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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.

rshowalt - 07:15pm Jul 26, 2002 EST (#3295 of 3339)

Perhaps I'm only "projecting" when it has occurred to me that some things about the references to Cassandra in Playing Know And Tell by JOHN SCHWARTZ http://www.nytimes.com/2002/06/09/weekinreview/09BOXA.html and the slant and title of Debuting: One Spy, Unshaken By GEORGE F. CUSTEN http://www.nytimes.com/2002/06/23/weekinreview/23CUST.html have had something to do with me. But such "connecting of the dots" isn't crazy - even if, on examination, it turns out to be wrong.

2965 rshow55 7/10/02 7:21am . . . 3113 rshow55 7/17/02 1:29pm

As for getting my math checked -- something I care about very much -- the work on this thread has been the main impediment to that -- but that work has been justified, and makes sense, if you accept the "story" that I've been telling -- a story I've been asking to be checked.

3220 rshowalt 7/21/02 3:44pm http://talk.guardian.co.uk/WebX?14@@.ee7a163/289

2116 rshow55 5/9/02 9:34am ... 2770 rshow55 6/29/02 7:59am

Given that "story" - I've been both rational and responsible. Rational and responsible by some other standards, too. MD2000 rshow55 5/4/02 10:39am So has lchic - a better and more accomplished human being that I am.

Could it be that George Johnson wrote a book about right wing crazies early in his career, and fits much that he sees to that pattern - even when it doesn't necessarily fit? Why not check some things?

Could I be wrong, or in the wrong, in some spots? Sure. Could I be doing a great injustice, incorrectly identifying George Johnson as Mazza, Dirac, and other posters, when he is not. Could be. Why not check?

The individual or group of individuals who post as Mazza - Dirac - Cooper - Johnson may have what he-they regard as a very good reason. Credentialling. Credentialling is an interesting issue to discuss, and one Casey took quite an interest in.

rshowalt - 10:34pm Jul 26, 2002 EST (#3296 of 3339)

MD3217 rshowalt 7/21/02 11:03am . . . MD3101 rshow55 7/16/02 9:11pm . . . Some things bear repeating. The concerns set out in Eisenhower's FAREWELL ADDRESS of January 17, 1961 http://www.geocities.com/~newgeneration/ikefw.htm are concerns that ought to be repeated, again and again. Americans don't want to hear those concerns. But they should.

Cooper, you're reduced to stigmatization ( "please get help" ) on issues that could easily be checked.

Wouldn't be so hard, with a private detective involved, to deal with any of your valid privacy concerns. When there are consequences as large as those this thread is involved with - the right to lie ought to be subject to limitations.

It seems to me that you should be ashamed. ( On the basis of what you've posted, my assumptions are reasonable, even if, perchance, they don't happen to be correct. You've had plenty of chance to correct me in a valid way - a way subject to reasonable, traceable checking. )

Could I be wrong? Sure. But it would be easy to check.

( Just like, if it mattered, it would really be easy to check if gisterme is Condoleezza Rice, or a member of her team.)

Not only millions of dollars (some of them belonging to some of my investors) but many lives are involved and at risk here.

The New York Times , which cares about its reputation, ought to care about right answers here, it seems to me.

kalter.rauch - 03:17am Jul 27, 2002 EST (#3297 of 3339)
Earth vs <^> <^> <^>

Rshowalt......

I just recently tuned into THIS forum for entertainment...THAT'S ALL!!!

I don't have time to sift through tons of posts to uncover the roots of your morbidly byzantine suspicions. Like, I mean, I've never heard of George Johnson, but you're making "him" out to be a MIB masquerading as a NYT reporter. For that matter, how can you be certain "lchic" is on the level ?!?!? So far, it seems "she" is continually promulgating extraneous anti-"Establishment" positions...perhaps in order to buttress your own suspicions??? After all, you're bound to be far more accepting of "her" indictments, at least on a sub-conscious level, because "she" has been your stalwart ally.

If it will help your peace of mind, (((I))) deleted that earlier bit of doggerel in favor of a nearly as bad analogy likening "lchic" to an enemy warhead......

lchic - 03:23am Jul 27, 2002 EST (#3298 of 3339)

Interesting how the above two monikers are so talkative - one about the other - like characters in a work of fiction! Posting at all hours - that's loyalty to the Shadow - or - a grab for overtime rates of pay.

lchic - 03:39am Jul 27, 2002 EST (#3299 of 3339)

One fifth of Palestinian children 'are chronically hungry' Justin Huggler in Jerusalem

Palestinian children 'chronically hungry'

The Israeli re-occupation of West Bank towns is on the verge of causing a humanitarian crisis among Palestinians, diplomats and aid agencies are warning. As many as a fifth of Palestinian children are suffering acute malnutrition, according to the preliminary results of a new survey by an American aid organisation.

Seventy per cent of Palestinians now live on less than $2 (£1.30) a day, according to a new figure that is being circulated in Israel.

So pressing is the concern that fears of a humanitarian crisis were raised at the last meeting of the so-called Middle East quartet of the US, Russia, the United Nations and the European Union.

The US ambassador to Israel, Daniel Kurtzer, told the Israeli authorities this week that the situation in the occupied territories was "a humanitarian disaster".

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/story.jsp?story=318820

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