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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 - 08:40am Jan 5, 2003 EST (# 7359 of 7365)
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.

7146 rshow55 12/31/02 7:00am

"As the exception handling system sorts itself out, or evolves, or is developed - the exception handling itself becomes a system - and many of the same sorts of issues that applied at a lower level to the lower system now apply (though at a higher level) to the exception handling system itself..

"After a while, a yet higher exception handling level, in itself a system, becomes necessary for satisfactory function.

"An exception handling system that works well has to involve these very basic principles:

. Order

. Symmetry

. Harmony

"Usually in that order, though there have to be exceptions. Sometimes you have to mix them up. But if something is to develop (or evolve) that works - these principles, in interaction together, are important again and again. The higher the level of control, the more complicated notions of order, symmetry, and harmony have to be.

"And a system of exception handling - or exception handling system trimming - if it is complex enough, or exists in a complicated enough context, will itself involve conflicts, or problems, or situationally inappropriate responses that require a higher level of control.

"And so on.

"Things sort themselves out into levels - the image in Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs by William G. Huitt Essay and Image : http://chiron.valdosta.edu/whuitt/col/regsys/maslow.html is a clear, important, and general example of a heirarchical system with controls and interfaces of mutual constraint.

"Look at the picture. Look at the levels.

Other heirarchical systems have levels of control, too.

By and large, every level is organized to handle exceptions at the next lower level - to switch components in that lower level system to get them to do things, or do things in a sequence, that they would not otherwise do. Some of the controls look very like coercion, considered in detail. Some of the control arrangements that are complicated and handle sequences involve patterns very like lying. By and large, the signs of analogous parts of systems tend to alter from level to level in a determined (usually alternating) sequence - and this is necessary if the system is to be compact, standardized and interchangable in some useful ways.

7209 rshow55 1/2/03 7:32am

Some systems are much better than others - and I'm not ruling out the possibility that some systems ought to be forced to change, or killed. But not lightly - or with some of the insensitivity and ignorance that I think the Bush administration sometimes (not always) shows. Almarst's concerns make a great deal of sense to me - but I think the Bush administration has some things straight, as well.

For some kinds of change, you need two levels of control - or even three. Unless your only option is to kill a system every time it is in some way malfunctioning. Even though that may make sense sometimes - it is inefficient - and cruel - and can generate expensive and avoidable conflicts.

But sometimes better results require some logical, multilevel, sequenced organization - for basic reasons.

rshow55 - 09:06am Jan 5, 2003 EST (# 7360 of 7365)
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.

If we had help (it wouldn't necessarily take much money) from Russia and China, we could sort both N. Korea and Iraq out MUCH better - but for that - we have to do things that work for them - not only for us.

Here's a basic fact. For something as complicated as this, there has to be enough harmony, at enough levels, that most of the players, especially at the higher levels are proud to participate in the solution - and can and do work together.

Rape, in either the literal or diplomatic senses - is a bad idea.

lunarchick - 09:34am Jan 5, 2003 EST (# 7361 of 7365)

EU Benchmarking Human Capital ... seems meetings, talking, exchanging ideas, growing a common culture are factors the EU builds.

lunarchick - 09:41am Jan 5, 2003 EST (# 7362 of 7365)

Benchmarking : The EU are doing fine .... but ... see that the US is doing things better ... and ask themselves how can they improve process to catch-up with the States.

http://trendchart.cordis.lu/Reports/Documents/TCW5statinpufinal.pdf

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