But there is nobody to create an arms race with. China would be the closest, but their technology is so far behind ours that they are not currently a serious threat.
MAD is no longer an issue. Our enemies today don't give a hoot about their own destruction. We have a moral obligation in the face of such threats to develop every conceivable defense, including missile shields. It's not that nuclear war is conceivable, it's that nuclear attack from any number of enemies, who may not even be another country, is a real threat. While I can think of a million scenarios where an ABM system might be unworkable and impractical, I can think of no sound reason not to build such a system -- just simply because it _might_ somebody actually work to save our asses. There is enough of a might and enough of a real threat from enemies who don't give a hoot about treaties or their own destruction that it's a no brainer that we should make every effort to develop and build such systems. H. -----Original Message----- From: Benjamin Falloon [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Thursday, December 13, 2001 10:22 PM To: CF-Community Subject: Re: Ouch The WHOLE point of the treaty was to prevent the development of anti-ballistic missile defend system because such a system would UNDERMINE the principle of M.A.D (mutually assured destruction). If you develop a system to defend yourself then you're basically progressing the idea that nuclear war is a feasible possibility and that it is tolerable. Nuclear war is not feasible. Developing a defend system provokes conflict, not prevents it. It's the same old "treat the symptoms rather than the cause". The 90s were a release from the fear of nuclear war with the end of the soviet union... Why go back in time and create another arms race. Because doing so satisfies the ultra-right desire for arms build up and make a lot of people filthy rich off govenment tax dollars. Benjamin ----- Original Message ----- From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "CF-Community" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Friday, December 14, 2001 5:47 AM Subject: Re: Ouch > You're right about fighting the wars with allies, but that was not what > I was trying to convey. > > I've read several stamens in the press and elsewhere by critics of > missile defense that "the money could be better spent elsewhere like > health care or social security..." blah blah blah. My point is that we > can do it all. I just don't understand why people are so opposed to a > program that is designed to protect us. Tests have proven that it can > be done. If naysayers got their way we would never have gotten to the > moon, we wouldn't be able to fly at supersonic speeds, but we have > always believed in the possibilities, not the impossibilities. To me, > that's the human spirit. > > As for the test, the lessons learned from those tests will make the next > "version" better. When you write code, do you not test it? If it > doesn't work, don't you go back and fix it? Have you ever had to > explain to clients why it costs so much to build a good web application? > > As for the money spent, how much would you spend to defend us? > > Michael Corrigan > Programmer > Endora Digital Solutions > www.endoradigital.com > 630/942-5211 x-134 > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Larry Lyons > To: CF-Community > Sent: Thursday, December 13, 2001 12:32 PM > Subject: RE: Ouch > > > The United States has not fought a multiple front war without Allies > since > the Civil War. Can you name one? Lets see, Spanish -American War - > fought > with the help of the Philippine people. WWI - the US did not get > involved > until the last year of the conflict. WWII - the US was but one of > several > participants. Korean War, same thing. Vietnam - Australia, South Korea > and > Thailand. Gulf War, Bosnia, Kosovo, same - all were fought with the > assistance of multi-national coalitions. > > The real problem with the missile defense system is that it is so very > easily spoofed. When a $25 Mylar balloon that is "tuned" can spoof a > trillion dollar system, isn't that a waste? > > larry > > -- > Larry C. Lyons > ColdFusion/Web Developer > Certified Advanced ColdFusion 5 Developer > EBStor.com > 8870 Rixlew Lane, Suite 204 > Manassas, Virginia 20109-3795 > tel: (703) 393-7930 > fax: (703) 393-2659 > Web: http://www.ebstor.com > http://www.pacel.com > email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Chaos, panic, and disorder - my work here is done. > -- > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > > Sent: Thursday, December 13, 2001 12:24 PM > > To: CF-Community > > Subject: Re: Ouch > > > > > > We've fought wars on multiple fronts in the past and we can > > do it again. > > I'm sure there were those that opposed our involvement in Europe > > considering that we were at war with Japan, but we did it anyways > > because we had an obligation to do so. Contrary to many > > beliefs, this > > country can walk and chew gum at the same time. Our military is > very > > well trained and our Intelligence gathering efforts have been > > lacking, > > but we now see the error of our ways now and we will be able > > to conduct > > the sort of operations that we need to in order to protect > > the US. We > > can improve our military readiness, improve our intelligence > > gathering > > efforts, and pursue alternative ways of protecting the > > citizens of this > > country..all at the same time. > > > > As for missile defense, it is not THE way to protect America > > but one of > > many means in which to do so. Iraq couldn't give a rats ass about > an > > AMB treaty. Once China gets their weapons up to snuff, they > > won't give > > a crap either. Pakistan has nuclear weapons. If the current regime > > > were to fall into the hands of an organization like the Taliban or > Al > > Queada, do you think they care about the stupid treaty? Shall I > > continue with North Korea? None of these countries give a damn > about > > the ABM treaty except to make a bunch of noise, apply international > > political pressure against the US, and do everything they can > > to prevent > > America from defending herself because they really don't want > > the US the > > means to do so. Why? Because if she can, then they are left > > out in the > > cold. > > > > Before Sept. 11th, no one would have thought that a terrorist group > > would have been able to accomplish what they were able to > > accomplish. I > > mean really think about it...the Twin Towers are GONE!!! Should we > > really revert back to that mindset of "well, it probably > > won't happen so > > let's not do anything about it?" I think that Ballistic > > Missiles are a > > credible threat and should be addressed. If we ignore them and God > > forbid something happens, the same people who are bitching > > about missile > > defense now would be lambasting whatever administration is in > > the White > > House at the time for not doing SOMETHING about it. > > > > > > Michael Corrigan > > Programmer > > Endora Digital Solutions > > www.endoradigital.com > > 630/942-5211 x-134 > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: Judith Dinowitz > > To: CF-Community > > Sent: Thursday, December 13, 2001 10:52 AM > > Subject: RE: Ouch > > > > > > It's just that with the war we're currently in against > > terrorism, it's > > not > > a good idea to piss off our current allies, like Russia. Why do we > > > want to > > restart the Cold War? We'd be better off concentrating on > > building up > > better defenses such as the skills of our own > > armies/navies/etc., our > > spy > > networks to ferret out future terrorist plots ... > > > > Judith > > > > >Lets see, Russia is against the US withdrawal from the ABM > > treaty, as > > is > > >China, all of the EU, Canada, Britain and all the other NATO > > countries. Need > > >I continue? > > > > > >The missile defense systems are simply a waste of money. > > The various > > reports > > >by different scientific bodies have all been anonymous in stating > > > that the > > >system will not work. Why waste money on a Republican boondoggle. > > > > > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Structure your ColdFusion code with Fusebox. Get the official book at http://www.fusionauthority.com/bkinfo.cfm Archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/cf-community@houseoffusion.com/ Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/index.cfm?sidebar=lists
