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 [F] 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.


Earliest Messages Previous Messages Recent Messages Outline (5404 previous messages)

manjumicha - 10:57am Oct 31, 2002 EST (# 5405 of 5419)

Robert

When any error costs a trillion dollar, it is no longer called an error but instead would be viewed and explained as a "historical episode whose outcome turned out to be different from what was planned."

mazza,

please refrain from using latin quotes (which you wouldn't understand unless someone translated for you)....you remind me of tacky pseudo-intellectuals that I know.....well maybe you are one.

rshow55 - 11:47am Oct 31, 2002 EST (# 5406 of 5419) Delete Message
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.

manjumicha 10/31/02 10:57am

After such an episode, it might be well to admit enough of what happened so people understand - and move on.

manjumicha - 12:05pm Oct 31, 2002 EST (# 5407 of 5419)

And when any government gets done with a trillion dollar expenditure pumped into the socio-economic infratrusture of the society, no matter how foolish and dumb the proposed goals of such expenditure might have been, the society is bound to see unexpected benefits from such expenditures despite the leaders hell-bent on stupidity, no?

In fact, wouldn't progress be made almost regardless (or despite) of the political leaders and their misguided political goals......historians might call it "accidents of history"...but they seem to be too many of them to be accidents......much like an order in the mist of chaos.

As you can tell I am in rather contemplative mood this morning.

mazza9 - 12:10pm Oct 31, 2002 EST (# 5408 of 5419)
"Quae cum ita sunt" Caesar's Gallic Commentaries

manjumicha:

Mis Gormley, my high school Latin teacher would be proud of the fact that I remembered this quote. Ipso facto, I acknowledge you observation but will not refrain, as is my right as a crypto administration wannabe!

rshow55 - 12:19pm Oct 31, 2002 EST (# 5409 of 5419) Delete Message
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.

manjumicha 10/31/02 12:05pm

The amount of progress , and the human costs, depend on how well decisions are made.

People muddle through - and they make a lot of smart decisions - and these do tend to add up.

But if there are big mistakes - and they are recognized - there are new opportunities!

And "negative progress" isn't unthinkable either. Big disasters have happened before.

Now, the worst that could happen technically is a lot worse than ever before - - the world could end.

Now, there's more ugliness and agony in the world than anyone could possibly look at or face - - and a huge anount of good, too.

Things could be worse.

But if we do things right - a lot of things could get much better.

I did a "briefing" on this thread for our "Putin stand-in", almarst that deals with a lot of reasons why reliability and right answers matter. http://talk.guardian.co.uk/WebX?14@@.ee7b085/383

lchic - 12:39pm Oct 31, 2002 EST (# 5410 of 5419)
~~~~ It got understood and exposed ~~~~

The Poster - Past

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