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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 - 05:22pm Nov 12, 2002 EST (# 5675 of 5701)
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.

Mazza, you're a true artist.

Now, I'll admit, sometimes I do get involved with some serious digressions.

If you can get the NYT editorial board to respond to you - I'll be impressed. I sent a guy with some rank at the NYT a postcard once - part of it set out in . . . rshow55 11/10/02 8:37am

I only got my paper cut off for a day. No more response than that.

Unless you count unusable indirectnesses.

I was "just slogging along" before that - and that's the way it has been since, as well.

But the recent exchange with Commondata has involved missile defense. And a lot about why it is hard.

Now my guess is that commondata is of low estate - only an academic, or a journalist, or a politician - but there are real grandees in the world.

One of them is Bill Gates - the principle software architect of a very interesting program named Flight Simulator .

Now if Gates , or one of his programmers got with me for a weekend - we really COULD show some things. Things about dogfighting, of course. But also some important things about missile defense.

Like why, in some fundamental senses, you can't do it. Not for long. Explaining why in ways that people could really understand.

Now if a real grandee such as Gates wanted to - he could do a simulation - with good visuals that really could explain the key questions about missile defense -- especially if some people from Industrial Light and Magic were involved, too.

Because the big problem with "Star Wars" -- is how to explain the key technical facts to politicians, and the electorate - so that politicians have a chance to make better decisions.

We're wasting resources on programs that can never work in a reasonable tactical world - and there are much better things to do with the resources (including organizational and human resources) now being wasted.

But to fix that, things would have to be explained.

On the other hand, if Gates wanted to explain key things about AIDS - some of the best folks to talk to about that work at the NYT. One expert on scientific aspects of sexual behavior, in particular.

I bet the NYT folks would talk to Gates.

almarst2002 - 07:25pm Nov 12, 2002 EST (# 5676 of 5701)

Mazza,

If it was up to me, I would rather spend money on biological defense.

Meanwhile, you may try to promote and establish an International University for Peace in a close Cosmos. With an option for relocation futher away.

rshow55 - 07:50pm Nov 12, 2002 EST (# 5677 of 5701)
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.

Psychwarfare, Casablanca . . . and terror # 302, and especially #303 http://talk.guardian.co.uk/WebX?14@@.ee7a163/321

#331 http://talk.guardian.co.uk/WebX?14@@.ee7a163/354 might interest some people, as well.

The US, Russia, and the whole world have to sort out some major problems in the world - including some involving Islamic peoples who are in logical, moral, and sociotechnical difficulty - and who are dangerous to themselves and others because of that.

If we started checking some key things - a lot might sort out.

Sometimes, power is indispensible. If someone with real rank wanted some issues on this thread checked - - - it would happen.

almarst2002 - 08:22pm Nov 12, 2002 EST (# 5678 of 5701)

US Dollars Yielded Unanimous UN Vote Against Iraq - http://www.commondreams.org/headlines02/1111-02.htm

almarst2002 - 08:24pm Nov 12, 2002 EST (# 5679 of 5701)

Activists Vow Europe-Wide Protests Against Iraq War - http://www.commondreams.org/headlines02/1110-02.htm

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New York Times on the Web Forums Science Missile Defense