New York Times Forums
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  / Resource Area for Forum Hosts and Moderators  /

    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 (5190 previous messages)

rshow55 - 01:03pm Oct 24, 2002 EST (# 5191 of 17697)
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.

Just trying to do my duty - and keep my promises.

Bill Casey wrote a history of the American Revolution - - and had a pretty definite view of what the national interest was. He thought the Cold War was awful - and justified some awful things - - but now, he'd want it to be over.

Last year, I asked gisterme on a number of occasions What had I ever done that was not in the national interest - - and she didn't have any argument that I was going against national interests that amounted to much. I think I'm serving national interest - and some other people do, too, or a basically conservative newspaper wouldn't be tolerating this forum.

Mazza, you sometimes amuse me, but not always. You've been advocating the "missile defense" fraud here for quite a while - pushing it very hard - - and you also, it turns out, advocate setting up a University in Space. That shows an astonishing absence of judgement - an insensitivity to the size of things - and how numbers matter - practically and morally.

A quote in Jack Hitt's article is worth noting, when judging space weapons - "it costs a bar of gold to put up a coke can."

. The Next Battlefield May Be in Outer Space by JACK HITT http://www.nytimes.com/2001/08/05/magazine/05SPACEWARS.html

How much would your "University" cost - in a world where it costs a bar of gold to put up a coke can - and as much to move that coke can mass from one orbit to most other orbits ?

Both your practical judgements and your moral judgements are atonishingly out of proportion.

As for mine - I'm trying to do the best job I can possibly do, within my limitations, to serve the national interest - mostly in areas where national interest - and broader interests are the same.

The fact is, I think progress is being made, and the world, ugly as it is - is getting safer. Maybe I'm misjudging that - - but it keeps me working. From where things are, if some leaders asked to get some facts straight - a lot of things might get much better.

MD5149 rshow55 10/23/02 1:17pm . . . MD5149 rshow55 10/23/02 1:17pm
MD5149 rshow55 10/23/02 1:17pm . . . MD5149 rshow55 10/23/02 1:17pm

There's Always Poetry 1205 http://talk.guardian.co.uk/WebX?14@@.ee79f4e/1556

mazza9 - 01:26pm Oct 24, 2002 EST (# 5192 of 17697)
"Quae cum ita sunt" Caesar's Gallic Commentaries

So now a peaceful, progressive, educational institution in inimical? A world at peace is a world where mankind's pursuits are "of the mind". Universities were founded by people interested in knowledge. The rediscovery of classical writings in the Moorish libraries of 12th Century Spain after the Cid drove out the Moors, was the catalyst that begat the universities in Italy and eventually all of Europe. Does the term Renassiance mean anything to you?

Maybe, Space University could bring all of mankind together to solve Earth's problems without the need to deal with those individuals who "establish" social and political systems through the force of arms.

Anything that man conceives is possible. I believe that it was Robert Kennedy who espoused the pursuit of dreams, as did Martin Luther King! Robert Kennedy was brought down by a Palestinian nationalist, (as if his actions were anything but horrible) and Martin Luther King was brought down by an ignorant doofus.

Remember, Truth and Justice over Ignorance and Supersitution! You're clueless!

lchic - 03:19pm Oct 24, 2002 EST (# 5193 of 17697)
ultimately TRUTH outs : TRUTH has to be morally forcing : build on TRUTH it's a strong foundation

UNI vers ity

UNI verse city

The home of poets?

lchic2002

More Messages Recent Messages (12504 following messages)

 Read Subscriptions  Subscribe  Search
 Your Preferences

 [F] New York Times on the Web Forums  / Resource Area for Forum Hosts and Moderators  / Missile Defense