MOSCOW, Russia (AP) -- Russia has designed a "revolutionary" weapon that would make the prospective U.S. missile defense useless, Russian news agencies reported, quoting a senior Defense Ministry official.
The biggest, strategic disadvantage of a space-based missile defense system (or even of proposing one) is this: whenever you build a weapon, someone is going to try to out-weapon you or try to undermine your weapons. With Star Wars, it could be (or is) as simple as dummy missiles designed to confuse the system and allow the real nuclear weapons to slip through to their targets. The only way to stop the one-upmanship is through international diplomacy and agreements -- imagine if the missile shield were an international effort designed to protect everyone.
But, no, Bush is willing to spend billions on a missile defense system that will be invalidated or ineffective in a couple of years, if it works at all. And I'm sure that when the system is undermined, there will be a 'fix' for it that will mean billions for the aerospace industry and defense contractors.
Now there's a government in power in Russia reminiscent of the Soviets, and a Republican administration on our side of the world. We're looking at the kindlings of a second Cold War. So if Reagan got us out of the first Cold War (ha), then let it be known that Bush dragged us into the second.