A wacko called me "misguided"

[Riprorin]

I was in Toronto this weekend and a bunch of people with nothing better to do on a glorious Saturday afternoon were parading through downtown protesting space-based missile defense systems. It ws the usual cast of characters: slovenly hippy types, yuppies in Birkenstocks, students, and Commies.

A woman wanted to give me literature which I refused saying that I was a Bush supporter and an advocate of missile defense, to which she responded that I was "misguided".

And this spoken by a woman who was marching with a group which included banner carrying Communist Party members.

Bwhaaaaa.

 

[jjzelinski]

Still hypnotized by the Red Scare?

But you may have a point! If this space based missle defense system that will cost an ungodly amount of money to find (good thing w/ W we have plenty of that being thrown around!) can home in on a terrorist with a briefcase bomb then I'm all for it. But who knows, Iraq may still be able to launch a WMD at us and our allies with 45 mins, so you can't be too careful

 

[Steeplerot]

Oh noooes not people who share!

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

I literally have a hard time imagining a bigger waste of untold billions of taxpayer dollars than spending it on a missile defense system, when we are the world's lone superpower, and we know we're at risk from terrorist attacks that will in no way be deterred or prevented by such a system (not to mention that there's essentially no evidence one might be made to work).

 

[Kibbo]

So what, she is misguided because she agrees on one issue with Communists? Note that the Canadian Marxist-Lenninist party believes firmly in democracy, not autocracy. Their platform a few years ago consisted of: denouncing the US's hypocracy regarding Cuba, and nationalizing the banks. Hardly the stuff of revolution.

The US has many more important threats than ballistic missles. Spend that money on domestic security, not space toys that don't work well. It is a misguided policy.

 

[jjzelinski]

Actually upon closer reading Rip never offered anything with regard to an opinion on missle defense.

But his antiquated geopolitcal fearmongering is spot on!

 

[CycloWizard]

I think the real question here is: wtf were you doing in Canada? Aren't you on their watch list by now?

 

[tallest1]

Originally posted by: CycloWizard
I think the real question here is: wtf were you doing in Canada? Aren't you on their watch list by now?

Tomorrow, we'll hear about him being in France complaining about their war stance..... and foul odor

 

[CanOWorms]

The Canadian government has been supporting Communists for quite a while. They're best friends with Castro.

 

[Riprorin]

Originally posted by: CycloWizard
I think the real question here is: wtf were you doing in Canada? Aren't you on their watch list by now?

I couldn't avoid it; I had to go there for work. If the gov't there knew my views, I'm sure that they would consider me a subversive.

Having watched Canadian news for 5 days, I can see why Canucks here are so left-leaning and anti-Republican. They need FOX News badly up there!

 

[nageov3t]

I <3 communists.

 

[jackschmittusa]

If you saw an anti-abortion rally and some one had a Communist Party sign, would you worry about it Rip?

The only thing a missle defense system will be good for at this time will be to funnel more tax dollars in the pockets of the defense industry. It will be especially lucrative because virtually every element of it will have to be designed and built from scratch.

Did you know that the USAF has a policy in place for striking assets of neutral and friendly countries if those assets might be used be an enemy? This includes not only weather, imaging, and communications satellites, but ground stations and spaceports.

Do you not think that offensive weapons would quickly follow defensive ones in space? If we put weapons in space, won't other countries want to as well?

For the foreseeable future, the only realistic chance of intercepting a stratigic launch is during the boost phase. Offensive weapons in space would mean little or no chance of intercept.

 

[CycloWizard]

Originally posted by: jackschmittusa
If you saw an anti-abortion rally and some one had a Communist Party sign, would you worry about it Rip?

The only thing a missle defense system will be good for at this time will be to funnel more tax dollars in the pockets of the defense industry. It will be especially lucrative because virtually every element of it will have to be designed and built from scratch.

Did you know that the USAF has a policy in place for striking assets of neutral and friendly countries if those assets might be used be an enemy? This includes not only weather, imaging, and communications satellites, but ground stations and spaceports.

Do you not think that offensive weapons would quickly follow defensive ones in space? If we put weapons in space, won't other countries want to as well?

For the foreseeable future, the only realistic chance of intercepting a stratigic launch is during the boost phase. Offensive weapons in space would mean little or no chance of intercept.

No one is putting any sort of weapons in space, at least not in the unclassified arena. The US missile defense system likely uses satellites to guide its missiles and track incoming, but it doesn't actually mount any weaponry in space. Why doesn't it? Try keeping a satellite in orbit after you shoot a rocket off it. Try reloading said satellite. Fact is, not many weapons can survive for any period in space. Lubricants required just don't stand up to extended periods of extremely low pressure, which is why extremely specialized lubricants must be developed even for use in space shuttles, which are out for a relatively small amount of time.

Besides, if anyone else mounted weapons in space, we'd shoot em down.