AccessMyLibrary provides FREE access to over 30 million articles from top publications available through your library.
Create a link to this page
Copy and paste this link tag into your Web page or blog:
the Mail.
Being from England, I can fully understand the objections of American liberals to National Missile Defense described by P. J. O'Rourke ("No-Nukes Turn Pro-Nuke," April/May). I think I can explain these objections since I agree with them.
In the 1980s movie WarGames, the warmongering supercomputer discovers the futility of nuclear war by playing out endless tactical scenarios that inevitably end in a "stalemate": the utter destruction of all warring parties involved. The supercomputer eventually realizes that there can only be losers in such a conflict. We are currently living under an uneasy peace when it comes to nuclear war. No nation would be suicidal enough to launch a nuclear attack on another, as it would only result in its own annihilation.
Thus, if one country creates a defense against nuclear attack, it becomes able to successfully launch a nuclear attack without fearing a reprisal in kind. Ironically, nuclear war is made more likely by the existence of such a system. This is why American "liberals" fear National Missile Defense. They feel that no country, not even America, should have this kind of devastating superiority.
Tim Horne London, England
I read with great interest your issue on missile defense systems ("Missile Defense: Ready or Not?" April/May). In America and other countries, logic might prevail as the primary decision-making force but in the majority of "rogue nations" fundamentalist religion and political prowess are the main forces used to hold onto power and control the masses. Iran is a perfect example of the religious mandate, and China a perfect example of the political mandate. The things that societies like ours value the most, such societies value the least. Freedom of thought and expression, individual rights, civil rights, and voting are not high on the priority list of radical groups in the Middle East and China.
Every time Islamic revolutionaries bomb our embassies in Africa or blow up our ships in the Arabian Gulf, they gain more support within their own countries. While extremists may not speak for the majority, sympathy within certain nations lies heavily with the extremists. In order to deal with these nations, America needs to think like they do.
Yet your missile defense issue focused on strictly defensive schemes. Why not develop an offensive posture to put these rogue nations on notice? The secretary of state could quietly call on these folks and advise them of the consequences of belligerent behavior.
- Allies keep balking at US missile defense: But some NATO members are resigned...
- Newspaper article from: The Christian Science Monitor March 9, 2001 700+ words
...construct a national missile defense (NMD) could...deployment of a missile-defense system," he told...sponsored by the American Enterprise Institute. Halfway...differences over missile defense. Still, Bush described...
- Analysis: Think tanks look at missile defense.
- News wire article from: United Press International March 2, 2001 700+ words
...accept the idea of missile defense, but large questions...earliest proponents of missile defense see no problem...a scholar at the American Enterprise Institute and executive...opposition to U.S. missile defense is shortsighted...
- NATO Secretary General Reports EU View Shifting On Missile Defense.(Brief...
- Newspaper article from: Defense Daily March 8, 2001 700+ words
...build a national missile defense (NMD) and is starting...sponsored by the American Enterprise Institute and Sen...is moving to make missile defense more inclusive to...Atlantic row over missile defense, we will see serious...
- US-PRESIDENT-MISSILE-DEFENSE-DECISION-COMMENTS.
- Newspaper article from: Ukraine News September 19, 2009 700+ words
...Obama's decision on missile defense Washington, September...configuration of the U.S. missile defense in Europe as a unilateral...currently works for the American Enterprise Institute in Washington...architecture of the U.S. missile defense system. "It should...
- Missile Defense Failing To Launch as Voting Issue
- Newspaper article from: The Washington Post Bradley Graham July 28, 1996 700+ words
...has helped defuse missile defense as a campaign issue...the campaign with missile defense as a matter of national...Kirkpatrick, now with the American Enterprise Institute in Washington...While centered on missile defense, the GOP strategy...
- Allies doubtful of U.S. missile defense system.(World)
- Newspaper article from: The Washington Times Sands, David R. May 12, 2000 700+ words
...drive to build a missile defense against "rogue...U.S. National Missile Defense (NMD) system and...proceed with the missile defense shield, even experts...resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute and executive...
- Bolton is on duty as America's sentry; undersecretary of state John R. Bolton...
- Magazine article from: Insight on the News Kaufman, Paula R. July 22, 2002 700+ words
...he also is committed to erecting an effective global missile-defense shield. In a speech in Washington at the Heritage Foundation...Undersecretary Bolton, Christopher DeMuth, head of the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), has said that you do not believe in...
- MISSILE DEFENSE PLAN COULD AID STATE MUCH OF WORK ON SYSTEM PROPOSED BY...
- Newspaper article from: Rocky Mountain News (Denver, CO) Sprengelmeyer, M.E. Foster, Dick May 2, 2001 700+ words
...windfall of defense dollars from the missile defense plan President Bush proposed Tuesday...contractors already playing leading roles in missile defense work. ``The federal government...Aurora all would be bolstered by new missile defense work, said Sean Conway, a spokesman...
