Registered: Sep 1999
Location: Sydney Australia
Posts: 1883

Re: Ok I'll jump in here!

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Originally posted by RSGMOOSE
Here are some things to ponder:

1. Perhaps Dubya's thinking on missile defense is: If we build a defense system that shows we can shoot down other's missles then mayben the others will think it futile to build the first missles since they can be shot down and Russia went broke trying to keep up with the US in the cold war. Therefore, the other's won't waste their dollars on building and escalating because America has proven that we will not stop on spending for Defense (or offensive) weapons.

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Registered: Oct 2000
Location: Aberdeen, SD
Posts: 2531

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Originally posted by Burns
I'm definitely in favor of the mimes. That's hilarious Have you been following the news recently. We successfully shot down a missile a couple of weeks ago during a test. Besides, do you not remember the patriot missiles during the Gulf War? It's a similar idea. But to answer your question seriously (in case it was asked seriously) it's done with a missile designed specifically for destroying another missile, not obliterating an entire city or even a city block. Research it! there's plenty of info about how it's done.

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-Joshua
Abortion: Darwinism at its finest.

Registered: Jan 2001
Location: Great Barrington, MA
Posts: 20

quote:

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Originally posted by Burns


[....] Have you been following the news recently. We successfully shot down a missile a couple of weeks ago during a test. Besides, do you not remember the patriot missiles during the Gulf War? It's a similar idea. [...] Research it! there's plenty of info about how it's done.

- Burns

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Registered: Dec 1999
Location: "Children are a gift from God, they are a reward"
Posts: 1049

I gotta get that new computer, this sucks being able to get online about once a week from work.

Abortion is mostly a preventable occurrence (statistically, abstinence seems to work best). People being more responsible during sex would put an end to the vast majority of unwanted babies. Clothing the issue in terms of "personal choice" steers it away from the real issue, that of personal responsibility.

We shouldn't be worried about missiles from another 'superpower', but from internal and external terrorists. The true mark of a "big" player in the world today seems to be economic strength, not nuke capability. (that doesn't stop the 'wanna-be's' like Pakistan and Libya from trying to join the nuke club)

Criticism hurts, sure, but we need to realize even in this great country we make mistakes. We also can't wait until we're perfect to admonish others. Carter, for example, was a lousy president- totally ineffective as a leader- but he's turned into a great humanitarian, by example.

People are hypocrites, myself included. I suggest that you do as Toby suggested and raise your personal bar. Attempt to do your personal best every day. You don't need to live up to any other man, or woman's 'bar'. If you're effective enough, you might compel others to follow your example and try doing their personal best. You don't have to follow any particular religion, philosophy, or political tenets to do good.

If you think your surroundings suck, try fixing things instead of leaving. Don't opt out. I personally find it hard to respect someone who complains about things, but can't seem to find the time to try and make things better (in small or large ways).

Sometimes you can't change things without causing a ruckus by shouting out things that people find offensive (thanks d-r!).

The theory of public school is nice, the reality of it sucks. Too much time spent in politics, and not enough time in education. Did anyone else read about the school in California that had 43 Valedictorians? Seems the school didn't want anybody feeling bad because they didn't make the top spot. The same spirit infuses the Army. How can people excel if you take away their motivation?

Love and kisses

BobbyMike (aka Robert Michael, aka The Hypocrite Kid)

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"I am a debtor both to Greeks and to Barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish."

Registered: Feb 2001
Location: Them Twin Cities
Posts: 1758

quote:

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Originally posted by BobbyMike
The theory of public school is nice, the reality of it sucks. Too much time spent in politics, and not enough time in education. Did anyone else read about the school in California that had 43 Valedictorians? Seems the school didn't want anybody feeling bad because they didn't make the top spot. The same spirit infuses the Army. How can people excel if you take away their motivation?

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Registered: Aug 2001
Location: Maryland Go Terps!
Posts: 59

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Originally posted by dietrichbohn


The reality of it sucks in most situations, but not all. I can think of two public ed situations that don't suck:

1) Rich, white suburbs
2) Charter Schools

The first isn't exactly repeatable, the 2nd is. Look into Charter Schools, they rock

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Registered: Feb 2001
Location: Them Twin Cities
Posts: 1758

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Originally posted by chuckster
The highschool that I attended was excellent. It was in no way a "rich white suburb". Only about 20% of the students were white. The majority were African American, and the rest were mainly Aisian. The school however was excellent. My high school education prepared me for College, and my work (I am studying Computer Science at UMD, and I work for the Government doing web design).

