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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 - 02:19pm Oct 23, 2003 EST (# 15475 of 15492)

bluestar23

[H]e [Showalter] doesn't really have anything to say that's worth commenting on, does he...

Not now. Not for a long time. Not since he became convinced he was engaged in a messianic quest to change the world and he was personally wrestling with world leaders on our humble discussion board.

Viewed humanely, Showalter's really pitiable. Recently, someone who knows him and has familiarity with his erstwhile efforts to promote his theory of neural conductance begged him to give up his present "work" on this board--I think he called it "crap"--and return to normal pursuits, to rebuild his career in science and technology. Since I don't read Showalter's posts, I don't know what he may have responded to this person. However, I doubt that it was positive, since he lives under the delusion that he's "under house arrest". He thinks the government could bust him for violation of security clearance if he tries to return to gainful pursuits. He really is a lost soul.

But while I feel sorry for him, and have tried in the past to offer him my encouragement and support--that was years ago--I no longer feel a sense of good will toward him, because he inexplicably turned on me and lumped me into his grabbag of nefarious characters who he believes are trying to ruin his life. My decision, after having met him and then been repaid with further insults, is to ignore him. I wanted to meet him to show him that at least one of his delusions was false; I thought that dose of reality would be salutory and help him overcome his psychological impasse and move on. However, I failed, and he showed no understanding or gratitude for what I tried to do for him.

I believe that your efforts to subdue his presence on the board will also fail and will lead you to nothing more than further frustration. That's my opinion, of course, and everybody's free to take whatever course pleases them. I hope, for my part, we'll stick to discussing missile defense.

Cheers

wrcooper - 02:22pm Oct 23, 2003 EST (# 15476 of 15492)

bluestar23:

I think there are many issues we could discuss related to missile defense. I will put something out shortly. Maybe it will catch your interest.

Will

bluestar23 - 03:17pm Oct 23, 2003 EST (# 15477 of 15492)

"However, I failed, and he showed no understanding or gratitude for what I tried to do for him."

well, that's quite an effort you have put in, and it's far more than I would have done to break the impasse of Showalter's presence...good for you. I can see that even this is unsuccessful, then lesser efforts will be as well...but it's all just so weird, to be on a TalkBoard with a prolific mentally-ill person, that it's hard not to comment onit...

bluestar23 - 03:19pm Oct 23, 2003 EST (# 15478 of 15492)

"Maybe it will catch your interest.'

I am sure they will...it's true that there are many associated issues...we have discussed some of the new geo-strategic realities brought on by the spread of inerest worldwide of this technology....but it's also true that, unlike other Forums, this one doesn't really have new "news" to talk about regularly...

cantabb - 03:50pm Oct 23, 2003 EST (# 15479 of 15492)

bluestar23 & WRCooper [who will not see this]:

You discuss things that have substance and seem rational.

Since rshow55's posts lack both, the very thought of a discussion with him would be moot.

What I have done, instead, is to first ASK questions, and consigned his posts to their rightful place, and with dispatch. That's deconstruction NOT discussion.

As someone asked, rhetorically, sometime ago on the forum, who in the right mind would take him seriously enough to take the trouble to meet him just to clarify rshow55's suspicions about poster-identity ? Apparently, there are some posters willing to do that for some 'humane' purpose.

WRCooper's 'current' position seems to stem NOT so much from having had long discussions with rshow on his unfocused ramblings for years or meeting him to clarify WRC's "real" identity as in response to rshow's "insults" to WRC, after all that. Seems more of a personal matter -- not necessarily for discussing MD (no body stops him or anyone even from off-topic efforts) or in the interest of this Forum !

Same Rx-SHOULD-serve ALL rationalizations.

bluestar23 - 03:59pm Oct 23, 2003 EST (# 15480 of 15492)

"You discuss things that have substance and seem rational."

thank you, so do you....it's understandable that different posters will have their differing opinions on how to deal w/Showalter phenomenon....a variety of approaches have been tried, nothing wrong with that...the "de-construction" or "fisking" of posts is an appropriate and much-used blogworld/talkboard method...it's a good response format for the internet...

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