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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.

gisterme - 01:39pm Oct 16, 2002 EST (# 4940 of 4974)

commondata 10/15/02 7:01pm

I said: "...however, it seems to me, that once I pay for the gas in my tank, it's mine...no longer the property of the supplier.

You said: "...Where's this metaphor going?..."

That's no metaphor, commiedata, just a statement of fact. Sorry it's so hard for you to understand.

"...There seems to be the same sort of blind support for Israel in the US as there is/was for the IRA and for the usual reasons of tribal-religious ignorance-affiliation. It's a local territorial dispute and it doesn't really become the US, in its globally dominant position, to side with one side in the face of international opinion set out in UN resolutions. What about the rules?

Israel has been a long-time friend of the US, in fact, a friend since the first day it's existance was mandated by the UN. Palestine has never been a country...just a name given to a region by the British empire. In my view, it would be far more unbecoming for the US to abandon its friends.

I believe Israel would comply with UN resolutions if they weren't being attacked and or threatened by their neighbors who claim Israel has no right to exist. What about the rules indeed?

"...What about the rules when you were arming Iraq in the 80's?..."

I didn't notice a single piece of destroyed American-made military equipment in any of the hours and hours of video that came out of Iraq afther the Gulf War. All those tanks, APCs and missiles were either Soviet-era Russian-made, or Chinese clones of same. I believe Iraq did have a few French-made Mirage aircraft.

"...What about the rules as you're killing more people in Iraq than the combined total of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombs; 5000 children killed each month because of sanctions? How would it be if someone were doing that to you?..."

I see that since you can't answer my last post to you,

gisterme 10/15/02 4:00pm ,

you've turned to blustering;...but, I'll answer you anyway.

Firstly I'll say that the sanctions against Iraq are the result of compliance with the "rules". They are the result of UN resolutions. We (Americans) are not killing all those babies. Saddam Hussein is doing that. All he's ever needed to do to prevent or lift those sanctions was to comply with UN resolutions that he agreed to at the end of the Gulf War. It's Saddam who is not following the "rules". Nobody is "doing it" to Iraq except Saddam Hussein.

"...How would it be if someone were doing that to you?..."

If the situation were reversed, I'd wager we'd simply comply with the UN resolutions to prevent the sanctions.

continued...

gisterme - 01:42pm Oct 16, 2002 EST (# 4941 of 4974)

gisterme 10/16/02 1:39pm ...continued:

"...You killed more people in Iraq than all weapons of mass destruction ever..."

That's a lie.

"...Follow the trail of blood you've left back through the recent past in Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, Indonesia,..."

You demonstrate your support for anarchy, commiedata. What's going on in Afghanistan needs no explanation to any sane person. The cause of the Gulf War in Iraq needs no explanation to any sane person. What began as a humanitarian effort in Somalia was transformed into a debacle due to weak US leadership. I'll give you that point. I'm not even sure what you're talking about wrt Indonesia. It seems that terrorists there are blowing the place up. That wouldn't be us.

"...Cambodia, Vietnam, Nicaragua, Honduras, Chile ..."

Those were all Cold War battles except Cambodia. The massacre of about two million people in Cambodia was the responsibility of Pol Pot, the communist revolutionary.

"...You are the terrorists..."

Talk is cheap, commiedata.

I said: "Bloody men delight in spilling blood especially innocent blood."

You said: "Irony?"

Not irony at all. Just another simple fact proven by history and currently being demonstrated to the world by Saddam Hussein. It has previously been demonstrated by Hitler, Stalin, Chairman Mao and others on a smaller scale...all named here are communists except Hitler.

lchic - 01:42pm Oct 16, 2002 EST (# 4942 of 4974)
~~~~ It got understood and exposed ~~~~

WATER

'used to think that water was just wet
as wet as wet could get
Yet now it seems it's brown or green
Check out this minor catchment stream
The last I heard
The water's dry
There is a lack - but who knows WHY?

lchic2002
see

Water | the Sharon/Bush talks are about Northern Palestine water external to it's boundary.

Water | Singapore and Malaysia have a water dispute. The contract to supply water to Singapore was drawn up in the Sixties. The low denomination price for water doesn't cover Malaysias realtime monetary cost of it's provision.

Water | recycling | innovative pump designs give relief to drought stricken areas

Turn brown to green

lchic - 01:50pm Oct 16, 2002 EST (# 4943 of 4974)
~~~~ It got understood and exposed ~~~~

Gisterme - note Saddam has just re-elected himself President for the next 7 years - a remarkable 100% turnout and approval rating ... even Florida couldn't top that for polling!

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