Obama scraps European missile shield

[SpeedRacer 1]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2009/09/17/ST2009091701841.html What do y'all think?
I think it's the right thing to do.

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[ryoder 1,590]

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2009/09/17/ST2009091701841.html What do y'all think?
I think it's the right thing to do.

Agreed.
It's high time the EU took responsibility for it's own defense.
WW2 was over 50 years ago.
The US cannot afford to play the world's policeman forever.

"There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones.

[DJL 235]

I'm glad that article made reference to the Aegis system used by the Navy that allows missile platforms - DDG's, CG's - to carry less hardware. I'm curious about the missile platform and whether what it being developed is more of a modular system. What I envision is something that can be deployed via Airlift to a region and then spread through-out the theater on trucks, trains, and to a certain extent on submarines and warships.

"I encourage all awesome dangerous behavior." - Jeffro Fincher

[Lucky... 0]

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2009/09/17/ST2009091701841.html What do y'all think?
I think it's the right thing to do.

Yea, then we'll get Starwars up and running

BTW, yes, right thing to do

[sundevil777 102]

Of course "starwars" was intentionally used to discredit a program in order to make it sound ridiculous/not feasible.

Opposing such a program is a reasonable position, but not because it can't be done.

What have we gotten for giving up on the program?

I also think that Bush was stupid for being so friendly/cozy with Putin. What he should have seen in Putin's heart was certainly not an ally. At first, it could have been forgiven as optimism, but only at first.

People are sick and tired of being told that ordinary and decent people are fed up in this country with being sick and tired. I’m certainly not, and I’m sick and tired of being told that I am

[SpeedRacer 1]

From the article:

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The president said he was accepting the recommendation of Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, in turning away from a plan to place interceptor missiles in Poland and a radar system in the Czech Republic. Instead, a distributed sensor system, apparently envisioned as a more advanced version of the Navy's Aegis theater missile defense system, would "deploy techniques that are proven and cost-effective and will counter the current threat more effectively and do so sooner" that a longer-range system would, Obama said.

Obama is taking the advice of Defense Secretary Bob Gates (remember that guy from GWB's administration?)

On a side note, improving relations with Russia is a good thing, not a bad thing.

We have common enemies, many of them in countries right near Russia's southwestern borders.

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[quade 4]

There are people on the right that are upset about this. Many of the same people that are against a public option for healthcare. Many of these same people are against any healthcare for people not in this country legally; including emergency healthcare. Yet these same people are willing to spend billions of dollars on a missile defense system for Europe.

I don't get it.

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[quade 4]

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Of course "starwars" was intentionally used to discredit a program in order to make it sound ridiculous/not feasible.

The term "Star Wars" comes from Reagan's Administration. It was used to help explain and sell the program, not discredit it.

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[nanook 1]

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There are people on the right that are upset about this. Many of the same people that are against a public option for healthcare. Many of these same people are against any healthcare for people not in this country legally; including emergency healthcare. Yet these same people are willing to spend billions of dollars on a missile defense system for Europe.

I don't get it.

Because protecting Europe secures our interests that are economically tied. The same money going to public option takes a lot longer to provide a smaller economical impact.

_____________________________

"The trouble with quotes on the internet is that you can never know if they are genuine" - Abraham Lincoln

[SpeedRacer 1]

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Of course "starwars" was intentionally used to discredit a program in order to make it sound ridiculous/not feasible.

The term "Star Wars" comes from Reagan's Administration. It was used to help explain and sell the program, not discredit it.

Ronald Reagan did not like the term.

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[champu 1]

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Of course "starwars" was intentionally used to discredit a program in order to make it sound ridiculous/not feasible.

The term "Star Wars" comes from Reagan's Administration. It was used to help explain and sell the program, not discredit it.

What?!?

[gjhdiver 0]

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[

Ronald Reagan did not like the term.

That's because he didn't understand it.

[Lucky... 0]

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Of course "starwars" was intentionally used to discredit a program in order to make it sound ridiculous/not feasible.

Opposing such a program is a reasonable position, but not because it can't be done.

What have we gotten for giving up on the program?

I also think that Bush was stupid for being so friendly/cozy with Putin. What he should have seen in Putin's heart was certainly not an ally. At first, it could have been forgiven as optimism, but only at first.

Star wars - yea I know it was a nickname for fun. As for feasability, they send a missle from Vandenburg to Kwajalein every now and then and I think they miss most of the time with the intercept missle, don't they?

Putin - I don't know volumes about that relationship, but any time we can try to mend our relationships it's a good thing.

[Lucky... 0]

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There are people on the right that are upset about this. Many of the same people that are against a public option for healthcare. Many of these same people are against any healthcare for people not in this country legally; including emergency healthcare. Yet these same people are willing to spend billions of dollars on a missile defense system for Europe.

I don't get it.

Many of the people against SS, MEdicare, Medicaid or anything socialist and the biggest socialists of them all; seniors. My boss is one, I called him on it, he didn't like it

[Lucky... 0]

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[

Ronald Reagan did not like the term.

