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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?

Read Debates, a new Web-only feature culled from Readers' Opinions, published every Thursday.

wrcooper - 08:49am Jan 28, 2003 EST (# 8218 of 8225)

I've posted a number of times in this forum on the subject of missile defense. I've expressed my views on that subject, made them known. The reason that I'm ofering this challenge to Bob Showalter is that he keeps dragging my name into the forum, claiming I'm another man. He also keeps insisting on the value of checking, which I'm all for, too, as a supporter of the scientific method. So now I'm offering Bob a chance to check his facts, put his money where his mouth is. Let him contact me by email at wcooper@21stcentury.net and I'll arrange to meet him in Chicago, which is a manageable distance from Madison by car, where I will buy him a drink of his choice and show him my driver's license. He can compare the picture of me to a picture of George Johnson and will discover that I am not George Johnson. That should do it, shouldn't it? Right, Bob?

rshow55 - 09:32am Jan 28, 2003 EST (# 8219 of 8225)
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.

Cooper (or "Cooper" ) - - I'm thinking about it seriously. You, of course, have my phone number.

If I go to Chicago, I'd like to bring my wife along. Not perhaps to share all our talk, but to meet you, take a picture perhaps, ask some questions, and see for herself. Nice museums and things in Chicago.

Even better, you could come up to Madison. Madison is less crowded than Chicago, and less expensive in some ways. You could come to our condo. We'd feed you well, and it could be a comfortable time. A lot of things can be checked about me in the Madison area. We could review some of the things you've posted about me on this thread - for instance - as I've read them, attribution of fraud and insanity have been built into some of your postings, especially a number now deleted - but on this thread for a long time. If I've misread them - perhaps you could explain to me how I have. I suspect we could arrange a meeting with my shrink while you visit Madison. It might be an intersting talk. Perhaps we could record it.

I'd like to meet with you - under circumstances that can be documented well enough to settle some questions - but I would like it well organized enough to settle some things.

If I owe you an apology on any point - you'll get one. I might expect some explanations from you, as well. I'm responsible for what I say and do -and its consequences - and expect other people to be, as well. Surely we agree on that?

lchic - 09:55am Jan 28, 2003 EST (# 8220 of 8225)
~~~~ It got understood and exposed ~~~~

Ah! Ah! Ah! ... but how would anyone know that the person who'd represent themselves as 'Cooper' would be 'the same' person who posts as 'Cooper' ... especially when the one who posts as 'Cooper' is Johnston!

lchic - 10:00am Jan 28, 2003 EST (# 8221 of 8225)
~~~~ It got understood and exposed ~~~~

BUSH | Now here's a guy who has | A Credibility Problem By PAUL KRUGMAN

" The State of the Union address could restore the president's political fortunes, if he isn't held accountable for promises made last year. "

"" ..... the public is particularly disenchanted with Mr. Bush's economic policy. Most voters no longer believe that his tax cuts are effective at creating jobs, and many also believe that his policies favor the wealthy and large corporations, rather than people like themselves" http://www.nytimes.com/2003/01/28/opinion/28KRUG.html

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