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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 - 05:58pm Sep 13, 2002 EST (# 4295 of 4307)
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.

It isn't only American minds that are closed - though American minds are also a problem.

rshow55 - 06:14pm Sep 13, 2002 EST (# 4296 of 4307)
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.

Posted a summary of the last week:

http://talk.guardian.co.uk/WebX?14@@.ee7a163/337 -- http://talk.guardian.co.uk/WebX?14@@.ee7a163/338

I think lchic 9/12/02 9:21pm is brilliant, and I'm trying to respond.

A lot of people are stumped - and more and more people are coming to know it -and admit it. If some mistakes and concerns can be admitted - - we could do better.

Americans have some imperfections - people notice them sometimes - and I have noticed some American imperfections sometimes, myself. These imperfections are sometimes denied, more often than they should be. But many of the most fundamental difficulties and impasses are in the Islamic nations.

A lot of people in the Islamic nations know that very well - - and some adjustments are working, more or less -- but there's a lot of tension, a lot of unhappiness, and enough craziness that 9/11/2001 happened. And the denials of responsibility have happened.

Diplomacy (in the sense of evasion of fundamentals) is sometimes useful, but it can carry things only so far.

The United Nation was formed primarily to prevent the tragedies of the first and second world wars - and especially the horror of Hitler. It assumes modern usages - especially a willingness and ability to accomodate facts, take responsibility for actions, and keep agreements.

When modern usages and levels of rationality can't be assumed - nations with the capacity to defend themselves can be expected to do so. Suppose Idi Amin were still around, and close to getting a nuclear weapon? Most people in the West, I believe, would want to keep that from happening -- and want that enough to bend or break international law, if necessary.

The United Nations is supposed to work . That's not an argument for invading Iraq -- but it is an argument for finding a way for the international community to assert reasonable power - if it expects respect for its power.

http://talk.guardian.co.uk/WebX?14@@.ee7a163/338 includes this:

. If we lied less -- if truth broke out -- peace might break out, too.

Here are facts that it seem to me are basic - things that we all know - and have to know at some level - from about the time we learn to talk. It seems to me that these basic things are too often ignored.

People say and do things.

What people say and do have consequences, for themselves and for other people.

People need to deal with and understand these consequences, for all sorts of practical, down to earth reasons.

. Every individual, and every group, has a stake in right answers on questions of fact that they have to use as assumptions for what they say and do.

There are plenty of cases where the United States needs to learn this - and needs to face inconvenient or awkward truths. But there are no solutions to key problems if only Americans are asked to face facts. The Islamic nations - - and their religious leaders - have to be responsible for what they say and do, as well. If you look at the Arab countries - and how little they've done with their advantages - and how poor in material things and spirit their people are - - it seems clear that they have to "look in the mirror" too.

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