The problem is that technology is going to continue to advance. Proliferation is going to continue. In fact, I predict that without external influence, rogue states will develop the capability to turn out WMD as easily as we turn out desktop computers today.
Thus while it may be possible for the US to stay ahead of the curve. We will have to be ever vigilant. And possibly excercise an ever increasing amount of control over such states.
I hate hate hate to quote Jimmy Carter. But there is some truth to his statement "We need to be building the kind of world we want to live in when we are not the biggest"
OK, Carter's a jerk for assuming that we will not be the biggest. But my concern is that biggest want matter. WMD will become so plentiful and easy to produce that size isn't going to matter much. Any country will be able to demolish any other county in a matter of a few seconds.
I'm all for missle defence systems, but I see them as possibly only a temporary stopgap.
We need to eliminate governments that would resort to the kind of savagery we've seen out of Saddam and NKorea's premier chia head.
I hate hate hate to quote Jimmy Carter. But there is some truth to his statement "We need to be building the kind of world we want to live in when we are not the biggest"If you hate it so, then don't. The world that is safest for the United States is one in which we are the biggest. Your solution, preemption, is fundamental to being the biggest.
Carter is wrong because he starts from the wrong principle. Extrapolate from his view and you have a world in which preemption is impossible. No, quite the opposite.
Go with your instincts: Carter is wrong.
Thus while it may be possible for the US to stay ahead of the curve. We will have to be ever vigilant. And possibly excercise an ever increasing amount of control over such states.
I agree, the real solution is to replace the despots with economic/political systems based on personal property right, free markets and representative goverment, a tall order but necessary to win the war on terror.
The rela hope of Operation Iraqi Freedom is to spark a revolution in the Middle East and convince the Chinese to curb the PRNK or have to deal with a Neuclar Taiwan and Japan.