OT: Read Gore's Speech

Well, I sure wouldn't want to be Taiwan, but 12-18 ICBMs is a pretty pallid threat to the US. They could barely destroy all of Mississippi with that. Even assuming we don't deploy an anti-missile system soon.

Mark Schynert

Reply to
Mark Schynert
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It is probable that matters like this were discussed behind closed doors, and maybe even the occasional hint was dropped soto voce to the other side. The very existence of these weapons pre-supposes that one's rivals might think you are inclined to use them pre-emptively, and even advocacy of 'Star Wars' carried with it an implication that a successful shield would make one's own nukes more usable in aggresive terms. In all these cases, no doctrine of first use was ever made public, and it is questionable whether there was ever a closely-held policy either, except perhaps in answer to chemical/biological attacks, on the theory that these also fitted the WMD definition and thus were of a kind with nukes.

Bush's team is advocating a lot more than that, and they did it in public. In effect, they are trying to assert that use of a specialized nuclear weapon has no more international implications than does dropping a Blue 82. The rest of the world is unlikely to adopt the reasoning, and even if they did, it might just encourage other countries to start using their nukes. Got some pesky Sudenese rebels? No problem--Pyongyang Nukes

4 U has a little package that will solve all your problems, and it's internationally approved!

You know, you're right--it's not scary at all.

Mark Schynert

Reply to
Mark Schynert

Men?

My wife consistantly outshoots me at the range, even if it by a small margain, and I am a pretty good shot!

Tom

Reply to
Maiesm72

Men?

My wife consistantly outshoots me at the range, even if it is by a small margain, and I'm a pretty good shot!

Tom

Reply to
Maiesm72

Too bad for Mississippi, huh? [or whichever target(s) they actually chose]

I know you didn't mean to imply that a strike on us with their existing weapons would be acceptable. Even the mere possibility that North Korea has rudimentary nukes and delivery systems is giving us great pause in dealing with them.

Nothing is 100% effective.

Reply to
Al Superczynski

Mark,

Not disputing that at all. My own view all along has been that post Cold War instability made things more rather than less scary.

Just questioning whether Bush's foreign policy team is any more likely to act on their contingency plans than their predecessors were. Surely even Bush haters will credit post 9/11 restraint as counting for something.

If you haven't read it, 'Essence of Decision: Explaining the Cuban Missile Crisis' offers a well-balanced discussion of national-level decision making, explaining the events of the crisis using three conceptual models: rational actor, organizational behavior and governmental politics.

After reading this and the associated literature, one gets a new perspective on just how scary things have always been, and how little influence the 'rational actor' often has on these events as they unfold.

Cheers,

Scott G. Welch

Reply to
OSWELCH

While in the spoken word, it sounds like "blue-82 (and at SOCCENT, we actually dubbed these bombs "the Blues Brothers"), in written form it;s BLU-82 (as in Bomb Live Unit-82).

I saw two of them fall during the first Gulf War; one on Faylaka Island and one on the fire trenchs along the western Kuwait-Saudi border (part of Saddam's laughable "line of death").

The detonations of the BLU-82s were quite impressive to see; the fireballs actually looked like small nukes n the dark. In fact, the one on Faylaka was observed by a Brit Jaguar pilot returning from a mission and was reported as such.

"The world would be a much simpler place if every one could pick and choose their obligations, but we can't and we shouldn't." Major Charles W. Whittlesey

Reply to
Bill Woodier

in article snipped-for-privacy@mb-m18.aol.com, Maiesm72 at snipped-for-privacy@aol.com wrote on 11/18/03 12:34 AM:

I taught my wife to shoot years ago. She was a natural with a pistol. So was my daughter. I finally figured out that women are good because it's a lot like pointing.

MB

Reply to
Milton Bell

With the exception of death.... it has a near perfect record for success...(I can think of only one that was seriously disputed - 2 if you believe in miracles!)

Reply to
cwcrofoot

Three if you count the little girl.....

-- John ___ __[xxx]__ (o - ) --------o00o--(_)--o00o-------

The history of things that didn't happen has never been written - Henry Kissinger

Reply to
The Old Timer

FAE...the next best thing to nuking someone...I've seen them detonate myself...awesome...

Reply to
Rufus

I'd never teach my wife how to shoot. Simple matter of self preservation. Wait a minute, I''m not married. Perimeter is secure.

WmB

To reply, get the HECK out of there snipped-for-privacy@earthlink.net

Reply to
WmB

Mine was also a natural shot. Loved seeing her 5'2" and 90 pound sized frame outshoot big men with .30 caliber rifles. With a pistol she was dead on as well.... A born natural !!!

Now when she came after me, she tried with a knife twice, I finally got the hint and left, but she never thought of using one of the many firearms we had in the house..................

We get along just fine now :)

Current girlfriend is anti gun, she will just have to get over it.................... (and she does well so far :)

"Only a Gentleman can insult me, and a true Gentleman never will..."

Reply to
Azzz1588

Lynne has had vision problems all of her life, but for some reason she is a dead shot with a rifle.

She's pretty good with a hand gun, but has trouble with chambering a round with an automatic.

Full auto was beyond her. Fortunately everyone was well behind her. An AK can pack a kick if you aren't ready for it.

Tom

Reply to
Maiesm72

Mon-Key would win every time.

Ves would have a real funny feeling in a certian part of his anatomy afterward too !! :)

"Only a Gentleman can insult me, and a true Gentleman never will..."

Reply to
Azzz1588

I dont like your kind at all either.

Happy now ??

I sure hope so !!

No go hurry up and expire like the good little asswipe you are.....

"Only a Gentleman can insult me, and a true Gentleman never will..."

Reply to
Azzz1588

Do that please !!

Than your IP would have a valid reason to delete you.

"Only a Gentleman can insult me, and a true Gentleman never will..."

Reply to
Azzz1588

He was Time's man of the year once :)

"Only a Gentleman can insult me, and a true Gentleman never will..."

Reply to
Azzz1588

And thats why I own a LOT of firearms............

"Only a Gentleman can insult me, and a true Gentleman never will..."

Reply to
Azzz1588

No moron, he flew F 102's and has the log book to prove it.

You are funny, I got to admit !!!

"Only a Gentleman can insult me, and a true Gentleman never will..."

Reply to
Azzz1588

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