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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 - 11:49am Dec 11, 2002 EST (# 6459 of 6467)

Yemen tells US to hand over its seized missiles - http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/story.jsp?story=360722

Don't wee teach our kids that stealing is BAD?

rshow55 - 12:21pm Dec 11, 2002 EST (# 6460 of 6467)
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.

Looking around, it seems to me that this has been a very good year - if things keep going as well as they look like they might - maybe a historically good year.

Some of almarst's concerns on this thread have been thrown into relief this year - but a lot of his concerns have been reduced - or seem to be in the process of being reduced.

I emphatically agree with mazza9 12/11/02 11:27am - - (just this once.)

Things are much better, at the end of this year - than I feared they would be - - the worst things don't always happen - and just now, it seems to me that some very good things are happening.

With people yelling, screaming, bitching, and getting clear about why they hate each other - in detail - - which is progress.

Statistically - it seems too far fetched for words to think that all the core concerns almarst has set out on this thread, and all the big hopes and dreams lunarchick and I have been having, might be realized. Might stop being hopes, and become realities, in a practical, step-by-step way.

But just now, I can't see solid, explicit reasons why not. (Except for statistics - there are so many things that could go wrong - and some doubtless will.)

Still, it is fun to be at a place in history where so many good things are at least imaginable - and where the worst things likely to happen are getting less bad.

It occurs to me that, for all their shortcomings, some of the folks in leadership positions around the world might concievably be worse.

I don't know, can only guess, what grades Casey might give me and lunarchick for our work on this thread. But by Bill Casey's standards, this has been a wonderful, hopeful year - a time to be careful - and keep at it.

Ronald Reagan would have thought so, too. And perhaps Jimmy Carter and Gorbachev might agree, at least in part.

A lot could still fall apart. But maybe it won't.

almarst2002 - 12:29pm Dec 11, 2002 EST (# 6461 of 6467)

Pre-boost phase interdiction mazza9 12/11/02 11:27am

To extrapolate this idea future, the best "Pre-boost phase interdiction" could be just killing the potential enemies babies even before they born. Particularely if they are so "underdeveloped" (12 century and not a day more?)

rshow55 - 12:38pm Dec 11, 2002 EST (# 6462 of 6467)
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.

That's an example of "reductio ad adsurdum" -- extrapolating a reasonable compromise in one direction - without limit.

We're into a world where interests have to be balanced - - and where "how much?" questions aren't avoidable.

If we accept that, and get clear about what reasonable standards are (and that means negotiating a workable international law) - we can do pretty well.

But there will be threats that nation states cannot be reasonably asked to tolerate. And as crazy as some of the radical islam extremists are - it may be practical, and entirely justified, to kill sometimes. Considering the golden rule - and judging what they'd do to us by what they say.

almarst2002 - 12:46pm Dec 11, 2002 EST (# 6463 of 6467)

US Lets N.Korea Scud Ship Sail to Yemen - http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=DOUES3MZYATZMCRBAEZSFEY?type=topNews&storyID=1890194

And rightfuly so.

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