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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 - 12:01pm Jan 6, 2003 EST (# 7420 of 7452)
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.

Arms Agency Tells North Korea to Comply or Face Council By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 10:50 AM ET http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/international/AP-Nuclear-Agency-NKorea.html

The U.N. nuclear agency said today that it would turn the matter over to the Security Council if North Korea does not end its weapons program.

• South Korea to Meet With U.S. http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/international/AP-Koreas-Nuclear.html

• U.N. Nuclear Agency Gains a Bigger Profile http://www.nytimes.com/2003/01/06/international/asia/06NUKE.html

rshow55 - 12:14pm Jan 6, 2003 EST (# 7421 of 7452)
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.

Question of fact, related to the following question:

When the North Koreans and the US can barely talk together about anything - the idea of building a nuclear power plant ought to be rejected out of hand. Both sides should have known better. Especially the United States. Did anybody think about how much information flow, negotiation and cooperation such a venture actually takes?

If both sides did think about this issue of information flow - were there BIG mistakes on one or both sides - or BIG frauds on one or both sides - or BOTH ?

I don't know the situation - but it is easy to imagine some very well intentioned, hardworking, naive people - connected to fields of responsibility pushing them hard - getting very angry.

If very different systems have to work together - and the stakes matter - it is helpful if the kind of work involved can be protyped first - on something small and inexpensive.

Like a movie, or a cooperative cookbook - food product venture.

If you can't make the prototype work - on a workable, comfortable basis that would be easy to repeat - or escalate in small ways - you SURE can't make peace that is stable, or build a nuclear power plant together. Even with the best will in the world. Which is usually absent, in many senses.

rshow55 - 12:40pm Jan 6, 2003 EST (# 7422 of 7452)
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 the North Koreans could make a good case that they were misled, entrapped, and made to suffer injuries that they had no way of knowing - and were owed a significant but reasonable amount of money - it would be a very good thing for the security needs of all concerned.

It would reverse the switching sequence from one where convergence and stability is very awkward - and instability very likely - to a switching sequence where convergence and stability are much more natural.

It could happen with reasonable face saving, about essentials - for all sides - while giving both sides practice in honest discourse, about something relatively small. Just a thought . . .

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New York Times on the Web Forums Science Missile Defense