Does anybody really think that North Korea is going to shoot their missile test at America? This is not only grandstanding, it’s probably the administration figuring that once they turn it on, they’ll never have to turn it off or justify its existence ever again.
The United States has activated its ground-based interceptor missile-defense system amid concerns over an expected North Korean missile launch, a U.S. defense official said on Tuesday.
The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed a Washington Times report that the Pentagon has switched the multibillion-dollar system from test mode to operational, after being in the developmental stage for years.
“It’s good to be ready,” the official said.
Asked whether the United States would try to shoot down a North Korean missile, Pentagon press secretary Eric Ruff declined to answer directly.
“We have a limited missile defense system,” Ruff said. “We don’t discuss the alert status or the specific capabilities.”
If it doesn’t work properly, why activate it at all?
Although we can’t know for certain till we’re a week or so down the line, press reports from South Korea, this morning, say they’re not confident the North Koreans even fueled the rocket on the launching pad. It may not be fired at all.
I think this whole project is another muli-gazillion dollar boondoggle — more of our heard-earned tax dollars down a rat hole.
In light of the context, I’m not certain how else we should respond. It seems to me a farily appropriate (and benign) response.
“Does anybody really think that North Korea is going to shoot their missile test at America? This is not only grandstanding, it’s probably the administration figuring that once they turn it on, they’ll never have to turn it off or justify its existence ever again.”
You know what wold be a great idea, lets just get rid of all our military that would make all the world feel better, and then maybe everyone else will get rid of there stuff to………..get real…….wow how foolish……people complain that the gov’t is setting all this stuff up, but if they did shoot a missile over here then the first complaint would be that the gov’t was not ready to protect you. You cant have it both ways….
The North Koreans have launched missiles over other countries before. They’ve even sent troops into South Korea. YOu can’t be too sure what they’ll do. You don’t think North Korea would consider launching a rocket our direction? It’s a reasonable way to make a threat against a country that is threatening you. The Chinese did it verbally 10 years ago. Now what if they mess up the missile and actually hit something? Setting up this defense system and announcing it beforehand scares them off, and now there’s no chance of a war starting.
N. Korea made it a point to spell out that this missle has the capability to reach America. If by purpose or by technical error, I for one would rather have a missle defense system up and running. I am with you Rob (previous poster)
“You know what wold be a great idea, lets just get rid of all our military that would make all the world feel better”
Don’t laugh, there is actually a city official in San Francisco that believes this.
Have we ever shot an ICBM down with this anit-missle (or any anti-missle) system? Most of the reports I’ve seen say we can’t even hit our drone targets.
We certainly poured enough $’s down the drain with this. R&D on this is OK. But building systems without some credible idea if they will work is foolish.
Let’s spend billions on an anti-missle system when we are going to know exactly where the launch came from and who did it and not spend money on the less sexy inpsecting containers coming into the country which is much more likely scenario. It’s much easier to get a bomb in a container than on a missle.
So we are trembling in our boots over a single missile? A single test firing? What a bunch of pussies.
So what happens in the pansy-ass scenario? Let’s say N. Korea launches a single missile for the first time and it actually functions 100% and takes out Anchorage. Now, everyone knows N. Korea did it, so we can bomb them back with impunity. (We’ll use a lot more than one missile, too.)
Their leader may be crazy, but he isn’t stupid.
This entire debate is based on using FEAR over logic. The big bad evil guys are going to attack us, and only if we huddle under a magic missile umbrella with wires in our ass (to ensure the government we aren’t terrorists) can we be sure we’re safe.
This is nothing but smoke and mirrors from the administration.
“You cant have it both ways”
My thoughts exactly rob….
When all the “patriots” get through peeing their pants, they might consider reading a bit more about the quality of this missle defense system that is pouring tons of money down the usual military-industrial rathole.
Every test, so far — whether they actually hit anything or not — included feeding the full set of launch coordinates and tracking data from the “enemy” missile into the control system for the “defending” missle battery.
