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.

lchic - 12:47am Aug 22, 2002 EST (# 3875 of 3888)

When they've completed their tenure, one would assume they have a pension, freeing them up for volunteers attending to social need, taking them out of the goldfish bowl of 'The Trueman Show'.

The success of the Roman Empire seems to have included an propensity for chosing leaders on a merit basis. Spaniards took on the role of Emperor - one such had America in the bag ....

""When Spain dispatched Columbus to America, it soon after reaped the profits and goods from his and others' explorations. The country's Charles V was crowned Holy Roman Emperor in 1516, ruling over countries from the Philippines to Germany to the New World.

http://www.globalgourmet.com/destinations/spain/

bbbuck - 12:52am Aug 22, 2002 EST (# 3876 of 3888)
'Make sure he doesn't get any donuts'...

the 'Bush forum' is where people go to sharpen their taunting skills or to expand their slop mongering. It is also the 'elephants graveyard' for posters who have lost their mind. That is why I suggested it. Those that wish to disparage it are correct of course. But don't take my word for it, go over there and post some of your links. They will tell you what you can do with it. You haven't really posted on the nytimes til you trade slop with the best of them. But of course, like 'missile defense' once you've read 4 or 5 posts you've read them all.

lchic - 01:04am Aug 22, 2002 EST (# 3877 of 3888)

Psst ... why here so oft?

lchic - 01:11am Aug 22, 2002 EST (# 3878 of 3888)

Showalter had concerns with respect to investigative journalism - that should search for truth, as opposed to PR spin.

The following (from The Australian)relates locally (pop20m) but may be the pattern prevalent in the USA also:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

PR: Defence reveals its military might

IT'S an army within an army. Nestled away in Department of Defence headquarters in Canberra are 109 people employed to shape how consumers of Australia's media perceive the nation's Defence Force.

They're the apex of close to 50,000 members of the army, navy and air force but even with such a large number of charges, defence media is proportionately the most heavily staffed unit of any federal department.

According to protocol, only between four and six of their number are authorised to deal directly with journalists. Other senior officers, and occasionally servicemen and women can also speak, but never without the prior approval of the media controllers.

A small number of others deal with customer complaints, publicity, community liaison, or internal publications such as Army News.

The remainder provide support to the official spokespeople, rustling up statistics, reports, or advice when a media issue is running – such as last year's Tampa boatpeople crisis that left the department and its political masters looking shifty and exploitative.

1 PR per 450 employees approx 1:450

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

bbbuck - 01:13am Aug 22, 2002 EST (# 3879 of 3888)
'Make sure he doesn't get any donuts'...

Because I like lchic's posts.

(9 following messages)

New York Times on the Web Forums Science Missile Defense