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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 (6956 previous messages)

lunarchick - 07:50pm Dec 22, 2002 EST (# 6957 of 6961)

Contrast this with a list of only ONE bike ... that might reflect genuine shortage or the dictatorial position of a manufacturer provider.

lunarchick - 07:59pm Dec 22, 2002 EST (# 6958 of 6961)

Isn't it the same with politics .....

Lets say there was ONE superpower that gave others in the world only a single 'choice' wrt matters that affected their future.

This would be seen by the world as an arrogant stance.

The provision of only one option.

No room for others to wriggle and find a comfort zone that better suited their cultural needs.

Gave no chances for discussions ... that might evolve into conditions that became a far superior choice.

Consumers and Political-Consumers like to be given information and facts that they can turn over and around, again and again, in their minds. That they can use with others to talk through problems to evolve 'best choice stances'.

So in the same way that a manufacture offering only a 'uni-wigit' would be seen as an unyeilding monopoly ... so too ... a superpower that 'knew it all' and gave no room for input will be regarded as arrogant ... might even make 'enemies' unnecessarily.

So, a team approach to improved circumstance, rather than a top down arrogant approach might best serve those who it sets out to serve.

Looking back to the C16th Papal Church - these guys assumed they had the ONE angle on 'truth' ... Luther and 'the people' (via discussion throughout the land) ... demonstrated that there was more than one way of communicating with what they understood to be 'god'.

lunarchick - 08:01pm Dec 22, 2002 EST (# 6959 of 6961)

Choosing a new and improved system might be a little like receiving a tool-set for a gift.

Initially it should 'thrill and delight' both the giver and receiver.

The 'tools' can be used to assist implementation of the new system.

Leading to improved outcomes for a whole population within an improved world!

rshow55 - 08:38pm Dec 22, 2002 EST (# 6960 of 6961) 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.

gisterme 12/22/02 6:47pm - - people can look for themselves, and judge for themselves.

I have no reason whatsoever to believe you when you "give your word."

For one thing, if you do represent the Bush administration - that administration has worked hard and explicitly - sometimes in courts - to preserve its "right to lie."

If you're just another poster - I can, and others can - judge the likelyhood of your words by looking at your words - your arguments. And by the record. Which is now an extensive one.

There's been a lot of posting since

6862 rshow55 12/20/02 6:57pm ... 6863 rshow55 12/20/02 7:14pm
and some interesting things have happened (for example, the search facility has been eliminated) . I think the text since 6862 includes some interesting reading.

Gisterme , you're simply crazy to expect me to believe your unsupported word, or have special respect for your status - when you give me no reason to do either - and when you deny that you have any status. As for me - I know very well that things have to be checked - and sometimes that takes a staff .

But without a staff, just "playing a virtual game" - you can set out patterns.

If I'm right, gisterme , you're spending time on this board (and much more time than you often have) for a reason. The people who give you that reason ought to ask that some things be checked to closure.

If people with some status, and real names that they'd use, wanted some checking done, it would happen.

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