And we thought he couldn't get any worse...

http://apnews.excite.com/article/20070605/D8PIODJO0.html

and W has undone it.

well played. ain't dumb, just doing his masters bidding.

cause you know the WOT doesn't justify spending money on the Nuke Portion of the military industrial complex and they've been feeling left out.

and W has undone it.

well played. ain't dumb, just doing his masters bidding.

cause you know the WOT doesn't justify spending money on the Nuke Portion of the military industrial complex and they've been feeling left out.

What a golden opportunity for the Democrats. They can surrender to the Russians and get it right this time. :)

So much to screw up, and so little time

was the sound of Champagne popping at the Committee for the Present Danger

well Snake since your President already surrendered to Osama Bin Laden I don't see what you are so worried about.
How's that Saudi Airbase?

But he and Vlad were such buddies. :(

Had to find something for Condi to put her so-called expertise to work in.

I love when he gave his speech, he referred to Putin as "Vladimir," then stopped and had to add, "That's what I call him - Vladimir." As if somewhere on the planet, there was someone who didn't find that self-evident.

But for once I really don't see this entirely as Bush's fault.

Now, I will grant that Putin's recent posturing is obviously in response to Bush's various nation building efforts. ISTR Bush saying that he would not participate in nation building, yet that's pretty much all he has done.

But if democratic reforms are derailed in Russia that's on Putin, not Bush. And quite frankly, if Russia is so bothered by this missile defense shield over Europe then maybe they should help us put the squeeze on Iran to quit building nukes.

Of course, I don't think Reagan deserves credit for the failure of Communism either. Reagan was just the weatherman when the storm broke.

Of course, I don't think Reagan deserves credit for the failure of Communism either. Reagan was just the weatherman when the storm broke.

There were a lot of reasons for the fall of the USSR, but you greatly undervalue Reagan's impact. His long history of strident anti-Communist politics made him the right man at the right time, and there is no question that he delivered the death blow.

If it's any comfort for Vlad, the system doesn't seem to work...

There were a lot of reasons for the fall of the USSR, but you greatly undervalue Reagan's impact. His long history of strident anti-Communist politics made him the right man at the right time, and there is no question that he delivered the death blow.Meh.

What did he do exactly, besides spend gajillions on military contracts? The Soviets couldn't hope to match us. The Soviets knew it, and so did we. It was all just a show for the American people and a windfall for the US military industrial complex. In terms of foreign policy the only really positive things I can think of that Reagan did was cut-and-run out of Lebanon and punish Khadafi for his support of terrorism.

But this isn't about Reagan, it's about Putin and Bush. Sure Bush sucks, but Putin sucks even worser. We are fortunate that we have W instead of Vlad.

If it's any comfort for Vlad, the system doesn't seem to work...
That's impossible to qualify, given the fact no one's ever successfully launched an ICBM against the US.

That's impossible to qualify, given the fact no one's ever successfully launched an ICBM against the US.
Well, it works as well as my bear repellent I wear every day. So far I've never even seen a bear...

That's impossible to qualify, given the fact no one's ever successfully launched an ICBM against the US.

Well, they do test the things, you know.

Meh.

What did he do exactly, besides spend gajillions on military contracts? The Soviets couldn't hope to match us. The Soviets knew it, and so did we. It was all just a show for the American people and a windfall for the US military industrial complex. In terms of foreign policy the only really positive things I can think of that Reagan did was cut-and-run out of Lebanon and punish Khadafi for his support of terrorism.

But this isn't about Reagan, it's about Putin and Bush. Sure Bush sucks, but Putin sucks even worser. We are fortunate that we have W instead of Vlad.

I think Rock and roll and levis were as important as reagan

Well, it works as well as my bear repellent I wear every day. So far I've never even seen a bear...

Careful Silas - thems thar bearz are in your town...

Twins (http://www.sfzoo.org/new/#486)

Well, they do test the things, you know.

It's just that they've never hit an incoming ballistic missile in their tests.

It's just that they've never hit an incoming ballistic missile in their tests.
You might want to do a little reading up on that. They've hit many (often against more complex targets than the enemy is currently capable of firing off) with several different systems.

