Posted on 08/12/2014 5:35:28 PM PDT by grundle
Liberals scoffed in 1983 when President Ronald Reagan first proposed the Strategic Defense Initiative missile defense system. They called it "Star Wars" and claimed the technology was fictional. Other critics took a different tack, arguing that Star Wars would be harmful if it did work because it would upset the delicate nuclear balance between the United States and Soviet Union.
The Soviets depended on the threat of mutual assured destruction in order to maintain diplomatic parity with a wealthier, more advanced adversary. To disturb that balance, some analysts argued, would destabilize the international order. Of course, the Soviets, whose entire system of government was rooted in the use of terror, opposed even a shared American-Soviet missile defense system for precisely this reason.
Three decades after Reagan's landmark proposal, the technical issue is moot. This week, the world has watched Israel's Iron Dome system -- partially funded by the U.S. and incorporating U.S. technology -- perform remarkably well against more than 1,000 Hamas rockets fired from the Gaza Strip. When rockets are launched, Iron Dome calculates almost instantly whether they are headed for populated areas, then intercepts them as needed. The Israeli military says Iron Dome has been 87 to 90 percent effective and is the key reason why there's been only one Israeli civilian fatality.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonexaminer.com ...
God bless Ronald Reagan and God bless America.
Liberals may have scoffed at the idea in 1981, but they are plenty torqued off now that Jewish lives ARE being saved.
Quite ironic.
I’d love to ask Caliph Baraq how he feels about his “epic” early 80s discourse in the Columbia U. Magazine trashing Reagan and missile defense.
Hogwash! SDI was invented by BamBam Barry. Why do you think he got the nobel peace prize?
During the 1980s I skipped past the media (that despised and ridiculed it) and past any pathetic attempt that I could make to understand the science, and I studied the Soviet reaction to it, to decide if it was plausible.
The Russians were frantic over it, absolutely and completely frantic and raging over it, they seemed to see it as sure defeat, and so I accepted their science knowledge and their determination for it’s chances of success.
But the BIGGEST MISSILE DEFENSE DENIER of the 1980s is still in business.
Claims that nearly all these interceptors are actually MISSING the incoming. One problem though, why no damage in Israel?
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/israel-iron-dome-research-intercepts
When are we going to realize that these lefties don't actually believe most of the garbage they spew. Their aim is to get the masses to believe it. Lefties want a weaken America. They don't want the technology to work.
I see the resident slanderer has shown up.
The Leftist media mockingly labeled Reagan’s idea “Star Wars” because they thought he was too stupid to know the difference between the movie and reality. The brilliant people in the media sneered that “you can’t hit a missile with a missile.”
They never admitted they were the stupid ones when the first interceptor missiles shot from Vandenberg AFB did hit other missiles in tests over the Pacific. Those old Leftists still around must think about how wrong they were, as they watch the spectacular success of Israel’s Iron Dome. But they will never admit it.
Don’t stalk people at FR.
SDI was a deciding factor in bringing down the Russians, along with Reagan challenging them all over the globe, and rolling them back, SDI seemed to undercut their foundations at that critical point.
I’m not stalking, the mods can check the click path by with I stumbled across a slanderer, you.
Gee, suddenly you’re all worried about appearances.
Where was that worry when you slandered me?
Where was that worry when I gave you chances to back up your slandering, and then you ran away?
There is no doubt about that, Russian officials acknowledged as much after the collapse of the Soviet Union. They had no way of matching American technology involved in SDI. Reagan broke the back of the Soviet economy when they tried to keep pace with his military buildup.
Be a big girl, I never called the mods on you for slandering me.
Rather than call the mods, I gave you a chance to prove it wasn’t slander, instead you chose to run away.
Seriously stalking, you need to stop it.
Yep, and Reagan played it masterfully.
No, they will crack a bottle of wine from their collection while they listen to Prairie Home Companion, and not worry as they are getting a good Pension from some College that your kid can't get in now.....
There were some really cool ideas that were under development during those days. Sadly, only a very few made it to the field...due to the usual culprits, i.e., funding constraints, changing administrations, etc. Congress (both sides) think you can develop the tech and shelve it. And then turn on full scale production at a moment’s notice.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.