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.

lchic - 07:00pm Jan 20, 2003 EST (# 7853 of 7868)
~~~~ It got understood and exposed ~~~~

Doc Savage ~~~ Only in America :)

http://members.aol.com/the86floor/novels/method/meth3602.html

rshow55 - 07:43pm Jan 20, 2003 EST (# 7854 of 7868)
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.

Poindexter's Still a Technocrat, Still a Lightning Rod By JOHN MARKOFF http://www.nytimes.com/2003/01/20/business/20POIN.html

The pursuit of a technological solution to the nation's military challenges is nothing new for Vice Adm. John M. Poindexter — nor is the attending controversy.

Admiral Poindexter, 66, is the force behind the Total Information Awareness project, an experimental system being developed by the Pentagon that seeks to scan information on billions of electronic transactions performed by millions of people here and abroad each day, analyze them and flag suspicious activity for possible investigation.

Looking at the article, I wonder if one of my "feeds" on problems from Casey was "problems that Poindexter said were too hard for anybody to do." The problems Casey cared most about were of that kind, it seems to me.

It would be fun to talk to Admiral Poindexter - and an honor, too. When the man found that, to do his duty, he had to violate some rules - he did so, and took his lumps. I'm not so very indignant about what he did.

All the same, I think his skills and resources would be better used in the service of openness rather than "secret insights." There's a big future in openness. As our tools get better - the future of secrecy, on things big enough to matter much, is looking dim.

It would be fun to work with Admiral Poindexter on a project to increase the effective intelligence of f people - and do nuts and bolts curriculum and industrial development. Information handling for the US schools, for N. Korea, for Iraq, and for other Islamic nations. And for our neighbors nations to the south.

Spent some time looking at bin Laden stuff. "Evil" isn't the word I'd use to describe bin Laden. Certainly not the only word. Desperately mistaken - disastrously misguided, and angry in spots. Not always so easy to blame him, from his point of view.

Lchic is setting out important questions! I liked the Doc Savage reference, just for fun.

Have an idea about how to raise IQ's - especially for disadvantaged minorities. Lie less. Introduce many fewer double or triple binds that paralyze. Make sure that the "trivial stuff" - the stuff that people use most often, is reliably taught, rather than just assumed. It is this "trivial stuff" - the stuff used with VERY high frequency - that matters most. High flown stuff matters a lot less than the stuff 'everybody knows." (but doesn't.)

A lot could be done on reading and math instruction, for instance, using resources Poindexter has at his fingertips. A lot could be done that would move toward answering some questions the Saudis have been explicitly asked us for thirty years, too. Questions we haven't been answering for them.

Out for tonight, feeling hopeful.

lchic - 09:39pm Jan 20, 2003 EST (# 7855 of 7868)
~~~~ It got understood and exposed ~~~~

Has the look of a Turf Accountant ...

"" "Clearly Poindexter consciously manipulated the system to act in a way to hide information," Mr. Wallace said. "When faced with a system of checks and balances, he decided to act illegally. What does this say about the person who we are putting in charge of designing the most comprehensive surveillance system on U.S. citizens ever?"

gisterme - 12:58am Jan 21, 2003 EST (# 7856 of 7868)

lchic 06:32pm Jan 18, 2003 EST (# 7795...)

"...The Air Florida plane crashed because of a series of foolish mistakes. It was a catastrophe in which many lost their lives and a few survived only to return to lives forever altered..."

One of those survivors is a good friend of mine. Your mention of this tragedy brings to mind a need to get in touch. We haven't spoken or seen each other for several years.

"...Now, two decades later, the paths of those who made it out of the water show there is no formula for what to do with the relief, guilt, joy and anger that follows such a catastrophe..."

There is and can be no formula for that, lchic. In that sense, one tragedy is like another. That's why it's best to prevent tragedies before they occur even if the preemptive prescription is costly. The Air Florida crash is a perfect example.

Why spend a little more time de-icing? We've already been waiting in this line too long...wouldn't want to have to go through this again would we..... ____\\^//____ ?

(12 following messages)

New York Times on the Web Forums Science Missile Defense