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.

jorian319 - 02:14pm Sep 29, 2003 EST (# 14126 of 14145)
The dogmatism is all on the side that maintains there is no global climate effect ...Anyone who has visited a city like LA on a nice smog filled day knows that's not true. -amzingdrx

The answers that are needed have to be formed - and they involve both logical and emotional barriers to the achievement of good and stable "end games" - or trajectories - in negotiation.

Translation: Do the right thing.

Between the lines: I have a deep need to be recognized as an influential, benificent force in the evolution of today's society, but cannot present any solutions, so I content myself with using far more words than necessary to say things everybody already knows.

rshow55 - 02:26pm Sep 29, 2003 EST (# 14127 of 14145)
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 everybody actually knew those things when it mattered we'd sort out the problems that now stump us.

For example - I adressed you specifically, Jorian - in 14114 http://forums.nytimes.com/webin/WebX?8@13.h1YTbtNkJG4.2636975@.f28e622/15820

Was I saying something you already know? Would it be easy for us to cooperate if, by chance, you wanted to?

( I'm not asking to be liked, just now - but asking would you know how ? )

I think, even if you wanted to avoid it - you'd be likely - pretty often - to react in just the opposite way from the way needed.

cantabb - 02:29pm Sep 29, 2003 EST (# 14128 of 14145)

rshow55 - 02:06pm Sep 29, 2003 EST (# 14125 of 14126)

I suggest you take this over to OP-Ed Editorial Forums, section on Friedman. Note: THAT is a "moderated" forum.

His book [L&OT] has been discussed there and here and elsewhere lot of times. You've said NOTHING that hasn't been said by many others on NYT and elsewhere, numerous times before.

Thomas Friedman won his third Pulitzer prize in 2002

We know that.

Commentary: Thomas L. Friedman of The New York Times http://www.nytimes.com/2002/04/08/nyregion/08commentary.1.html Friedman has expressed strong and repeated doubts about the responsiblity and even the sanity of this administration's missile defense proposals, and these statements have deeply influenced me. Maureen Dowd has as well.

We know that too. And, as usual, there're other opinions too.

Last year, I cited Friedman's ideas and colums 92 times on this thread, and Dowd's tens of times. (MD8102 rshowalter 8/24/01 12:03pm ... MD8103 rshowalter 8/24/01 12:04pm

ONLY "92 times" ? Just 8 short of a 100. Oh, So close !

If we can look at that book as a point of departure - we may be able to make more sense of the question of how sensible it might be to try to help mankind, if not save mankind, through the MD thread 14108

And, "to try to help mankind, if not save mankind, through the MD" thread"?

LOFTY !

However, IF this MD thread can help you, that'll be a lot. Other than that, you'll first have to have at least a little more: What specifically are you trying to do, and how ? Questions you can't seem to address YET.

rshow55 - 02:07pm Sep 29, 2003 EST (# 14126 of 14126)

The world changed with on 9/11/2000

Tell us about it !

........The answers that are needed have to be formed - and they involve both logical and emotional barriers to the achievement of good and stable "end games" - or trajectories - in negotiation.

Before the "answers," come "questions" !

And, you have to be able to form at least one well defined question -- something you have NOT done, YET. Despite repeated reminders.

cantabb - 02:35pm Sep 29, 2003 EST (# 14129 of 14145)

rshow55 - 02:26pm Sep 29, 2003 EST (# 14128 of 14129)

If everybody actually knew those things when it mattered we'd sort out the problems that now stump us.

In fact, if YOU knew that, you would NOT add to the burden.

Was I saying something you already know? Would it be easy for us to cooperate if, by chance, you wanted to?

( I'm not asking to be liked, just now - but asking would you know how ? )

Most people know lot more than what you're saying. And, what you're saying comes from public sources [NOT from the 'highly classified' ones].

Co-operate on what ? Anything specific ? Anything that's NOT being done much, much more efficiently by others already ?

You're NOT alone: Lot of peopole have the "Messiah complex."

(16 following messages)

New York Times on the Web Forums Science Missile Defense