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Special Report
No Offense
I don't understand the point of exercising, which I'm told has something to do with health and wearing Umbros. Yet, as mystified as I am when watching Sweatin' to the Oldies 3 on VHS, I am not as confused as Barack Obama is when talking about missile defense, a topic much easier to comprehend than Richard Simmons. It's also more controversial.
President Obama knows that missile defense is a touchy subject internationally, as underscored by Russia's protests against the planned deployment of anti-missile systems in Poland and the Czech Republic. Within hours of Obama's election, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev threatened to deploy missiles of his own in Kaliningrad, which borders Poland, if America goes ahead with its plans.
The administration, wavering, says it needs time to think it over, which is consistent with the "wait and see" approach that Obama espoused during the campaign. He said he will deploy missile defense (a) "only when the system works" and (b) only if it's "pragmatic and cost-effective." That sounds sensible enough.
Waiting and seeing are fine things to do, but a problem arises when the person doing the waiting keeps his eyes closed, as any restaurant manager will tell you. Obama is willing to wait on missile defense, but he refuses to look at the evidence in its favor. And so there is little reason to think he will backpedal on his campaign pledge to "cut investments in unproven missile defense systems."
Though far from flawless, missile defense is even further from "unproven." In December, the Missile Defense Agency successfully shot down a long-range ballistic missile that was launched in Alaska (roughly 3,000 kilometers away), in what was "the largest, most complex test we have ever done," according to Lt. Gen. Patrick O'Reilly, the director of MDA. It was the 37th successful "hit-to-kill" intercept out of 47 attempts since 2001, proving that the shield is mightier than the sword (four times out of five).
Lt. Gen. Trey Obering, MDA's previous director, said, "Our testing has shown not only can we hit a bullet with a bullet, we can hit a spot on the bullet with a bullet."
Which is simply awesome. Even better, it's affordable. The system proposed for Eastern Europe is expected to cost $4 billion over seven years, a sum the Congressional Research Service called "relatively small in U.S. defense budget terms." In terms of Obama's domestic budget, it's microscopic.
Obama, who promised to increase foreign aid and to "treat allies with respect," should be absolutely giddy about missile defense. Its purpose, after all, is to prevent Europeans from getting blown up by ballistic missiles. That certainly sounds like aiding foreigners.
At least it does to our NATO allies, the same ones Obama claims to care about. On December 3, every last one of them signed a statement saying that missile defenses in Poland and the Czech Republic would make a "substantial contribution" to keeping them alive, roughly speaking.
Why in the world is Obama dithering?
His queasiness stems from a simple fact: He really wants to be popular, a goal he openly admits. He aspires to be "respected and admired abroad," seeing himself as the successor to Bono rather than to Bush.
How inconvenient to face controversy so soon. Missile defense is an unequivocal symbol of American supremacy, something that former superpowers tend to resent. Installing it in Eastern Europe, as Obama knows, would infuriate an already irritable Russia, and making Russians mad doesn't make them like you.
Obama, a sensitive guy by nature, is doing his best not to discomfit the Russians, whose inferiority complex is matched only by their paranoia. (A poll in 2007 found that 43% of Russians believe the U.S. seeks "the total destruction of Russia.") The essential point to keep in mind, however, is that this "controversial" weaponry -- a radar in the Czech Republic and ten missile interceptors in Poland -- is designed to hurt no one. The only thing it would hurt is Russia's feelings.
What disturbs Russia is not the anti-missile missiles themselves -- which everyone knows are no threat to its 850 ICBM's -- but the encroachment of American power into its former satellites. The Russians call it encirclement, but a better word is embarrassment.
Russia used to dominate Eastern Europe. Now, with NATO and American weapons systems moving eastward, the entire region (minus Belarus) has turned its back on Moscow, and Mother Russia is sick and tired of nobody looking at her.
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Jay| 2.27.09 @ 6:48AM
The US once had a very simple, elegant and pragmatic foreign policy: Speak softly and carry a big stick. That worked from the first Roosevelt to Truman. Now with aggression conducted at the speed of light ( sound really) we dither and blather.
Apparently nobody, democrat or republican has considered that we will not have the year Lincoln had once the South fired on Ft. Sumpter nor the 9 months FDR had to respond to Pearl Harbor. The turn around time is measured in seconds.
The missle defense system whether flawed or perfect must give thinking people pause. Pause because if they don't destroy our ability to retaliate completely nuclear conflict is not winnable. Thinkig people excludes much of the Muslim world and now that Iran is nuclear and probably Syria as well our missle defense system is clearly necessary to the safety of our citizens.
JJ JR| 2.27.09 @ 8:12AM
Y'all,
Interesting article citing what I believe is actually a secondary concern for Obama--wanting to be continually adored by the foreign fever swamps of the left (secondary in this case only--it trumps every other issue for him--the Messiah, a citizen of the world, must do his civiv duty and eviscerate American exceptionalism).
