done here prior to March, 2001.

I'd like a chance to brief someone in Vladimir Putin's government - on the record, face to face - and respond to specific questions related in the "briefing" below. I should be able to do so, and do similar things, without violating any reasonable security laws at all. The "briefing" below might serve as a sample of my work product, and the subjects I'd like to discuss.

9009 http://forums.nytimes.com/webin/WebX?8@13.wqtHbjeul4M.0@.f28e622/10536

9010 http://forums.nytimes.com/webin/WebX?8@13.wqtHbjeul4M.0@.f28e622/10537

9011 http://forums.nytimes.com/webin/WebX?8@13.wqtHbjeul4M.0@.f28e622/10538

9012 http://forums.nytimes.com/webin/WebX?8@13.wqtHbjeul4M.0@.f28e622/10539

I set out to do jobs where my own power would be limited - in some ways, nonexistent. But the assumption was that I would be able to communicate effectively with power.

And I was encouraged to do things. I was assigned projects. Every single thing I was assigned to do required some essential support from a nation state in two ways.

First of all, they all involved such complex cooperation that they were fragile - they could be stopped with "a few well placed phone calls."

Secondly, they all involved such complex cooperation that occasionally, the idea that the government wanted the work done had to be conveyed.

I have been working very hard to present technical proposals to the US government - so that I can hope to get the essential support described above. I've been rebuffed. It is reasonable - submitting to censorship on issues that are reasonably classified - for me to ask for assistance from firms with connections with other nation states - including Germany and France. I need to be able to work. The nation owes me that, at least.

- - - -

Perhaps it could even be done gracefully. There've been reasons to think that might be possible in the last month, and I'm encouraged. 11999 http://forums.nytimes.com/webin/WebX?8@13.wqtHbjeul4M.0@.f28e622/13626

fredmoore - 09:49pm Jun 29, 2003 EST (# 12744 of 12754)

The answer is YES. So ... why do you ask .... and what is the purpose of this question?

(10 following messages)

New York Times on the Web Forums Science Missile Defense