New York Times on the Web Forums Science

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 - 07:02pm Aug 20, 2002 EST (# 3837 of 3866)

"Want to address the Eisenhower farewell address, then you develop the tools to meet the threat and not let the last generation of military leaders, who move on to private sector, waste our national treasure on last war's tools."

I have and am working on tools to meet real threats.

Including military ones, and ones at the level of negotiation.

Casey asked me again and again:

" You want to make peace? You want an end game? I do, too. Find solutions. Solutions that work. Solutions that you can explain."

The U.S. is planning to spend around a trillion dollars on planes that, with easy changes, are easy to shoot down.

People ought to know that.

It is in the national interest that people know that.

I'm moving slowly, trying to be effective, and careful.

I need to be debriefed. To some extent it can happen on this thread. If there's no other way, it has to. You might think of more direct approaches, if you thought hard, maybe. MD2850-2851 rshow55 7/3/02 10:36am

I believe that I am doing just what Bill Casey would have wanted me to do, under these somewhat awkward circumstances.

mazza9 - 07:17pm Aug 20, 2002 EST (# 3838 of 3866)
"Quae cum ita sunt" Caesar's Gallic Commentaries

"The U.S. is planning to spend around a trillion dollars on planes that, with easy changes, are easy to shoot down."

Robert, what are you referring to? Be specific otherwise don't post your unsubstantiated speculations! Can't check "easy changes", its a wishy washy statement

The Chechnyans shot down that behemoth Russian Helicopter but Our current strategic bombers and fighters can handle themselves well. Command control of the battlefield is something we do well and others just don't have the wherewithal to match.

Robert, I don't agree with your assessment. I've read Aviation Week for over 40 years and have a fairly good idea of what is happening. Your imprecision is SO non-mathematical!

LouMazza

rshow55 - 08:03pm Aug 20, 2002 EST (# 3839 of 3866)

Mazza, do you think I should be servicibly precise on this thread?

I'm thinking about doing so.

What do you think?

Remember, I've got a PE ticket - something not easily earned - and if I'm "blowing smoke" I could easily lose it.

You don't have to "trust me" on whether I'm right of not. That can be checked.

But if I'm right, with the stakes as I describe them (subject to penalties) then I do have a duty to let people know, don't you agree?

Especially since I promised Casey that I'd do that kind of duty - under circumstances where I have, and people who have trusted me have, a lot at stake?

MD2765 rshow55 6/29/02 7:59am

MD2766 rshow55 6/29/02 11:25am

lchic - 08:03pm Aug 20, 2002 EST (# 3840 of 3866)

www.aviationnow.com/

"" Clinton decides to make CIA directory a cabinet rank, after John Deutch makes this a condition of taking the job. [Why is this space-related? Because Deutch has been a major opponent of RLV work within DoD -- in particular, he's the man who almost killed DC-X by sitting on the funding Congress provided for it -- and this move puts him in a position where he's less influential on the development side but more so on the customer side.] http://www.islandone.org/SpencerAvLeakReports/Avweek-950320.html
http://www.islandone.org/SpencerAvLeakReports<
www.awgnet.com/conferences/
www.mcgraw-hill.com/media/news/2002/06/20020625.html
www.aviationnow.com/content/publication/awst/awst.htm www.wadaviation.com/
FLIGHT 100 YEARS http://www.inventingflight.com/

lchic - 08:13pm Aug 20, 2002 EST (# 3841 of 3866)

Integrity amongst journalists seemed a 'big' thing here ... but ... not seen any 'revolting' wrt journalists and academics having little to no clout with policy making decision considerations in Washington
http://www.cjr.org/year/00/1/lacron.asp

(25 following messages)

New York Times on the Web Forums Science Missile Defense