This came via Eric Alterman's latest blog entry over at msnbc.com, a link to
Rude Awakening to missile-defense dream
I, along with many others have been pushing the notion that the Star Wars missile defense program is the equivalent of the Maginot line. That is an incredible waste of money to build a defensive line that our enemies can easily circumvent if they so desire.
While Russia is no longer our enemy, they are also not quite our friends. (With the obvious exception of my girlfriend Tanya from Omsk)
And apparently they are still developing missile delivery systems...
Scott Ritter's oped in the CS Monitor, notes that the Russians just made Star Wars completely obsolete. That is, despite the fact that Star Wars already doesn't work, the new Russian SS-27 Topol-M changes the dynamics of ICBM's that the Star Wars system was designed to defeat such that we need to go back to the drawing board.
However, the Bush administration's dream of a viable NMD has been rendered fantasy by the Russian test of the SS-27 Topol-M. According to the Russians, the Topol-M has high-speed solid-fuel boosters that rapidly lift the missile into the atmosphere, making boost-phase interception impossible unless one is located practically next door to the launcher. The SS-27 has been hardened against laser weapons and has a highly maneuverable post-boost vehicle that can defeat any intercept capability as it dispenses up to three warheads and four sophisticated decoys.
The article is highly recommended, and further confirms the Maginot Line description.
Update [2005-1-6 1:0:8 by Steve4Clark]:
I guess I should clarify a bit. I think the Maginot Line description is more appealing than arguments of an arms race, etc. The Maginot Line is a classic example of spending a lot of money building a defense which was easily flanked. Plus, since it was a French thing, this has got to really piss off the wingnuts. It's simple and direct... exactly the kind of issue framing we need to start modeling.