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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?

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rshow55 - 10:53am Nov 1, 2003 EST (# 16114 of 16228)
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.

I've had a mostly resting time since posting 16040-3 http://forums.nytimes.com/webin/WebX?8@13.buc8bh0aU6R.803094@.f28e622/17755 - socializing and helping take some preschool age kids trick-or-treating. Just caught up with the board. If you look at lchic's postings, they consistently connect to interesting stuff - vital stuff. As they have for a long time. She's both sophisticated and quite able to connect things to basics - said compactly and memorably. Many of the things she posts are timely and excellent - many other things timeless - and beautiful. Some issues are lastingly important.

Section on Empathy begins here (16 related posts) : 5086 lchic 10/20/02 7:50pm http://forums.nytimes.com/webin/WebX?8@13.buc8bh0aU6R.803094@.f28e622/6403

She made a timely, important and eternally important point with her reference in 16010 http://forums.nytimes.com/webin/WebX?8@13.buc8bh0aU6R.803094@.f28e622/17725 I'm bolding a few words, and adding a few comments.

"Military Historians might Transpose (below) to thread etiquette

" In democratic America it was considered that during the course of a Ball all present were on an equal social footing. The host (and/or hostess) would receive respect due to position and service and a visiting dignitary might be briefly acknowledged and honored, but by and large all would be considered as equals - at least for the evening.

For communication to actually work well - and be a two way street - the convention of equality ( always a convention when considered in detail ) is essential. For true and full human to human interaction - a convention of equality for the purpose of discourse is required.

Always the convention is fragile - but without it - real communication - and a full meeting of the minds that is actually agreed on by the parties - is impossible.

If equality as a convention is not possible, people can either adress others as inferiors (and that's very close to a convention that they are clowns, non-humans ) - or as superiors - ( and there's little but ceremonial discourse - or the giving of order - under that circumstance. The

.... " interest is in creating an atmosphere that includes rather than excludes so that all can enjoy, experience and learn together .... " http://members.aol.com/wemakehistory/etiquette.html

is important.

Some of jorian319's postings have a quite different intent. I found 16067 and 16079 notable examples.

On Oct 30, in an exchange discussed from 15969 http://forums.nytimes.com/webin/WebX?8@13.buc8bh0aU6R.803094@.f28e622/17684 to 15972 http://forums.nytimes.com/webin/WebX?8@13.buc8bh0aU6R.803094@.f28e622/17687 Jorian said

" I take full resposibility for my words and actions, and yet proceed without caution . . . "

and I commented that "I'm not nearly smart enough to proceed without caution ."

Being so limited, I'm resting and taking my time.

I don't think I've ever posted a single thing on this thread that I couldn't, if asked, explain to my father and his acquaintenances. Not that I'd have to - not that they'd be interested. But I could. I wonder if others could take responsibility in the same way.

I posted on Psychwarfare, Casablanca -- and terror yeserday. http://talk.guardian.co.uk/WebX?14@@.ee7a163/497

I'm back to resting. I enjoyed the chance to catch up on the board.

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New York Times on the Web Forums Science Missile Defense