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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.

almarst2002 - 08:52am Jul 31, 2003 EST (# 13189 of 13267)

Why the US fears Cuba Comment: Hostility to the Castro regime doesn't stem from its failings, but from its achievements, writes Seumas Milne. - http://www.guardian.co.uk/cuba/story/0,11983,1009473,00.html

Saddled with a siege economy and a wartime political culture for more than 40 years, Cuba has achieved first world health and education standards in a third world country, its infant mortality and literacy rates now rivalling or outstripping those of the US, its class sizes a third smaller than in Britain - while next door, in the US-backed "democracy" of Haiti, half the population is unable to read and infant mortality is over 10 times higher. Those, too, are human rights, recognised by the UN declaration and European convention. Despite the catastrophic withdrawal of Soviet support more than a decade ago and the social damage wrought by dollarisation and mass tourism, Cuba has developed biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries acknowledged by the US to be the most advanced in Latin America. Meanwhile, it has sent 50,000 doctors to work for free in 93 third world countries (currently there are 1,000 working in Venezuela's slums) and given a free university education to 1,000 third world students a year. How much of that would survive a takeover by the Miami-backed opposition?

almarst2002 - 02:24pm Jul 31, 2003 EST (# 13190 of 13267)

War In Iraq - http://www.iraqwar.ru/?userlang=en

[14:08] Outrageous Bush Executive Order on Iraq Oil Must Be Investigated

[13:58] Pollard recruiter resurfaces in U.S.

[13:54] US scraps nuclear weapons watchdog

[13:51] Christian Right Waves Flag for Israel

[13:48] Kurds offer way out of Japanese troop impasse

[13:45] Doubts mount on Powell's evidence to UN

[13:30] Experts Fear Iraq Violence Will Continue

[13:26] Third Infantry Division Commander Bans Reporters

[13:19] US Nobel Laureate Slams Bush Gov't as "Worst" in American History

[13:10] America Increasing Pressure on Al-Jazeera TV

[13:03] Oil smuggling goes on full steam in Iraq

[13:00] Slandered' Arab TV stations reject US claims of biased Iraq coverage

[12:56] Ex-Diplomat Joseph Wilson: Bush May Start Another War in 2004 To Win The Election

[12:53] Foreign visits to US drop sharply

[12:43] Sons' killings change little in Iraq

[12:38] Death zone puts family life in limbo

[12:35] GAO chief warns of dangerous deficit

[12:31] Reconstruction of Iraq to cost $7.3 billion this year

[12:27] al-Sadr Claims ONE MILLION MEMBERS in "Mahdi Army"

[12:16] CIA 'questioned UK uranium claim'

[12:13] Enemy Combatant Vanishes Into a 'Legal Black Hole'

[12:06] Iraqis protest after US raid kills civilians

[12:03] Attack kills 3 soldiers; Taliban rebels eyed

[11:57] Clinton-style amnesia returns

[11:45] Bush Babbles At Press Conference Before Fleeing To Month's Vacation

[08:37] On Battle and Home Fronts, a Roller Coaster of Nerves

[08:35] Anti-US cleric rallies recruits for Islamic army

[08:31] US army admits Iraq suicides

[01:38] CIA Says Latest Tape 'Highly Likely' Saddam

[01:34] Federal Deficit Depresses Real Estate Market and Hoped-For Recovery

almarst2002 - 02:26pm Jul 31, 2003 EST (# 13191 of 13267)

U.S. has not yet found Iraqi scientists to support prewar claims on WMD.

U.S. has not yet found Iraqi scientists to support prewar claims on WMD.

U.S. has not yet found Iraqi scientists to support prewar claims on WMD.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A5497-2003Jul30.html

fredmoore - 04:14pm Jul 31, 2003 EST (# 13192 of 13267)

Haiti V Cuba.

Haiti does not have the same geo-eco-capital that Cuba does. Comparisons are futile unless you take into account soil fertility and fresh water abundance and resource conflict with Dominican Republic (the much richer part of the Island). Haiti has significant problems in these areas while Cuba has a somewhat better prognosis.

Any island is only as good as its natural resources despite any erstwhile political or social impetus.

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