Ground-based mid-course interceptor by Global Network
The Obama administration's announcement that a "missile
defense" base on the east coast of the U.S. will now be studied is the perfect
example of a corporate-driven "solution" searching for a problem.
The studies have been justified by the supposed "nuclear
threats posed by North Korea and Iran".
Using North Korea and Iran as justification for new missile defense
deployments is sketchy since neither of those nations currently have the
ability to launch a rocket able to reach the continental U.S. Nor would they likely fire one even if they
had the capability considering the massive nuclear response that the U.S. could
then unleash.
The east coast basing location for the technically
challenged missile defense interceptor system appears to be either Caribou,
Maine or Fort Drum, New York.
These missile defense systems have not been proven to
work. When Obama first became president
he in fact decided to de-emphasize this Boeing-led program because it had
failed to effectively perform during testing.
This new decision to ramp up the ground-based mid-course interceptor
program appears to be a political decision. It indicates that Boeing has
secured enough Congressional support to put the program in gear once again.
This entire story is a great illustration how our democracy,
and our economy, have become captives of the military industrial complex. We are reminded of Dwight Eisenhower's
warning to us to "beware' of the power of the weapons industry. Further attacks on social progress in the
U.S. will be necessary to pay for these boondoggle deployments.
The Pentagon's missile defense programs are the "shield"
that accompanies U.S. first-strike attack planning. After the first-strike sword is thrust at Russia or China those
nations would theoretically launch a retaliatory response at the U.S. It is then that the Pentagon's "missile
defense" systems would be used to pick-off the retaliatory strikes.
Every year, the U.S. Space Command holds war games to
practice a first-strike attack on China.
Both Russia and China have repeatedly complained about U.S.-NATO missile
defense deployments that are now surrounding their nations. Russia has threatened to pull out of the New
Start Treaty (Obama's 2011 agreement with Russia for modest nuclear weapons
reductions) because of U.S. "missile defense" deployments.
North Korea and Iran thus have become convenient excuses for
the Pentagon to develop systems that are recreating the Cold War with Russia
and China.
Maine Veterans for Peace has also recently taken a position to join the Global Network in
opposing any "missile defense" base in the state and pledges to help build
opposition against it.
