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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.

lchic - 08:19am Sep 28, 2002 EST (# 4613 of 4617)
~~~~ It got understood and exposed ~~~~

Bush - security 20Sept Doc - RICE

"" Rice is often regarded as a go-between in the Bush administration's internal wars. There is no discernible Rice world view, as there is a Powell or Rumsfeld one. Yet one may be emerging. The strategy talks a lot about “building good relations among the great powers”—the theme of an article she wrote in Foreign Affairs in 2000 (before Mr Bush's election). This is classic Realpolitik. The intriguing change now, however, is that these realistic means are being harnessed to more idealistic ends: “The United States must defend liberty and justice because these principles are right and true for all people everywhere.”

If this is so, the tension between promoting democracy and defeating threats will be resolved in favour of promoting democracy. As the document insists, this will be by peaceful means wherever possible, with force used only as a last resort. But the new strategy will nevertheless set America on a course of encouraging change not only in Iraq but in Iran, Saudi Arabia and elsewhere. Let authoritarians take note.
http://www.economist.com/world/na/displayStory.cfm?story_id=1355664

http://www.economist.com/

lchic - 08:34am Sep 28, 2002 EST (# 4614 of 4617)
~~~~ It got understood and exposed ~~~~

:) Looks as if Rice could be heading towards becoming 'mother' of the world .... perhaps she'll run for OFFICE ?!

Come to think of it - and looking at Prison Stats - perhaps America needs a woman's touch.

Etiquette, Empathy, Diplomacy, Understanding of key issues in International Law, etc .....

A turn of 45 degrees - would that fix it?

Showalter - don't you think the USA's next hundred presidents ought to be women - to make up the backlog ?

If not Rice - then Ms-Who? ... Hilary Clinton has the capacity!?

lchic - 08:53am Sep 28, 2002 EST (# 4615 of 4617)
~~~~ It got understood and exposed ~~~~

Leopards and cameleons can change spots and appearance fast ... but politicians ... what do they say -- "A day in politics is a long time" -- politicians can turn full circle within 24 hours ...

Cameleon: A combination of properties make it unique among all other animals:
a) The ability to change color, not only to match it's background but also for interspecies communication.
b) Its extremely long tongue, ejected with great speed and precision to catch flying insects which stick on it, and
c) Its ability to move both eyes, independent from one another, achieving full circular vision with two separate focus points.
http://www.ekpaz.gr/news/news_en.htm

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