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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.

wrcooper - 01:01am Oct 20, 2003 EST (# 15261 of 15270)

bluestar

In my opinion, more people will attend this forum if they avoid reading rshow55 and lchic. I have found it liberating not to read their posts or having to scroll past them. They're long and often take up pages of forum space.

As I said, this recommendation is a personal suggestion. People may choose to read rshow55 and lchic's posts. That's fine. I suspect, however, that many folks take a quick look at the forum, read an rshow55 post rambling on about this or that, and they never come back. That's a pity, because this issue is important..

I think the "Ignore Posts list" is designed for posters just like rshow55 and lchic and robkettenberg. They aren't prevented from posting, because they don't really violate protocol, but we don't have to digest their wretched verbiage. All I see of them nowadays are brief messages saying that a post by rshow55 or lchic has been recorded, but none of the text of their posts appears. I can scroll past five or six rshow55 posts, therefore, in half a second to get on to worthwhile material.

I've paid my dues with rshow55, and maybe you haven't, and you're not ready to write him off. But I am and have. Reading him isn't worth it, and I think he hurts the forum. That's why I've taken to periodically posting a message suggesting that people put him on their Ignore Post lists. I'm hoping, thereby, to boost participation in this forum by people who actually want to discuss the issue of missile defense. Tonight, for instance, I noticed a bunch of posts by rshow55 and lchic, which is why I decided to post my earlier message.

lchic - 02:25am Oct 20, 2003 EST (# 15262 of 15270)
ultimately TRUTH outs : TRUTH has to be morally forcing : build on TRUTH it's a strong foundation

Cooper - the world is a stage of entertainment - Hollywood says so! Posters he say they like to be 'entertained'

In light of this Cooper ought to ask the question - How entertaining is Cooper?

Cooper says :

" I've paid my dues with rshow55, and maybe you haven't, and you're not ready to write him off. But I am and have. Reading him isn't worth it, and I think he hurts the forum. "

Showalter says that wrt MD things like - truth, clarity, transparency, accuracy wrt maths - are great ideals.

When Cooper says he thinks that reading the Showalter-text 'hurts the forum' ... a virtual forum ... what Cooper is actually saying is that when Cooper reads Showalter-text, then Cooper hurts ....

Poor Cooper --- why does he hurt so?

Can anyone out there follow Cooperism-logic?

Cooper you've got the entire thread readership over a barrel http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=cooper

lchic - 02:37am Oct 20, 2003 EST (# 15263 of 15270)
ultimately TRUTH outs : TRUTH has to be morally forcing : build on TRUTH it's a strong foundation

BUSH seems to be doing and saying some right-sounding things over in my region.

NK

Edu

Trade

One liner jingoist slogans bandied around are grasped by the poor who need to be told that the way to improvement is neither western, american, nor a secret. There is a pathway, a route, a course, a way to move forwards and upwards.

The way to improved futures has to be spelt out, PR'd, story'd, set out in graspable ways so that people have a map of HOW, and can discard simplex inhuman solutions.

Bush will earn an entry into the Guiness Book of Records for this tour ... his feet have hardly touched the ground in countries visited -- if Arnie has it for strength -- then this guy has it for levitation!

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