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.

bbbuck - 12:42pm Oct 23, 2002 EST (# 5148 of 5154)
'The scoops are on the way'....

The amazing part is, they tab, track and harass ... and yet .... can't get themselves sufficiently together to drop Showalter that note in writing that frees him to move on, and lay out his important contributions to society.

Hmmmm. looneychic sure likes rshow55.

Hey commondata my mission here is to taunt looneychic and rshow55 and anyone else who posts mountains of slop.
But thanks for the mention.

rshow55 - 01:17pm Oct 23, 2002 EST (# 5149 of 5154)
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.

And I like lchic ! How could I not?

I believe I have the same warm feelings that George Bush must feel for Condoleezza Rice - and she must feel for him. They work together well. Talk a lot - see eye to eye about a lot of things. They are a team.

There are differences, of course. Lchic and I haven't had some of the opportunities that Rice and Bush have had.

I feel that MD10961 rshow55 1/22/02 12:49pm bears repeating here:

" My own view, at the beginning of last year, was that the risk of the world being destroyed by a nuclear "accident" -- was running about 10%/year - - a risk discounted "expected value" the equivalent of 3-4 WTC disasters per hour. With risks from terrorism on top of that.

" I think the total risks are somewhat less now - - but still terrifyingly large. When I read some of the "technical judgements" of gisterme , and Mazza , my concern doesn't get any less.

I'd add that when I consider the corruption -- or gross incompetence, on view, reasons to trust the Bush administration, on matters so long hidden -- get reduced again - and powerfully reduced.

Checking for technical facts that can be determined in the open literature, and checked by independent authorities (for instance, people in charge of writing the professional engineering exams, and similar examinations in other countries) would be a good place to start.

3050 rshow55 7/14/02 7:24pm . . 3051 lchic 7/14/02 7:27pm
3052 rshow55 7/14/02 7:36pm . . 3053 lchic 7/14/02 7:39pm
3054 rshow55 7/14/02 7:48pm .. 3055 rshow55 7/14/02 7:56pm
3056 lchic 7/14/02 7:57pm .. 3057 rshow55 7/14/02 8:11pm

There's Always Poetry 1205 http://talk.guardian.co.uk/WebX?14@@.ee79f4e/1556

Before witnesses, not long ago
I blew through
Nuclear controls that apparently
hadn't been changed since the mid-60s'

Why didn't they bring me in and TALK to me?

Corruption and cowardice are the only explanations that keep hanging together over time.

5146 rshow55 10/23/02 9:26am

5147 rshow55 10/23/02 12:18pm ... 5147 rshow55 10/23/02 12:18pm
5147 rshow55 10/23/02 12:18pm .... 5147 rshow55 10/23/02 12:18pm

bbbuck - 01:23pm Oct 23, 2002 EST (# 5150 of 5154)
'The scoops are on the way'....

Some may wonder 'What and the hell is that guy doing here?'.
Well if you aren't laughing your ass off on the latest looneychic, rshow55 posts then I don't have an answer for you.
But if you are, laughing your ass off, then you can see why I tune in occasionally.

(4 following messages)

New York Times on the Web Forums Science Missile Defense