That's because he didn't understand it.

That's because he thought the movie was non-fiction and didn't want to offend the inhabitants of Coruscant.

[Skyrad 0]

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2009/09/17/ST2009091701841.html What do y'all think?
I think it's the right thing to do.

Agreed.
It's high time the EU took responsibility for it's own defense.
WW2 was over 50 years ago.
The US cannot afford to play the world's policeman forever.

The funny thing is I think you actually believe what you've written above

When an author is too meticulous about his style, you may presume that his mind is frivolous and his content flimsy.
Lucius Annaeus Seneca

[quade 4]

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Quote

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Of course "starwars" was intentionally used to discredit a program in order to make it sound ridiculous/not feasible.

The term "Star Wars" comes from Reagan's Administration. It was used to help explain and sell the program, not discredit it.

Ronald Reagan did not like the term.

Be that as it may, it was used both inside and outside the Administration to describe the overall concept.

The term stems from that era, not this.

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[rushmc 23]

Which Obama are you talking about?

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2009/09/17/flashback_obama_pledges_missile_defense_against_iran_in_april.html

"America will never be destroyed from the outside,
if we falter and lose our freedoms,
it will be because we destroyed ourselves."
Abraham Lincoln

[rickjump1 0]

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2009/09/17/ST2009091701841.html What do y'all think?
I think it's the right thing to do.

Agreed.
It's high time the EU took responsibility for it's own defense.
WW2 was over 50 years ago.
The US cannot afford to play the world's policeman forever.

The funny thing is I think you actually believe what you've written above

It was all about hiding some agenda which was really about pissing off the Russians, and shame on Bush for prolonging this crap.

Do your part for global warming: ban beans and hold all popcorn farts.

[rushmc 23]

Well?

Which one???

"America will never be destroyed from the outside,
if we falter and lose our freedoms,
it will be because we destroyed ourselves."
Abraham Lincoln

[SpeedRacer 1]

same Obama. different decision based on:

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Gates, who as Bush's defense secretary had recommended and publicly embraced the longer-range system, said the option chosen by Obama could be implemented several years earlier and would be more effective, especially since the threat of long-range missiles from Iran is no longer believed to be as imminent.

"It is more adapted to the threat we see developing, and takes advantage of" the latest technology available to the United States, Gates said.

YES sometimes decisions get changed. Doesn't matter whether the President is a Dem or a Rep.

Before GWB launched the invasion of Iraq in the Spring of 2003, he predicted that there would be virtually no American casualties. Finally in 2007, he changed his mind about that based on new information (3000+ actual American casualties) and the surge was started. Same Bush, but a changed decision based on listening to new info.


Took him over 4 years to listen, but he eventually picked up on what was going on.


And I'd also like to add: if those on the political Right want to maintain any credibility as people who want to uphold the vision of the Founding Fathers & stop Big Government Programs, they should not support the idea that it is America's job to garrison the entire planet.

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[rushmc 23]

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same Obama. different decision based on:

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Gates, who as Bush's defense secretary had recommended and publicly embraced the longer-range system, said the option chosen by Obama could be implemented several years earlier and would be more effective, especially since the threat of long-range missiles from Iran is no longer believed to be as imminent.

"It is more adapted to the threat we see developing, and takes advantage of" the latest technology available to the United States, Gates said.

YES sometimes decisions get changed. Doesn't matter whether the President is a Dem or a Rep.

Before GWB launched the invasion of Iraq in the Spring of 2003, he predicted that there would be virtually no American casualties. Finally in 2007, he changed his mind about that based on new information (3000+ actual American casualties) and the surge was started. Same Bush, but a changed decision based on listening to new info.


Took him over 4 years to listen, but he eventually picked up on what was going on.


And I'd also like to add: if those on the political Right want to maintain any credibility as people who want to uphold the vision of the Founding Fathers & stop Big Government Programs, they should not support the idea that it is America's job to garrison the entire planet.

Some of your points I agree with. If more can be done with less using better planning or technology that should be a no brainer.

Gotta wonder about the timing however.

"America will never be destroyed from the outside,
if we falter and lose our freedoms,
it will be because we destroyed ourselves."
Abraham Lincoln

[quade 4]

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Gotta wonder about the timing however.

Economy is in the dumps and we don't need to spend the money.

When would be a better time?

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[justinb138 0]

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And I'd also like to add: if those on the political Right want to maintain any credibility as people who want to uphold the vision of the Founding Fathers & stop Big Government Programs, they should not support the idea that it is America's job to garrison the entire planet.

Please don't believe that the people who support big government programs, regardless of their intent, are the political right, even if that's the party they claim to represent.

As far as credibility in Washington goes, I can count the number of people I believe to be credible on one hand.

[rushmc 23]

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Gotta wonder about the timing however.

Economy is in the dumps and we don't need to spend the money.

When would be a better time?

Eyes wide shut my friend.

To the left, symbolism over substance flies most days

"America will never be destroyed from the outside,
if we falter and lose our freedoms,
it will be because we destroyed ourselves."
Abraham Lincoln