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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 - 04:22pm Oct 30, 2003 EST (# 15972 of 15983)
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.

Jorian319 says something that I'll remember. Something I hope I'll never say - something I hope responsible people don't say at all often.

Yeah, Robert - that's one of your best comments to date. I take full resposibility for my words and actions, and yet proceed without caution because I'm comfortable with who I am.

I'm not nearly smart enough to proceed without caution .

rshow55 - 04:28pm Oct 30, 2003 EST (# 15973 of 15983)
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.

15368 http://forums.nytimes.com/webin/WebX?8@13.bc20bm2LTbH.128758@.f28e622/17081

Here are things I'd like to be able to attempt - with a reasonable chance of a fair hearing.

( list )

And a point that ought to become a platitude - that not enough people know yet - or know clearly enough yet.

Positive sum games require that everybody involved with effective veto power be willing to let other people get what they need.

Otherwise - things are unstable.

I've been trying to teach that lesson here - explicitly, and by example. And think that Eisenhower would have approved whole-heartedly.

jorian319 - 04:34pm Oct 30, 2003 EST (# 15974 of 15983)

Caution born of unease with onesself permutates into stress, then it kills.

Suppose for a moment - just hypotheically - that the only thing(s) keeping you down is/are internal goblins of your own creation.

Wouldn't a non-response from NYT be consistent with that?

cantabb - 04:42pm Oct 30, 2003 EST (# 15975 of 15983)

rshow55 - 03:46pm Oct 30, 2003 EST (# 15966 of 15971)

Lchic did a fine post 14115

To you, ALL her posts are "fine" ! Nothing new.

How often do people have to fight? How many people really want to ? How many people, these days, know how to avoid fighting when they don't agree about everything they talk about? We're fighting, now, because though we're close on a number of things - some "powers that be" seem to be saying " never meet him face to face."

It's your own fascination with "fighting." Part of Life, a struggle {cliche). The Q & A on anything anyone wants to 'sell' (an idea etc) is NOT 'fighting'. Besides, it's NOT the kind of 'fighting' you want to avoid : that's how ideas get tested and honed. NOT the same as your own pre-teen and teen fighting.

At this stage - the costs to me are small enough, and the gains large enough - and the costs to people like Jorian seem so large - that I don't think things are going so badly, from my side.

Personal matters of no relevance here.

Here's an interesting lesson I'm hoping to teach - that could raise my own status and make me some money in the bargain.

First learn it. BEFORE you try to teach. Specially something most people know already.

If The New York Times can be this petty and stupid - there are some things about negotiation and morality left to be learned.

How about you ? You think personal matters (mostly unspecified, or supposedly security-related) can be resolved in public forums ? Get an attorney to tell you if you have anything worth pursuing -- and listen to him {doubt he would want you to keep spilling your problems here).

rshow55 - 03:50pm Oct 30, 2003 EST (# 15967 of 15971)

It would be an honor indeed to be The Prince of Platitudes - if those platitudes were well organized, widely known, and useful.

Platitudes are ALWAYS "well organized, widely known." That's why they're called 'platitudes'. And, they got so, LONG before you tried to use them.

Basic requirements for stable sociotechnical systems might be " platidudinous" -

No, just mouthing the 'platitudes' AIN'T enough. You've to be able to make an effort to APPLY them where needed.

... but still well worth setting out, and insisting on.

Useless, if NOT practised. You think all you need to do is just talk about them, without having to ACT on them, or DO anything else ?

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New York Times on the Web Forums Science Missile Defense