Another win for Obama

d-ray657 · #1 03-25-2010, 08:08 AM

It looks like the President's effectiveness is building momentum. The US and Russia have agreed on the first major nuclear arms control agreement in 20 years.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...032401535.html

Regards,

D-Ray

finnbow · #2 03-25-2010, 08:39 AM

It'll be interesting to hear the GOP spin on this one - soft on defense, caving to the Russians, etc., as if the 1600 remaining nukes envisioned by this treaty ain't enough to guarantee security.

noonereal · #3 03-25-2010, 08:47 AM

I am sure they will praise Mrs Clinton.

Zeke · #4 03-25-2010, 09:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by finnbow

It'll be interesting to hear the GOP spin on this one - soft on defense, caving to the Russians, etc., as if the 1600 remaining nukes envisioned by this treaty ain't enough to guarantee security.

Glasnost!!! Perestroika!!!

Oh, wait...

You're right: we could still turn Russia into ruin, if necessary.

I look forward to the spin...

finnbow · #5 03-25-2010, 09:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zeke

You're right: we could still turn Russia into ruin, if necessary.

And vice versa.

Charles · #6 03-25-2010, 10:00 AM

I can't help but think that this is not an end itself, but the means to an end.

Wonder what the package deal is?

Chas

finnbow · #7 03-25-2010, 10:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Charles

I can't help but think that this is not an end itself, but the means to an end.

Wonder what the package deal is?

Chas

I think it is inextricably linked with the shit-canning of Star Wars in Poland and the Czech Republic. I believe I heard that there are tentative plans to sign the treaty in Prague in order to throw the Czechs a bone after the demise of the Star Wars bases there.

piece-itpete · #8 03-25-2010, 10:18 AM

The treaty, tempest in teapot

No one needs the amount of weapons we both have anyway.

And why would we walk away from missile defense?

Pete

finnbow · #9 03-25-2010, 10:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by piece-itpete

And why would we walk away from missile defense?

Three reasons:

1. It's destabilizing. It upsets the MAD (mutual assured destruction) paradigm and makes other nuclear states nervous and more prone to increase and improve their arsenals.

2. It's extraordinarily expensive, hasn't been proven to work (except in a few "canned" tests between Vandenberg AFB and Kwajalein), and is very easy to trick with dummy multiple warheads.

3. A ground based system doesn't have the flexibility of an ship-based system that has advantages both in deployment and targeting missiles in their vulnerable launch phase.

The American public has been sold a bill of goods on the whole Star Wars thing. We've been working on it for 30 years and have spent countless billions and have not yet developed a reliable, foolproof system.

What's puzzling to me is that Star Wars has become an article of faith for the GOP, a party that is inherently skeptical about science and government competency. Star Wars is the most complex and expensive thing the government has ever attempted IMHO.

Zeke · #10 03-25-2010, 10:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by piece-itpete

And why would we walk away from missile defense?

This may sound aluminum foil hattery, but here's my theory.

For the same reason we walk away from any, known, weapons system: there's something better that we DON'T know about...