Posted on 07/06/2006 7:00:15 AM PDT by Unam Sanctam
WASHINGTON - North Korea’s threatening spate of missile launches — including an unsuccessful try with an advanced version of its Taepodong 2 Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile that is capable of hitting the United States — has sparked a cacophony of talk from leaders and foreign policy experts around the world.
As they debate and discuss various options at the United Nations and in capitals around the globe, the rudimentary U.S. missile defense system is poised to shoot down anything launched from North Korea that threatens the American homeland or the critical interests of our regional allies like Japan and Australia.
Noticeably absent are the voices of those who, since President Reagan first proposed such a system in 1984, have fought development and deployment of the missile defense system the U.S. must now depend upon in dealing with North Korea. These folks have claimed over and over that the system they derisively call “Star Wars” can’t possibly work, would be too expensive, would incite a new world arms race, etc., etc. Names that come to mind in this regard include senators like Joe Biden, D-Del., Jack Reed, D-R.I., Robert Byrd, D-W.Va., Ted Kennedy, D-Mass., and Carl Levin, D-Mich., and the Clinton-Gore administration that delayed and dilly-dallied with work on missile defense for most of the ’90s.
It is important that the American people understand two aspects of the current crisis as it relates to missile defense. First, the system President Bush recently ordered advanced from its testing stage to operational status when the North Koreans began preparing the Taepodong 2 launch is extremely rudimentary because it is still being developed. The system now includes only 11 ground-based launch sites in Alaska and California capable of knocking out long-range missiles like the Taepodong 2, and four Aegis-class Navy destroyers equipped with missile defense battle management systems and Standard-3 missiles capable of hitting medium range threats.
Second, they will no doubt protest to high heaven, but “Star Wars” critics must bear the major burden of responsibility for the delays and setbacks that have prevented the missile defense system from becoming fully operational long before the present crisis with North Korea. There have been technological problems, especially in the very early stages, but those were temporary and subject to American technological prowess.
Far more serious have been the setbacks engineered by the critics — like then-Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell’s maneuvers to kill the first Bush administration’s Global Protection Against Limited Strikes (G-PALS) plan, the Clinton-Gore gutting of the Strategic Defense Initiative office in 1993 and the delaying tactics used by Senate Democrats in the first years of this decade to reduce the current program’s funding.
It is a sobering thought to wonder how much more secure the United States and its allies would be today in the face of madness like North Korea’s launches if instead of a limited defense still in development we could depend upon the robust protection first proposed many years ago.
VIVA LA REAGAN!
All over the MSM, actually. One in particular. But he's going to have a harder row to hoe now.
(The Palestinian terrorist regime is the crisis and Israel's fist is the answer.)
Good point! Of course President Reagan never used the term 'star wars.' Lefty opponents and USSR apologists just called it that to belittle a very sound proposal. I remember the Demo congressman Tom Downey (who later got defeated I think!) making a big joke of it on the floor of the House. He laughed while he said President Reagan thinkks we are Luke Skywalker, and the Soviet evil empire is a Darth Vader. That infuriated me. Apparently this dope and many of his colleagues (even some Republicans) thought it was a bad idea to defend ourselves against possible Soviet attack. They never saw the USSR as the bad guy.
Right here is one, episodes one, two and three are an abomination and Lucas should be tied up with his eyes pried open and forced to watch all the scenes with JarJar and the bad soap opera dialog, over and over till he gouges his own eyes out to stop the madness.
(However, regarding the missile defense program, Ronnie Raygun was right you liberal pansies!)
(The Palestinian terrorist regime is the crisis and Israel's fist is the answer.)
LOL! I had one tell they should just destroy these missiles on the launch pads! In fact, nearly called for us to go in and do a regime change! LOL.
These loser folks have no friggin' clue...
I did remember to thank them for the Clinton negotiations with NK for nuclear reactor materials. Haha.
BTTT
I heard that the Chicago Trib was calling for a strong missile defense in an editorial this morning, implying that it was the Bush Administration's fault for not having a biggerone installed by now.
LOL! Good post.
Are you series? A liberal wanted to destroy NK's missiles? Hilarious! And they see no connection?
And the many men and women who have and are working to make his vision a reality.
To those who thought it was impossible and a waste of money, to quote a young Clint Eastwood, 'A man has to know his limitations'.
At any rate, Kim could send a large volley of mediums at Japan that could overwhelm Japan's and the U.S. rudimentary in place defenses. Another upcoming difficult test may concern Iran. The distance between Iran and Israel is about the same as from North Korea to Japan.
Yeah, I am. I was shocked to hear it! Had to ask for a clarification to be sure it wasn't an off hand sarcastic remark. It wasn't.
Not sure what they'd be squalling about if a missile hit something though.
"Don't hold your breath awaiting the liberal mea culpa for trying to keep this country disarmed"
Too right. Just as they fought to keep the medium range missiles out of Europe (to oppose the Soviet missiles then recently inaugurated) in the mid '80s (remember the nuclear freeze hysteria); just as they opposed the Contras and supported the Soviet backed Sandinistas (remember the "Dear Comandante" bootlicker letter); just as they made moral equivalence between the Western and Soviet systems.
It's funny how now all the leftists want to recast history to say that "Well, we all stood shoulder to shoulder against the communist threat." Baloney! I came of age during Reagan's first term and I remember the American left worked on behalf of the Soviet menace. Anything that Reagan wanted to do to stand up to the Soviets, the Left was there to oppose his efforts with nausiating regularity.
Hayden Christianson is the worst actor I've ever seen and George Lucas can't write dialog!!!!
Were they against Star Wars? Seems some opponents are demanding missile defense now. Do they plan their day well enough to remember to bring a sandwich for lunch?
some clinton hack was on the news this morning saying how they gave lil' kim jong ill a signed michael jordan basketball which he really liked...
yeah great plan bubba, they wont make nukes if we give them a B-ball
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