Now those chickens are coming home to roost. In 2000, when Dubbya 'wisely' decided to pull out of the venerable and stabilizing ABM treaty that was the cornerstone to keep the nukes from flying, it was widely seen throughout the world as a mistake. Of course, in the USA, especially in the Defense Industry, it was seen as great idea. With red-America no longer willing to believe in mutual assured destruction, it was reasoned that spending billions of dollars of taxpayer money on a missile system (that still has never verifiably worked) was a good idea. Keeping American Security in American hands was pushed by the Bush Administration. Perhaps this was prescient of Bush.
Well, in a post 9/11 world this makes a great deal of sense. It is well known that a terrorist attack is highly unlikely to take the form of a ICBM heading for Manhattan. So at the end of the day, what does this strategy do for us? It further isolates us from the world community, potentially enraged the Russians and effectively destabilizes the nuclear détente between Russia, the USA and China.
Now look at what progress the Russians are making on their own ABM Shield (click here). How long before they perfect this technology and sell it to China and the other burgeoning nuclear powers? How gallant would the council of Imams in Iran feel in launching an attack at the Great Satan if they had their own proven missile shield?
# posted by HST Overdrive @ 10:45 AM
