The Gipper's Win

IBD ^ | February 21, 2008

[Kaslin]

SDI: A destroyed satellite attests to the prowess of U.S. technology and our ability to defend ourselves. Democrats said it wouldn't work. Adversaries say it's provocative. Somewhere Ronald Reagan must be smiling

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Rarely is military technology put to so public a test with so much riding on its success or failure. With the whole world watching, a modified Standard Missile-3 was launched Wednesday night from a Navy cruiser in the North Pacific, its target a spy satellite in a decaying orbit headed to Earth full of hazardous hydrazine fuel.

Deputy National Security Adviser James Jeffrey discounted any comparison with an anti-satellite test conducted by the Chinese last year. "This is all about trying to reduce the danger to human beings," Jeffrey said. Some say the U.S. was just using the situation to test its missile defense. We say, "So what?" This also is about reducing the danger to America.

This wasn't officially a missile defense test, though critics have tried to paint it as such — notably the hypocritical Chinese, who've conducted their own tests of anti-satellite missiles, and the ever-anxious Russians. The SM-3 was designed to intercept ballistic missiles, but the sensor and software modifications to hit a falling satellite are different from those needed to hit an incoming warhead.

[TalBlack]

“Star Wars” was itself a term of derision for SDI but I well remember it’s left wing detractors sneering that “the President expects to hit a bullet with a bullet!”

One “bullet” down.

[MtnClimber]

I bet there will be less coverage of this in the MSM than the coverage given to the first test failures.

[gate2wire]

Some say the U.S. was just using the situation to test its missile defense. We say, "So what?"

Couldn't agree more. Go Navy.

[Oldexpat]

Just wait til Osbama or Hillary is Pres. They will sell the whole system to the Chicoms for 2012 campaign contributions. Plus a little for the old CH bank account.

[jveritas]

A dream that was made possible by President George W Bush.

God bless Presidents Reagan and Bush.

[RDTF]

thanks Ronnie!

[gate2wire]

Yes.

[Enterprise]

China was whining and wanted the data. A FReeper posted, regarding China, “All you satellites belong to us.” So I have to wonder a little if that is somewhat prescient. China has reported to have been conducting tests to blind U.S. satellites. This might have been one of many possible responses the U.S. has delivered.

[neodad]

A dream that was made possible by President George W Bush.

Yes, Withdrawing from the ABM treaty has been overlooked to long.

[Falcon4.0]

The sad part is that their whole objection to the system was and is their disdain for one man. One GREAT Man.

[FlingWingFlyer]

I’m pretty excited about what the Navy did and am really enjoying the Navy and government’s line about “we only made a few adjustments and software changes to do this. We’ll change it back to the way it was.” That is an outstanding response to their critics.

[Mr. K]

I had to search here to find they had already done it- I have never seen the press so underwhelmed by SDI

[Donald Rumsfeld Fan]

SDI: A destroyed satellite attests to the prowess of U.S. technology and our ability to defend ourselves. Democrats said it wouldn't work. Adversaries say it's provocative. Somewhere Ronald Reagan must be smiling.

[who_would_fardels_bear]

The real crime is that we have this technology already, and even better and we aren't using it as much as we can.

If the Israeli's had allowed us to deploy this technology before the last war with Hamas, then they would have been able to shoot all of the missiles out of the sky and wouldn't have needed to go into Lebanon.

It would have been a win for everyone.

[HANG THE EXPENSE]

Thank God for RR.Boy do we need him now.

[mysterio]

Have been watching youtube vids of the 1980 primaries instead of the current ones from time to time. There are lots of them.

I was 6 years old in 1980. My dad watched a lot of it and I saw some of it, but being a little kid, I didn't really understand a lot of it at the time.

[Finatic]

Ronald Wilson Reagan was my Commander in Chief from 1983-1987 and he has been a guiding force in my life ever since.

[HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity]

"Democrats said it wouldn't work. Adversaries say it's provocative. Somewhere Ronald Reagan must be smiling."

Reagan's SDI Speech: March 23, 1983

Ridiculed by Democrats and liberals as Reagan's personal fantasy. Phil Donahue ran clips of battle scenes of the Millenium Falcon from the Star Wars movie when Dan Graham was a guest to discuss SDI. As usual, Phil Donahue was wrong and Reagan and Graham were right.

[tlb]

>>>If the Israeli’s had allowed us to deploy this technology before the last war with Hamas, then they would have been able to shoot all of the missiles out of the sky and wouldn’t have needed to go into Lebanon.

Afraid that’s apples and oranges. The Hamas rockets they pound Israel with are essentially large bottle rockets, not ballistic missiles. Small, cheap, short range, and very numerous. Israel already has anti missile batteries of Patriots and Arrows. They are useless against these things. SM3s would be no better.