In our country, every state, and county handle education differently. It all depends on where you live. If the state's or county's education history is bad, then I agree, public education doesn't work. But there are many areas (not necessarily "rich white suburbs") that provide excellent public education.

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Registered: Aug 2001
Location: Maryland Go Terps!
Posts: 59

quote:

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Originally posted by dietrichbohn

I will say, however, that race discussions aside, there is a serious urban/suburban divide in this country re: education, and something needs to be done. Charter schools have done a pretty good job.

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Registered: Jul 2000
Location:
Posts: 3034

quote:

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Originally posted by dick-richardson
No. I pulled a country off the top of my head to demonstrate that being a superpower isn't a necessity for quality of life. I should've picked Switzerland or Japan instead.

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Registered: Jul 2000
Location:
Posts: 3034

quote:

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Originally posted by dick-richardson
I've read some of them. So they are shot down using missles. So what happens when you remove the computer chip directing the missle toward incoming missles and replace it with one that directs it toward, oh, say Moscow? Would we do this? Probably not. Does Russia need to keep that capability in mind, though? Absolutely, if they're remotely intelligent. Do you understand my point, yet? Regardless of our stated reason for the missle launchers, our neighbors have to be worried about their capabilities.

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Registered: Dec 1999
Location: "Children are a gift from God, they are a reward"
Posts: 1049

Public school does suck and will always. It's my opinion and I ain't changing it. It's almost impossible to get a real education in American public schools. The curriculum is stunted and debased from the meddling of 'social scientists' trying to rewrite the past and child psychologists trying to prevent kids from feeling bad. Good teachers are hampered by rules and restrictions on how and what they can teach. Children are passed for mediocre work (not really their fault) and feelings are more important than knowledge. Charter schools do open up the educational field, but as long as the majority of kids get taught in big public schools, we are going to be in trouble in this country. Too much of what goes on in our schools is dictated by union needs and political necessity instead of the children's needs.
My wife and I homeschool our kids. We follow a great curriculum that we chose for it's fullness.
I guess public schools could work if we dismantled the present bloat and closed the big schools. Smaller schools with more local autonomy would be better. Multi grade classrooms work also. Keep the majority of the school taxes working on programs that are effective, not that fit a politicians or a unions ideas of what "could/would/should" work.
Pay teachers more and bureaucrats less. Pay parents to teach their own kids (in the home or at school). Reward excellence and give extra attention to those under performing, instead of diluting standards and ignoring those that can't keep up. Instill responsibility in the kids by giving them responsibilities. Get rid of any kind of tenure system. Don't vote for politicians who won't put their own kids in the schools that they say are good enough for yours.
Gotta go.

Me again

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"I am a debtor both to Greeks and to Barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish."

Registered: Aug 2000
Location: South Carolina
Posts: 1062

and quit assuming that all children possess the same inherent "teachability." A child's course of study, including field of study and level of education reached, should be based on each child's natural ability, desire, temperment, and aptitude--

every child is not going to perform well in math, science, social studies, english, shop, sports, public speaking, political science, history, physics, and band. There are differences among students that should be recognized instead of blindly attempting to educate each child the same way.

Registered: Apr 2000
Location: Seattle, WA
Posts: 604

To address a misconception - the missles used in the missle defense system currently being tested do NOT have an explosive warhead (conventional or nuclear). Instead, the system uses a "kinetic kill" vehicle, which destroys the incoming ballistic missle in a high-speed collision.

In other words, it's a completely different system, very different from the offensive ballistic weapons currently in our arsenal. you could redirect it to Moscow, Beijing or where ever and it wouldn't do much damage - even if it had the range to reach those sites.

I wouldn't want one to land on my house, mind you, but the objections to missle defense is not that the defensive missles have an offensive capability.

Rather, the objections are that they might tend to render an opponent's offensive missles ineffective, thereby (a) maybe giving us an incentive to launch a first strike secure behind a missle shield, and/or (b) prompting another country to build ever more missles so they may overwhelm the shield, leading to an arms race.

Registered: Oct 2000
Location:
Posts: 206

Thank you VTL. Well stated!

- Burns

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Registered: Oct 2000
Location: Aberdeen, SD
Posts: 2531

quote:

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Originally posted by Toby
The point still holds, though. Have you been to either of those recently either? How would you know how they're doing, otherwise? Granted, I doubt Switzerland is doing that badly, but Japan has certainly had some hard times recently from what I've heard.

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-Joshua
Abortion: Darwinism at its finest.