Missile Defense Watch: Dem Debater Gephart Won't Support NMD

newsday.com ^ | September 4, 2003, 10:17 PM EDT | AP

[risk]

Dick Gephardt: Today, the question is one of how do we extricate ourselves from Iraq, and I believe the first step in that extrication is going to be to rebuild relations with our key allies. It's not just Iraq. It's the Kyoto treaty. It's the ABM agreement. It is agreement after agreement, which were critical to the maintenance of the victory of the Cold War and now to environmental sanity that this president has rejected. No wonder we have so much trouble getting support when we need it.

[risk]

I'm going to be watching all the candidates to see where they stand on missile defense over the next year. With North Korea threatening Japan and South Korea, Israel beset on sides by missile threats, Taiwan at the mercy of the 7th fleet's ability to fend off China, and our own continued vulnerability to nuclear weapons strikes, we have Ronald Reagan to thank for ignoring these tired arguments against our sovereign right to protect ourselves and build technologies for mutual defense with our best allies.

Gephardt's sentiments were echoed in part by other candidates, but I need transcripts to be sure which ones were advocating we resume the ABM treaty.

[risk]

another democrat against missile defense ping

[OldFriend]

So nice to see the dems all asking......why can't we be more like the french and the germans..........and they're serious too!

[Mind-numbed Robot]

we have Ronald Reagan to thank for ignoring these tired arguments against our sovereign right to protect ourselves and build technologies for mutual defense with our best allies.

RWR did many things to reverse the idiocy which preceded him but GWB is the one who put real teeth into NMD and who abrogated that stupid ABM treaty that only tied our hands and no one else's.

[FreepForever]

I am only speaking from an Asian point of view. There has been too much talks but too little action regarding missile defense. As a result, Japan is growing impatient and have decided to start their own program basing on US technology. Regarding Taiwan, PRC has expressed that the inclusion of Taiwan in America’s missile defense umbrella means war. If we look at Asia as an isolated world (disregarding existing US influence), the entire region is extremely imbalanced in military power.

[Tacis]

I thought little Dickey Gephart just looked so cute at the debate! All that practice looking stern has paid off and he has that dainty little hand motion down just right.

I understand perfectly now why he feels he'd be a better president than Mr. Bush. What I don't understand is why he'd be a better candidate than any of the declared dwarfs or the cluster still thinking about running. In the absence of any clear differentiation, Dickey's got about 4% and that still makes him a miserable LOSER!

[ImphClinton]

The only way to get Global support would be to BUY it.

That is how it works. Give the Russians, French and Germans the Billions the stupidly loaned to Sadam and they will be our "friends" and send a few thousand troups. I say the price is way to high. The UN is a joke. It is simply a bunch of meaningless countries getting together to try to bully America around at this point. They need to be taught a lesson and Iraq is a good way to teach them one.

Of course to really do it right we would have to send all the liberals over there too. Guess we could trade all our liberals for their conservatives.

[Coop]

What I don't understand is why [Gephardt would] be a better candidate than any of the declared dwarfs or the cluster still thinking about running.

Powerful union support.

[risk]

Regarding Taiwan, PRC has expressed that the inclusion of Taiwan in America’s missile defense umbrella means war.

Just the very threat is proof that it's needed, then!

If we look at Asia as an isolated world (disregarding existing US influence), the entire region is extremely imbalanced in military power.

I think I understand this perspective. Also, it will be "worse" (from the PRC's and the DPRK's view) before it gets better, because Japan will arm itself eventually. Our dreamy ideas about a world at peace after the fall of the Soviet union haven't come true yet. I think once the DPRK steps back from the nuclear abyss, and the longer term, the PRC stops threatening Taiwan and opens its society to democracy, the fear levels will subside in the west.

The arms of free men are to be feared less than those of dictators and marauders, especially defensive ones like ABM technology. We do value our people most of all, and therefore we need a way to protect them (unlike some dictators who wouldn't mind sacrificing a city or two in order to achieve their aims).

[RightWhale]

the inclusion of Taiwan in America’s missile defense umbrella means war

Sure. The fleet missile defense is fairly strong and would by default protect anything else in the vicinity already.