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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?

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rshow55 - 07:52pm Nov 11, 2002 EST (# 5603 of 5651)
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.

Dawn is exactly right. We're in a situation now where communication, and consistent ideas, are far more important than ever before - and the things to hope for are more practical - if only we can handle our human problems.

Nobody has to think that the Iraq inspections are completely fair in all ways - or entirely balanced -- but they are a step - for Iraq, for the Arab world, and for the entire rest of the world - toward a situation where international law works - and we can all be considerably safer.

If we lie less - and sort some things out.

The United States, for all its power - is making efforts (sometimes consistently, sometimes without perfect consistency) to accomodate and bring into being a safer and more prosperous world.

The current situation with Iraq is a good example - with disarmament and inspections - the US sacrifices hopes of imperialistic advantages in the interest of international law, and international independencies.

A perfect situation? Of course not. But we should make the best of what is, in fact, a very good opportunity.

Not screw it up in a war - and unforseeable but certainly ugly chaos.

We have a lot of constructive things that we can do if we're sensible. That applies to the Iraqis, as well.

And it can be done making everybody more secure in the stark military sense.

Just look at the last ten weeks. It isn't easy for any power just to impose its military will. Even the United States.

If we don't blow our chances - we're facing some wonderful opportunities. In an imperfect world that can be made better than it is.

almarst2002 - 07:52pm Nov 11, 2002 EST (# 5604 of 5651)

"NATO is to slim down on its forces to present a more flexible structure with a rapid reaction capacity while the hierarchy is restructured with all branches coming under the single command of a US military officer when SACEUR in Belgium and SACLANT in Virginia, USA, merge into one structure. " - http://english.pravda.ru/main/2002/11/11/39360.html

The US's new Foreign Legion.

lunarchick - 07:54pm Nov 11, 2002 EST (# 5605 of 5651)

'The Power' .... 'The Force' .... sounds Starwars-ish (movie)

"" The course of individual lives as well as that of whole societies has always been frustrated by the inability to distinguish truth from falsehood.

book -
Power vs. Force
An Anatomy of Consciousness
David R. Hawkins, M.D., Ph.D.

http://www.bookzone.com/bookzone/10000339.html

almarst2002 - 07:56pm Nov 11, 2002 EST (# 5606 of 5651)

"frustrated by the inability to distinguish truth from falsehood."

That must have being before the age of top-pay lawyers. Just ask O.J.

rshow55 - 07:59pm Nov 11, 2002 EST (# 5607 of 5651)
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.

almarst2002 11/11/02 7:45pm - - - the United States is powerful - but it is not invulnerable - and it is acting as if it knows it - often - if not quite as often as I'd like.

Raw power matters now - as it always has, and always will. But ideas and facts matter a great deal, too. We've discussed that - and of course the situation is imperfect - a great deal on this board.

Almarst, if Iraq acts stupidly, and if Russia reinforces that stupidity - it will reinforce every single thing you've been concerned about since you came on this board.

If Iraq acts wisely, and if Russia helps - that would open possibilities to improve all the problems you've been concerned with.

- - -

Here there is no reasonable conflict between honor, public interest, and self interest - for either Russia or Iraq.

Ivanov was pleased by what the UN did - with good reason - and I hope Russia and other countries influential with Iraq can help us get this mess peacefully resolved - in ways that reinforce international law and peaceful resolutions elsewhere in the world.

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