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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.

cantabb - 10:35am Nov 1, 2003 EST (# 16109 of 16227)

lchic - 04:18am Nov 1, 2003 EST (# 16096 of 16106)

Quote Joseph ROTBLAT-- Through education and people interacting with each other through the Internet, through e-mail, mobile telephones and so on. People will feel less a subject of their own nation and more members of humankind. They will interact much more with people of other nations than of their own and gradually the role of nations will come to an end.

Like a 'shrinking world' & 'global village', isn't it ?

Language plays a large part in Internet communication. Made lot easier with one's facility in ENGLISH. You can't expect Chinese, Russian, Spanish or Hindi to accomplish the same. That is being 'anglo-centric' -- which works fine with me, but I'm not sure about MY humankind members in China though.

Or, use some truly internationalizing means for it (Morse code, "dots" & "dashes," etc). Some are already well-versed in "connecting" them.

Otherwise, an endless source of misunderstanding among "members of humankind" in their exchanges. Travel and cultural and other exchanges have all played their part in this (unbelievably easier with internet).

It sure helps you develop a better understanding of the people beyond your boundaries, BUT to say or hope that one would "feel LESS a subject of their own nation." [added emphasis]? I'm not sure -- Cf. EU countries (even with many areas of unity, including money, Euro).

Also, they surely "will interact much more with people of other nations," BUT NOT necessarily LESS "than of their own." UNLESS one is extending the concept to a world literally without border or national authority (A World Nation?). TRY taking a square inch of Israel or China, or merging it with their neighbors. At least I, NOT a Nobelist, can't quite see, even "gradually," how "the role of nations will come to an end." That's, true 'globalization' !!!!

jorian319 - 10:37am Nov 1, 2003 EST (# 16110 of 16227)

Who's going to clean up all that upchick?

cantabb - 10:44am Nov 1, 2003 EST (# 16111 of 16227)

On #16109: I know there are translation programs, which might help over the linguistic barriers.

cantabb - 10:44am Nov 1, 2003 EST (# 16112 of 16227)

bluestar23 - 05:12am Nov 1, 2003 EST (# 16098 of 16109)

As lchic spams the site in the middle of the nite...

That's one way to do it, I guess [time-difference makes it easier to target].

"Sleepless in ___" ?

jorian319 - 10:46am Nov 1, 2003 EST (# 16113 of 16227)

...the Land of OZ.

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