New York Times Readers Opinions
The New York Times

Home
Job Market
Real Estate
Automobiles
News
International
National
Washington
Business
Technology
Science
Health
Sports
New York Region
Education
Weather
Obituaries
NYT Front Page
Corrections
Opinion
Editorials/Op-Ed
Readers' Opinions


Features
Arts
Books
Movies
Travel
Dining & Wine
Home & Garden
Fashion & Style
Crossword/Games
Cartoons
Magazine
Week in Review
Multimedia
College
Learning Network
Services
Archive
Classifieds
Book a Trip
Personals
Theater Tickets
Premium Products
NYT Store
NYT Mobile
E-Cards & More
About NYTDigital
Jobs at NYTDigital
Online Media Kit
Our Advertisers
Member_Center
Your Profile
E-Mail Preferences
News Tracker
Premium Account
Site Help
Privacy Policy
Newspaper
Home Delivery
Customer Service
Electronic Edition
Media Kit
Community Affairs
Text Version
TipsGo to Advanced Search
Search Options divide
go to Member Center Log Out
  

 [F] 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.


Earliest Messages Previous Messages Recent Messages Outline (8870 previous messages)

rshow55 - 09:08am Feb 13, 2003 EST (# 8871 of 8871) Delete Message
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.

Given the current situation - I wonder how the United States, and other nations, might state their cases clearly by the standards of good stories. http://www.fortunecity.com/lavendar/ducksoup/555/storyshape.html

With statements clear enough that there would be enough shared space for understanding. http://www.worldtrans.org/TP/TP1/TP1-17.HTML

We're dealing with fundamental issues here.

Could the US state its arguments - at a level that could be set out so that everyone could understand its position (for example, with Disney characters) and look good - rather than look like a bully? http://www.whom.co.uk/squelch/world_disney.htm

Could other nations state their arguments to similar clarity?

For stability, a time is going to have to come where the key tactic of psychological warfare - immobilization by lies - is going to have to be set aside - at some levels - enough so that workable accomodations can be made.

That tactic has been fundamental to US policy since the early 1950's, at the latest - and we need to bring it under more control.

To get some things that need to be sorted out actually dealt with, there will have to be fights - about ideas, at least. If we're "merciless" enough about getting ideas straight - we won't have to be nearly so merciless with people - we won't have to be nearly so wasteful of human lives and hopes.

Enough consistency for reasonable stability is necessary - and that much consistency is worth fighting for. It seems to me that now is a good time for these fights - and that leaders of NATO nations ought to be proud to work toward getting clarity now.

8829 http://forums.nytimes.com/webin/WebX?8@28.GdSwayWJ381.417243@.f28e622/10355

There's enough time.

 Read Subscriptions  Subscribe  Search  Post Message
 Your Preferences

 [F] New York Times on the Web Forums  / Science  / Missile Defense


Enter your response, then click the POST MY MESSAGE button below.
See the
quick-edit help for more information.

Message:






Home | Back to Readers' Opinions Back to Top


Copyright 2003 The New York Times Company | Privacy Policy | Contact Us