Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Politics : Foreign Affairs Discussion Group -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: michael97123 who wrote (240002)	8/27/2007 11:32:44 PM
From: Wharf Rat	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 281500

Going to Graceland? Miss. River Bridge Closed at Memphis I-40 Bridge Over Mississippi River at Memphis Closed After Pier SettlesThe Associated Press WEST MEMPHIS, Ark. Aug 27, 2007 (AP) Share Officials shut down a major Mississippi River bridge Monday after one of its piers settled nearly 4 inches during the night in a construction zone. The pier that settled is between two other piers, so the Interstate 40 bridge was still supported. The most motorists might have noticed on the six-land span would have been a slight dip, officials said. "We want to be proactive and take all the traffic off the bridge so that our inspectors can take a very thorough look at the structure before making any further decisions," said Paul Degges, chief engineer of the Tennessee Department of Transportation. The bridge links West Memphis to Memphis, Tenn. Traffic was diverted to the nearby I-55 bridge crossing the river. Earlier this month, the eight-lane I-35W bridge over the same river in Minnesota collapsed, killing 13 people. That bridge was undergoing repairs when it fell during the evening rush hour, dropping dozens of cars more than 60 feet into the Mississippi. Highway officials said the Arkansas-Tennessee bridge's pier had settled 3.5 inches and the bridge would be closed at least into Tuesday. The six-lane span carries 35,600 vehicles a day. The I-55 bridge carries 44,700 vehicles per day. Workers have been improving the I-40 bridge to make it safer in case of earthquakes. The New Madrid fault runs through the area. "That is the area where they are doing the seismic retrofitting on the West Memphis side," said Glenn Bolick, a spokesman for the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department, said of the pier that settled. Arkansas State Police referred questions to highway officials. abcnews.go.com

To: michael97123 who wrote (240002)	8/29/2007 12:07:52 AM
From: cnyndwllr	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 281500

Hi Michael. The rules are the same everywhere, it's only the facts that change. I don't have any objection to participating in a true multinational effort to stop wanton, wholesale killing. The test, as always is whether such a mission is worth killing and dying to accomplish, whether the mission is doable and whether there is any other less lethal way of accomplishing the mission. If the answers are yes, yes, and no, then there are situations where lethal force is necessary and then the task is to use such force minimally, efficiently and with effect. In Kosovo we acted from the air, we separated warring factions that were committing grave atrocities and the situation was salvageable. Darfur is difficult. Any short term efforts may create short term benefits that are eaten up by cultural, economic, educational, religious and and climate factors. Once committed where do you "end" your involvement? So the question is whether we can act as part of a real international effort, whether a mission can be narrowly conceived that has a good possibility of stopping the killing with a clear end point and whether some kind of longer term stability can result. I haven't seen anything yet to indicate that such a mission is possible. Ed