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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 - 08:51pm Oct 2, 2002 EST (# 4715 of 4720)
~~~~ It got understood and exposed ~~~~

Iraq Ru

The problem here for Russia is they have big time 'investments' in Iraq and
WANT TO GET PAID

Had Russia demonstrated humaine competence in dealing with Chetnya, had a good plan, upgraded the lot of the Chetnyan, then one might say ... Let the Russians go in and sort out their good buddy Saddam ... but ... !!

GREED - how do Greed-leaders get ousted? Look at the countries of the world that have suffered from poor leadership. Greed at the top, corruption and greed throughout.

What lever is required to knock Saddam off his perch. Where he told to quit or 'personally' pay for what might eventuate would he weigh the 'risk' and move off?

Have covert market researchers looked to the 'needs' of the regular Iraqui? Is there a report? A paper? A known way the general wave of population would move to advance?

'Maslow' would know!

'Demin' would know!

The giants of the past have left their tools for us to pick-up to get workable solutions.

lchic - 08:59pm Oct 2, 2002 EST (# 4716 of 4720)
~~~~ It got understood and exposed ~~~~

The basket used to measure the 'cost of living' changes with our consumer environment, the redundant replaced by the 'new'.

When figuring out the wealth of nations ... why aren't minus figures allotted to the redundant, especially that with a 'clean-up' cost.

Were this so, then, a nation wanting to look and be progressive would, appreciating the true cost of ... say nuclear white elephants ... jettison them.

America has the habit of jettisoning it's redundant military gear across the globe --- the pick-up nations might do better with their dollars.

~~~

Bad news in Aussie. Erricson ran an R&D entity in Melbourne, probably in the vein of your AEI Showalter ... unfortunately it's being closed down. Aussie it seems has one of the lowest world expenditures on R&D. A lot of good scientists will shortly 'be looking' for new work. If only a GREEN fairy would wave a magic wand.

lchic - 09:03pm Oct 2, 2002 EST (# 4717 of 4720)
~~~~ It got understood and exposed ~~~~

Carry on with the realms of spiel Gisterme - pull up a soapbox - hold forth ..... watch out there's a white nuclear elephant
parked #!@##%!!! behind you ... too late :)

almarst2002 - 09:04pm Oct 2, 2002 EST (# 4718 of 4720)

rshow55 10/2/02 4:33pm

The Condoleezza Rice idea of great powers competing in peace sounds wonderfull.

Except a fiew points left in a dark:

1. The same document declares that US will not let any nation become even a regional power.

2. Will those minor players have a fair chance to compete even economicaly while the only superpower holds the keys to major world resources?

In short, isn't it in the same line as the US is ready to traide unsubordinated democracy to subordinative dictatorship at any time and place? Just look at the recent events in Venesuela. Not to mention the dark days of a Cold War.

I bet if you had a chance to ask Al Capone, he would prefere the quite Chicago streets as long as he is paid for protection. That's the analogy as I see it. To be the only mafia boss - and no more fighting.

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