Something a little bit less than likely in any scenario in the real world.
“This entire debate is based on using FEAR over logic.”
What do you think it is that drives the public to do anything? Its fear. plain and simple. Unless you have a fear that something in your life will be disrupted, the average American will do nothing to better or protect themselves…..People as a whole are very fearful of everything. If you don’t believe me go into a crowded room and yell fire then start running for the door. If the govt. does not placate those fears then people will say that there govt. is not doing enough for them. They expect protection
To those in the group that think we should throw away our military….grow up. There are always wars to be fought, and I’d like to be in a country where we have the best tools and a lot of financing to make sure we are safe.
I remember all of the hippie liberals after 9/11 complaining we weren’t safe…well now we are stepping up security and you cry about that. Move to Canada, please
Then where were the screams for missile defense during the Cold War? The threat of missiles was much higher then.
When did people become such whiny losers? “Ooh, Jerk P. Butthead the leader of assholeitania just threatened to attack us with all three of their boats, let’s close every harbor in the US to be sure they can’t hurt us.”
No country in their right mind would attack us with a missile or any other frontal method anyway. Why launch a literal smoking gun when you can just sponsor terrorism?
The missile shield is not just an example of pandering war profiteering, it is also an example of developing technology to fight the last war.
We don’t need a ballistic-missile defense. We would do far better spending those billions on a more effective shipping-container screening system. (Or maybe a military force that was properly equipped.)
I am for a strong military. I’m only against boondoggles. I find it humorous that those challenging me go straight to the ad-hominem attack as anti-military or -american. Maybe if you guys had something intelligent to add besides trying to create equivalence between a poorly-performing overpriced mismanaged missile defense and our regular military forces, which truly need our support.
People were saying Bush let 9/11 happen so he could use it as an excuse to attack Iraq. What would people say if Bush launched a counterattack against North Korea when they found out he could have had a missile defense system up and running at the time but chose not to do so?
“No country in their right mind would attack us with a missile or any other frontal method anyway.”
North Korea, in my opinion, is certainly not “in their right mind”.
You are both acting as if this system will work.
Wouldn’t it be incredibly bad for us to try and hit the Korean ICBM and miss?
What do you think it is that drives the public to do anything? Its fear. plain and simple.
That might be your motivation and rational for your own fear, but it is not mine or any normal person. Fear is something we use when we don’t know better. For example, “Fear the Lord thy God” or when the people we elect want to control us.
Yes, I am afraid of the consequences of losing my job, having a serious car accident, or my wife dieing. I don’t them control my life however. I acknowledge the possibilities but work to make their probability of happening even less likely. It is my wife’s love, my truly enjoyable job, and the joy of a get away drive that motivate me.
You must live a very sheltered life hiding under a rock in fear.
“You must live a very sheltered life hiding under a rock in fear.”
I never said that it was fear that drives me. My point is that people as a whole, especially masses of people are driven by fear and panic in stressful situations, not rational thought. You by yourself may be able to think clearly and do what is best, but why do you think that they say if you see a person drowning that you should not just jump in the water and help them rather extend them a pole of something, because if you get near them they will take both of you down. See my point. Groups of people made up of rational and normal people still panic and do stupid things like trample each other to get out of a burning building
Regarding Smartalix post #14 1st paragraph:
Do you not remember “Star Wars” aka the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) that President Reagan started to defeat the “Evil Empire” U.S.S.R?!? This current system is version 2.0.
Rob, you are wrong in this. N korea will never launch a missle this way. They may act like it but they know what would happen with Bush if they did this. they are hoping that but flexing thier muscles a bit they can make people have some doubt and then they can work the system. We have a president that thinks nothing of his people and the williness to go blow shit up.
No country would do a single missle attack on us. It would be t oeasy for us to fight back and be corect in doing it. N Korea wants the world to have doubts and think twice. The last thing they would do is force someone to consider a attack. They will play thier games and continue.
