Posted on 06/29/2006 4:34:29 PM PDT by Aussie Dasher
Ronald Reagan's vision that the United States would one day need a missile defense system was again validated last week when North Korea assembled and fueled a missile capable of delivering a nuclear weapon to American cities.
On March 23, 1983, President Reagan announced from the Oval Office, "I've reached a decision which offers a new hope for our children in the 21st century." He explained his vision -- and his defense budget's inclusion -- of the genesis of this nation's missile defense effort.
Liberals, and most of the media, derided the president's project as "Star Wars." Reagan's visionary effort, which included men like Edward Teller as an adviser, proposed to assemble "the best and brightest" minds of American technology to master what critics considered the impossible dream: the in-flight destruction of ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons headed toward the United States from hostile shores.
Now, again a grateful nation can pause to thank President Reagan.
Just last week, these activities underscored the success of this long struggle to master the difficult technological challenges of missile defense; challenges similar to those encountered by President Kennedy's decision to put men on the moon:
A U.S. Navy AEGIS cruiser at-sea detected, tracked and destroyed a ballistic missile. In eight at-sea tests, the Navy has been successful seven times.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
bttt
When Reagan proposed SDI the media mocked it relentlessly.
I of course didn't know if it could work or not, so taking a page from General Kutuzov in "War and Peace" I decided to watch the Soviets reaction to it.
The Soviets seemed to believe we could do it and it became the dominant effect on negotiations.
And no less than a former Secretary of Defense in the CLINTON administation, William Perry, said bomb the thing now before they launch. Without Reagan's vision where would we be? And the next Rat in the White House will be glad they have this technology. It WILL be needed.
And, no doubt, will take credit for it too.
What vision Reagan had - and he warned against the Russian energy monopoly in Europe, too.
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