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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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almarst2002 - 11:46am Dec 10, 2002 EST (# 6431 of 6435)

According to investigations carried out by the PEW Research Center, dislike of the USA has risn in Latin American countries as well as in Middle Eastern nations. Around 73% of Argentineans expressed aversion to US foreign policy. These figures place them very close to Pakistan, where hate of America reaches 81%. - http://english.pravda.ru/world/2002/12/10/40597.html

rshow55 - 12:00pm Dec 10, 2002 EST (# 6432 of 6435)
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.

I'm moving slowly - muddling and wondering about the following question:

What would Bill Casey want me to do now?

I think, so far, he would have given me excellent grades, considering my limitations, and circumstances. And would think things were going very well. Not that this board has done much. But it may have planted some ideas - and shown some simple things.

Considering the terrible, unstable mess the world has been in - are things going so badly?

There are plenty of wrenchingly ugly things in the world - - and some things are getting worse - but a lot of things are getting clarified, as well - - and considering the transitions that are happening - body counts are quite low, and may stay that way.

How hard, from where we are now, would it be for the world to make a stable, not-too-painful transition to prosperous, comfortable, stable peace - - in ways that were aesthetically and practically good for most people? There would be some spots where improvement would be needed. But maybe not so many.

For me, this whole thread is an unintended consequence - - I took a trip to DC in September 2000, expecting to solve some personal problems, and keep some promises. Doing things that seemed pretty simple, and fairly easily. Some things went wrong in ways that had never occurred to me. I was referred to this board for what I thought would be a one day meeting. And have been working here ever since.

- - - -

Some things are not working well - but good questions are being asked - for example

"Whose drive has been to put the 'right-conservative-traditionalists' in the seats of power with their Yesterday policies and literally 'KILL OFF' the progressives and prevent advancement and renewal!

http://www.nytimes.com/2002/12/10/opinion/10KRIS.html

Workable answers don't all have to happen in the United States. But as time passes, the world is coming to know that some "simple solutions" don't work.

rshow55 - 12:01pm Dec 10, 2002 EST (# 6433 of 6435)
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.

Me, I'm wondering what Casey would think, and want - if he looked at things now. He might think the sort of things going on on this thread were working pretty well.

I don't think Casey ever heard this joke - but he would have appreciated it:

Q: How many psychiatrists does it take to screw in a light bulb?

A: Only one. But the light bulb has to be ready.

- - - -

These days, it seems to me that a lot of problems could easily be sorted out - if people were ready.

Casey's rule of thumb about when people were ready was clear - and emphatic. He "rubbed my nose in it." When the stakes are high - if you want to really persuade - people are only ready to listen when they ask for the answers.

For the most basic answers, by the time they're ready to ask - they're a long way along towards figuring them out for themselves.

Pardon me for moving slowly. I'm sure I'm confused in some ways - because I've got an insecure, quesey feeling that some things are going pretty well - and I don't want to screw up.

rshow55 - 12:06pm Dec 10, 2002 EST (# 6434 of 6435)
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.

6429-32 almarst2002 12/10/02 11:40am . . . if it is sufficiently clear to people with power in the US - including business interests - a lot might come into better focus. I wonder how often in history a nation state has thrown away good will as fast as the Bush administration is doing. But I also wonder if that might get people clear enough that some key problems might get solved.

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