New York Times on the Web Forums
Science
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.
(8800 previous messages)
lchic
- 02:05am Feb 11, 2003 EST (#
8801 of 8804) ~~~~ It got understood and exposed
~~~~
"We talk about the right, but we never talk about the
left."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,12271,893062,00.html
The difference is more than linguistic
Democrats are subject to the same thing Republicans are -
big money," says Katha Pollitt, a columnist for the Nation.
"What we think of as the left is really a collection of single
or dual issues that network with each other but there really
isn't a home for them. There are people doing good work in
their community but they're not really hooking into the
electoral process."
rshow55
- 06:34am Feb 11, 2003 EST (#
8802 of 8804)
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.
Spending Spree at the Pentagon http://www.nytimes.com/2003/02/10/opinion/10MON1.html
A question arises whether there is anything in the
way of logic or evidence that will get "members of the
team" in the military-industrial complex (including NASA)
to admit to anything that might significantly change program
priorities - or devalue programs. The questions make a big
difference when the issue is money and status. Similar big
differences - plus additional differences of life and death,
when the issue is war.
Shuttle Testing Suggested Wings Were Vulnerable By
DAVID E. SANGER http://www.nytimes.com/2003/02/10/national/nationalspecial/10SHUT.html
"As a result, said one engineer familiar
with the discussions that took place at NASA in mid-January,
the engineers who saw little risk from the debris that hit
the Columbia's left wing had scant information to back up
their assertion.
"People came to the conclusion that whatever
damage happened was tolerable, but it's not clear that was
based on any solid data," said the engineer, who spoke on
the condition of anonymity because NASA had not allowed them
to speak to reporters without prior authorization. "The
testing data just wasn't there."
Far too often - there is no decent reason save
continuation of expenditure for programs that reinforce
America's committment to conflict.
Mystro a drum roll for these big-ticket items in
procurement for the military industrial complex:
F/A-18E/F Fighter
F-22 Fighter
Joint Strike Fighter
C-17 Transport Aircraft
V-22 Osprey Aircraft
RAH-66 Comanche Helicopter
NSSN New Attack Submarine ("Virginia" Class)
Ballistic and National Missile Defense (BMD)
Not a single one of them is worthwhile from the viewpoint
of a reasonable United States citizen, unconnected with the
military or military contractors. The aircraft are not needed
to respond to any credible threat -- and with advances in
radar that are now either in place or possible, none are even
viable. The Osprey is grossly defective. We don't need another
submarine for either defensive or offensive purposes -- though
the Navy and the contractors may want it.
NONE of the above are projects that American citizens are
enthusiastic about -- the military doesn't even bother to
"sell" them very hard.
Missile Defense is different. It makes sense to people --
it promises something people would like to have. But it
doesn't work technically, and can't -- (at least when
reasonable countermeasures are considered) and it is
associated with prohibitive diplomatic and financial costs.
No winners in the list above -- except for the contractors.
DrumRoll:
http://www.mrshowalter.net/a_md7000s/md7449.htm
http://www.mrshowalter.net/a_md8000s/md8069.htm
http://www.mrshowalter.net/a_md9000s/md9281.htm
http://www.mrshowalter.net/a_md9000s/md9988.htm
http://www.mrshowalter.net/a_new_1000s/1317.htm
Is there anything that merits checking - that causes
action to be taken? There needs to be.
(2 following messages)
New York Times on the Web Forums
Science
Missile Defense
|