Finally, a viable defense against terrorists!

[gregm]

[ScottP]

It is kind of odd, isn't it. As far as I know, there is nobody in the world who we think has missiles that can hit us and is threatening to or even remotely likely to use them.

FWIW

 

"...we continue to base our NMD efforts on the assessment ...that North Korea probably will test the TD-2 this year... Iran could test an ICBM that could deliver a several hundred kilogram payload to parts of the U.S. in the latter half of the next decade, using Russian or other foreign technology and assistance."

Walter B. Slocombe

Under Secretary of Defense for Policy

13 October 1999

 

A 1998 report synapsis:

The nine Commissioners are unanimous in concluding that:

 

Concerted efforts by a number of overtly or potentially hostile nations to acquire ballistic missiles with biological or nuclear payloads pose a growing threat to the United States, its deployed forces and its friends and allies. These newer, developing threats in North Korea, Iran and Iraq are in addition to those still posed by the existing ballistic missile arsenals of Russia and China, nations with which we are not now in conflict but which remain in uncertain transitions. The newer ballistic missile-equipped nations' capabilities will not match those of U.S. systems for accuracy or reliability. However, they would be able to inflict major destruction on the U.S. within about five years of a decision to acquire such a capability (10 years in the case of Iraq). During several of those years, the U.S. might not be aware that such a decision had been made.

The threat to the U.S. posed by these emerging capabilities is broader, more mature and evolving more rapidly than has been reported in estimates and reports by the Intelligence Community.

The Intelligence Community's ability to provide timely and accurate estimates of ballistic missile threats to the U.S. is eroding. This erosion has roots both within and beyond the intelligence process itself. The Community's capabilities in this area need to be strengthened in terms of both resources and methodology.

The warning times the U.S. can expect of new, threatening ballistic missile deployments are being reduced. Under some plausible scenarios-including re-basing or transfer of operational missiles, sea- and air-launch options, shortened development programs that might include testing in a third country, or some combination of these-the U.S. might well have little or no warning before operational deployment.

 

[Dr_Flash_Amazing]

Hmm ... well, knowing that kind of puts a damper on your day, doesn't it? Can't we all just get along?

[jon]

We have had a multi tier missle defense system for over a decade now, this whole thing is smoke screen . Do you seriously think that the Reagan Star Wars program yielded nothing?

 

Just because CNN hasn't reported that somebody has a missle capable of hitting us doesn't mean there isn't any. North Korea has the motivation and China has the technology. What do two communist countries have in common? They don't like us, and just because they want to sell us shit doesn't mean they like us.

 

NASA has probably been the single most important organization in modern US history. It's contributions to science in both air, space, and missle technology are responsible for the fall of the Soviet Union and a military that is light years ahead of other contries.

[allthumbs]

Jon, finally a voice of reason. Five stars for you bro. DFA, get rid of that commie flag you wanker.

[iain]

The goal of any enemy of ours now should be to instill so much fear in the populace that we simply outspend ourselves to total meltdown. This, combined with the sinister japanese invention known as the snooze button, will bring us to our economic knees.

[jon]

Looks like I lost one of my stars. I bet I lose more after what I'm about to say.

 

Trask my story sounded a lot more believable leaving out how the alien crash at Roswell is involved with everything in this thread. NASA was actually created to look for alien spacecraft in orbit and on the moon. We had planned on building a moon base under project Horizon. The arms race and anti-missle missle had a dual purpose, protecting us from the Russians et. al. and displaying to our visitors that we had the capability to defend ourselfs and destroy any place they decided to colonize. Most of our technological advances came from back engineered alien technology, including the transistor and microprocessors, kevlar, night vision goggles, lasers and fiber optics, and advanced composites.

[Dru]

What about Buckaroo Banzai?

 

Hey Jon is your squirrel the same squirrel from Fark.com or what? I just heard about that site a few days ago

[allthumbs]

No doubt

[allthumbs]

Dru, you silly bastard, I'm trying to figure out how to demote you to two stars like the rest of us well hung stalions.

[Dru]

You will need about 5 avatars rating...cause all mine rated me 5 out of 5

[Dr_Flash_Amazing]

Bwa ha ha haa!

 

Up the hammer and sickle! Forward the working class! Smash the bourgeoisie oligarchy! Eat borscht and die, capitalist dogs!

[Dr_Flash_Amazing]

What, you're not going to give the Freemasons any credit, you ingrate? They'll sacrifice you to Baal or whoever if you don't clean up your act!

[glen]

I guess the interesting part of missile defense is that it is largely dependent on satellite based stations. One of the key arguments about it, though rarely brodcast on CNN, NBC, etc, is that nations capable of developing ballistic missiles are also capable of developing missiles that can take out satellites (a relatively easy task, comparatively). From a strategic point of view, this makes the satellite based part of missile defense an offensive weapon as that is the only time it is likely to be useful. Just a thought. We've all heard about the difference between the effectiveness and reported effectiveness of the patriot missiles.

[allthumbs]

I think all of us brillient f'ers should armchair quarterback the hell out of star wars.

[Dr_Flash_Amazing]

Good call, Trask!

 

Han Solo had an inferiority complex, and Luke Skywalker was gay!

[Dr_Flash_Amazing]

Interesting read on the missile defense gig:

 

http://slate.msn.com/?id=2075605

[jon]

Of course no matter how sophisticated it is, it won't protect us from a suitcase.

[Dr_Flash_Amazing]

Ah, yes, Dr. Flash Amazing's original thesis on the matter.

[allthumbs]

Never fret DFA. In 2008 when the country elects another Democrat as President, he may then proceed to tear down the house that George built. What goes around, comes around.

[sexual_chocolate]

NASA has probably been the single most important organization in modern US history. It's contributions to science in both air, space, and missle technology are responsible for the fall of the Soviet Union

 

First of all, you seem to link the importance of a given organization with its contribution to the fall of the CCCP. The fall was THAT important to you?

Secondly, it seems as though our very own CIA disagrees with your assessment; internal mismanagement, NOT the arms race, led to their demise (a view held by many, but reported by few). I haven't studied this extensively, but I found it interesting to note a differing view, one proffered by an organization such as the CIA, in the midst of Reagan's propaganda.