Missile defence test fails

[Gonzo]

Looks like bad weather and some sort of gliche is a huge advantage to any "axis of evil" wanted to get a missile past the missile defence. Nothing has ever shot down a missile. It doesn't work. Canada would be a chump if we threw our tax dollars into this mess.
http://www.cbc.ca/story/world/national/2004/12/15/missile-defence-041215.html

 

[Reverend Blair]

RE: Missile defence test

So the secret to an attack on the US is to do it when it's raining. What did they do, build the whole thing out of sugar as an ag subsidy?

 

[Gonzo]

They wanted to build one in the 80's and it was scraped. And how many missiles were shot at them from the 1980's until now? 0. Why does Bush want to build one? Lets hope that these failed tests are the nail in the coffin for the so called Missile Defence.

 

[Reverend Blair]

RE: Missile defence test

There are no nails in the coffins of these bastards, Gonz.

We're in the middle of a season of Buffy and the show won't be over until we cut their heads off and drive a spike through their heart.

Even then the bastards will be back in the next season.

I love Buffy analogies...they make me think of Willow. ;-)

 

[Paco]

The first full test in nearly two years of a multibillion-dollar U.S. anti-missile shield failed Wednesday when one missile launched but a second shut down before leaving the ground, the Pentagon says.

Does the CBC always plagiarize Reuters? Well, not plagiarize exactly, but it is so close it should stand up in court as copyright infringement.

The interceptor missile system shut down automatically (intentionally) because of an inability to monitor performance of a boost stage rocket detected during pre-launch system checks. The boost stage might have worked or it might not. Any test of such magnitude requires monitoring all mission critical systems so that the necessary data can be examined. The mission was scrubbed, not failed.

In Wednesday's test, a target missile carrying a mock warhead was successfully launched from Kodiak, Alaska, shortly before 1 a.m. ET, according to a statement from the agency.

The aborted test seemed likely to set back plans to activate the system, meant to fend off long-range ballistic missiles.

Unfortunately, an expensive target was lost, and somebody is getting their butt chewed. But the main system remains intact for for another day. Expect this test to be rescheduled as soon as a new target is available.

 

[no1important]

Bwaaaaa!

 

[Reverend Blair]

RE: Missile defence test

Paco:

You have a system that doesn't work, has angered the world, is starting a news arms race, and is costing you a gazillion or so in taxes.

Thump your chest and be happy.

 

[Just the Facts]

Re: RE: Missile defence test

Paco:

You have a system that doesn't work, has angered the world, is starting a news arms race, and is costing you a gazillion or so in taxes.

Thump your chest and be happy.

If it already worked it wouldn't be much of an issue now, would it? Should we shut down all the Cancer Research Centres? Apparently they don't work.

 

[Gonzo]

Cancer research has worked. People have lived longer and in some cases beaten cancer because of it. Cancer research is for the greater good. Missile defence isn't. No one has shot a missile at the US or Canada. You cant compare the two.
But they should take all that money they're waisting in Missile defence and put it into cancer research.

 

[Reverend Blair]

RE: Missile defence test

If they find a cure for cancer, all those big pharma companies will be out billions, Gonzo.

Cancer research does save lives though. Starting new arms races puts lives at risk.

By the way, Facts, not only doesn;t this system work now, but a whole lot of scientists are saying that it won't work anytime soon either. It's just a step towards weaponizing space.

 

[Just the Facts]

Cancer research has worked. People have lived longer and in some cases beaten cancer because of it.

Ahh ha!! So, we have incremental steps of progress which benefits mankind along the way, even though the final goal (shooting down missiles) has not been achieved (millions still dying of cancer).

I agree if we could do away with all evil and instruments of war and have a space race instead of arms race and put money into health research instead of defense I'd be all for it. If you can make that happen, I'm 100% behind you.

There was aleady a thread on this issue a while ago so I don't want to rehash the whole thing, but basically researching missile defense will create spin-off technological achievements. I don't really give a rat's about missile defense in general, I'm on the fence. Would our money be better spent building a submarine factory or putting together another team to build fighters or choppers like the folks at Avro, sure, that would be great. Unfortunately I don't see that happening though. As long as the U.S. is gonna spend a ton of money on Missile Defense, we may as well be on board. We're not gonna stop weaponization of space any more than we were able to stop weaponization of anything else, so it's really a moo point ( little joey reference there).

 

[Gonzo]

We could save our money though. Not joining the Americans wouldn't be bad. We didn't join in Iraq, America was upset, but nothing happened. We're better of then they are now because we didn't join them going down that road. If they want to blow there money, fine. But we shouldn't.

 

[Andem]

Well Gonzo, just take a look at this:


Numbers which explain the US's current financial situation:

Deep in Debt, Caught in a Net

This old English proverb concisely describes the financial condition of many Americans. Household debt is rising at an 8.8 percent annual rate, home mortgage debt at 14.2 percent. Total debt in the United States doubled from 1998 to 2002, from $16 trillion to $32 trillion and may double again in the next five years. The Federal government, which sets the pace, reported a $555 deficit for the 2003 fiscal year; its total debt is given at $6.783 trillion. For the next two years the budget deficits are estimated at $566 billion to $644 billion each, which should increase its total debt to more than $8 trillion, or some $27,000 for every man, woman, and child.

Source

China and other countries have cut their hold of the US debt by selling treasury notes; Proof that other countries are probably no longer going to continue to support US debt:

Indonesia may reduce dollars and U.S. notes in its foreign- exchange reserves should the currency continue to drop, said Aslim Tadjuddin, deputy governor for monetary policy at the central bank. Treasuries also dropped earlier today after China Business News reported a central bank official said China had cut its holdings of U.S. debt. The official later denied the report.

Source

The worst choice Canada could make is following the same path as the United States. Iraq cost over 200$ billion, it's still costing.

Morning Edition, December 16, 2004 · The Congressional Budget Office projects that the cost of the war in Iraq could surpass $80 billion in fiscal 2005. That would send total expenditures for the war past $200 billion. The estimated price tag for the conflict has steadily escalated. Hear NPR's Steve Inskeep.

Source

I never usually play the quoting game, but this is important information. Playing along with missile defense is NOT a walk in the park, we can't afford to make the stupid mistakes the US is making. They actually aren't mistakes because many corporations friendly with the entire Bush administration actually profit from these 'adventures'. Arms, oil, arms, oil, arms, oil. It keeps going.

 

[Paranoid Dot Calm]

Hey! Andem

I checked out the recommended reading that you posted.
That guy Sennholz or whoever is quite the writer, eh?

Calm