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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 - 12:06pm Aug 18, 2003 EST (# 13321 of 13326)
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.

Once upon a time . . . How a Story is Shaped http://www.fortunecity.com/lavendar/ducksoup/555/storyshape.html

People naturally think of things, and explain things to themselves and others, in terms of stories - which may be true or false in various ways. Stories can be about the future, or about the past, about "what might have been" and "what might be." People executing plans together "have their stories straight" and are "reading off the same page."

Some story patterns repeat, in various ways . . and Casablanca tells some of those stories well. And life can sometimes have correspondence to story patterns. Sometimes with the protaganists looking very different - but some basic patterns the same.

Williams might be called a " superior alien" in some ways, not others.

Has Stanley Williams Left the Gang? By KIMBERLEY SEVCIK http://www.nytimes.com/2003/08/10/magazine/10WILLIAMS.html includes this:

There are people making decisions about Stanley Williams who may not wish to kill him, may appreciate some things he's doing, may not doubt the essence of anything he says, but don't want him "running around loose" either.

Galileo might have been called a "superior alien" in some ways, not others.

Contrarian's Contrarian: Galileo's Science Polemics By GEORGE JOHNSON http://www.nytimes.com/2003/08/12/science/12ESSA.html

It is certainly true that people with power, who made decisions about Galileo, didn't wish to kill him, appreciated some of the things Galelio did, were willing to consider that probability that much of what Galileo said was right, thought with reservations, but didn't want Galelio "running around without reasonable constraints" either.

Casablanca is a story about "superior aliens" in many senses in the word. Many of the people involved are excellent, exceptional, exemplary, uncommon in various ways. All are aliens in the country of Morocco - from a historical point of view - and "superior aliens" in some other ways, as well.

Lazlo is constrained. He isn't under house arrest, quite. But he has limits. He isn't free to "leave Casablanca" - and the degree of freedom that he has is very dependent on what he does - objectively and symbolically.

rshow55 - 12:07pm Aug 18, 2003 EST (# 13322 of 13326)
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.

from the script of Casablanca http://6nescripts.free.fr/Casablanca.pdf

p. 79-80 (there's a fight that Rick breaks up: "Either lay off politics or get out." )

Renault, Strasser, and the other officers sit down again.

. Strasser: You see, Captain, the situation is not as much under control as you believe.

. Renault: My dear Major, we are trying to cooperate with your government, but we cannot regulate the feelings of our own people.

Strasser eyes him closely.

. Strasser: Captain Renault, are you entirely certain which side you're on?

. Renault: I have no conviction, if that's what you mean. I blow with the wind, and the prevailing wind happens to be from Vichy.

. Strasser: And if it should change?

He smiles.

. Renault: Surely the Reich doesn't admit that possibility?

Renault lights a cigarette and puffs away.

. Strasser: We are concerned about more than Casablanca. We know that every French province in Africa is honeycombed with traitors waiting for their chance, waiting, perhaps, for a leader.

. Renault: . . (casually) . . A leader like Lazlo?

. Strasser: Uh, huh. I have been thinking. It is too dangerous if we let him go. It may be too dangerous if we let him stay.

. Renault: . . . ( thoughtfully) . . . I see what you mean.

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