I know it's fashionable to dismiss missile defense as a Ronald Raygun pipedream, but missile defense has been serious business ever since the first salvo of V1s rained down on London. The hundreds of thousands of engineers and scientists who devote their careers to this effort aren't quacks or (worse) right wing partisan nutjobs.

In fact, the Clinton administration gave these efforts MORE funding than Bush. The difference now is, NK and Iran are simultaneously developing long range missiles AND nuclear weapons. Any president would be a fool not to consider putting a field of interceptor missiles between us and Iran. And 'consider' is all he's doing.

Back on topic, Putin is keenly aware that a tiny interceptor missile field in Europe is only slightly more than useless against his countless fleets of MIRVed ICBMs (which are based in much better geographically strategic locations). He's merely looking for economic concessions on the world stage.

Back on topic, Putin is keenly aware that a tiny interceptor missile field in Europe is only slightly more than useless against his countless fleets of MIRVed ICBMs (which are based in much better geographically strategic locations). He's merely looking for economic concessions on the world stage.

Ding...Ding...Ding...Ding!

As EMerckx rightly puts it MAD is still very much assured. The problem is that the U.S. thought they could forget about our friends from Russia all the while forgetting how it smarts to lose an empire to a Scorpions tune.

The problem is that the U.S. thought they could forget about our friends from Russia all the while forgetting how it smarts to lose an empire to a Scorpions tune.
But we haven't forgotten about Russia. The US sent dozens of delegations to meet with Russia on this issue. Russia has even been invited to join the US in its missile defense efforts.

Putin's public statements are far from strategic/Cold War issues. This is purely about economics. Prediction: Russia will get generous (yet wholly unrelated) trade concessions and the issue will quietly die. The next issues to boil up will be Czech and Polish parliamentary struggles, followed by NATO gripes from Germany and France (who would prefer the requisite US troops spending money in their economies).

The missile defense system in the Czech Replublic would be a brick in the Grand Canyon if Russia decided to launch missiles at someone. It is just not designed for that. It is designed to shootdown a very small number of missiles coming from nations in SW Asia. The design has been tested and it works. Putin is in big trouble in Russia. He is deflecting the criticism by aiming it at the largest target of criticism in the world, us. We may have issues in our government with regards to trust, but we don't have to fear the overthrow of our political system. Putin does.

A lot of the problems in Russia can be traced to the demands that the US put on them after the collapse of communism, but that is another post.

A lot of the problems in Russia can be traced to the demands that the US put on them after the collapse of communism, but that is another post.



And that is a post I would like to read, should you have the time and desire.

And that is a post I would like to read, should you have the time and desire.

I wish I could. I am living on a ship in Italy and don't have my books. It has been a while since I studied it, but basically the West (mostly us) put pressure on Yeltsin to reform Russia in a rapid manner. This caused a push towards privatization too early before the infrastructure (banking, investment, etc) was ready to adequately support this expansion. This resulted in many monetary crises and made foreign investors wary of doing business.

You might want to do a little reading up on that. They've hit many (often against more complex targets than the enemy is currently capable of firing off) with several different systems.

.

yeah, as long as the incoming missile had a tracking signal that the interceptor missile could hone in on. without that, they've had dismal results.

yeah, as long as the incoming missile had a tracking signal that the interceptor missile could hone in on. without that, they've had dismal results.
This is an absolute myth. Sure, there were homing overlay experiments done in the 60s and 80s, but the interceptors in today's tests only rely on data that is independent of range safety beacons.

In order to believe this myth, you'd need to believe that the thousands of engineers designing and developing these systems (and tests) are complicit in a gigantic conspiracy. Yeah, I'd stake my career and reputation on a big joke? Don't you think the GAO would find something and inform congress? Oh, they're in on it too, along with the operational test agency, and others. Yep, it's one big expensive quack science project.

Ding...Ding...Ding...Ding!

As EMerckx rightly puts it MAD is still very much assured. The problem is that the U.S. thought they could forget about our friends from Russia all the while forgetting how it smarts to lose an empire to a Scorpions tune.

after the Scorpions had gone frickin' soft

Ulle Roth ruled, so did having Michael Schencker sit in. Lovedrive, now that was an album