Even terriosts know that you can only attack american certain ways. Open warfare will not work. It would be to hard to take enough of the US out for us not to counter attack. As you know when we counter attack we level the ground. All this is is a game to N Korea. the US responds like the dumb ass we are with the missle defense. Hell who knows maybe they will play the “small ass country being picked on by big country” card.
The location of the US, as people know, makes a attack of any sort very hard. So have your defense system if it helps you sleep. That is what its about.
Getting a good nights sleep
‘If it doesn’t work properly, why activate it at all?’
What kind of question is that? If we only launched stuff that worked, we wouldn’t be using Windows XP, let alone testing Vista again.
Chris,
I agree there is no way that N. Korea would launch a single missile at us. My point is that if you are not prepared for anything and something does happen then you are caught with your pants down. I would rather be over prepared then stuck. Activating the missile defense is more political that anything. Bush wants people to feel like they are being protected. That is the only thing that he has left.
“I agree there is no way that N. Korea would launch a single missile at us. ”
Am I the only one that watched Team America? That Kim dude’s NUTS! I think a lot of us are putting too much credence in the rhetoric coming from both sides. Granted, the N.Korean’s missles made from plywood and our missle system is running off an old Amiga 500… I doubt that actualities matter much in diplomacy.
Does anybody really think that North Korea is going to shoot their missile test at America?
I do!
Why?
Because it happened a few years ago: http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/nation/200303/kt2003030417272311970.htm
Let’s pretend the other 24 previous posts weren’t made and start this over.
The thing I’ve noticed about all of this buildup is that while our government is taking appropriate and prudent precautions, the whole thing seems to have an alert level somewhat below the orange levels we used to have regularly for terrorism. The upshot seems to be some sort of tacit admission that maybe Kim Jong-il isn’t really the madman he was always demonized to be by our political leaders.
I’ve come to realize that the term “madman” is a political tool which relieves us of the responsibility of dealing with a foreign leader in a rational way, since they are “obviously” capable of wildly irrational behavior themselves. Hussein isn’t quite as mad as we were led to believe, and apparently seems mentally competent to stand trial after all.
14 Then where were the screams for missile defense during the Cold War?
Well, some people did want them, but they were specifically prohibited by the ABM [Anti-Ballistic Missile] treaty.
The fear was that one side would build a defense system that made it feel safe from the opposing-sides missles – and therefore safe to do what they wanted. [Which is why other countries disliked Reagan’s Star Wars initiative – because the US might feel safe enough to throw its weight around]
ABM treaty was what allowed the insanity of Mutual Assured Distruction [MAD] to prevail – with both sides concentrating on building enough over-kill capability that a first strike wouldn’t knock out all the retaliatory capability [and hiding missles on submarines, and on moveable launchers]
We only have our current, test-failing system because Bush pulled the plug on the ABM treaty… [everything changed after 9/11, don cha know?]
http://tinyurl.com/z3bc5
A few years ago, James? Actually about 8 years ago. If you read beyond the bloggers and one South Korean politician, you’ll find testimony from the Pentagon before Congress in 1998 about NK’s failed attempt to launch a satellite.
Your article in 2003 was about the discovery of the remnants of the 3rd stage of that failed launch.
Considering that the missile defense system has not hit one target during test, I would have a few F-16s on hand for a back up system.
N. Korea’s missile could possibly make it to Alaska or Hawaii. On a good day with a smaller payload, the missile might make it to the west coast. Since no one knows the quality of this missile and how far it will actually go, it is reasonable for the Americans to jump off into the deep end and drown. Raise the threat color level to the highest color so Amercians will know how to prepare for the missile test. Establish a nationwide curfew and declare martial law.
Freakin chicken littles always make me laugh. Where I live I have a greater chance of being killed by lightning or a hurricane than by a missile test
I call first highlander II reference!
“There can be only one.” (Korea that is)
Don’t lose your head (Dr. Kim that is)
INEVITABLE! (we will BURY you – with our defence spending)
Peas on earth – J