In this case, Obama's underlying motivation is to continue to keep alive the media canard started by Ted Kennedy when the Gipper announced the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI)--it's "Star Wars" said the often incoherent bridge driver! It's stupid, it won't work, and even if it does, it will "offend" the Soviets. Why the Soviets might get so offended that they'll invade their neighbors--never mind that they were on their 4th year of occupation of Afghanistan.
My point is this: allowing the now successfully tested missile defense system to become part of the operational arsenal of the greatest republic ever on earth would in fact completely VINDICATE President Ronald Reagan's vision that was and continues to be trashed by the left. They need to keep it in the "Bedtime for Bonzo" realm--and so it goes. . . .
Seymour Kleerly| 2.27.09 @ 10:47AM
The Missile system in Eastern Europe if concieved by any other administration (Rep. or Dem) might be a good idea. However Bush's perfect record of being WRONG in foreign policy is scary still. He has strengthened Putin (to most of the world we are the Evil Empire now) and given rise to a strong Nationalist movement in Russia. It was a provacative, unnecessary, and yet again counterproductive move. Right Wingers should stick to CHECKERS.
JeffW| 2.27.09 @ 11:22AM
Seymour.
You might be more persuasive with your point if you didn't so cleary pick a name poking fun at and repeating a stereotype against asians and immediately go to the attack of right wingers. Not to mention following your logic that the missile defense is a good idea as long as it wasn't thought of by Bush just shows your level of Bush derangement syndrome. But hey, as long as it made your enlightened mind feel better. Our NATO allies seem to disagree with you.
Michael Tomlinson| 2.27.09 @ 12:05PM
WTF? What does "pragmatic and cost-effective" national defense mean? A return to bows and arrows? Buying enough white flags to make Osama bin Laden a "man dress?"
It wasn't "pragmatic or cost-effective" national defense that decimated al Qaeda and Islamic extremists on the battlefields of Iraq winning the first war for the US since 1945. Aside from expensive gear it was guts that won the war in Iraq -- something in short supply among average Americans, Democrats in Congress and the Obama administration.
Thank God President Bush was smart enough to ignore the polls and war "fatigue" BS of American civilians and gave Islamic terrorists a beating they richly deserved. That's given terrorist appeaser Barack Obama breathing room before his "school buddies" pay another visit to these shores to kill New Yorkers who think verbage and talking nice can protect them from Muslim murderers.
Obama is not only a threat to the economy, unborn babies, the sick and hard working Americans who pay their bills, but to the national defense of our country.
Louie| 2.27.09 @ 1:27PM
Why in hell can't the Euros defend themselves?
Crusader| 2.27.09 @ 2:12PM
Louie,
Euros won't defend themselves for a couple of reasons, the biggest is (drumroll please),
WE DO IT FOR THEM!!!!!
60+ years after WWII and we still have troops all over Europe. The Euros EXPECT us to fight their wars for them and we are more than willing to do it. Hell, Italy spends less than 1% of their GDP on defense. Care to guess why?
Secondly is they are broke from the big-daddy nanny states they've become. Europe is about 20 years behind us culturally but about 20 years ahead of us politically and economically. If you want to see when America will look like by 2030 or so go spend some time in the old world. Weenie, effeminate men, skyrocketing taxes, crumbling infrastructure, and a failure of the native population to reproduce at sustainable levels (but you will see lots of Abduls walking around with Fatimas and about 6-10 kids following behind), plus multiple generations living in the same house because of the dreary economic situation.
Oh, one more thing, "Doner Kabobs" are popping up all over the place too.
Its, ah, interesting to say the least.
lisa| 2.27.09 @ 5:32PM
Quiet scary to me. We need our missle defense system. God help us!!
Rick Josey| 2.27.09 @ 10:41PM
I agree with Louie. Why can't the Europeans defend themselves? It's ridiculous for us to have our troops scattered across the globe while simultaneously our own borders are unguarded. Our gutless leaders in Washington have lost their minds. Or perhaps their minds are just too dulled by the champagne they ingest...at our expense.
The purpose of Homeland Security is to secure the homeland...duh. What kind of catastrophe will it take to wake up our Capitol Hill geniuses? You would think 9/11 would have penetrated their thick skulls. We could only hope that if there is another attack some of them will be in its path. That sounds cruel, but if their negligence is going to cause deaths, might as well be their own. They are the ones asking for it.
www.PatriotHangout.com
Who Needs YOU| 3.2.09 @ 10:21AM
I think the defence shield should be ste up all around America, that will improve American safety. And that way they will never have to accuse any country of attacking them. Worry about America and let others worry about them selves.
And keep your banking system that is set to Cripple the world, keep it all in America and while you are about it keep the slave labour jobs in America as well.
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