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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?

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lchic - 01:40pm Mar 1, 2003 EST (# 9398 of 17697)
ultimately TRUTH outs : TRUTH has to be morally forcing : build on TRUTH it's a strong foundation

If religions are 'virtual patterns' of the mind that offer users basic order

How are they ranked?

Which best fit modernity?

Where do they fall short - and why?

rshow55 - 07:58pm Mar 1, 2003 EST (# 9399 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.

Whether you believe in God or not - this is a time where religious issues are pressing on us.

O Ye of Much Faith! A Triple Dose of Trouble By LAURIE GOODSTEIN http://www.nytimes.com/2002/06/02/weekinreview/02GOOD.html

This is a rare moment in history, like a planetary alignment: three world religions simultaneously racked by crisis.

And our ideas an ideals of world order are racked by crisis, too.

We need to remember what we value - what we care about - what we are proud of, and remain proud of, when we think about it, and explain it to other people. We may be able to do well preserving the good - and reducing risk, harm, and ugliness.

2162 http://forums.nytimes.com/webin/WebX?8@13.DDr1b0YuYGb.1128381@.f28e622/2687

. So God's Really in the Details? by Emily Eakin http://www.nytimes.com/2002/05/11/arts/11GOD.html ... was a step in that direction - because it explained probability judgements well - and the fact that ideas can be "reasonable" - and convincing -- and yet not necessarily be right based on the argument alone.

When it matters enough, for a practical purpose - people can check things - and resolve issues worth resolving. (Clergymen, including my grandfather, have been clear about that for many generations. Sometimes faith is indispensible. But sometimes, on practical things, faith is simply negligence. There needs to be an obligation to check - and check competently, when it matters enough. )

There's room for improvement, from where we are. And a lot of people are working hard - from where they are - to deal with problems. Maybe that's all we'll need to do pretty well. At least we can work and hope.

Lchic 9401 asks an important question - and I'll try to respond in more detail in the morning.

almarst2003 - 09:32pm Mar 1, 2003 EST (# 9400 of 17697)

Conservatives began drawing up steroid-fueled plans to reorder the world a decade ago, imperial blueprints fantastical enough to make "Star Wars" look achievable.

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/02/opinion/02DOWD.html

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