I think it is StarWars. The Times, the dems, and all America-haters know that, once we have a missle shield, we are truly the super power.NMD would make us a lot safer from the likes of NK, but the only way it would really hurt the Chinese (like the Soviets before them) is if they tried to match it, which they clearly won't try. They'll simply build more ICBMs, fit them with MIRVs, and work on countermeasures.
Remember, the US is working on a space-based laser constellation that will be aimed at destroying a missile on its boost phase. The boost phase is the phase where the missile is more vulnerable because it would be rising up against gravity. At this stage, it would be very vulnerable from laser attack and MIRV will not work in this stage. Plus, the attacking country would be going against the risk that the destroyed missile would be dropping back over its own territory which would give an attacking country even more pause.
You can read more here:
http://www.globalsecurity.org/space/systems/sbl.htm and
http://www.acq.osd.mil/bmdo/