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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?
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rshow55
- 04:15pm Feb 26, 2003 EST (#
9310 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.
Labour MPs revolt over Iraq · Biggest revolt of
Blair's premiership · 122 MPs break Labour whip http://politics.guardian.co.uk/foreignaffairs/story/0,11538,903575,00.html
Matthew Tempest, political correspondent Wednesday February
26, 2003
Tony Blair tonight suffered the biggest
Commons revolt of his premiership as 199 MPs rejected his
course of action over Iraq.
"Despite investing masses of political and
parliamentary capital, the government has still failed to
persuade a third of the House of Commons.
"At this crucial stage, that sends a potent
signal to the government of both Britain and the United
States."
Enough of a signal for considerable care. In the evolution
of the law - hard fought cases make for the most important
advances - where people care - look carefully.
But it isn't as good as it sometimes seems - because
people are so concerned about "their place in the group" - and
about authority.
If you read Lecture Notes: Introductory Psychology by
Prof. Evan Pritchard http://www.uwinnipeg.ca/~epritch1/social98a.html
including the section of Jonestown and Milgram's
Obedience Study . . . it is clear why "rational debate" so
often fails - because "rationality" isn't the whole story -
and people neither fully admit - nor even fully know their own
motives - both because of repression
. Repress Yourself By LAUREN SLATER http://www.nytimes.com/2003/02/23/magazine/23REPRESSION.html
- - and because people usually don't check facts - and
often enough even deny things before their eyes . . .
. The Emperor's New Clothes by Hans
Chrisian Anderson http://www.deoxy.org/emperors.htm
But all the same, progress gets made - opinions are swayed
by evidence and the needs of others - and some things may be
working out now.
But there's an enormous shortfall from progress that could
be made, because - so often - people are not expected
to actually look for evidence - and face it - at the level of
" here, look for yourself"
and the social rejoinder
" please, tell me what you see."
Often enough - when discussion goes on - people do
have to admit that they really do see that the King is naked -
and they may see that nakedness more clearly than before, as
well.
Last time, it seems to me, deliberations at the Security
Council made a lot of sense in the end. Maybe they will this
time, too.
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